This week's What If Wednesday is one we were hoping to leave until the last weekend before the return of the game. However, with everything ramping up, the news cycle is too wild to keep up with.
Today is a simple one that requires minimal back story...
What if the NRL 2020 season wasn't delayed?
The NRL has now been suspended for six rounds, meaning we should be eight rounds into the competition at the time of writing.
We'd be right in the mix of Origin selection talk, the Dally M Medal race would well and truly be under way, while the race for the minor premiership should be a quarter done.
It would be extremely timely to go game by game, so below is a round by round break down of highlights.
At the bottom of this is how we project the table, Dally M race and Origin selections would have been tracking at the conclusion of Round 8.
Again, as with previous What if Wednesday articles, this is purely speculation. We've picked winners from each game across each round however haven't given exact scores or taken mass injuries, suspensions etc into account.
It's purely speculation and for fun. Please let me know below how you believe your side would have gone if the game was not forced into delay.
We're assuming all games were played behind closed doors and that the off-field circumstances of the past few weeks didn't occur.
ROUND 3
- The Roosters secure their first win of the season defeating the Bunnies
- The Sharks are also on the board with a win over the Ponga-less Knights
- Canberra remain undefeated
- The Eels drop their first game to the well rested Cowboys
ROUND 4
- The Bunnies rebound and beat the Storm, ending their unbeaten start to the season
- The Warriors shock the Tigers
- The Raiders beat Manly in the game of the round
- The Titans and Dogs remain winless
ROUND 5
- The Tigers rebound and beat the Eels in a heated matchup
- The Dragons beat the Warriors
- The Broncos and Cowboys play the game of the season with the Broncs pipping them late on
- Canberra lose their first game of the year to Penrith
- The Roosters go three straight, beating the Sharks
ROUND 6
- The Cowboys beat the Storm
- Brisbane continue their great start with a win over Cronulla
- The Tigers beat another rival in the Panthers
- Manly put the Titans to the sword
ROUND 7
- The Tigers good run ends as the Titans record their first win
- The Dogs beat the travel weary Cowboys and join the Titans with their first win
- Manly continue their amazing run against the Sharks, beating them again
- Newcastle and Penrith play out a draw with Newcastle winning in golden point
- The Roosters win their fifth straight
ROUND 8
- The Sharks beat the Tigers in a dour affair
- The Raiders win their seventh game out of eight
- The Eels beat the Warriors
- Manly beat Brisbane in a cracker
- The Roosters drop their first game in six to the Cowboys
VERDICT
Based on calculated results (with minimal points +/- taken into account) the below is how I saw the season progressing. This is where we would be today.
LADDER
1.Raiders: 14
2. Eels: 12
3. Storm: 12
4. Broncos: 10
5. Roosters: 10
6. Tigers: 10
7. Manly: 12
8. Bunnies: 10
9. Panthers: 10
10. Knights: 8
11. Cowboys: 8
12. Sharks: 6
13. Dragons: 2
14. Dogs: 2
15. Warriors: 2
16. Titans: 2
DALLY M RACE
- Josh Hodgson adds 2 man of the match efforts, and two 1 point efforts to his 3 points: 11
- Mitch Moses adds a man of the match performance, a 2 and two 2 points to his 3 points: 10
- Jason Taumalolo picks up at least a point in four of his six games to add to his 4 points: 9
- Elliot Whitehead continues his incredible start to 2020: 8
- Payne Hass continues to monster opponents: 8
- James Tedesco fires his side to five straight wins and picks up points in 4 games: 7
ORIGIN SELECTION
- Luke Keary overcomes a slow start to reestablish himself as the state's best option at number 6
- Mitch Moses pulls ahead of Nathan Cleary and Mitchell Pearce and is clear favourite for the Origin number 7
- Valentine Holmes plays so well he's assured a return to Origin duties on the wing
- DCE is impossible to ignore for QLD despite a patchy Origin history
- Latrell is forced back to centre for the Bunnies and is neck and neck with Jack Wighton to partner Tommy Turbo in the centres
- No clear standouts emerge for vacant QLD centre positions with Morgan and Munster likely to slot in
