Jamie Soward and Dean Young during the NRL, Round 4, Brisbane Broncos v St George Illawarra Dragons match at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Friday April 3, 2009. Dragons won 25-12. (AAP Image/Action Photographics, Colin Whelan)
The finals series may be a few moons away but after watching the weekend’s rugby league action, it is the Dragons and Titans would already look to be the big improvers on last year’s form.
The Wayne Bennett factor does seem to be having the desired impact on the Red V with his structure doing well and each of his acquisitions looking incredibly shrewd.
Michael Weyman already looks a bolter for the NSW side and Neville Costigan seems to have taken his game to the next level even if he does look a bit weird in a number four jersey.
Second rower Matt Prior looks a like a real find as well, and you need to unearth those sorts of players if you are going to make a real push at the end of the season.
The Titans on the other hand look to have discovered the dual secrets of winning without Scott Prince and winning away from home. Not only that but Preston Campbell seem to be playing some of the best footy of his career.
Where do these blokes get it? I can injure myself while sleeping these days.
Both eluded them last year but with that in their locker they could make a real impact.
On Friday night, I felt very sorry for the Roosters recruitment and retention committee.
Those poor blokes must have hurt watched former Rooster Antonio Winterstein carve them up whilst the man who took his place Sisa Waqa looks badly short of first grade standard.
For the last two weeks I’ve heard the commentators refer to Waqa as a “tremendous athlete”. In my time I’ve found that to be code for “can’t pass, catch or tackle”.
I know Waqa is probably still learning the code but first grade probably isn’t the place to do it.
His defensive reads look terrible and if the coach Brad Fittler is going to persist with the Fijian maybe they should give Shaun Kenny Dowell some white gloves to make it easier for him to direct more of the opposing teams attack his way.
Maybe it is why Peter O’Sullivan has headed to South Africa.
South Sydney and the Bulldogs go head to head tonight and the winner may also count themselves in the select group of star performers of the early rounds, yet both probably have a way to go before they earn the same merit cards as the star pupils of the Titans and Dragons.
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