Contenders and pretenders for the 2010 NRL title

 
Steve Kaless Roar Guru

By , 5 Mar 2010 Steve Kaless is a Roar Guru

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Ben Roberts drops the ball during the Parramatta Eels V Canterbury Bulldogs National Rugby League match at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Saturday, March 15, 2008. AAP Image/Action Photographics, Robb Cox

There are three groups of clubs heading into the 2010 NRL season, the contenders, the dark horses and the battlers. The contenders have recent history and the cattle to suggest they could be slugging for the title. The dark horses have the capability to surprise people and the battlers will be hoping 2010 represents a positive year in terms of their rebuilding.

In no particular order, the contenders are Melbourne, Parramatta, Manly, Canterbury, St George and the Gold Coast.

Melbourne Storm: They came back into the pack during the regular season, but cut loose in the finals to win it in a canter. They are rugby league’s Terminator and refuse to be stopped. Will Dallas Johnson’s departure finally take the wind out of their sails? Time and Todd Lowrie will tell.

Parramatta Eels: Last season’s Cinderella have the weight of expectation on their shoulder’s this year. How do Parramatta perform under pressure? Ha! To be fair Justin Poore, Shane Shackelton, and Timana Tahu are impressive signings and Daniel Anderson is well entrenched there now. The Eels have no excuses.

Canterbury Bulldogs: Looked to have run out of ideas at the end of last year, won’t have the element of surprise this year and their recruitment has already been hit with injuries. Need someone to find a new level in the finals and Jamal Idris looked like he was starting his second year syndrome at the back end of last year.

St George Dragons: Like the Dogs fell away badly after a great performance during the regular season. Need to hit their straps in the finals, not three months before it. Big question: Will Wendell Sailor get more exposure than any current Dragons player?

Gold Coast Titans: Of the top three of 2009, the Titans have recruited the best to cover their shortcomings with Greg Bird and Joseph Tomane? If they can win more regularly on the road they could be a good shout for the minor premiership.

Manly Sea Eagles: How the Sea Eagles respond to the departure of Matt Orford and whether Brett Stewart stays on the park are the key questions for 2010. Graham Lowe should steady the ship off the field and Brett Kite must produce big time on it after losing some key support players in the off season.

The dark horses could claim a few big scalps during the season, but will count the year as a success if they can sneak into the eight and may even receive a rugby league miracle.

South Sydney Rabbitohs: A monster pack filled with workers and flair. If Mick Crocker can get back to his best after his offseason rebuild which included something like three reconstructions they really good be cooking. As stated previously, their year comes down to the Sandow and Sutton combination and whether a revived John Lang can still come up with the plays.

Wests Tigers: All the talk, but we’ve heard it all before. Tquiri must avoid father time as well as league defences and Marshall and Farah must fire on all cylinders…consistently. Sheens must take this team to the finals.

Brisbane Broncos: While others rise, the Broncos seem to be treading water after another off season in which they lost more than they gained. The chiseling at the roster and the miles on Lockyer’s clock must surely start to take their toll. The famed Bronco production line will need to come up with something special to cover the loss of Hunt and Hodges.

North Queensland Cowboys: The hopes of the Cowboys rest of an ageing Matt Bowen, a distracted Jonathan Thurston and Willie Mason. It could be tough. Thurston’s tag as one of the best players in the world hasn’t got his team into the finals for the past two years, hard to find the confidence that will change.

Penrith Panthers: A great batch of homegrown talent, and the purists rate them, but it could still be a season early for the mountain men. Big years needed from Petero and Pritchard as well as developing a dominant halfback. They have the points in them, but need to muscle up in defence to come from the clouds.

The battlers start the year on the same amount of points as everyone and in some cases with as much as optimism for how long that lasts remains to be seen.

Canberra Raiders: The Raiders have enjoyed bucking the wooden spoon tip for the last few years, but they are looking like they are running out of steam, how long can a team survive on Alan Tongue’s work rate? Unable to attract big names and an injured Joel Monaghan puts pressure on this year’s batch.

Sydney Roosters: Surely must improve on the rabble that wore the tri-colours last year, but the exit door also swung on Craig Fitzgibbon who is close to irreplaceable in terms of workrate, professionalism and experience. Injuries have already hit a young squad, they’ll start with plenty of enthusiasm but it could still prove a long season.

New Zealand Warriors: Ivan Cleary is the coach most under pressure and the roster is looking thin. Warriors fan must hope Steve Price has inherited Ruben Wiki’s stock of kava. They still hold some class players but the semis of 2008 seem light years away.

Cronulla Sharks: Dodged the spoon last year thanks to the Roosters, they should be right in the frame this year. Will Albert Kelly become the latest young halfback to fall foul of Ricky Stuart’s mentoring?

Newcastle Knights: Brian Smith was hailed as the man who transformed the Newcastle culture. He did this by bringing in, amongst others, Danny Wicks and Chris Houston. Nice one. The wooden spoon has traditionally gone to the club who have imploded mid season. Newcastle look specials to do that with the inexperienced Rick Stone leading the team from their worst ever preseason.

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