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Now that the much lauded NRL Auckland Nines have morphed from rugby league off-season mirage into hastily approaching reality, perhaps it’s time we ran a Ronnie Palmer like eye over how the tournament is shaping up.
As a completely new concept recycled from the mid-90s, it’s expected that the Nines will have a few teething problems first go round.
Hell, State of Origin has been going for over thirty and no one can agree as to how we should referee that, so to be too critical on the Nines would be overly harsh.
Even so some features of the Nines have already begun to raise eyebrows, particularly given that they have for the moment replaced the popular All Stars match on the NRL calendar.
As it stands here is what I see as being some of the pros and cons of the tournament as it exists.
Pro: Teams that are coming off a mediocre season or four (Parra) have the chance to restore some pride and ensure their fans aren’t bullied at work so much.
Con: When this early season form promptly vanishes into Glen Air at the start of the premiership rounds the tournament trophy will only serve as a cruel mock for the rest of the year.
Pro: A pre-season tournament brings back fond memories for fans that grew up on a diet of Coca-Cola sevens and Tooheys challenges.
Con: No Morocco somersault tries, flagrant USA forward passes or Illawarra Steeler upsets in this competition.
Pro: NRL sides can introduce their rising stars in a less brutal form of the game.
Con: Apparently some of these rising stars are 42-year old commentators playing for a couple of laughs on The Footy Show.
Pro: You get to witness your club’s problem child turn it all around after a big season of training the house down.
Con: Quickly realising your club’s media officer is a pathological liar.
Pro: Teams can get a bit funky with their merchandise, and produce some exciting one off playing strips that will become collectors items and talking points among the footy trainspotting weirdos (me) on the hill for years to come
Con: Teams will take the chance to let surrealist graphic designers produce horrid one off playing strips that manage to include several sublimated levels of tattoo style insignia, but fail to include your team’s playing colours of the last eighty odd years.
Pro: A batch of new rules has been drawn up for the tournament which will serve as a good testing ground for the future evolution of the sport.
Con: With each half only going for nine minutes it’s quite possible Paul Gallen may end up arguing with the referee about said new rules for a quarter of each Sharks match
Pro: Wide open spaces thanks to less players on the field means plenty of ball movement.
Con: Plenty of ball movement combined with usual early round fumbling means more balls are set to hit the ground than in your average Bernard Tomic tennis match.
Pro: Sixteen NRL teams in the one place at the same time means lots of mingling between fans in a carnival type atmosphere.
Con: Sixteen NRL teams in the same place for a weekend means NRL CEO Dave Smith will be a nervous wreck for 48 hours and the city of Auckland will be looking at implementing security in the nightclub district usually reserved for G20 summits.
Pro: The Nines in being held in New Zealand, thus widening the game’s appeal in the country and capitalising on the Warriors signing of superman Sam Tomkins.
Con: Trying to get work to send you there to cover it.
Pro: It’s footy season again.
Con: Absolutely nothing!
The Auckland Nines will be played on the 15th and 16th of February and will be televised live on Fox Sports. Find out all the details here.
Click here for the full list of squads from the Auckland Nines.
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