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With the 2014 NRL season almost upon us, it’s time I once again set myself up for copious amounts of egg on my face come the end of the year. Yes, it’s my annual fearless predictions for the coming NRL season.
Let the ridicule begin!
Three coaches will be sacked… before May
The pressure on NRL coaches is immense, and though I have no desire to add to their stress levels, I sense a whopping three coaches will be dumped before we’re even halfway into the season.
Namely, Steve Price of the Dragons, Mick Potter of the Tigers and the Broncos’ Anthony Griffin.
This is no reflection upon these individuals’ talent or ability as head coaches. Rather it’s simply an acknowledgement that momentum is extremely hard to halt, and there is already plenty of said momentum against all three coaches.
Price and Potter don’t have the cattle to put the required wins on the board that would win them their desired job security. It’s that simple.
Meanwhile, there is plenty of noise out of Brisbane suggesting Griffin may have lost the Broncos changeroom. Whether it’s true or not is irrelevant; like the aforementioned coaches, wins are the only thing that matter.
Yet with an unsettled roster and whispers of discontent, it’s hard to see Brisbane starting the season strongly, which will ensure Griffin’s head is firmly on the chopping block.
The Warriors will make the eight
The Warriors have always had talent, yet they’ve always been enigmatic.
Inconsistency dogged the New Zealand outfit last year – stop me if you’ve heard that before – and though they made a late season surge for finals contention, they fell just short.
With a strong forward pack, an exciting backline and the potential brilliance of Shaun Johnson, the Warriors can be a formidable team when they put it all together.
This year, though the inconsistent play will no doubt remain, they’ll have more good days than bad, and will qualify for the finals.
And make no mistake about it, no team will want to face a Warriors team with momentum and confidence coming into the finals.
Cameron Smith will win the Dally M Medal
Not exactly going out on a ledge here. I’m sure I’ll cop some flak for this ‘fearless’ selection.
Having said that, picking the one player that will be awarded the NRL’s most prestigious individual honour is no easy task.
The usual suspects of Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk, Todd Carney and Greg Inglis will again poll strongly, and names like Sonny Bill Williams, Adam Reynolds, and Daly Cherry-Evans will contest as well.
However, I think the Melbourne, Queensland and Australian captain will have a brilliant year as he looks to become Australian rugby league’s first $1 million-a-season player with his next contract.
Paul Gallen won’t be NSW Blues captain
Technically, this isn’t an NRL prediction, but I wanted to get it published as soon as possible.
The Blues are staring down the barrel of nine consecutive series losses in State of Origin. It’s a remarkable statistic in what used to be considered such an even battle throughout its history.
Yet it only serves to highlight that New South Wales need to try something different, because what they’re doing clearly isn’t working.
Coach Laurie Daley, and Ricky Stuart before him, have attempted to change things up in order to halt the Queensland winning streak and break the status quo. What are the odds that Loz goes one step further, and the Blues have a change of captaincy?
No one doubts Gallen’s ability, and his performances for New South Wales have been what can only be described as Herculean. It’s certainly not Gallen’s fault the Blues haven’t won for eight years.
By the same token, perhaps it’s time to consider what is the opposite of the phrase ‘If it’s not broken, don’t fix it’…
Sam Burgess will be dropped from first grade at Souths
Big Sam may be on the nose a little at Redfern, due to his defection to English rugby union.
Though the Rabbitohs are saying all the right things publicly and suggesting Burgess will depart with their blessing, I can’t help but feel the big forward must have lost a little of the trust and support of his teammates and coaching staff, after bailing on a contract that had two years to run.
Though Burgess has said his focus will not be an issue, it’s hard to believe he won’t be occasionally looking towards next year and his Rugby World Cup aspirations.
Combine this with a potentially strained relationship with his teammates, coaches and management, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bunnies dropped their star forward at some point during the season.
Perhaps even for good.