With the Superhero Round just a few days away, what better time than now to call upon your team’s heroes to stand up and deliver an almighty blow to their arch nemeses.
But just who among them do they turn to in their time of need? Do they seek solace from their captain? His stern yet wise words reassuring the downtrodden that if they keep fighting it will all be okay.
Or do they point to the man with such raw power that he could surely double as a battering ram as he braces for battle shouting “Follow me!”
A superhero must command respect, and do so through his acts of courage rather than expect to be obeyed merely cause he has a ‘c’ next to his moniker.
Something the likes of Terry Campese should heed to if he is to lift his side from the rabble they have become.
In rugby league, a superhero would be epitomised by their ability to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. A game changer.
They do not have to necessarily be the best at crossing the try line. No, a superhero in this great game through their relentless efforts, they help their side get close enough up field to sniff out a try.
They put their bodies on the line, making every run count, pushing for those extra metres. Their legs do not stop pumping until that final whistle sounds.
They are not ball hogs, rather they are humble enough to know when they can’t get the points all on their own, combined with the vision to pass the ball to someone with room to move, and often speed to burn.
They can do this because they are not playing to top statistics tables or to reach milestones. No, they play because of that passion inside them, it’s in their DNA. It’s like they have a furnace embedded in their guts, and every time they take the field it ignites.
That fire burns not just for the 80 minutes, but also during the 10 at half time and all through that post-match wrap from the coach. It’s what makes wins feel even more like triumphs, and losses harder to take.
Here are your team’s superheroes.
Broncos: Corey Parker and Ben Hunt
When I first saw Parker named in the front row I thought it was a dubious decision on Tony Griffin’s part. But one game in and I was sold. The skipper has not missed a beat, providing much needed go forward for a pack where Josh McGuire and Martin Kennedy’s form has been patchy.
Like Luke Bailey, Parker has put some of his younger front rowers to shame. Averaging 120 metres, he has also made a massive contribution to the Broncos second phase play, with 48 offloads often coming off hit-ups close to the line.
Parker’s efforts have gone along way to his side applying pressure to the opposition, leading to scrambling defence to halt the attack.
The Broncos attack has largely been sparked by surprise package Ben Hunt. Hunt has been a revelation in 2014. With the rumour mill buzzing in the offseason in regards to the club’s desire to nab DCE from the Sea Eagles, Hunt has gone along way to show why the incoming Bennett should stick with him.
His running game sets him apart from many rival number sevens who opt for the catch, step and pass. With 14 line breaks and a handful of brilliant long range tries, Ben has proven himself to a very valuable playmaker. If the Broncos don’t want him, he’ll surely have his pick from the remainder of clubs in the comp.
Bulldogs: Josh Reynolds and James Graham
Josh Reynolds is not the most gifted of athletes. But what he lacks in skill, he more than makes up for in determination. He hangs tough, lurking round whichever teammate has the ball. He wants to be involved.
He doesn’t sit back and wait for the ball, he goes in search of it. Even if it means a hit up square into looming bodies twice his size, he’ll roll up his sleeves to make that small gain in territory. But it’s what he does when his opponents are in position that really sets him apart from the pack.
He’s nicknamed ‘grub’, and as we saw during the Origin series, he is a master at the art of the niggle. He can get under the skin of some of the most composed characters in the game, they lose their cool and their side suffers.
They play ‘on tilt’ and it diminishes that rational thinking needed to give a side direction. They come up with outlandish options usually reserved for a mess around game at the park. His fearless approach to defending is often awe inspiring. It’s his grit that’s helped the Dogs win those really tight matches this season.
As for James Graham, love him or hate him, he’s here to stay. Consistent in every aspect and playing big minutes, it’s not hard to see why he was offered a reported $700k a year by the Dogs.
Cowboys: Johnathan Thurston
He may’ve been quieter than usual during this year’s State of Origin series, but there’s no doubt that JT is the Cowboys MVP. They are a completely different team in his absence, such is the enormity of an impact he has on the side’s attack.
I still think he’d be better served moving back to halfback, and is yet another playmaker who’s had to endure a revolving door of halves partners in recent years.
With the pre-season injury to Lachlan Coote, Thurston has had to quickly form a new combination with Michael Morgan, something that’s proven all the more difficult given he’s moved between fullback and halfback, a position also shared by Robert Lui and Ray Thompson.
Amidst all the comings and goings, JT has been left with the responsibility largely on his shoulders. The frustration has shown on his face during his side’s failed attempts to win on the road, something he’s made a big step towards rectifying with a masterclass display against the Bulldogs at ANZ.
Dragons: Gareth Widdop
The Englishman made the bold move from the relative comfort of being support to a spine that boasts ‘the big three’, to a vertebrae vital for moving forward. Paired with veteran halfback Michael Witt, and rookie Sam Williams on a rotating basis, the Dragons started the season with three straight wins.
They then endured the media circus rolled out for Benji Marshall’s return. Through all this Gareth toiled away, playing an instrumental role in their victories, and constantly being one of the best in a beaten side.
Since McGregor has taken over from the sacked Steve Price, Gareth has really found his groove. Starting with the 30-0 thrashing of the toothless Sharks, the Dragons were on a roll, picking a surprise victory against the Storm along the way.
Widdop has been brilliant as Marshall has slowly found form and confidence, something illustrated by his performance against the Tigers.
Eels: Jarryd Hayne
Like JT and the Cowboys, the Eels look a far less competent outfit when the Hayne Plane isn’t in flight. He showed what a game changer he is way back in 2009, with freakish displays in the second half of the season took the Eels on a run to the grand final.
Well, if recent weeks are anything to go by, he’s well on his way to repeating those efforts. His recent form has seen fans witness some electrifying displays of skill, speed and class. The added responsibility of being co-captain this year, has helped him mature as a player and assisted a change in attitude.
As club legend Nathan Hindmarsh pointed out on this weeks Monday Night with Matty Johns, what Hayne has been doing of late he must continue.
That label of being lazy that critics have bestowed upon him in recent years, only he can peel that off by being at his brilliant best for the remainder of the season. If so, the Eels are a big chance of making the finals.
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