The 2014 NRL season has been if not the tightest, then one of the tightest and most unpredictable competitions in recent history.
There is an absolute log jam from fourth place to somewhere near the wooden spoon, giving any team except the Sharks and Raiders a mathematical chance at making this year’s final series.
The thing that has struck me most though, has to be the amount of youngsters and rookies that have made an impressive and match-winning impact for their respective clubs.
Being a Souths supporter, at the start of the season I was sweating after the lack of signings Michael Maguire had acquired, and was especially fretting about a back line, which last season became very predictable and unimaginative.
But the next generation of fledglings that Madge has given an opportunity to, have week-in week-out stolen the headlines for their dominant and silky displays.
Dylan Walker is leading that line, and while he may not be a rookie the 19-year-old has been one of the best centres in the game this season. His maturity on the field, and brilliance both in attack and defence has been an absolute joy to watch. He is the first player I look for on the team sheet each week, and he’s spearheading the next generation in an impeccable fashion.
Another few stars include Kirisome Auva’a, who I thank god each week didn’t get lost to the system down in Melbourne and made the right move to transfer over to Souths. He brings this delicious unpredictability to our attack and seems to connect so well with our halves and his back pairings.
Kyle Turner and Apisai Koroisau are others Madge has thrown his trust to and they haven’t disappointed, especially Kyle. He seems to have such an old head on him, and always puts in a 110 per cent shift in effort and perseverance.
I know I am rambling on quite a bit about Souths, but another special mention has to go out to Alex Johnston, the guy can play. From his first touch against Brisbane he hasn’t disappointed. He just continues to get the crowd on their feet with his speed, silky footwork and dedication to his game. It’s crazy to think he is just 19, and can continue to put in consistent performances like that.
The boys which are leading this incredible pack of youngsters are Matt Moylan, Ben Hunt and Luke Brooks. These three have incredible leadership qualities, and at such a young age and with such limited experience, it blows your mind to how pivotally accurate they have been with their plays.
Luke Brooks has changed the outlook of the Wests Tigers. It’s a crappy change of fortune for James Tedesco, because their early season telepathic combinations really gave the Tigers faithful a change of faith, and made the neutrals take notice.
Even through the current turmoil surrounding the Tigers, the performances of Curtis Sironen, Mitch Moses and Kurtis Rowe, David Nofoaluma, Tim Simona and James Gavet have also carved their mark this season, and have reignited the flair and excitement that once surrounded the Tigers backline.
Paul Carter and James Roberts at the Titans have had their spells of magic and that’s not forgetting about Albert Kelly’s early season form, which speared the Titans to the top of the table.
Jordan Kahu and Ben Hunt at the Broncos… the amount of players that have done their thing this season is mind blowing. It was so harsh for Hunt to miss out on that State of Origin spot so late on, but this boy will be the number seven for Queensland a few years down the line.
The disappointing aspect of this season has been the injuries to these emerging stars, Keary especially. The season was all but set up for him and Adam Reynolds to take charge of the halves at Souths, and he goes and strains his pectoral. But he has done some nice things since his return, and his biggest challenge will be filling in Sutton’s five-eighth spot in the lead up to the finals.
It’s the same scenario with Tedesco, it’s been a stop-start season since Round 1 and he is such a darn good talent.
Inconsistency has been a constant factor with the youngsters this season, but it’s something that they will learn over time. It’s not been more evident than in Anthony Milford’s performances.
One second he is destroying anyone in his sight with his smart attacking displays and blistering pace, and the next week you hardly notice him in the game. But when you play for Canberra it can be hard to keep your head for the entire 80 minutes.
These youngsters have really ignited this NRL season to another level, it’s unpredictability is mainly due to the way these youngsters are playing- with no chip or ego on their shoulder.
They play with a free spirit, and it’s something that at times has been missing over the last few seasons. This bunch of players are the future of the game, and if their displays this season are anything to go by, the next 10 to 15 years are going to be bright.
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