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Both the Broncos and the Cowboys have endured form slumps in the past couple of months, after clearly being the best two teams in the first half of the season.
It’s not unusual in a long NRL season, but how can we evaluate these two premiership contenders coming into the finals?
The first thing to realise for both sides is that it’s good to know you have the potential to play as they did in the first half of the season.
Finals footy is different, and two sides like this will be on their games, win or lose, in the playoff rounds.
For the Broncos, the best part about the past couple of weeks has been halves Ben Hunt and Anthony Milford. During the difficult middle part of their season, Milford, in particular, was way off the pace.
He was the best player in the comp at the start of the season. The Broncos were hot. But after setting such a cracking pace in the first ten rounds of the comp, he went off the boil.
There is still a big question mark around their attack. They rely a lot on Darius Boyd, though they’ve shown signs in recent weeks that they’re getting closer.
Realistically, it’ll end up coming down to their forwards. Their last five minutes against the Dogs last Thursday were the best they’ve been in weeks. It was good to see them fire up.
Canterbury have struggled a bit recently, but you still have to beat them. They always compete. Brisbane had them covered for 80 minutes last round, and while they probably wished they had beaten the Dogs by more, they’re better for that performance.
Though they are coming from the bottom of the eight – fifth being the highest possible spot they can finish – I wouldn’t write Brisbane off completely. But I wouldn’t be that confident they’ll do damage either.
On the other hand, I can see North Queensland beating the Bulldogs this weekend and getting into the top four, from where they’re capable of winning the premiership again. (Click to Tweet)
Like the Broncos, they lost a bit of spark in the middle of the year.
It’s understandable. During a long season, you can search for an edge or whatever other reason for answers. And like Cronulla, if you keep trying to play the way you’ve always played, it can hurt rather than help you.
But the Cowboys got back on track the other night with a strong win – even if it was over an ordinary Warriors, they’ll feel good about that result.
This weekend’s game at Belmore is a playoff for fourth spot on the ladder. While the fourth-placed Bulldogs are on 32 points to the fifth-place Cowboys’ 30, North Queensland’s superior for-and-against record – 205 compared to Canterbury’s 85 – means the winner is guaranteed two weeks of finals footy.
And if the Cowboys make the top four, come semis time they could do plenty of damage.
They’ve been there before, so they know how to lift for a finals game. There will be no relying too much on what they’ve done, rather than what they have to do.
If they can come out of this period with another win this week, having worked out a few areas, they’ll feel confident of making a huge impact over the next five weeks.
Key man Johnathan Thurston looks alright. For a guy who plays every game, plays Origin, plays everything, he could have lost some rhythm after picking up a little hammy injury.
He will still be trying to get his groove back. And if – more like when – he does get it back, the Cowboys have the potential to win the comp again.
I’m not as sure the same can be said for the Broncos, but with the master coach and a host of celebrated Origin stars, they’re lurking.
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