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With 2016 now in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to look back at some of the big things that happened last year.
Obviously such an article could list literally dozens of subjects, but I’ve been ruthless in keeping it to just three, which fall neatly under the themes of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
The Good: Cronulla winning the premiership
I didn’t want the Cronulla Sharks to win the competition. I like sporting hoodoos, and I love see long-suffering fans continue to suffer – as long as it’s not me that’s in pain.
However, you couldn’t help but be swept up in the emotion as the Sharks finally broke through and won the premiership. To see their fans finally enjoy the ultimate victory was actually a great moment, and reminds you of why sport is so amazing.
I dare say that Cronulla finally winning will be one of rugby league’s great memories.
Though many opposition fans may disagree with me, the Sharks winning the 2016 NRL premiership was good for the sport, and provided what was already a great year, with a fantastic punctuation point.
The Bad: State of Origin
Quick, tell me one thing you remember from the 2016 State of Origin series, other than Queensland winning?
It’s OK, I’ll wait. Take your time.
So you eventually came up with something, but that took longer than it should for what is the pinnacle of the rugby league calendar, right?
There is no question that the rivalry at State of Origin time generates enormous excitement, however I think it’s important that the football itself starts being a focus again.
Origin footy sees 34 of the best players in the country come together to compete against each other, and yet increasingly, the standard of football leaves a lot to be desired.
Overly simplistic tactics, dour play, conservatism in attack, and a focus of simply dominating the ruck, have all ensured that State of Origin might be the most hyped football of the year, but it’s certainly not the best.
I think rugby league is missing a trick by not ensuring the action on the field is as good as the action off the field, in the lead-up to the three games each year.
Or maybe – and I’m happy to be called out on this – I’m just a bitter NSW fan?
The Ugly: The Alex McKinnon saga
This is part review, and part preview, because the Alex McKinnon story is far from over.
However, a dark episode in rugby league’s history – which many thought may have been somewhat closed – surfaced again with the news a few weeks ago that McKinnon would be suing the NRL and Storm forward Jordan McLean, for the tackle that left him in a wheelchair.
The whole story has been sad from the start, but it turned ugly after a 60 Minutes hatchet job on Melbourne and Queensland skipper Cameron Smith, when McKinnon was shown heavily edited footage which gave the impression that Smith was being very insensitive to McKinnon’s injury, as he lay on the ground receiving medical attention.
To say McKinnon was upset would be an understatement, and it once again brought the tragic events from the game between the Newcastle Knights and the Melbourne Storm in round 3 in 2014, to national attention.
Though the two players eventually sorted out their differences in private, McKinnon’s life has been drastically altered as a result of the tackle, and with the realities of how much money it will cost for him to be properly looked after now revealed, McKinnon is exercising his right to chase further compensation, and that means suing the NRL and McLean.
That will ensure that the events of that fateful night will once again be front-page news, and the tackle itself – which has already been dissected hundreds of times – will once again have every nuance analysed and discussed.
We can also expect the horrible ‘he ducked his head’ narrative to once again be a massive point of contention among the rugby league fraternity, and beyond.
Where things could get extra ugly will be the question of whether the NRL provided a safe workplace environment. When you consider some of the lenient ‘punishments’ that were dealt out to spear-tackling offenders prior to McKinnon getting injured, it will be a tough defence to mount for the NRL.
Yet with what’s at stake – for both sides – the lawyers won’t pull any punches, with it will all be played out in the media.
Ugly? You better believe it.
So that’s it for 2016 – bring on 2017.