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After seeing Jamal Idris in the flesh at the Wests Tigers media call on Monday, I’m enthusiastic about his chances of making a successful comeback to the game.
His age won’t be against him, he’s only 26, and after giving up rugby league to find himself, he has only had one year out of the game, so he hasn’t been away for too long.
It’s just like rupturing an ACL – except without the injury.
The questions surrounding someone like Idris are whether he wants to play again for the right reasons and whether he is fit enough to do himself justice.
He is saying all the right things, but we still won’t know for sure if his heart is in it until he gets out there and plays in the NRL again.
What impressed me is that he looks really fit.
Idris has been overweight at times in the past and it has held him back, but he has clearly had a very effective off-season preparation.
He has never come across as the type whose ambition it is to develop a six-pack, but he is no longer carrying the excess fat that sometimes stopped his progress as a player.
Idris looks good and playing in the centres for the Tigers – he could prove to be a great buy.
He’s far from the only player at a new club whose progress is going to be very interesting to follow in 2017.
Starting with Idris and working through the rest of the player signings in the NRL, I quickly came up with a dozen like that.
Benji Marshall, who turns 32 on February 25, made his superstar name as a five-eighth and has more recently been a halfback, but he is understood to be competing for a centre spot at Brisbane. If that is where he ends up it’s going to be fascinating to see how it works out.
Tony Williams went from being a wrecking ball at Manly to a much-less-destructive force at Canterbury. Now he is at premiers Cronulla. Can he return to his best, or at least get close? He only recently turned 28, so time is on his side. It’s whether he can reconnect with the mongrel in him.
Curtis Sironen and Jackson Hastings have both gone to Manly after they were no longer wanted at their previous clubs. They can play, we all know that, and they are only 23 and 21 respectively. The challenge for each of these versatile types is to find a groove at the Sea Eagles.
We didn’t think we would be seeing Frank Pritchard back in the NRL after he joined English club Hull last year, but he is back – with Parramatta. Pritchard is 33, but he is a smart player. He could give the Eels quite a valuable 30 to 40 minutes a week.
Robbie Farah’s switch from the Tigers to South Sydney was, of course, one of the most publicised moves in recent memory. The nature of his play out of dummy-half should suit the Rabbitohs because of their preference for running huge forwards at the opposition line from close range.
Kieran Foran? Presuming he convinces the NRL he has correctly dealt with his off-field issues and is cleared to play, he could end up the best signing the Warriors have ever made from a rival club. Or it could all blow up in his and their faces.
Is there anyone who does better than Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy at signing players from other clubs who either aren’t regular first-graders or are considered past their best and achieving a great result with them? He could do it again with 21-year-old winger Josh Addo-Carr.
Here is one of the most intriguing signings – former NSW and Australia forward Anthony Tupou, back from Super League to the NRL with Newcastle. Tupou will turn 34 on March 1. It won’t be easy for him, but if he can still handle the pace he will be great for the young Knights forwards to learn from.
Penrith spent a lot of money to get NSW and Australia prop James Tamou. There has been debate over whether he is worth it, but they wanted some genuine experience to go with their very promising young forwards and he certainly brings that.
Finally, St George Illawarra didn’t want to pay Mitch Rein what he was asking for to re-sign and he found a new home at Penrith. Peter Wallace did a great job at hooker for the Panthers last season, but you’ve got to have depth and the addition of Rein will create healthy competition for that spot.
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