NRL's kick-blocker crackdown changes the game - but the question is do we want that?
NRL kickers are under more pressure than ever. But what will the knock-on effects of the new crack-down be?
Canberra no longer have control of their NRL finals destiny, but skipper Jarrod Croker insists he is proud of his side’s fighting qualities during a frustrating season.
The Raiders need to beat Newcastle at GIO Stadium on Friday night and upset Melbourne in a tough final-round away trip next week, as well as have other results go their way to squeeze into the top eight.
“That period where we lost a couple in a row, a lot of teams would have thrown it in but to the boys’ credit they toughed it out. It’s round 25 and we’re still hanging in by the skin of our teeth,” Croker said on Thursday.
Out to end the Raiders’ hopes is a Knights side in better from than when they stunned the Raiders 34-20 in round 10.
Before Melbourne overpowered them last week, Newcastle had won three in a row for the first time since the start of 2015.
But they’ll travel to Canberra without five-eighth Brock Lamb (knee), Sione Mata’utia (concussion) and Luke Yates (ankle), while the Raiders are unchanged.
Croker admits his side didn’t cope with the Knights’ youthful exuberance when the two sides last met.
“That energy they bring and a lot of young kids that bring enthusiasm, it can be hard to handle sometimes and we didn’t handle it last time we played them up there,” Croker said.
Few people predicted Canberra would miss the finals, but after losing eight games by six points or less they have earned the dreaded “mathematical possibility” tag.
Knights coach Nathan Brown has labelled the Raiders as the competition’s unluckiest team, but Croker doesn’t agree.
“We’ve been in situations where we’ve put ourselves in with a chance to win it and didn’t do it,” he said.
“I wouldn’t call that unlucky.”
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
NRL kickers are under more pressure than ever. But what will the knock-on effects of the new crack-down be?
Gold Coast CEO Steve Mitchell says he has no concerns over David Fifita's future, despite the second-rower having an option to leave the battling…
He’s back. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck hadn’t been enjoying the best of nights, and neither had the rest of the Warriors, but sometimes a little adversity…
The Wests Tigers might be at the start of a new era, but there were plenty of familiar problems on display in their 32-12…
The Dally M Medal is a controversial award, as evidenced in Round 1.
Contesting the ball lies at the heart of rugby league and the new kick re-start rule.