Could the Roosters win next year’s premiership without Sonny Bill Williams?
I can only guess as to whether SBW will stick with the Roosters or return to rugby union in 2014.
Before the development last night that he decided to make himself available for New Zealand in the rugby league World Cup, I thought it was pretty clear his first season with the Roosters would also be his last.
I thought he was just waiting a respectable amount of time before he announced a return to rugby.
Now, I don’t know. Maybe he just wants to play for the Kiwis while he still can, before resuming his rugby career next year, or maybe he is leaning towards a second season with the Roosters.
We’ll have to wait and see.
Recent noises made in New Zealand sounded like SBW was being “encouraged” to accept it would be best for him to return to rugby next year, rather than wait until the World Cup year of 2015, if he wanted to best position himself to figure prominently for the All Blacks in the event.
Let’s not forget, Williams only got five minutes off the bench in their World Cup final win over France in 2011, and the All Blacks continue to power on this year as the code’s major force.
It might be regarded as presumptuous of him to wait until 2015 to return and expect to walk straight into a major role in the team.
But, then again, SBW does love a challenge.
Obviously, the Roosters would be in prime position to make it back-to-back premierships if he did play for them again next year. But, for the sake of the argument, where would it leave them if he did depart, given that he had a massive impact on their season?
Still the favourites to win next year’s premiership, in my view, albeit in a wide-open market.
They face a huge challenge to go back-to-back, which the records show is so hard to do in the modern game, but when you line them up against the other most likely good chances they compare very well even without SBW.
The Roosters were a team on the rise this season – they just happened to rise so well that they ended up winning the competition.
They are far from being an old team – apart from Anthony Minichiello, who is set to move to the wing anyway with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck given an extended crack at fullback, and Luke O’Donnell, who may or may not be there next season.
There are so many players in the squad who should naturally be even better next year than they were this year.
Tuivasa-Sheck, Daniel Tupou, Boyd Cordner and Jake Friend are a few of the younger ones in that category, but even more established players such as Mitchell Pearce, Michael Jennings and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves are plenty young enough to be able to continue making big strides.
The beaten grand finalists, Manly, may well be right up there again. They have brilliant halves, in Kieran Foran and Daly Cherry-Evans, and a proven record in finals football.
But some of their older stars will be bordering on the veteran stage in 2014. Anthony Watmough has turned 30. Glenn Stewart will be 30 in January and his brother, Brett, 29 in February. Steve Matai is 29, and Jamie Lyon will be 32 in January. Brent Kite, who is 31, has joined Penrith for next season.
The memory of how Cooper Cronk had a shocker, Cameron Smith was no better than average and Billy Slater was below par when Melbourne were eliminated by Newcastle in week two of the finals series is still fresh.
Smith and Slater have turned 30. Cronk turns 30 in December. Do the Storm look as well placed to challenge for the title next year as the Roosters do, even without SBW? I don’t think so.
That leaves the other top-four team from this year, South Sydney. Their immediate challenge is to somehow overcome the mental scars that are surely there as a result of the way they exited the finals in week three.
After building a 14-0 lead against Manly they conceded the next 30 points along the way to losing 30-20.
After the Sea Eagles had powered their way to the lead in the second half, the Rabbitohs began looking like rabbits in the headlights.
Souths haven’t made a grand final in 42 years, and that burden seems to have been heavier to carry than we realised.
But the Rabbitohs are still a mostly-young team with a huge amount of promise. They have just got to find a way to take that extra step into the last game of the season, and right now they look the biggest threats to the Roosters next year.
blackcaviar&broncos
Guest
Cowboys need a good No9 to combine with JT and Coote and 2014 P-S trophy will head North while SOO trophy to head South. JT for dally M and CC medal will be decided between the 2 JTs upfront.
Pomoz
Roar Rookie
Of course it counts. In 1997, the Knights wouldn't have beaten the Broncos with a 10 point head start and Andrew John's Dad as the ref, the Broncos were that good. As was shown the next year when the code reunited. The 1997 Premiers were The Bronco's AND the Knights. I'm not a Broncos fan, but you cannot whitewash their victory out of history.
Benny
Guest
The Roosters won all 4 games without sbw this year
iambunney
Guest
Dylan mate - that's a dud list. Its only marginally different from the finishing positions of this year! I bet it will be a much different kettle of fish next year...
Tony S
Guest
It's entertaining reading this blog only 4 days after the Grand Final. Fans from different clubs start to tell us why their teams will win , and why others won't. A host of rumours are revealed, most will turn out to be "fairy tales". We are told that this player is too old, and that player won't handle the "big time". The theories of revenge are detailed as some team who was brilliant until the last three games will rid themselves of the demons that caused their demise by getting back at the team who threw them out of the finals. Everybody tells us that their team has made the best " off season buys". The optimist tells us that their team will go from the bottom two to win the Premiership, while the pessimist tells us that because their team played like an ice hockey team in the desert, they are changing their allegiance to another club, usually the Premiers. So the great wheel of speculation revolves again and again. The truth is NOBODY KNOWS what will happen in season 2014. New combinations, different coaches and trainers, more signings to come, the ASADA investigation, a World Cup to play, a Challenge Cup to be played by the Roosters, the fact that no team has won a Premiership, a Challenge Cup and also another Premiership within a 12 month period for over 20 years, the quality of the refereeing next year, and finally the fact that we must always expect the unexpected in this great game, are all evidence that it's impossible to predict almost anything that will occur next year. Whatever we read in this forum is all supposition and prediction. The Coaches will be the key figures in 2014. The great Jack Gibson said " Good coaching is the art of getting average players to do superior work. Successful coaches make decisions quickly and change them rarely. Unsuccessful coaches make decisions slowly and change them often. What makes a truly successful coach is not intelligence, education, lifestyle or background. The principal factor that determines a coaches success is his ability to deal with people. A good coach is one who makes people think they have more than they have, so they consistently do better work than they thought they could ". There is one thing for sure next year, with the growing focus on " The Coaches " in the NRL, 2014 will be a year where the "The SMARTEST, MOST CRATIVE man in the coaching box wearing the headphones and microphone will be wearing the "Staminade bath" at Homebush on the last weekend of the season in 2014.
couldofbeen
Guest
I think the Titans will make the top 8 next season. They were unlucky with Idris's injury (as he was hitting some good form) so with his inclusion and Neil Henry i think they will improve in 2014. I think Carty has to go.
Earl Park
Guest
The Roosters minor premiers and by far the best team over the year. Best defence in the NRL. Scored more tries than any other team. Coach of the year and young players yet to reach their potential. The Roosters can only get better. Let the mugs bet on Souths and take the 'overs' the mug money creates for the Roosters for 2014. Get on! Get on!
john badseed
Guest
Smith likely to be the only one in Origin
john badseed
Guest
Have the refs?
Conor Quinn
Guest
FYI - SBW has to play Super Rugby in 2014 to make himself eligible for selection in the All Blacks WC 2015 squad as it's NZRU policy for players to have played a full season of Super Rugby the year before a world cup. Therefore if he doesn't sign to play in the 2014 Super Rugby competition then he won't be playing in the Rugby World Cup 2015. That's why he is odds on to sign for the Chiefs once the rugby league world cup is concluded :)
Blaze
Guest
Loving the non mentioning of the tigers... They play better when not even a chance... Especially now the coach has his team pretty much and no Benji influence.. Young brooks has shown he can mix it with the big boys and our wingers have been sensational... Not predicting top 8, however a good showing none the less next season.. The in fighting withing the board has settled for now also... Things are looking good!
Jason Cave
Guest
In regards to State of Origin, will Queensland make it win no. 9, or will 2014 herald a new era for NSW with its first win since 2005?
Boz
Guest
Agree. Should leave Gillett as a ball playing backrower. He could do a lot worse than look at Corey Parker as an example of what to do.
michael
Guest
Manly will win GF in 2014. you saw it here first.
oikee
Guest
I think the Knights will be stronger next year with Peepee Packer now in the team and Snowden back.
Don
Roar Rookie
Yeah, he looks a good kid. I never thought much of Lachlan Coote when he was a Panther but it will be interesting to see how he goes up North. Kevin Locke from the Warriors is out in the market looking for a club. I would be very tempted to look at him if I was at Parramatta or Wests I would be looking at how to fit him in. Bulldogs maybe?
fishes
Guest
Keep an eye out for Harold Holt in his speedos next year... seriously though if the Sharks can recruit a destructive outside back in the off season and Carney stays fit they might have a chance (depending on ASADA investigation). But I think the Roosters (with or without Sonny Bill) or Souths (despite the choke) would have to be favorites at this stage
Mantis
Roar Guru
Cameron King will kill it with a bit of consistent game time
Benny
Guest
Most premiers don't have the youngest team in the nrl and the youngest coach in the nrl. Still a team on the rise. Can definitely go back to back
maximillian
Guest
haha yea ill give you the 'new' combination on semantics but whether it is better is debatable. I understand we've only just finished the 2013 season so there is still a lot of player movements to happen but the Broncos need an organising half to play alongside Hunt. If they don't get 1 & are left with the majority of the current signings I think they will have Hunt at halfback & manufacture Gillett into a 5/8 & that is a recipe for disaster. Hopefully they can sign someone decent soon.