Wayne Bennett’s suggestion that the Rabbitohs, after giving his Newcastle Knights a merciless flogging on the weekend, might be “too predictable” to win the competition may have just been petulance during another tedious media inquiry.
Or it could be the clear-eyed assessment of a visionary.
Come Friday night we’ll have a pretty good idea. Souths meet the Manly Sea Eagles in a showdown of genuine contenders.
The other match of the night, between the Broncos and Canterbury, is fast looking like an encounter between teams whose recent performance rhymes with contenders but is far more disparaging.
It pains me to write this, but Manly are impressive. They seem to walk through obstacles that have derailed other clubs. Board disharmony, contract disputes, alleged player friction – still winning.
Betting scandals, sexual assault allegations, successful coach defecting – still winning.
They even dabbled with Stephen Dank, but on the field they march on.
It helps they have one of the best centres and captains in the game in Jamie Lyon. The fact he elects not to play State of Origin for New South Wales is a cherished gift for the Manly faithful, and all Queenslanders.
But they do have those who struggle with the rep season and injury. Anthony Watmough is only held together by scar tissue and agro; Steve Matai is mostly osteophytes and tatts; and Brett Stewart has to be the greatest NRL diabetic since Steve Renouf.
Last week against the Broncos, Manly actually were shaded in almost every statistic of the match – metres gained, offloads, line breaks, completions, missed tackles – except for that really important one, the score.
Their defence was impeccable and that relies on the intangible of attitude. Sure they have the choreography of modern league down pat: lock the ball, twist the head (hard to run straight when your chin’s pointing to the sideline), swivel the legs to the ground, and then peel off slowly as your defensive line readies. But it’s their composure to lock, twist, swivel and peel while everything burns around them which is so compelling.
Mind you, Brisbane gave them a lot of early encouragement. The Broncos had the ball for only 3 of the first 16 sets against Melbourne Storm the week before and were almost as charitable to the Sea Eagles – kicking off over the dead ball on the full and then snoozing while Daly Cherry-Evans scooted over the try line in the next set.
There have been rumours DCE might be considering a move to Brisbane for his next contract; perhaps by dropping the ball he was being kind to a future suitor. Then again, everyone says they might join Brisbane during contract negotiations these days. They rarely go through with it.
So far the big movers to the Broncos have been coach Bennett, who sacked himself after a horror year at his current club, a genuine rising star in Anthony Milford and a number of people who were looking for second chances – Ben Barba, Martin Kennedy and Todd Lowrie.
As for Cameron Smith, Greg Inglis, and Johnathan Thurston? Thanks but no thanks.
And there’s the rub for Bennett – you do need star-powered flare as well as predictable powerplay to win the title. Despite undoubted effort from the current roster, it appears Brisbane are short of both, whereas Manly have it in spades. Will Bennett be able to attract the talent?
In a weekend article, Storm coach Craig Bellamy queried what rugby league clubs want from coaches these days, with all the media and sponsor commitments.
Winning footy games is pretty much it. Do that and, as Manly can attest, you cover a lot of other problems.
Jay C
Guest
I love how you make fun of conspiracy theories whilst suggesting a conspiracy right in the same sentence. Quality.
NSWelshman
Guest
Hey Kingcowboy.........what's your favorite movie? Something to do with cowboys? Brokeback Mountain perhaps?
NSWelshman
Guest
Really? Toovey complains about everything? You obviously don't listen to Thurston every single game when he's in the referees ear & during the after match media gatherings & in the papers & to the ball boys plus plus plus. Wake up mate! You follow a team of whingeing losers who never have & never will win a premiership! You say the Cows had the Sea Eagles number in Gosford earlier this year lololol. Did they? Who won? Who's leading the competition? How many times have your team played finals footy? Scott, Tamou? Really? Your forwards never have & never will out muscle the Sea Eagles. You have nothing apart from Thurston! You must feel so despondent following a team like yours that you feel obligated to comment about wonderful teams like Manly. You will never feel better coz you have nothing to feel better about. There are three things in life that will never change for me..............my hatred of the Cowgirls, my hatred for the Cowgirls & my hatred for the Cowgirls!
Magic Sponge
Guest
Manly roosters gf, with NQ as the smokey
Meesta Cool
Guest
Yup. I miss my mate Oiks.. come back ,mate the site is dying!.
Renegade
Guest
Seriously where is that guy - bring him back!! Oikee bought something unique to the roar, it was annoying but definitely entertaining. That's silly if he was actually banned... it's become a little too serious without him.
james t
Guest
Okieeee! Guy got banned for his ranting and raving but man he was funny. He was the jester of the roar. A true broncos ambassador.
Johnno
Guest
The non-capital letter johnno.
johnno
Guest
Ahhhh!? Manly were cleared. Josh perry was injecting calves blood which was not illegal and proved to have no effect on performance at all, so they stopped. Very different to sharks and bombers
johnno
Guest
Beautifully said! But you forgot the conspiracy theories against non-sydney teams despite the broncos having won 5 premierships and the melbourne storm being piggy backed to victory by the men in pink almost every week.
buster
Guest
Hallelujah Cowboys and goodbye game of Rugby League. Nothing but a soap opera anymore... yet here I am =[
Cowboys
Guest
Exactly. I don't care for people expressing their own ego's and passion about this sport, trying to find an answer over their articles no one wants to know. There was a something written today not on this website about "an open letter to Robbie Farrah" Can the journalist put their ego aside, without these players there would be no comp. These 'sports' journalist would have nothing to write other than feel goods stories, distracting people from what is actually going on outside Australia. Even then very bias and one sided. NRL you have sold out. Trying to attract a different kind of fan to your game has pushed many actual fans away.
Jaime O'Donnell
Guest
I'm pretty sure that ASADA has cleared the Manly club from any wrong doings from the start of the investigation. however, if my memory serves me correctly, there are 6 current and former players from Manly who are indeed being investigated.. the player you named is one of them. I love my Sea Eagles, but if the players have done the wrong thing then punish them just like anyone else. So in answering one of your original questions... how many deciders would Manly have played in if not for Dank.... I'd say 4 and we'd win two. How about your beloved Cowboys for the same period? 0 wins from 0 appearances ha ha Go enjoy your fix of Stilnox and Red Bull with your Capt.
eagleJack
Guest
Are you under investigation Kingcowboy? As I mentioned it is beyond your realm of understanding. Just because someone is questioned does not imply guilt. Or our prisons would be bursting at the seams. The simple maths is that the Cowboys have won 18% of their games in Sydney since 2008. They underperform away from Townsville. I'll happily bet that they will not be in the 2014 GF. I just feel for Thurston. He must really be regretting re-signing with that rabble.
Kingcowboy
Guest
I would be happy to explain that the cowboys are a chance to make the GF but I would be obviously wasting my time as simple maths seems beyond you. Also I was going through an airport the other day and guess what, the AFP didn't take my phone unlike what they did to poor old Anthony. I think we need an investigation as Toovey would put it.
eagleJack
Guest
I'd explain to you about the processes involved in an investigation, but it's obvious I'd be wasting my time. And I think you made your feelings quite clear on the Sea Eagles in your first post without any provocation. If be the same if my team were no chance of playing in the GF again.
Schuey
Guest
LOL... OIKIEE where are you????
The Barry
Roar Guru
"what does this article do for the game of league" hahaha - what do any of these articles do for league?
Kingcowboy
Guest
Just proves my point about Sea Eagles supporters. Happy to slag off about other teams but as soon as you something about the precious eagles players, oh no, better start complaining again. Oh just one other thing seajay, why did ASASA take one of the Manly forwards phones when they came back from NZ. Every dog has his day and that day is coming for the Eagles.
Midfielder
Guest
How I miss Okiee ... he would be !!!!! with all this Manly love... come back Okiee all is forgiven...