Backyard BBQs have been upsized, man caves repositioned, and technology has been upgraded for the 2017 NRL season.
So which sides will be in the tussle for the top eight?
10. Canterbury Bulldogs
Coach, part-time professor, and author of best seller ‘How to win a competition with ball-playing props’ Des Hasler has been put on notice by top dog Raelene Castle that things need to improve in 2017. Peter ‘Bullfrog’ Moore would have had Des packing his bags, however the Dogs are confident he can make the current squad a premiership force again.
Unfortunately, while the forwards and Morris brothers offer bite, the spine is a real concern. Moses Mbye is a great athlete but probably not a No.7 and Josh Reynolds doesn’t know what he is going to do with the pill in his hands on tackles one, two, three, four, and most importantly, five.
The pack need to let the ball sing to their outside backs and have less an influence when in the opposition 20 to threaten for the eight.
9. South Sydney Rabbitohs
Michael Maguire and his troops will look certain for the eight toward the end of the season, before a few shock losses see them missing out by the barest of margins on for and against.
The Burgess brothers will re-discover their handling skills, having spent the off-season with Australian cricket fielding guru Mike Young who has gone through an incredible 2456 cartons of eggs, waiting for the trio to catch a dozen straight.
Russell Crowe will engage in a slanging match with Phil Gould, after ‘Gus’ pans his latest flick, The Mummy, tweeting that he preferred Brendan Fraser as the lead over Rusty’s great mate Tom Cruise.
Player to watch: Cody Walker. This guy only got a gig after ripping sides apart playing for the Bears in the NSW Cup, while other clubs rooted down the bottom of the NRL ladder continue to sign new halves and fullbacks. Walker made his debut at 26 and sure did make up for lost time – expect him to have an even bigger 2017.
8. Brisbane Broncos
The Broncos will barely scrape into the eight, before making an impact in the finals with some big names returning from injury and Benji Marshall rediscovering his mojo on a field he has fond memories of, thanks to a Billy Slater brain explosion at the World Cup almost a decade ago.
Brisbane will struggle without the workload of club legend Corey Parker, his absence set to take a toll on Matt Gillett, who will try to carry Sam Thaiday and company.
Player to watch: Darius Boyd. Wayne Bennett’s boy has been offered a monster contract to remain at the club until he turns 34. Old Broncos such as Steve Renouf have been vocal, saying the fullback is not worth the money. Add the captaincy, and the pressure will be on Darius to step up another level as he continues to make giant strides from the darkest chapter of his life, spent in the Hunter.
6. Cronulla Sharks
Once the underdogs taking it to the bigger sides, players like Chad Townsend will struggle with the extra attention week in, week out, while the huge losses of Mick Ennis and Ben Barba will be felt.
Player to watch: Valentine Holmes. Will be expected to take over and be even more effective after Barba’s defection to Rah Rah in southern France. The kid has talent but will be found out under the high ball and out of possession early on, before adapting in the second half of the season and showing the future looks bright for the talented outside back with jets in his heels.
5. Melbourne Storm
The loss of Kevin Proctor and Blake Green, coupled with the ‘Big Three’ not playing together as often as Craig Bellamy would like, will see the Storm come back to the top-eight field in 2017.
With Tohu Harris already departing and Jordan McLean looking likely to sign for the Cowboys, the Storm will face the reality that the great era is coming to an end.
That said, if any man can make critics eat their words, it’s Bellamy, who’s brought through teenage sensations Greg Inglis, Israel Folau, Dane Nielsen, Sinbad Kali and Garret Crossman.
Player to watch: Brodie Croft. Could we be witnessing the start of a new era in 2017 if Billy Slater fails to get back on the paddock, Cameron Munster is shifted to the custodian role and young Croft rides shotgun with the most professional half of all time in Cooper Cronk? This kid has the ability to be the next Storm leader. He will be hammered in defensive drills and other key areas that need improving before taking over from the club legend in the very near future.
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