Every year, there are NRL teams that really need to prove a point, but who within each club is being scrutinised the closest?
» Check out Part 1 of this series
Eels
Jarryd Hayne is perhaps the most polarising player in the game. He’s copped a load of flack for supposedly giving up on his NFL dream, trying out for the Fiji Olympics sevens squad, not returning to Parramatta, not putting in for the Titans, and coming last in a fitness run back at Parramatta.
It’s still not clear in what position Brad Arthur intends to use Hayne – centres look likely, however his defensive positioning there is poor.
At his best, he’s one of the most enjoyable, entertaining players you could hope to see, but it’s now a long time since he’s delivered on that.
Knights
No one has had more excuses in the last couple of years than Nathan Brown. He walked into a club that was a basket case off and on the field and was consistent in his message that it would take a while to rebuild.
Knights fans have been extremely patient and extremely loyal, but now that Brown has had an off-season signing splurge, that patience is turning into expectation.
Brown has added Mitchell Pearce, Kalyn Ponga, Connor Watson, Aiden Guerra, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Herman Ese’ese, Chris Heighington, Tautau Moga, Jacob Lillyman and Slade Griffen to a squad of promising youngsters.
Some are tipping the Knights to make the eight off the back of these signings. While that’s a few steps too far, Brown has more pressure for the side to perform than any time previously.
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Panthers
What is going on at Penrith? A couple of seasons ago they were pinning their futures on local juniors like Matt Moylan and Bryce Cartwright. A couple of cleanouts later and it’s a new-look side.
Anthony Griffin seems to be shunning the talented but flighty type of player in favour of a more predictable line-up.
The Panthers have looked the goods at various times over the past couple of seasons, but have been unable to kick on, putting Hook up in lights to deliver consistent results and success.
Rabbitohs
Like Matt Scott, Greg Inglis is a big man on the wrong side of 30 attempting to come back from ACL surgery. At his best, he is as good a ball-runner as anyone who has played the game, but the last few seasons he has been playing on one leg.
Hopefully, last season’s enforced downtime helped freshen him up physically and mentally.
New coach Anthony Seibold should work out a system whereby Inglis and Cody Walker rotate between 1 and 6 to ease the workload on the bigger man.
Greg Inglis (AAP Image/David Moir)
Raiders
Blake Austin, Aiden Sezer and Jack Wighton are all off contract at the end of this year and none have really taken their position by storm, making themselves indispensable.
But really it can only be one man: Ricky Stuart.
Many fans just out-and-out hate him, and he has a record of impressive starts with clubs before the wheels fall off. There is a school of thought that his intensity becomes too much for players.
After such an impressive 2016, where they were a few minutes and an Edrick Lee fumble from a grand final berth, Canberra were well off the boil in 2017.
The 2016 form is where the bar is set for this club, given their roster, but they still seem to struggle when the game is tight at the death. Even in 2016, they lost five games by six or less, winning only three by the same margin.
Roosters
The Roosters have finished in the top two for four of the past five seasons, but only have one premiership to show for it, so Cooper Cronk has been signed to get them over the line in the big, end-of-season games.
Cronk has two premierships, a world club championship, two Dally Ms, a Churchill medal, a golden boot and has been the Dally M halfback of the year six times. He’s played 38 games for Australia and 22 for Queensland. He is an absolute champion.
But he’s out of the Storm set up for the first time. Injuries aside, it will be the first time in who knows how long that he won’t have Cameron Smith inside him or Billy Slater outside him.
How Cronk performs at the Roosters and how the Storm goes without Cronk will be two of the most fascinating narratives of the season. I’m looking forward to seeing Cronk work with guys like Boyd Cordner and Latrell Mitchell.
As good as he is, anything less than a premiership heading to Bondi will be seen as a failure, which is a huge ask for anyone.
Sea Eagles
In 2014, Dylan Walker was the best young centre in the game. In 2015 he had an okay season in a slightly disappointing Souths side, then got into trouble mucking about with prescription medication. In 2016, he was a centre playing five-eighth and was selected in Origin as a bench utility.
I wasn’t surprised it didn’t work out well and he’s carried a bit of baggage since.
Last season, he was back into his best form since 2014 and shone in a Manly team bouncing back from a couple of disappointing seasons.
Walker is likely to be having a late start to the season and still has some silliness in his game, but if he can back up his form from last season he could be pressing for a Blues jersey.
mushi
Guest
"All this may blind people to what seems obvious – that as a fullback, Slater is a more dangerous attacker. Fans of rival teams, ask yourself if you felt more nervous when your team was defending in their own quarter against Slater or Lockyer. " My answer would be Lockyer - his passing and kicking game were light years ahead of Slaters. Slater was a better ball runner but if I'm worried about defending I'm worried about the guy who brings 7 options on his side of the field into play more than the guy that really only brings 3 (that said I'm hardly resting easy if it's slater given he would be playing outside smith and cronk)
Greg Ambrose
Guest
Moylan is valuable because he plays what is in front of him without being overly programmed . Mitchell Moses is the same in that they are very aware of what is going on around them. Both of them are exactly what was missing from teams like Saints and the Bulldogs last season although Disco Des would have squashed any creativity no doubt.
The Barry
Roar Guru
That’s logical...but I don’t know that it’s an easy answer
Mushi
Guest
I disagree strongly... You said "south's fans think" The century plus of evidence we have to had suggests this is highly improbable
Mushi
Guest
He didn't pay on any of my bets so good luck baz
Mushi
Guest
On the immortal concept I think it's one of the few things we've got right. Read big book of basketball and you'll see how the US want a next tier to the hall of fame. The key to the immortal concept is keeping people out, not who we let in. If inclusion isn't obvious it shouldn't happen.
Duncan Smith
Guest
Your paradox is easily answered. Although Slater was a better fullback, Lockyer seems more like an 'immortal' because he had that iconic status of having captained Brisbane, Queensland, and Australia, as well as being of course a great player. He was given the royal treatment in the press, and had added charisma as a result of all of the above, which leads us to perceive him as more like an immortal. All this may blind people to what seems obvious - that as a fullback, Slater is a more dangerous attacker. Fans of rival teams, ask yourself if you felt more nervous when your team was defending in their own quarter against Slater or Lockyer. Slater also is great at organising his teams defence, so he is highly influential. As Tim Sheens once said, 'where Slater is, the game is.' Having said that, Lockyer did also master five-eighth, which Slater never did.
Mushi
Guest
Different argument in my mind the tiers v immortal. But in defence of lockyer v slater I "like" slater and am indifferent towards lockyer. But the first two years after he shifted to 5/8 I thought he was legitimately the best player on the field and capable of subtly tearing a team apart. Every time I go to discredit lockyer I remember those times, at no point has slater ever made me feel like that. I think we should wait 15 years minimum for immortal. If people are still raving a generation and a half later then your in the conversation. Immortal for mine is for the mythical player. Deciding immortality when your career is still fresh is pointless.
Mike
Guest
A great article! League must do better! http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11990417
Oingo Boingo
Guest
No shiitt , He's go a whole one and one for spares MAX
John
Guest
I think the immortal debates are the grown up version of the "my dad is bigger than your dad" schoolyard debates. At the end of the day no one really gains anything from debating the issues but it does provide a bit of lighthearted fun at work/pub. If the issue wasn't divisive it wouldn't be nearly as entertaining to debate.
Big Daddy
Guest
JT doesn't have to prove anything to any body. His presence on the field is enough to motivate anybody. Inglis should be a centre all day every day. He made his name as a centre and comparing him as a full back with Slater,Boyd lockyer he's not in the same street. He only has to prove his fitness to be ok again. It's what's best for team not the individual.
BigJ
Roar Guru
Did you also read that Dave Taylor has gone back home to Rocky to play with the Capras on a two year deal. I just read the article and he looks bloody awful. Is there a part 3 to this us you have not brought up how the storm will survive without cooper Cronk ???
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Guest
I think the Gubbster could end up being a bit of a crowd favourite Tim. I saw him interviewed while he was at the Warriors and he seemed like a bit of a character. I think some Warriors supporters were disappointed to see him go. Could be a good replacement for big Dave who was becoming a crowd favourite at the Raiders. It will be interesting to see how Ricky uses Sam Williams. Will he use him off the bench or will he be biding his time with the Mounties until injury gives him an opportunity?
The Barry
Roar Guru
Couldn’t agree more with your first paragraph. When the Mal v Joey immortal debate was on, Mal fans were bagging Joey and vice versa rather than making a case for their man. It gets ugly and silly. I rate Slater as the best fullback I’ve seen, but I certainly wouldn’t try to change the mind of anyone that put Lockyer or Rod Silva forward...? But that raises an interesting question. I agree that Slater isn’t on the same level as Smith and Thurston. So what does that mean for the immortal debate? Is Lockyer on the same level as Smith and Thurston? While I think Joey was better, I wouldn’t really try to argue too hard if someone said they thought Lockyer was a superior player. So you could end up with a Gordian knot argument that Slater is better than Lockyer but not an immortal because he’s not in the same class as Smith or Thurston, but Lockyer should be an immortal because he’s in the same class as Joey but then make an argument that Joey is better than Smith and JT. Are the immortals the best players of their generation or simply the best of all time? I guess what it does tell me is that it confirms my ever growing suspicion that the immortal concept is well past it’s use by date, increasing in irrelevance and more divisive for the game than inclusive.
Albo
Guest
"..and in the case of the Canberra game – he did next to nothing all game til the death." When he created two tries in 2 minutes to snatch a win . That's what match winners do ! I think he scored the first try and set up the 2nd before they went behind that night. But whatever. I hope you are right about the Panthers getting the better deal ! But I very much doubt that will be the case.
BA Sports
Guest
Okay, Savagely might be over stating a little. And I may have cherry picked a couple of stats, but you have cherry picked a couple of games (all against teams who were woeful last year mind you) and if he was Sirius A then he would be doing it for the majority of the year - not just a four game stretch against ordinary teams - and in the case of the Canberra game - he did next to nothing all game til the death. The Sharks had a match winner in Maloney - he has proven it and won more matches than Moylan. The Panthers have, IMO got the better end of the deal here.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Yeah fair point mate and I did consider the changing dynamic of the JT / Morgan combo after Morgan’s storming last month or so last year. But in the end I can see JT slotting back in as usual. Injuries may be his biggest worry. I think the road for Matt Scott may be a bit tougher. Not only is it tough for a big man to come back from an ACL and be immediately effective but he also has to deal with JT13 being the main man, the signing of McLean and then guys like Bolton, Fensom, Hess, Asiata stood up last year. How does he come back, what’s his exact role, does he get reduced minutes, reduced impact. Lot of queries there.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Yeah BA not the fairest stat to compare Segeyaro and Moylan on. Moylans never been a barnstorming tackle busting fullback and over the past couple of seasons Mansauce and DWZ have been doing the heavy lifting with kick returns. Tackle busts were one of Segeyaro raison d’être... Moylans always been a ball player rather than a ball runner. I don’t agree that he’s savagely over rated but there are plenty that do. He had a great spell at 6 for the Panthers in the latter half of the year after coming back from injury.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Especially when you hear all the glory glory red and green SSTID foundation club hooha