Peter Sterling discusses the big issues ahead of the 2018 NRL season (Part 1)

The NRL pre-season is here and we are now just under a month away from the regular season.

As Round 1 draws near, four-time premiership winner Peter Sterling sat down to discuss the big issues ahead of the upcoming footy season.

Here is what Sterlo had to say on some of the hot topics including player transfers as well as the Melbourne Storm and Parramatta Eels.

Over the off-season, there’s been a lot of player transfers with only four clubs retaining the same halves pairing as 2017. How will this personnel change impact the rest of the competition?
I can’t remember the last time we had such high profile transfers across clubs, and its across the board, everybody is involved.

I suppose when it comes to halves, obviously they have a major influence at all clubs and I can’t wait to see how Kieran Foran who was particularly disappointing at Parramatta and then had injury at the Warriors, goes at the Bulldogs.

I always thought Ben Hunt was going to be a really good signing for the Dragons. They paid a lot of good money, he’s got to live up to those expectations.

Who would have ever thought that Mitchell Pearce wouldn’t be a Rooster for life?

Cooper Cronk, we know what a great player he is, but all of a sudden he’s not getting service from Cameron Smith and he doesn’t have Billy Slater sweeping around the back so he’s got to fit into new colours and I suppose a new format for the way they play, so it’s certainly across the board.

And even a guy like Josh Reynolds, I’ve got no doubt he’s going to make a difference at the Tigers. We know what he brings – he brings enthusiasm and exuberance that a club like the Wests Tigers will really benefit from.

So, so many will have an influence just because of the number they have on their back but I think there’s a few question marks over some of them despite the fact they are high profile.”

(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

How will the Storm adjust to the post-Cronk era with Brodie Croft taking over?
I think Melbourne obviously have Craig Bellamy, who is a genius, and he’s prepared for life after everybody.

If you have a look when Billy Slater goes and Cameron Smith finally retires, they’ve bought young players through like young (Brandon) Smith, who looks like he’ll step in and Croft – every time he’s played in the top grade he’s looked comfortable out there and has got a lot of experience around him, but it’s different.

This is the most successful team from the last decade without one of the big three or big four with Jesse Bromwich (I include him as the big four), so it will take a while but if any coach can get his team playing the way he wants in the shortest period of time – it’s Craig Bellamy.

He’s shown over the last decade that he plans well for the future, he makes it easy for players to step up because they understand their role so well. I don’t think Croft is going to have any problem playing in the halves at all.

(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Despite losing Jordan McLean and Tohu Harris, with Ryan Hoffman and Sam Kasiano coming in – are they a chance of going back-to-back?
They will go in as one of the favourites again. To win a premiership you’ve got to have a lot of things go your way – you’ve got to have luck, avoid injury.

With the emergence of Felise Kaufusi, all of a sudden they lost some of those backrowers like Kevin Proctor, and you just thought how are you going to replace these guys but again Bellamy has just got such a great eye for bringing the right people in.

Ryan Hoffman knows the routine down there better than anybody so he’s going to slot very easily back in and his experience will be profound, especially on that edge. So they go in as one of the favourites once again. And the planning of Craig Bellamy I think ensures success for a period of time to come.

How will Mitchell Moses and Corey Norman cope at the Parramatta Eels?
I’m excited, I’m really looking forward to the fact that Mitchell Moses came in midway through the season last year. I think the more he played alongside Corey Norman and the more he played in the blue and gold jersey, the better he looked. I think he and Corey Norman built up a good understanding in a short period of time.

(AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

To have had a good offseason together, despite the World Cup where Mitchell obviously played very well also, I think the offseason to work together on the back of half a season last year will prepare him for a really good season.

There’s a lot of expectation on not just them but the club. I didn’t see them as a top four side club last year so they kind of exceeded my expectations, I always thought they’d play finals football but now they’ve finished top four there’s kind of a new line in the sand, and Norman and Moses will carry a lot of that expectation but they’ve now got a number of games under their belt.

Mitchell Moses is no longer the rookie anymore – he’s got over 50 first grade games under his belt comfortably now so I’m excited. I think that they’ve got good depth around them at the club this year.

The Hayne influence will be interesting as to where Brad Arthur plays him. I see Jarryd Hayne as a fullback, I don’t see him playing there this year. Centres, I’m not quite sure about but it’s a nice embarrassment of riches for Brad Arthur in regards to fitting Gutherson, French, Hayne and others into those spots.

How big of a loss is Semi Radradra?
It has to be. If you have a look at his influence, and it’s rare that you say for a winger to have that kind of influence, but when they were in trouble in games, he got them out of it. When they needed to kick away in games, he provided that impetus. He was a constant threat there. He ran the ball like a forward.

His influence has to be missed because he was such an influential player despite the fact the was a winger.

Stay tuned for part two where we will discuss the Warriors, Sea Eagles, Bulldogs, Titans and Rabbitohs.