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With a continued number of pre-weekend matches in the NRL, the editors at The Roar have charged me with the responsibility of identifying a few key moments and points of interest from the early games of each round.
This will manifest itself in my NRL Saturday Synopsis each week, which I hope you enjoy.
Round 1 usually produces upsets galore yet the early match-ups this year were so close to call, nothing would surprise. While never definitive, the early rounds do say much about the preparation of teams and can often provide pointers for future form.
In that spirit, what do we take from the initial confrontations of 2018?
#1 The Dragons have some teeth and the Broncos will struggle
Much pre-season commentary suggested the Dragons’ improvement in 2017, despite the late season collapse, was set to continue with an ever-improving side and new signings that created depth in the squad.
Was there ever a better opportunity than a Round 1 contest against the Broncos outside their comfy Friday night slot? In hindsight, probably not, and the Dragons put the northerners to the sword in the second half, in a performance that instilled much belief back into the Red V.
Could this be the Dragons side that finally rises from the ashes of the 2010 premiership and impacts the competition in a meaningful way come semi-final time?
Contrastingly, the Broncos might be in for a year of despair. With such a youthful halves combination and far too much resting on the always fragile shoulders of Darius Boyd, the Broncos look nothing like the dominant force they have been for, well, forever. It appears they may struggle this season without an injection of direction and purpose in the halves.
#2 The Knights are obviously improved and Manly are there or thereabouts
One of the most interesting questions around the performance of the teams looking to improve in 2018, has been the recruitment and energy around the Newcastle Knights. Test number one has been passed with flying colours and a Friday night win against the Eagles, with golden child Mitchell Pearce at the helm, will have the Hunter rocking.
Manly will be disappointed yet not forlorn. Trent Barrett has done well with his team since his appointment and the club, according to many, should be around the mark when it comes to finals football in 2018.
Personally, I am not convinced, with the reliance on Daly Cherry-Evans and a lack of alternative options around the ruck, providing the major challenge and a definite hurdle when it comes to toppling the big guns of the NRL.
#3 JT is still JT in close games
Watching Cronulla Coach Shane Flanagan throw the kitchen sink he had ripped from the dressing room wall at the North Queensland Cowboys, as well as the collective sinks of just about every resident of the shire, it became clear once again, that the man who has played 300 games in the NRL is as much a champion as he ever was.
Johnathan Thurston kept his troops calm and composed throughout the later stages of the second-half against Cronulla and the Cowboys walked away with a win, despite never hitting their straps.
#4 Touch it with the foot?
After constant pleas from fans and journalists to mandate the engagement of the foot in the play-the-ball, the NRL had apparently come to the party. Sadly, after watching the first three games of the weekend, it appears nothing has changed.
Talk is cheap when no action is taken and observation and commentary reverted to ‘the intention to strike with the foot’, far too quickly for my liking. In a game where collision and contact are valued heavily, more legislature in the play-the-ball would open the game up considerably and provide increased entertainment for the ticket paying fans.
All this after three matches? What a season we are in for if the first matches are anything to go by.
Enjoy the remainder of the weekend, good luck with your tips and I’ll be back next Saturday with my thoughts on the Friday night action.