The footy is back, golden point has already been used, Round 1 is in the books and without jumping to conclusions three months before we should try to, it’s time for my first edition of talking points for 2018. Let’s jump straight in.
The Knights will improve on last year, but the jury is still out on their finals hopes
The Newcastle Knights have ‘won’ three straight wooden spoons, but there is a different vibe in the air this time around.
While new recruits help a hell of a lot, their own home grown talent is improving out of sight and Nathan Brown seems to be putting his stamp on the side.
They have been widely tipped to improve in 2018, with the success-starved, but still passionate fans in Newcastle packing out McDonald Jones Stadium for Round 1. In fact, there were more than 20,000 people in, which is one of the biggest – if not the biggest – Friday 6pm crowd since the concept was brought in at the start of last year.
If one team’s fans deserve some success, then it’s the Knights.
Kalyn Ponga and Mitchell Pearce led the recruits and both started strongly, while Jacob Lillyman, Aidan Guerra and in particular Herman Ese’ese were all strong in the forwards.
The season-opening victory over Manly needs to be taken with a grain of salt though. Newcastle only had to work it out of their own end a handful of times from start to finish, with constant penalties helping them out of their own end.
While the actual penalty count wasn’t bad, the position and timing off them helped the Knights big time.
Manly were far from 100 per cent as well, making plenty of silly errors and inviting Newcastle to win it time and time again.
So even though the Knights will definitely improve, the jury is still out on exactly how much.
(Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)
Ben Hunt and Gareth Widdop will have the Dragons in the eight – but where?
The Dragons were one of the more impressive teams in Round 1. The first 20 minutes of their clash against the Brisbane Broncos was scrappy on both ends of the park from both sides, but the final 60 minutes were dominated by Paul McGregor’s men.
Their attack came together beautifully, the new spine working well together. Ben Hunt controlling things seemed to aid Gareth Widdop’s game, while Cameron McInnes looked in good touch. Matt Dufy’s touches were few and far between, but most were high quality.
As with any team, there is plenty to work on after the season opener, but the Dragons look to be in good shape.
The collapse of the Dragons in 2017 will be weighing heavily on the members who were apart of it and we will get a better idea of where they are at after playing Cronulla on Thursday night in Round 2.
Some have suggested a top four finish for the Dragons. I’m far from sold on that being likely, but anything less than top eight will be an abject failure for the Red V.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
The sin bin is going to be a big part of 2018
The sin bin is back in Round 1. While there was increased use of it in 2017, it was still inconsistent at times and not used to its full potential to enforce rules around professional fouls.
Already in Round 1, it’s played a part with multiple players given a rest. Luke Brooks of the Tigers and Eels half Mitchell Moses were among them.
Playing with 12 men for ten minutes it a tough ask for any team and it proved costly for the Eels on Sunday afternoon with the Panthers putting the hammer down and never looking back on their way to the first two competition points of the year.
While the Tigers hung tough in the face of adversity, the sin bin is going to be brought out more than a few times this year, and it’s up to opposition clubs to work out the best way to manage that period of time.
Ten minutes can change the course of a game – even more so when a team don’t have the defensive resources – and if it used a few times per round on a consistent basis, don’t be surprised if a silly play costs a team a finals berth late in the season.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Have we all underestimated the Tigers?
Maybe. The jury is still out on the Wests Tigers.
Their victory over the Sydney Roosters was a most unexpected one. In our expert tipping for Round 1, less than ten per cent of Roarers voted the club – now minus James Tedesco and Aaron Woods – to beat one of the premiership favourites.
Telling those ten per cent Josh Reynolds wouldn’t play probably would have cut it even more, with the Tigers new recruit ruled out leading up to kick-off.
In his place stood the club’s returned prodigal son Benji Marshall, alongside Luke Brooks in the key halves pairing.
The Tigers had their backs to the wall, but ensured the Roosters didn’t score a point in the first half, then kept that level of defence up in the second to take a 10-8 lead.
Ivan Cleary has made the standards set of the club very clear in the lead up to the season, and they were on display during the first game.
While the Roosters were far from their best and are going to take plenty of time to gel as a cohesive unit, Tigers supporters couldn’t have asked for a better start.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
On the other hand…
The Eels were supposed to be top four, but look anything but
Dear oh dear.
While the Eels were strong enough in the first half, they fell to bits during the second 40 with the Panthers taking the game away from them in a stunning comeback upset victory.
Brad Arthur’s side have been widely tipped to finish in the top four this season, but they looked a long way from that during the second 40.
There are going to be teething issues of course, with Clint Gutherson injured and Jarryd Hayne slotting back into his old stomping ground, but with the one, six, and seven of Bevan French, Mitchell Moses and Corey Norman unchanged, working with a new hooker in Cameron King, there were no excuses for the blue and gold.
It’s hard to know what to make of the Panthers who turned it on, but Parramatta have a lot to work on before they start winning games – and they can’t afford to wait too long.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Martin Taupau is going to go kapow
Martin Taupau is looking in very good shape to start the 2018 season. He played with a free spirit for the Sea Eagles on Friday night, offloading at will, dragging defenders with him and making an impressive amount of post-contact metres.
There has never been any doubting the physical attributes Taupau possesses. Put simply, he has the potential to be a Jason Taumalolo-like forward, who most pundits would rate as one of the top three players in the game.
For a metre-eating forward to be in the top three players in the NRL, you have to be very special, which JT is.
There is absolutely no reason Taupau shouldn’t be aiming for the same heights, and the way he played on Friday suggest at the very least he will be a key man for Manly this season.
The key area for Taupau setting him apart from other big bustling forwards is his offloading. He had six against the Knights, most of them high quality and given he dragged multiple defenders into every tackle – there is no other option or he will trample you – the space he created for Daly Cherry-Evans and Lachlan Croker, who by the way was impressive on club debut, was dangerous.
Manly didn’t get the job done, but in games they do this season, Marty Taupau will be a key part of the reason why.
(NRLPhotos)
Shaun Johnson and Blake Green might be a match made in heaven
Shaun Johnson has always played his best footy when he hasn’t had to manage the kicking game of his team. The Warriors half was ordinary last season, because he was leading a team with no realistic options beside him to score points.
His first round of this season was completely different and the key reason is new recruit Blake Green.
Green showed his worth at the Sea Eagles alongside Cherry-Evans last year, providing the perfect foil for the explosive Queenslander.
He will have the same role this year for an explosive Kiwi.
Johnson had some excellent plays in the Warriors romping of the Rabbitohs on Saturday night. While the Warriors biggest issue has always been consistency – something which will be answered in coming weeks – all the signs were positive in their opener, with Johnson dancing, dazzling and being virtually unstoppable at times to lead the way.
(AAP Image/David Rowland)
The Broncos don’t have a dominant half and it’s going to hurt them
I really do want to give the Broncos a few chances. They looked short of a gallop in the season opener against the Dragons, which is hardly a surprise.
It’s not the first time I’ve mentioned it on this website, but the Broncos played just one trial against an NRL club – that being the Titans in Toowoomba. Otherwise, they played Queensland Cup sides.
While trial form doesn’t count for anything once the first ball is kicked in anger at the start of Round 1, it does count for match fitness and combination building and the Broncos looked clueless at times against a strong Dragons outfit.
Match fitness or not, they don’t have a managing half. It’s the same problem the Warriors had last season – the one we have just talked about, although maybe not on the same level.
Anthony Milford is one of the most talented players in the game and will find a way to keep the Broncos in the middle of the ladder, but there are grave concerns for how far they can go after that.
Milford’s pairing with Kodi Nikorima screams problems, although judgement must be reserved until hooker Anthony McCullough regains match fitness. The Brisbane number nine only just made Round 1 fitness-wise after an ACL injury at the end of 2017 and came off the bench, clearly lacking his usual game.
Once he gets that back and starts to direct traffic more effectively, then a judgement on how much not having a dominant half will affect the Broncos can be made.
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
What role will Blake Austin play in 2018?
On Tuesday, Canberra coach Ricky Stuart made headlines by dropping half Blake Austin to the bench. On Sunday at 5:30pm, he made headlines again by changing his mind and starting Austin.
There seemed to be little wrong with Austin’s play during the first game of the season, but the Raiders, with Sam Williams and Aiden Sezer also on the books, have plenty of questions to answer this season.
Austin and Sezer have been their first-choice halves combination for two years, but last year was poor, to say the least, and Stuart will be keen to make amends.
While Austin’s explosiveness makes him the ideal man to get a team off to a good start, his consistency and combination – or lack thereof with Jordan Rapana and Joey Leilua at times makes him frustrating to watch.
He has to be in the starting 17, but Stuart has questions to answer.
(Photo: NRL images)
JT and Scott are back – the Cowboys should be premiership favourites
The Cowboys played most of 2017 without co-captains Matt Scott and Johnathan Thurston. Take that much talent out of any side and they are going to struggle.
Both are legends for their club, state and country, and seeing he pair back on the field during Friday’s clash against the Sharks was sensational.
While Matt Scott – being a front rower – is going to take some time to get back into his work, Thurston was outstanding on his return.
He played well during the pre-season as well, but Thurston was almost fit at the end of the 2017 NRL season, so has had a full pre-season and seemed to handle the speed of the NRL well during his return.
JT has a huge role to play for the Cowboys, but joining the player of last year’s finals series Michael Morgan and a forward pack who all had to stand up in the absence of Scott, anything less than another trip to the grand final for Paul Green’s men in 2018 won’t be up to scratch if they can stay healthy – particularly with Thurston pulling the pin on representative footy.
(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Moses Mbye at fullback might just work for the blue and white
While the Bulldogs didn’t get the chocolates in their first game of the season over reigning premiers the Storm, it was far from a poor performance from new fullback Mbye.
He didn’t look quite at home, but in truth, he isn’t far away.
If Mbye can turn into a strong option at the back for Canterbury, it means Brett Morris and Will Hopoate can both be on the flanks – something they made their name doing.
On top of that, it gives them an extra ballplayer to go with Kieran Foran and the rest of the spine. Mbye is an explosive runner, to go with Michael Lichaa out of hooker and there is a feeling the pair could combine well this season.
The performance of Mbye at the back will be directly proportionate to that of Lichaa and Foran, and if the trio go well, Canterbury will make the eight – if not, it’ll be another long season for Dean Pay’s side.
(AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
How does Craig Bellamy use Sam Kasiano?
The transformation of new Melbourne recruit Sam Kasiano has been one of the key talking points out of the summer to arrive from the Victorian capital.
Of course, it’s not the first off-season with big Sammy was supposed to be a completely different player, but it’s never lasted long.
You get the feeling that might be a completely different script under master coach Bellamy though.
Still, it’ll be hard for Kasiano to stay motivated if he is only going to play limited minutes. While he is probably only an injury or two from a much-increased role, he played only played a short burst at the end of the second half in Perth against Canterbury.
It must be noted Kasiano has battled with an injury during the last few weeks of pre-season and he wasn’t even supposed to play in Round 1, originally named on the extended bench.
Whether his role increases remains to be seen, but all signs early on point to him having the potential to be an X-Factor for the men in purple.
Roarers, what did you make of Round 1? Drop a comment below and let us know.
BA Sports
Guest
Correct on try assists p/g. Was about 5th on line break assists (p/g), and led kick metres per game. Was up their for line breaks amongst halves but a fair way down the list for tackle breaks. None the less the point is valid, he played beyond that which most halves would achieve behind his sorry pack
The Barry
Roar Guru
Well said guys. Johnson led the comp for try assists per game, line break assists per game and kick metres per game. He was also in the top couple of halfbacks for line breaks and tackle breaks. It’s a furphy and a trope that he had an ordinary year.
thomas c
Guest
The Eels and Panthers game gave insight into what both of these sides could do if they stay generally switched on. Hayne looks solid but obnoxious. One or two of the games were interesting in terms of refereeing. One had extremely slow play-the-balls tolerated. On one occasion, the camera cut away for ten seconds after a tackle had been affected and by the time they cut back, the player still hadn't been allowed to his feed. I assume there's been some kind of rule change related to offside. A few penalties seemed to be given to uninvolved players without the ref yelling to stay out. As to the broncs, crisp dummy half service would help. They didn't seem to be ploughing forward. Not sure the attacking weapons really linked up. But Tevita Pangai Junior, Matt Lodge and James Roberts at least showed signs of life. They have a big enough forward pack that they should at least make metres. Lodge, Pangai, Joe are all about the 110-120 kilo mark.
Mick
Guest
That's my point exactly Ken. Lodge played first grade 3 years ago and had to deal with a lot of media scrutiny leading into round one. I thought he looked rusty on Thursday night, like you said, a player like that should be fighting for a spot on the bench not starting. The Broncos have expirence props in Tagataese and Thaiday, but the are both past their best. They also have Korbin Sims, who is solid player, but I don't think you want him as the number 1 front rower at your club. A guy like James Graham could have started for the Broncos and taken a bit of pressure of the likes of Lodge, Su'A, Mago and Ofahengaue. He also set the standards at training and help out younger players. Even when Matt Scott was injured last year he was still having a positive influnce, helping the likes of Corey Jensen If the Broncos hadn't signed Bird they would probably been able to afford a quality front rower, plus Lodge and a cheap outside back. Further Bird has been signed on big money for four years. If the Broncos had instead signed a quality front rower for say two years it have given them a bit more freedom with salary cap in the future. If in two years time the likes Ofahengue have stepped up the Broncos could and try sign a big name playmaker, instead of paying big dollars for a guy to play in the centres
Cadfael
Roar Guru
The telling sentence "if it is used properly". Should have been a sin bin on Thursday against the Broncos. Penalty only. Penrith Parra. Good decision to sin bin Parra player for play the ball infringement. Why not earlier in the game when a worse infringement was allowed to pass without penalty. Proper use of sin bin and referee consistency is all we ask for.
Stu
Guest
Anyone who watches the warriors would have noticed this. Johnson was easily the warriors best player last year.
KenW
Guest
Perhaps his point was that Lodge has played 12 first grade games and they were 3 seasons ago. A player like that would usually be expecting to start off fighting for a spot on the bench - not your starting prop in round 1. What the Broncos needed was a high-quality, experienced front rower who can instantly anchor their pack - they bought an inexperienced 'project player' prop and a rep-level utility back.
Joe
Roar Rookie
Great start to the round with a lot of upsets, someone mentioned apart from the Storm every other match the lower placed team from last year beat the higher placed team. The biggest upset of course being the Tigers over the premiership favourites the Roosters. Going to be a very interesting 2nd round and looking forward to seeing whether some of these teams can hold their form. I like the Knights this year especially their new look spine which I think still has big improvements left in them. The fact that Levi and Lamb can't get a start speaks to their depth in these positions as well. I think they're a team on the rise. On Kasiano, I think he was 50/50 to play and Bellamy had mentioned he wanted him to be more familiar with the way the Storm defend and his injuries had limited his training. I do think he will play a big part later in the year once the coaching staff are confident about his ability to hold his own defensively in the middle. He is big, has a step and a great passing game. With Kas and NAS providing impact I think the Storm are going to be fine in the middle. Big issues for me are Hoffman who was very ordinary and a step slower and Crofts defence which needs a lot of work. I actually think these two's position in the team are pretty shaky with the likes of Stimson, Jacks and Walters waiting in line. If they don't improve in the next 2-3 games expect to see a change.
RandyM
Guest
Raiders lack on field leadership when it's required. We have plenty of players who can punch through the line but when composure and structure is needed there is nothing. Sezer has been a complete waste of money, i would honestly rather Sam Williams than Sezer, at least williams is good for a line break or a couple of line break assists per game. Sezer doesn't even offer that and his kicking game is severely overrated.
Aem
Guest
They just recruited his replacement - Ata Hingano. That kid is incredible. Shouldn't be too long now...
uglykiwi
Roar Pro
5 in the bin is prefect........... but do you expect Greenberg to add on common sense????? No.
MAX
Guest
After viewing 640 minutes plus of a wonderful opening round it was evident that Storm and NQC are still the standout G1 performers in the NRL. It was also evident that a a five minute sin bin should be introduced as the ten minute penalty seems too severe (in most cases) for the infraction committed. Like you say Scotty, ten minutes with 12 men could cost a team big time.
Aem
Guest
"The Warriors half was ordinary last season" The only guy who created more tries than Johnson last year was Ashley Taylor - who played 6 more games. Johnson was first for tries created per minute played across the NRL (only counting guys who played more than 240 minutes - or 3 full games worth of time on the field). The only guy who was close to him in that regard was Benji Marshall, who had just 430 minutes across the whole season in a super-sub role. Johnson wasn't ordinary last year. He was extraordinary in a very, very bad team.
Nat
Roar Guru
Hey Scott, fair points but let's not get too carried away. In all it was a good weekend to watch, even if my team did get done (at least they were never in it rather than getting run down). We all know halves go missing behind struggling forwards. I was interested to read your thoughts on Manly's Croker, I hardly noticed him except for a few silly options but I give all the leeway in the world on debut. However, Green showed where Manly will lack this season, they were very good and that try saver by RTS was a belter. Canberra and Parra?? Does it count as a tackle if the player who just threw you to the ground trips over you? If so, chalk one up for Maloney. Not his best start even though they got the job done. In all, I enjoyed every game (Friday - Sunday that is) and it showed we will have a competitive season.
Nat
Roar Guru
My thoughts exactly. My tips were up the sh.t but I don't care, it was fun to watch.
Col in paradise
Guest
The Raiders got to drop and trade Austin, he might have a few flash moments but he had his day and is rubbish....told Ricky's brother that a month ago....
Col in paradise
Guest
The Raiders got to drop and trade Austin, he might have a few flash moments but he had his day and is crap....told Ricky's brother that a month ago....
BA Sports
Guest
Little bit of over-reaction theatre there. Tigers win is being brutally over rated. Neither team looked like scoring tries. Good luck to them and their defence was good - with out being tested but Marsters looked the only player likely to bust them open - and he was also the one most likely to create an opening with his offloads. On the topic of no attack - the Sharks are the ones flying under the radar there after Rd 1. Same problems as last year. They have very few threats (it would seem). They need to get Holmes back on the wing and the Katoa injury, while unfortunate will probably give them the opporuntity to tell Holmes to move back to the wing.
BA Sports
Guest
Not entirely true. Naqama is still in first grade
Rob
Guest
The only thing to make out of round 1, is the Top 8 is harder to pick than ever. Cowboys and Storm will be there i think and the Broncos will struggle to get in is my only take. Long way to go.