From penalties to panic stations: NRL trends in 2018

Like a snowflake or a Blake Austin haircut, no two NRL seasons are the same. After three rounds of the 2018 Premiership, let’s take a look at what’s trending this season.

Blow that whistle ref
The NRL’s relationship with its players reminds me of what it’s like to be the parent of a three-year-old. In the vain hope of stamping out undesirable behaviour, which in the case of my son is most of his behaviour, I collect all of my courage, channel my inner George Custer and take my stand.

The tears and tantrums that follow weaken my resolve, as does the energy required to follow through with my chosen course of action. Eventually, I grow weary of playing Super Nanny, and despite the best of intentions, I cave. Things quickly return to the status quo and it’s like the whole episode never happened.

That’s how it goes in the NRL. Every so often the Big Poobahs in at HQ like to remind the players who’s in charge. So they flick through the Laws of the Game, pick out a couple at random, and enforce them with extreme prejudice.

The public outcry that follows usually makes such officiating initiatives temporary. It normally takes no more than a sharply worded Phil Gould column or an impassioned Andrew Johns media grab to convince those in at HQ that changing the game is all too hard, and it’d be much less painful to just leave things as they were.

But this year feels a little different. New referees’ boss Thomas Keneally has given his team a clear edict to blow that whistle, and blow it they have. Through 24 games, there have been 440 penalties awarded at an average of 18.3 per game. That’s a penalty every 3.3 minutes. And despite complaints from players, outcry from fans and a token Ricky Stuart spray, the officials remain steadfast in their approach.

(AAP Image/Dean Lewins)

While this new hardline stance is about as popular with the general public as a Peter Dutton immigration policy, it’s not the officials we should be upset with. The clubs were warned about this change over the off-season and were given plenty of time to modify their behaviour accordingly. Referees were even present at training sessions to help teams acclimatise to these new interpretations.

If teams continue to get penalised for lazy play the balls, being offside while defending their own try line, or obstructing the opposition defence, they’ve only got themselves to blame. But if they still aren’t getting the message, let’s increase the punishment by introducing a five-minute sin bin for repeated infractions, particularly in obvious attacking situations.

Change is always a painful process, and the penalty counts we’re seeing this season have made for painful viewing. But I’m hoping the NRL stick to their guns this time. They’ve been guilty in the past of drawing more lines in the sand than Tom Hanks in Cast Away, only to back down when things got tough. Hopefully this time will be different.

Panic stations
I miss Des Hasler. Now there was a coach you could count on to stick to his guns. It didn’t matter if his attack had grown stale, his side wasn’t winning, or that his players were completely down on form and confidence. Des would stay the course.

The same certainly can’t be said for the current crop of coaches, with Ricky Stuart being the prime example. Through three rounds, the Canberra mentor has experimented with three separate scrum-base combinations, which has resulted in three consecutive defeats. This despite having an entire off-season to make up his mind and select his preferred halves pairing.

Shane Flanagan hasn’t fared much better. The Cronulla coach was always going to have a selection headache on his hands when he signed two established fullbacks despite already having Valentine Holmes on the books.

That headache has now blossomed into a full-blown migraine thanks to Holmes’ atrocious form and the gruesome state of Cronulla’s attack. We’re now only a Josh Dugan injury away from seeing what Matt Moylan has to offer at fullback.

And things aren’t exactly rosy over at Parramatta either. Brad Arthur spent the entire off-season convincing anyone who’d listen that Jarryd Hayne’s best position would be at centre. That plan lasted exactly 160 minutes, as Arthur’s resolve melted away during a Sunday afternoon drubbing at Brookvale Oval.

(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

I’m not saying that these changes weren’t the right thing to do. Maybe they were. Stuart, Flanagan and Arthur certainly know more about their respective footy sides than I could ever claim to. But if I were a fan of those clubs, I would find it a little concerning that my team could spend an entire summer practising a specific system, only to abandon it after only three weeks.

Wholesale changes producing results
In the past when a team has made wholesale changes to their roster, it’s taken time for that side to gel and start playing some quality footy. Manly’s first year under Trent Barrett is the most recent example that springs to mind, where the Sea Eagles imported a host of big-name players. Yet despite fielding a cracking side on paper, Manly went on to miss the semi-finals.

I was expecting this to be the case for the Wests Tigers and the Newcastle Knights this season. Both squads had been transformed over the off-season, with up to eight new additions to their respective first 13s. Yet despite more new faces than the Real Housewives of Melbourne, both clubs have started the season off positively.

At Newcastle, Mitchell Pearce has had an immediate impact. His poise under pressure and ability to control the tempo of the game has enabled the young Knights to take an enormous step up in class, despite their hammering at the hands of the Roosters yesterday. Pearce’s familiarity with fellow recruits Aiden Guerra and Connor Watson has certainly helped, but his rapid rapport with Kalyn Ponga and Slade Griffin has been impressive.

(Photo by Tony Feder/Getty Images)

Over at the Tigers, Ivan Cleary’s new-look side are the surprise packets of the season thus far. Even without the services of prized recruit Josh Reynolds, Wests have beaten two of the competition’s top sides and had it not been for a dud decision, could have knocked off a third.

The Tigers haven’t had the talent to match their more fancied adversaries, but they’ve shown up with a superior attitude. They’ve simply out-enthused their opponents. Wests’ new-found mongrel and tireless tenacity has stifled their opposition’s attacking opportunities, and Benji Marshall has done the rest.

The ability of Newcastle and Wests to rapidly reverse their fortunes via a complete overhaul of their respective rosters is further evidence to the idea that building a squad through junior development is an antiquated notion.

2017 form counts for nothing
This has been the most unpredictable opening to a season that I can remember. Last year’s form has been rendered completely irrelevant. It’s as though Will Smith lined up all 16 teams and flashed one of those memory erasing sticks in everyone’s eyes.

For some teams, this has been a blessing. Carrying more scars than a Disney Gift Shop, the wounded Warriors could have easily believed all of the negative press being written about them. Coming off of a deplorable back end of 2017, the New Zealand based side looked likely to claim the wooden spoon. But instead of wallowing, they’ve played with renewed energy and reeled off three straight wins to open the season for the first time in club history.

(Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

The same applies to the Tigers and Knights, each of whom were widely pegged to finish towards the bottom end of the premiership ladder after less than stellar campaigns last year. But thanks to a positive attitude and strong sense of belief, both sides are currently sitting inside the top eight for the first time in a long time.

For other teams, 2018 has been a curse. After finishing last year in fourth position, much was expected of Parramatta this season. The inclusion of Jarryd Hayne was viewed by many as the final piece to their premiership puzzle. But after three rounds of football, the Eels are without a win and struggling to score points.

It’s the same situation up in North Queensland. Thanks to a memorable finals campaign which culminated in a grand final appearance, the Cowboys were widely tipped to win the premiership this season. Yet despite the additions of Johnathan Thurston, Matt Scott and Jordan McLean, they look a shadow of the squad that was unstoppable at times last year.

The greatest strength of the NRL when compared to other major sporting competitions such as the EPL and NBA is parity. Any team can win on any given day, which has been the case thus far in 2018. Three rounds in and I have no idea who’ll lift the Premiership, and that’s the way I like it.

5th Tackle Option
Here are five quick thoughts on the action from Round 3.

1. Although it pains me to admit it, the loss of Nathan Cleary for ten weeks is probably a good thing for both Cleary and for NSW. I have no doubt that the Penrith playmaker would’ve been selected for Game 1, but I’m still not sure whether he’s the best option. Not yet anyway.

Cleary is the future, but if we’re honest, he’s probably not the present. Mitchell Pearce remains the Blues best halfback option, warts and all.

2. The Friday night game between the Brisbane Broncos and the Wests Tigers was one of the worst games of rugby league that I have witnessed. And I’m old enough to have watched the Hunter Mariners go around.

3. I know it’s not all Ricky Stuart’s fault, but some serious questions need to be asked of the Canberra Raiders. The talent is there, but for whatever reason, the Raiders simply can’t close out tight games.

This is an issue that plagued them all of last season and cost them a spot in the finals. Based on what we’ve seen so far in 2018, the issue hasn’t been resolved. Now I’m not suggesting that I know how to solve a problem such as this, but that’s what a coach gets paid for.

4. The more I watch of Parramatta, the more I value the contribution that Semi Radradra made to that side. Without him, the Eels look like a bottom-four team.

5. It’s time to take St George Illawarra seriously. After another dominant win against the Gold Coast Titans, the Dragons have established themselves as the form side in the competition. Who’s questioning Ben Hunt’s salary now?