2020 started as all new seasons start: slowly.
The good teams had hardly woken up when the Armageddon arrived. Suddenly all sport professional, amateur and communal stopped as the whole world was swamped by the nastiest virus since 1918.
Professional sport was hit financially, and all football codes screamed to a stop as we were all locked down. Spectators without live games had to suffer endless replays on TV. We gasped “when would it end?”
At first, the tunnel was dark: no light anywhere.
Then haltingly, the first signs of life. The NRL under the newly appointed NRL Commission head Peter V’Landys started to make plans and noises.
“The season will restart on 27 May.”
Rubbish, no way, was the predictable response. The federal and state governments with their respective health departments would never agree.
But with a refreshing burst of enthusiasm and stubbornness, the NRL started planning for a May 27 start. With large doses of goodwill every obstacle was cleared or bypassed, and the competition started as planned.
There were changes of venue and teams such as the Warriors had to overcome greater adversity as most of the players had their families in New Zealand and arrangements had to be made to move them to Australia until the virus was under control.
When the competition started, there was a rule change that snuck up on the average league fan. Instead of nonstop penalties when the defending team tried to stall the attacking team in their 20-metre defensive zone, it was mandated that the tackle count would be reset when there were ruck infringements.
This new wrinkle turbocharged the game and made it look twice as fast as it had been. Wrestling in the play shrunk and the ball seemed to move around with renewed speed.
Since the restart with no spectators except the cardboard ones and the canned crowd noise, we are now seeing some people who seem to be making a lot of noise. The competition is positively fizzing. What is good?
There are four teams at the top of the competition who seem to have adapted to the reset rule change well and are playing with verve and excitement.
1. The Eels with their huge fanbase are back with a first-class spine and Mitchell Moses, now unfortunately injured, has been a revelation. Clinton Gutherson, Dylan Brown and Reed Mahoney have been setting the world on fire. Their forwards, with a revitalised Reagan Campbell-Gillard, have been a match for any other pack.
(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
2. The Panthers with Nathan Cleary calling the shots and back to his Origin form and a devastating forward pack are sitting nicely in second place.
3. The Sydney Roosters, back-to-back premiers, sensitively coached and filled with Origin and international players at times look unbeatable. Only injuries look like slowing their three-peat.
4. The Storm, in spite of the critics saying the reset rule change will be curtains to their chances, have proved that once again no side coached by Craig Bellamy and captained by Cameron Smith with such brilliant players such as Cameron Munster and Ryan Papenhuyzen can be taken lightly.
The closeness of the competition and the playing standard of the top four means that provided we can finish the season, the finals will be legendary.
5. Last year we saw some extraordinary wingers’ tries. This year, spectacular athletic feats by the wingers are happening two or three times a game. Wingers seem to defy the laws of gravity to place the ball over the try line while they are suspended upside down with their bodies contorted around the corner post.
So, as we finish Round 10 the newly polished NRL is shining. Let’s hope the lustre is still there at the end of the finals. I think it will be.
clipper
Roar Rookie
Sorry to touch a nerve with the facts, Parasite (or whatever your moniker was before)
Parasite
Roar Rookie
Do you ever write anything about Rugby League without denigrating it clipper, you are a real piece of work. (if I could post what I actually wanted to say I'd be giving you more than both barrels you pathetic troll) How you have managed to continue posting at the roar is a mystery to every RL fan that has ever visited the site. Honestly, you're only getting away with it because the people who run the site have the same pathetic thought patterns as you.
Dexter The Hamster
Roar Rookie
Well said.
PaulC
Guest
Grey-Hand, I beg to differ with your position on wingers being less skilled & acrobatics being their new skill. I played the game as a junior in 1956 & stopped in 1966 at Qld country level & I have followed the game ever since. The wingers in the last 20 years have become fullbacks taking high bombs under extreme pressure. They are also front row forwards taking the place of forwards who haven't got "on side" for the first tackle. On the 5th & last tackles in defence they to make the decision to either retreat back to cover for a short kick or stay in the line for defence. Wingers have forwards chasing them in cover defence & catching too. I couldn't have imagined Blocker Roche running a winger down & tackling him. Wingers in the past would run over the sideline if they were confronted by a forward. A winger would never run through the forward pack as he would have his head knocked off. Todays wingers are the best that I have witnessed in my 64 years of following the "Greatest game of all".
clipper
Roar Rookie
If that was the case, you'd expect the viewing figures to be increasing instead of declining.
Nat
Roar Rookie
While fans and administrators of the other codes will never admit it, they have V'landys to thank just for supplying the template to get their code going again. AFL especially now considering whats happened in Vic. The Qld Premier was stedfast that sport, of any code, was not on her agenda. Then V'landys gets NSW state officials invested and suddenly she was open to the idea. In a matter of days it was "No" - "show me a plan" - "All teams within the bubble can travel from NSW, ACT or Vic to Qld". Those same procedures that V'landys put in place means the AFL can keep going while Vic gets their outbreak under control. If Beattie/Greenberg was still in charge, I don't think it's too far out of line to say that NRL would not have pressed ahead and that would have had a detrimental impact on any code following suit.
Nat
Roar Rookie
You can have Perese back if that helps.
Rob
Guest
I don’t disagree about the corner post rule change being a factor but 95% of the tries scored are still being achieved within the old rules most of the spectacular ones are grounded before the post is distributed IMO. What is refreshing is teams are passing the ball more? I think the speeding up of the 6 again has had an effect on teams being able to kill attacking momentum. Unfortunately I do think at times it has been over done and actually officials have been able to create momentum artificially which has been a negative. It’s certainly encouraging teams to not hold on excessively which is a good start. I’d like to see a good low one on one rewarded by some allowances ( at least make the tackles player rise correctly before placing the ball on the ground)?
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Yeah, but in the next paragraph you go on to talk about the amazing skills they are exhibiting today (ie not 25 years ago). The only recent changes to the way that wingers play is the acrobatics, which has more to do with a rule change that allowed those skills to be displayed rather than a development in skills. The real changes with wingers over the last 30 years has been the change to a power game. But that’s not really what most people would describe as ‘skill’, it’s more of a development of the pure athletic requirements. If anything, the wing position is less of a skill based position than it was 30 years ago. The
Dexter The Hamster
Roar Rookie
Yeah, so when I say "in the last 30 years", and you say "no anyone in the last 20 years", you don't see the issue with your statement?? I'm well aware of the corner post rule change. I stand by my comment, wingers from the 80's and 90's were not doing what wingers are doing now. And I don't mean "oh that Eric Grothe was a great winger" kind of thing, I mean all wingers these days are quite incredible.
Paul
Roar Guru
Excellent piece Keith and you're right. The NRL really has pulled one out of the hat. I've even got a heap of Aussie Rules mates watching and enjoying games with me. Some of them are still talking about the Storm/Roosters game. :stoked:
The Set Peace
Roar Rookie
I have only started watching NRL this year, more from necessity than desire and I can see why it’s so popular. The level of desire the players play with is immense. Plus the skill, so many of the worlds best Rugby players are in the NRL.
Daniel John
Roar Pro
Peter V’Landys is the rugby league messiah, hands down - anyone that dislikes him is just a pessimist because the bloke is an operator that gets it done. . Also, glad you wrote that the Roosters are a tier 1 rep side (minus flanagan) that will only lose if they cop a myriad of injuries - spot on
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Nah - any of the top wingers from the last 20 years could have performed the acrobatics that makes fern wingers do. The difference is that until recently, the corner posts were a touch marker, so wingers had to hunker down and power forwards in a straight line. Now they have the flexibility of being able to collect the corner post in mid flight, so they all look like they are sideways diving stuntmen in a John Woo gunfight. The game is better for it, but it’s not the evolution in skill set that it might seem like at first glance.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Next step could be to have something or somebody rule on forward passes other than the refs and touchies. Before I get a pitch fork jabbed at me yet again, the players are in favor of it also.
Dexter The Hamster
Roar Rookie
Keith, the skill of the wingers is the biggest change in rugby league over the last 30 years (along with the decline of the scrum). They are pulling off incredible moves to score, and if you don't have some class on the wings then your team is going to be giving up a try or two every week in comparison to your opponents. It really is great to watch. Was hoping for a tip on who would win, but you have sat on the fence by outlining the top 4. If you had to make a call this far out, who are you on? Given my sharks are unlikely, my heart is hoping for Penrith v Parra GF.