It’s amusing and bemusing that all it takes is 80 minutes of watching one team – or every team – for pundits to make sweeping generalisations for how the rest of the NRL season is going to pan out.
It’s probably the most redundant sentence I’ll ever write, but I think we should wait a few more rounds before we start making any bold declarations for 2021. Who the premiers will be, which coach is going to get fired, which team will win the wooden spoon et cetera – they are all much more sensible topics to debate in, say, Round 2.
To be honest, I’ve been guilty of overreacting to Round 1 myself in the past. Not only is it tremendously fun to do, but it does provide an instant idea for a written piece.
However, it’s not all that original either, so I’ve added a wrinkle this time: what topics have we underreacted to? What are the sneaky subplots from Round 1 of the NRL season that we should be talking about but aren’t?
1. The Warriors method of victory
In the past New Zealand have always had talent, but I don’t think they’ve always played the best brand of football for that talent.
They’re attempted to razzle-dazzle their opponents and play with reckless flair when really their personnel have been more suited to dominating the middle of the park and wearing down the opposition with size, strength and grunt. A more measured, controlled and patient style of play was actually the Warriors best chance of winning, but they eschewed it for low-percentage footy.
That’s why Saturday’s win over the Titans was so impressive. It was a grinding win without a lot of the ball being thrown around frantically.
It’s one game, so let’s not overreact, but let’s not underreact either. If Nathan Brown can get the Warriors consistently playing like that every week, they’ll take some beating.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
2. Where are all the quality halves?
There are 32 first-grade halves positions available in the NRL, yet how many teams actually have a high-quality half, let alone two? It’s way less than you might think, and based on the level of playmaking in the opening round it might even be lower.
Perhaps I’m looking back at rugby league history with rose-tinted glasses, but it used to feel that every club was trotting out a quality halves pairing, and it was absolutely mandatory to have at least one elite-level half if you wanted to win the competition.
Nowadays halfback and five-eighth might be the weakest positions across the NRL, and the sheer lack of volume of quality players means a team that doesn’t have great halves could actually win the grand final.
Or more than likely you can rule out 75 per cent of the teams from winning the competition because they don’t have good halves.
Hey, hang on – this is meant to be an underreaction piece, not a massive overreaction piece! Sorry, lost my head there for a second.
But speaking of halves…
(Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
3. The Luke Brooks thing just isn’t going to happen
Luke Brooks is now 26 years of age and made his debut way back in 2013. We’ve all been waiting a fairly long time for him to make the leap, but the evidence is starting to suggest we may be better off waiting for Harold Holt to turn the porch light on.
When Brooks burst on the scene he was lauded as one of the best young talents we’d seen for some time by none other than Andrew Johns. Others said he was the second coming of Joey himself.
Sadly we’re a very long way from those tributes and, even worse, they may have been the apex of Brooks’s career. It brings me no pleasure to say that few players have improved less than the Tigers half over the last four years.
He’s still pretty young, so it’s foolish to proclaim anything overly definitive, but at some point you need to shred the ‘potential’ tag and actually become a great player, and I suspect it’s simply not going to happen with Brooks.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
4. Sure, Manly was bad and the Cowboys putrid, but what about the Titans?
The Roosters handed out the biggest punishment on the weekend, defeating Manly by 42 points. There’s no sugar-coating it: the Sea Eagles looked dreadful. However, was anyone really expecting much from Manly this season? And they were playing a competition heavyweight as well.
Likewise the Cowboys got belted by Penrith. Nonetheless, North Queensland are expected to be at the very bottom of the ladder and the Panthers are the reigning minor premiers and grand finalists. A non-shocking shellacking.
Meanwhile, Gold Coast were many people’s ‘sexy’ pick for the top eight this year. They’re the cool prediction you believe makes you look like you really know football, mainly because the average fan couldn’t name seven players on their roster.
Yet it’s entirely possible that the Titans shifted extremely quickly from underrated to overrated because if their Round 1 performance is anything to go by, they’ll threaten for the spoon, not the eight.
5. The NSW Blues fullback problem
As Ryan Papenhuyzen tore apart the Bunnies in the season opener on Thursday night I overheard a fellow pub patron say, “They gotta pick him at fullback for NSW. It’s a no-brainer”.
The comment was met with furious agreement from his table, which I thought was rather surprising, not to mention brave considering I was drinking in Double Bay, the heart of Roosters territory.
Two days later James Tedesco reminded everyone who may have been silly enough to forget that he was the best fullback – if not player – in the world.
This only illustrates the headache the Blues will no doubt have this season when it comes to fitting both of these superstar fullbacks into the team. To be honest, it was a mild headache last year too, but with the way the two number ones started the season, it could be a full-on migraine for NSW this year.
My left-field solution is to pick Tedesco at five-eighth, yet I just can’t reconcile not selecting the best fullback running around anywhere but fullback. Nor can I justify playing ‘Teddy’ out of position when I ripped the Blues for doing that with their centres last series.
Some have stated it’s a good problem to have, but I’m not sure it actually is.
billyg
Roar Rookie
ahhhh the good old boys :stoked: :stoked: stuff the rabbitohs :laughing:
J.Lim
Guest
Come on RyanO, you know lime milk flows through my veins but what does the 2019 Clive Churchill medalist, 2020 5/8th of the year and 2020 Daly M medalist actually have to do to get an Origin guernsey at the position he’s won all these accolades in and plays week in week out?
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Maloney had a great run there for a while , it's like he could do no wrong and he lapped it all up.
Rob
Guest
Forty, both those Roosters passes were forwards. I’ll go as far as saying it falls into the unofficial bias grey. The Roosters are a top side and Manu, Morris, Tedesco are better than Titans Don or Cowboys Hess. All 4 passes were questionable the Roosters were the one most questionable but they were the ones let go? Ever wonder how when James Maloney threw wonderfully flat passes in a Roosters or Sharks 2016 jumpers whilst also playing for NSW were suddenly becoming forward when he was wearing a Panthers jumper? It was hard for James to accept what he had been doing successfully for 5 years had suddenly been deemed forward. Maybe Teddy, Morris, Maloney enjoy the Premiership colours of red, white, blue as opposed to the Tigers, Bulldogs, Warriors or Panthers. It just makes you that little more onside?
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Rob have you had a look at Tedescos third try? In the last two passes the players are level with the passer. I suspect they are slightly forward but they probably pretty easily fall into the grey area. How can humans get it right every time when there can be a few inches in it and the wind has to be factored in as well as spin on the ball? The receiving player can also slow down a bit to catch the pass. You are assuming he maintains the same pace. I saw one pass in union which appeared ludicrously forward but they played on and scored a try. The replay showed the ball doing strange things after being passed backwards. Optical illusions make for grey areas as well. A lofted fair pass on a day a gale is blowing could float 10 metres forward but not many refs will rule correctly on that.
Rob
Guest
Forty Twenty with the forward pass I believe support players level with the player passing the ball as it leaves the hands of the passer it is commonsense forward. The receiver would have to catch the ball behind himself not out in front of his chest. Stand still on the tryline facing the same direction and pass the ball. You have to throw it forward for the other person to catch it in front. Pass it back and the other person catches behind them. If Teddy is looming up at 40km and your 38km throwing the pass level with him you’ve thrown it forward to get it in front of his chest. Anyway it’s a simple call not grey. If he’s 2m behind you as you throw it for him to catch on the run it’s probably okay if the pass is firm in my world.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
I'm glad you included that you were a Melbourne Storm fan, Matthew. It's important context here that will prevent you getting abused!
Matthew W.
Guest
TOTALLY agree.
Matthew W.
Guest
I think I'd go with Papenhuyzen over Tedesco... but have Tedesco as an interchange. That way, when Papenhuyzen is tired or gets injured, Tedesco can go on. I'm a Storm fan, but this is not biased. Papenhuyzen was literally doing his like 2nd game with the boot and slotted all but one in. And he scored a double. Sure, Tedesco scored a hat-trick, but Papenhuyzen also had a try assist (maybe more, can't remember). Tedesco is one of the best, but Papenhuyzen is probably the BEST OF THE BEST.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Hunt is about to suit up for my team but I never got the fascination with him. Big body as you say who ran hard but Bowen was a better runner, much faster, passer, kicker, play maker even back in 2005. Hunt was probably seen as more suited to Origin because he was more physical.
Rob
Guest
Bowen was light years ahead of Hunt as a playmaker but he didn’t run the ball back as hard. Hunt was a bigger body and played for the Broncos. Bowen was seen as a match winner coming off the bench also, just ask Brett Kimmorley.
Rob
Guest
NSW problem is not beating the worst QLD (their opinion not mine) team ever in a best of 3 series. You could say they fluked one win at home.
farkurnell
Roar Rookie
Yes Sam that classic Cliche “a Champion Team will always beat a Team of Champions “ comes to mind.
Succhi
Roar Rookie
What I learnt from the first round - players with great potential can’t beat a great player with experience. Papalli, Morris boys, Ryan James, Tedesco, Benji, Klemmer, plus a few other “oldies” others showed up their younger opposition.
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
The rules have been changing regularly for 100 years and the rules might appear simple to adjudicate but it's a myth. The game is full of grey areas and will be for a fair while yet. The six again rule will never be fully consistent because it's a fine grey line just like forward passes. I thought the Roosters passes were slightly forward but others might disagree. A machine will decide that in the future because humans haven't been able to do it for 100 years.
Hard Yards
Roar Rookie
Yeah, but a first grade team letting in 9 tries, even if it is the Roosters scoring them. This is very ominous for Manly. We’ll see how Manly go against Souths, but it doesn’t look good today.
matth
Roar Guru
But a World Cup is coming up so teddy is about to declare for Italy.
Rob
Guest
Sub plot 6 V’landys NRL is killing the contest and calling it entertainment. His all powerful single mind leadership might have won the political battle but his lust to change the game for entertainment is going to back fire. Supporters demand and want entertainment and that’s what the games about? After 50 years of passionately watching Rugby League I’m starting to find it unwatchable at times. Speed the game lets see more points. I watch rugby league for skill, grit and determination. People don’t like the wrestling? I don’t want to watch tag. I don’t want to watch officials manipulating the results especially with 6 again to get hometown crowd bums on seats and enjoying the slaughter of the despised visitor. The officials have always been unwittingly influenced by home crowds or high profile teams/players. 6 again has magnified the momentum shift and also ability of officials to make the momentum swing. I use to to consistently watch 4-5 games on average from a weekend. Now I’m watching 1-2. I watch my Team but I’m struggling to stay engaged with the game. I thought it might be covid related, I thought it my be disappoint about my teams results, I thought it might be a mid life transition to old age. No it started with 6 again and Bunker B...s... Seriously the game of rugby league survived a 100years on simple basic rules. The garbage I have witnessed with inconsistent officiating and blindly ridiculous bunker calls has me thinking about handling in my membership after round 1. How did API Koroisuai not knock on? 100 tackle differences and possession 35-65. The visitors got massacred from the opening whistle and held on desperately until half time. I desperately wanted watch RL so I turned on the Titans and watched several questionable 6 again calls trying to convince myself people want to see PV’s points entertainment. Then Don is disallowed a try off a forward pass? Time to watch something else. Tuned back in just in time to see Rooster award a couple of tries off James Maloney standard passes. Please don’t talk about speeding trains. A pass caught by Coen Hess or Anthony Don is no different to a pass caught by the great Teddy or a red, white and blue team mate is it or maybe not? Are the supporters that PV would like to appease from wealthy Sydney clubs?
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
You leave Britney alone! #freebritney
mushi
Roar Guru
Nothing like a half without instinct playing on instinct. Though I feel dirty – is picking on Luke Brooks like having a rant at Brittany Spears, we know the issues – it’s not their fault