The trials are done and dusted for another year. We all now turn our focus on Round 1 of the 2023 season, which is just nine sleeps away.
But before we cross off any more days on the calendar counting down to kick-off, let’s take a quick minute to reflect on the Pre-Season Challenge and all its, um, glory, along with what we have learnt from the past two weeks.
1. Trial form not always accurate but it’s not nothing either
I love a vegemite sandwich. I know it’s not a gourmet meal and I don’t expect it to be. It is what it is and it doesn’t pretend to be anything else.
Same with trials. They are not meant to be super exciting, have us on the edge of our seats, or give us any real indication of who the grand final winner will be. Trials are about blowing out the cobwebs, giving young guys some game time, allowing new players to settle in and giving the coaches a chance to work on some combinations. They are what they are and we all know what we are getting.
But some of the trends that emerged will have coaches losing a few extra hours of sleep at night.
And just because you won the competition that nobody seemed to be competing to win, don’t go booking any grand final tickets yet Manly fans.
2. The points system was a dud idea
Changing the trials into a competition definitely wasn’t the best idea the NRL has ever had.
And what was with the points system?! 15 for a win, nine for a draw, three for a loss, bonus points for offloads and line breaks, four points for any vowels in your name and two points for consonants.
It obviously meant nothing to the players and had little to no effect on what they did on the field. Sharks duo Nicho Hynes and Dale Finucane admitted they didn’t even realise how close they were to winning the $100,000 prize money had they thrown a few more offloads. Obviously not part of the game plan or high on the priority list.
I appreciate the effort and applaud the NRL for trying something, but sometimes it’s best to just leave well enough alone.
(Photo by Matt Blyth/Getty Images)
3. Are Manly smokies for the top eight?
It doesn’t make sense to me either. And I’m aware of what my first point was. But Manly looked … good.
New coach Anthony Seibold seems to have the team harmonious and back on track, they played really well in both games taking out the Pre-Season Challenge, and they looked to have put all of the drama from last season well and truly behind them. And we all need to remember, they were tracking along quite nicely before they imploded after the Pride Jersey saga.
Reuben Garrick was on fire, Josh Schuster looked solid at five-eighth replacing new Titan Keiran Foran and they still have some big names to come back into the team for the start of the season.
Watch this space.
Kelma Tuilagi. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
4. Dolphins deserved favourites for wooden spoon
The newest franchise did not do much to help shake their ‘destined for last place’ tag.
After their draw with the Cowboys second-stringers in Week 1 everyone thought, “ok, maybe they will surprise us!” But then it all came crashing down in Week 2 after a terrible performance leading to a 40-16 thrashing.
Yes, it’s only a trial. But if they continue to dish up what they did on Sunday, they will finish exactly where the bookmakers are predicting them to.
Wayne Bennett has A LOT of work ahead of him to avoid taking home a prize he has never won in his career, in his final year as head coach.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
5. Or is it the Dragons who will finish last?
And then, there are these guys. While the engravers prepared to etch the Dolphins on the spoon, the Red V told everyone to hold their beer.
The Dragons were just woeful across the past two weeks. They finished the trials with two losses, 30-18 against St Helens and then 42- 24 against the Bunnies in yet another Charity Shield loss.
Silly errors, paper-thin defence and a lot of blank faces. With rumours circling about the safety of coach Anthony Griffin’s role, he will no doubt be taking a leaf out of Metallica’s song sheet – “Sleep with one eye open, gripping your pillow tight!”
Watching young Tyrell Sloan become so emotional after the match has everyone asking just what is really going on at this club.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
5. Should players who’ve changed clubs be able to play in the World Club Challenge?
There were many Panthers fans on social media coming up with every excuse under the sun following their team’s shock loss to St Helens in the WCC.
Some were claiming the likes of Api Koroisau and Viliame Kikau should have been allowed to play. They were part of the 2022 grand final winning team and may have been the difference in Penrith getting the win.
While the point has merit in theory, it just would not work. There is no way clubs would allow their new star recruit a release to go and play for their former team and risk the chance of being injured for the season, just for one last hurrah with their old buddies.
Can you picture Kikau asking Gus Gould for permission – and getting it?
(Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
6. Parramatta engine room in taters
Look away Eels fans.
Marata Niukore, Isaiah Papali’i, Oregon Kaufusi and Ray Stone are gone. Same for star hooker Reed Mahoney whose replacement Josh Hodgson looked like an old man who has missed a full season of footy following an ACL injury. (Oh wait, that’s right.)
Now, thanks to the trials, Parramatta can add to the mix a fractured jaw to back-rower Shaun Lane and an ankle injury to Matt Doorey – that’s a lot of pressure to put on a side that was so strong up front in 2022.
7. Speaking of injuries……..
Lane and Doorey weren’t the only ones to hobble off the field uncertain of when they would return. Storm’s Justin Olam fractured his arm with a possibility of missing the first six weeks of the season, while Raider Xavier Savage is facing the same stint on the sideline after fracturing his jaw.
Broncos fullback Reece Walsh is uncertain for Round 1 after a fracture around his eye socket, same with Rooster Joseph Suaali’i who failed his HIA after a head knock and is now suffering a concussion. Sea eagle Morgan Harper has picked up a knee injury, Dragon Josh Coric will miss the rest of the season after rupturing his ACL, and Dolphins hooker Harrison Graham looks set to miss months thanks to a high-grade MCL sprain.
Are the risks worth the reward?
7. Don’t have a week between the trials and Round 1
Just having a vent here, but there would be many who agree.
You can’t have us NRL fans waiting all off-season for the footy, have two jam-packed weekends of it, and then make us endure another weekend of nothing before it kicks in again. That’s just cruel. There’s not even any cricket to watch.
Apparently, the Super Rugby will be on …
The Spectator
Roar Guru
In terms of trials in the past, this yr gave me a tap on the shoulder to have a look at what the NRL are trying to do differently, I’ve always watched trials to look at fringe and development players and how they are tracking so to give these players a new way to get themselves and there wares to shine is more exciting than hoping for no injuries and hey it’s got us all talking about it.
JennyFromPenny
Guest
Yours is easy. Permanently coincides with Souths exit each year.
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
If only you had a pause button Jenny. I'd even settle for a mute button. :laughing:
JennyFromPenny
Guest
And between prelim and last week, once again, you placed Forever on pause.
Womblat
Guest
Make that TWO angry cave trolls from the Hobbit. Neither of whom had drivers licenses by the sound of it. Nice yarn. At least you wrecked yours sexy. I did my first one in one of those humiliating non-contact incidents, stepping like I was Brad Fittler rather than Woody out of Toy Story. Fold. However that too was pre-cottonwool days and I stupidly limped home as well. Small world.
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
So, here's the story Womblat. I caught a short kick off side on, legs splayed like a wishbone, looking to pass the ball and got hit by two big guys 100Kg plus. They folded me like a lawn chair and somehow my head touched my chin and calf bending in a way that a knee was not designed to bend. To make things worse I played on for 15 mins and my knee buckled and collapsed under me 3 times while I was running. I thought someone had tripped me. Then I walked (actually hobbled and hopped) home from the SCG to the flats at Redfern behind Redfern oval, about 3 kms! Later that night my knee blew up like a basketball. It was the early 80's. Things were different then. They didn't wrap you up in cotton wool back in those days. I shake my head now thinking about it and how I compounded the injury. We thought it was being tough back then but it was really, really dumb. I might add though that I had no offers to drive me home. True story.
Womblat
Guest
Yeah the knee can heal good but the brain has trust issues with it ever after. I thought mine was bad. You did yours good and proper. You must have been grasscut tackled by the mutant offspring of Nelson Asofa-Solomona and one of those angry cave trolls from the Hobbit.
JennyFromPenny
Guest
Yes, anterior cruciate ligaments are fairly crucial, not to mention, ligaments.
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
Big mistake letting Api go Jenny. Time to come crashing back to reality I think. I'm actually looking forward to the Panthers dropping out of the top 8 at some point just to see if you disappear from this forum. I don't remember seeing you on here before they found their purple patch. No one likes a bandwagoner, Jenny. And you are the queen of bandwagoners.
JennyFromPenny
Guest
Comical to query me as a fan, when you are the one that's been holed up in a cave, season ended by Penrith for the third straight year, twice at your own home ground, and then share that you had better things to do Saturday night than watch the final.
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
I tore an ACL and medial and crucial ligaments years ago. I had one cartilage removed as well. It took me a year before I could play again and it was never the same in terms of confidence in the stability of my knee. Then again I didn't have the benefit of the rehab and improved recovery techniques players have today.
Womblat
Guest
No they aren't, had two myself. And it doesn't heal faster whatever you do. Hope there are systems in place to look in on them because those young men would be in a pretty difficult place right now.
JennyFromPenny
Guest
Who's to know what the Roosters do. One thing is for sure, unlike the UK where clubs play their own teams wages, and can strictly only spend the % of the cap that auditors judge they can afford, over here all teams are handed the same pay packets by the NRL, and so when players leave for much bigger money at another club, they are effectively robbing extra % of salary from the rest of the team. The new club can then spend less on other players. Do that several times in a short period eg Bulldogs, and they are stuck with key positions filled by no-names.
Brett
Guest
Points system was a great idea. Just because Sharks had no idea, that’s not the fault of the NRL. Next year, they will know. All games got proper televised coverage in a historic first. It was an absolute footy fest and the NRL and broadcasters should be congratulated.
Conelius
Guest
Dolphins are certainties for this years wooden spoon. Points system for trials is ridiculous after Cronulla had a superior for and against. Rule changes of players staying down and not getting a penalty for their academy award acting is excellent. Whilst Penrith fans can cry all they want with their excuses about losing the WCC. Not to long ago the roosters won back to back WCC on English soil on those teams home grounds after losing many key players from the previous year premiership winning team. Including big names like Cronk, Cordner, Mitchell, Ferguson, Napa, Tetevano, Matterson and so on. The reason is, unlike Penrith’s stupidity, Sydney went there with the intentions to win and play full team trials leading up to the prestigious event, to become number one in the world. Penrith threw their first trial game away by playing nobody’s in the game before St Helens.
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
If the Panthers bought their salary cap from a hat stand in Bondi Junction they could have kept their squad in tact and probably picked up few more big name signings as well.
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
Have you recover from the red pill experience of the WCC yet Jenny? We found your absence atypical for a die-hard Panthers fan who wastes no opportunity to gloat and celebrate. Unfortunately, I missed the game. Who won? :laughing:
Albo
Roar Rookie
It wasn't pretty !
Nat
Roar Guru
Again, wrong on so many levels.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Definitely true to the pattern…