Join The Roar
Become a member to join in Australia's biggest sporting debate, submit articles, receive updates straight to your inbox and keep up with your favourite teams and authors.
Oops! You must provide an email address to create a Roar account
When using Facebook to create or log in to an account, you need to grant The Roar permission to see your email address
By joining The Roar you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions
Login and get Roaring
Oops! You must provide an email address to create a Roar account
When using Facebook to create or log in to an account, you need to grant The Roar permission to see your email address
Roar Guru
Joined February 2019
36.8k
Views
42
Published
1.6k
Comments
Life Long Brisbane Rugby League supporter, first Redcliffe and now Broncos. also a mad cricket follower and casual everything else follower.
Published
Comments
To those few hardy souls who have been reading my series of articles on the greatest rugby league alphabet teams, I promised that I would finish by ranking my selected teams and crown the winner of the mythical Alphabet Cup.
Before we launch into deciding who wins the mythical rugby league Alphabet Cup, all of these alphabet teams need coaching.
While going through this process of compiling rugby league’s alphabet teams, there have been a number of players desperately unlucky to miss out on their respective squads – so I thought I would pick a Best of the Rest side.
And now in our search for the winner of the mythical Alphabet Cup we come to the last of the alphabet teams: the combined UXZ Super Group.
In our search for the winner of the Alphabet Cup we come to Team Y. There’s some speed out wide and a couple of representative forwards, but they are going to struggle.
Continuing our search for the winner of the Alphabet Cup, we come to the W team.
Continuing our look for the Alphabet Cup champion, we now come to the V Team.
Continuing our search for the winner of the Alphabet Cup, we come to the T team.
Continuing our search for the ultimate alphabet team, we now come to the S side.
Consider these two State of Origin halves: Nathan Cleary and Mitchell Pearce.
Continuing our search for the winner of the Alphabet Cup, we now come to the R Team.
Continuing our search for the ultimate alphabet team, we now come to the Q Team.
Continuing our search for the ultimate alphabet team, we turn now to the P Team.
And now to the O Team. This is another side where I had to delve into state players to fill the roster. It’s a bit of a crazy team – rough, tough, full of front-rowers and even pumped with a bit of artificial assistance in some areas.
I had to scratch around a bit for the N team. The backline is a mix of state other nationality players, but there is some speed and quality among them, and the forwards won’t take a backward step.
And now, after all the fanfare over Team L, we move onto the Team M.
Continuing our search for the ultimate alphabet team, we now have the K team. They have a fearsome forward pack, some clever halves and a bit of speed out wide, so this team may cause some problems.
And now to the much anticipated L team. This is one of the contenders and certainly one of the cleverest sides so far.
Continuing my series of great alphabet teams, we head on to the J team.
Continuing our list of teams to contest the Alphabet Cup, we head to the I team.
Wrong . Brisbane are the real premiers. If they had been, I don’t know, 10,000% better than they were, then they would have won the premiership.
Chooks won. They were better. The end.
Hopefully the selectors keep an open mind until after a few games. Harris and Maddinson got the fortunate combination of a flat pitch and a poor attack, with Travis Head bowling his non threatening part timers before lunch on Day 1.
We know that Harris has struggled in tougher conditions and Maddinson has yet to be tested as an opener.
But they still put the runs on the board.
Maddinson and Harris push Test claims with Shield tons
I’ll defer to you on that one Rellum, I didn’t see it and had to go on the generally low scores.
It’s open season as the scramble for top-order runs begins
Nic Maddinson goes to stumps at 195 not out
It’s open season as the scramble for top-order runs begins
Warner has hit double figures. His form is skyrocketing!
I’m only partly being a smart alec, the Gabba conditions appear to have been pretty tough so runs there today are worth plenty.
It’s open season as the scramble for top-order runs begins
50 for Stoinis! Our new test all rounder is here. No need for a batsman at number 6 after all.
It’s open season as the scramble for top-order runs begins
And Pucovski is speeding up as his innings goes on
It’s open season as the scramble for top-order runs begins
That smith fella is rubbish 😁
It’s open season as the scramble for top-order runs begins
Given NSW are 3-14 that knock by Labuschagne is looking better and better
It’s open season as the scramble for top-order runs begins
That’s a tough 50 today by Marnus Labuschagne. That boy has some big ones, no doubt
It’s open season as the scramble for top-order runs begins
No wonder SA are getting hsmmered
It’s open season as the scramble for top-order runs begins
Meanwhile Bancroft is batting now for WA. Whiteman already out for a duck to Jackson Bird, the forgotten seam bowler.
It’s open season as the scramble for top-order runs begins
SA without Sayers, Mennie and Worrall doesn’t help. It’s going to be a long season for them
It’s open season as the scramble for top-order runs begins
When a part time spinner has bowled 3 overs before lunch on Day 1 you know there’s trouble
It’s open season as the scramble for top-order runs begins
Burns or Khawaja? I can’t watch it, just following scores.
It’s open season as the scramble for top-order runs begins
And now Burns is out LBW to Abbott. I should have kept my damn mouth shut 😁
It’s open season as the scramble for top-order runs begins
Well the Vic’s are already 0-100 with Harris and Maddinson both going at a rate of knots and Travis Head already bowling on the first morning so …
Meanwhile Burns and Renshaw have ground it out to 0-29 against Starc, Copeland and Abbott on a Gabba first morning pitch.
Which will the selectors see as worth more? Harris’ record season last year on the MCG was obviously considered highly.
It’s open season as the scramble for top-order runs begins
I agree with all your points Tim, hard to add anything.
The only one I’d change would be the identity of a second Brisbane side. Redcliffe (where I grew up) is sort of isolated from the rest of Brisbane and although there is significant population in North Lakes and Further north, if the team plays out of Suncorp it a fair disconnect between the supporter base and the games. The Bruce Highway form Morayfield down is a mess. And Brisbane based fans may not identify with Redcliffe.
I think the South side is a slightly better bet, either the Ipswich Jets or a combined Jets and Souths Logan team
Dear Mr V'landys: here's how you can make the NRL even greater straight away
Warner should be in if he can show reasonable form. Then it should be Burns or Khawaja as the best performed of the rest, their bar should be lower than the others.
Bancroft and Harris need to absolutely smash the door down. Even then we have seen them have ripping shield seasons and not be able to handle the step up in class. So they would have to go huge (I’d hope).
Renshaw is a fair way back and would need to peel off a few very very good knocks to be considered.
Are there any other dark horses? Daniel Hughes? Travis Dean? Jordan Silk? Sam Whiteman? The Weatherald kid from SA? It would be interesting if one of them bursts from the pack with a double hundred the way Bancroft did a couple of seasons back.
As for the middle order surely Travis Head with his solid start to his career gets first shot if his form is solid. If not, Kurtis Patterson has to be next given his century on debut.
But I hear the drums beating, quietly, insistently in the background. Louder and louder. Can you hear them? Marsh Marsh Marsh Marsh Marsh ….
It’s open season as the scramble for top-order runs begins
I’d say part. But I’m guessing a bit. The Intrust Super Cup is semi professional
Wolfpack win frosty promotion from Super League clubs
Good article and good luck to the Wolfpack.
One minor thing, you say league is now played professionally in 5 countries, but I think it’s actually 6: England, Canada, France, Australia, NZ and Papua New Guinea.
Wolfpack win frosty promotion from Super League clubs
I say keep it very simple. Whatever limitations put in place will be circumvented so let’s just say that the trainer is on at the team’s risk and if he interferes with play it’s a handover (or six again if the other side already has the ball). Or if you really really want them to be careful an automatic penalty against that team.
A weekend when things may have actually changed in a sport that usually goes in circles
Here’s a question: Obelix and George Rose. Same person with a fake moustache ?
Chooks won. They were better. The end.