NRL is back, tonight!

[MoeFOH]

I had a great chat with Rob and Ken the other day about the upcoming season. They mostly rambled on about the Bronco's chances, which, let's face it, I could care less for--being NSW born, the Broncos sit not far behind QLD and Manly in the "team we love to hate" stakes. Anyhow, the discussion also meandered around many interesting topics, pros and cons of player signings and positions, coaching staff, whatnot... And it truly whetted the appetite for Round 1. I'm not sure how many Aussie forum members follow the Rugby League, and I'm keen to know if any International members get the chance to follow the NRL, but to all who do, I hope you feel the same when I say...

"Yes! The footy is back!"

I have to say I'm looking forward to this season with a great deal of relish, more so than usual. As a Souths supporter, I watched on dolefully and disinterestedly for most of 2017. Our dysfunctional little battleship was torpedoed in the first game, last year, with Inglis's season-ending injury. I remember saying to friends, when Inglis signed for Souths, that I really didn't care if we won a premiership after that--for me, it was more than enough reward to see him don the famous cardinal & myrtle and destroy opposition, in attack and defence, under the South Sydney banner. Such is the appeal of one of the greatest players to have gone around in the code...

So, yeah, last year sucked!

But enough of that! Now, it's time for a quick prayer to the injury gods that no such devilry befalls us again, sacrifice a chicken or a virgin or whatever they've got their minds set on this time around, strap yourself into that old bedraggled comfy couch and let the action roll! 

Enjoy the season! 

 

Cheers,

Moe. 

[Ken Gargett]

28 minutes ago, MoeFOH said:

I had a great chat with Rob and Ken the other day about the upcoming season. They mostly rambled on about the Bronco's chances, which, let's face it, I could care less for--being NSW born, the Broncos sit not far behind QLD and Manly in the "team we love to hate" stakes. Anyhow, the discussion also meandered around many interesting topics, pros and cons of player signings and positions, coaching staff, whatnot... And it truly whetted the appetite for Round 1. I'm not sure how many Aussie forum members follow the Rugby League, and I'm keen to know if any International members get the chance to follow the NRL, but to all who do, I hope you feel the same when I say...

"Yes! The footy is back!"

I have to say I'm looking forward to this season with a great deal of relish, more so than usual. As a Souths supporter, I watched on dolefully and disinterestedly for most of 2017. Our dysfunctional little battleship was torpedoed in the first game, last year, with Inglis's season-ending injury. I remember saying to friends, when Inglis signed for Souths, that I really didn't care if we won a premiership after that--for me, it was more than enough reward to see him don the famous cardinal & myrtle and destroy opposition, in attack and defence, under the South Sydney banner. Such is the appeal of one of the greatest players to have gone around in the code...

So, yeah, last year sucked!

But enough of that! Now, it's time for a quick prayer to the injury gods that no such devilry befalls us again, sacrifice a chicken or a virgin or whatever they've got their minds set on this time around, strap yourself into that old bedraggled comfy couch and let the action roll! 

Enjoy the season! 

 

Cheers,

Moe. 

moe, agree re inglis. a queensland great!

for me, more than most years, the end result is going to be decided by injuries, i think a lot of teams are a shot and whoever stays fit on the park will have a seriously good chance. 

if all teams stayed fully fit - of course they won't - storm would have to be favourites.

cowboys (or any team with JT) will be a real chance but, and yes i know they got within a win last year without JT and scott, key players are ageing and i see them being affected by injury and i do not believe that with critical injuries, they can pull it off twice.

roosters with their unlimited salary cap will always be a real chance.

broncos should be top 4 but if an injury early in the halves, forget it.

sharks don't have the forward power of their glory year.

manly will have too much internal conflict.

canberra won't win enough away from home.

penrith seem a little chaotic. players seem unhappy. not a good sign at this time of year. 

titans might surprise but won't go all the way.

warriors will flash but in the end turn into the usual cesspool.

tigers will throw in some upsets but not enough to make the 8.

eels have hayne back. it will not go as well as parra fans think. they'll do better when he is not on the field.

knights have recruited brilliantly and might even make the 8 which would be a good result after recent years but they'll need a year or two to be right at the top. ponga will show why he is the next superstar of the code, just in time to replace inglis for queensland.

saints have a really good forward pack and with hunt, if he can gel, will do very well. i wonder if they have the scoring power out wide but they should make the 8. 

bulldogs - hard to imagine a year where the dogs don't look like a contender but i wonder if a little too much has been going on and they are in transition. i think they'll struggle for the 8. 

souths. i think they'll go for periods of weeks where they star and weeks where they fade. at best, low 8 and that requires inglis to stay fully fit all year. fingers crossed he stays fit until the end of origin. after that...

my 8 - in no particular order - 

storm

roosters

broncos

cowboys

sharks

titans

saints

souths

the final to be between storm, cowboys, broncs and roosters. much will depend on injuries. storm to get over roosters in the decider but if anyone can pull off a fairy tale, it is JT. if the broncs stay fully fit, they are a chance to make the final but i don't think they win it.

as for origin, bring it on!

 

[MoeFOH]

Yep, Ken, I think a lot of teams have big questions facing them--key player changes, depth, and so on. Top Four: The Storm traditionally seem to handle these challenges with ease, so they'll be strong again. The Cowboys, too, so long as JT returns to the same level (which all indications are that he will). The Roosters (yes, with their bottomless cup of coffee salary cap--they'll have Angus Crichton next year, too!) look scary--Tedesco, Cronk, and co. And they always seem to pull some rock monster of a forward out of their arse, too. I think the Sharks will be strong so long as their key positional changes gel--Holmes to fullback, Moylan in the halves--and Dugan stays out of prison. And they have that young kid debuting on the wing who looks crazy good (not that a winger makes or breaks the season, but they look like a potent backline if it comes together right.)

And for the Bunnies, I think, given a good run with injuries, they'll surprise. It'll mean a big return to form for their core stars (Burgess bros., Inglis, Reynolds, Sutton, etc.) but I feel like Seibold is the coach we need, and I believe he has them ready. Just so long as they don't do what almost every other Souths team in history has done and find a way to implode! Their biggest rival is themselves. If they sidestep that, then I think they're top 8 material. 

Origin--yes, bring it on! The Blues are back this year for sure! (I think) 

[MoeFOH]

28 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

moe, agree re inglis. a queensland great!

Just as a wee addendum: NSW born Inglis is indeed a QLD great. Should have been playing for us. Yes, after all these series defeats, such sour grapes are all I have to cling to! 

[Ken Gargett]

3 minutes ago, MoeFOH said:

Just as a wee addendum: NSW born Inglis is indeed a QLD great. Should have been playing for us. Yes, after all these series defeats, such sour grapes are all I have to cling to! 

cling away.

one of my great origin memories was that amazing run when he literally walked over the top of gasnier. brutal. embarrassing. 

a fully legit qlder complying with the rules of the day (and he never wanted anything to do with the nsw team). but feel free to mention peter sterling and steve rogers et al, as nsw players stolen from qld. and remember the reason for origin in the first place. decades of perfidiousness and theft. 

[MoeFOH]

4 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

cling away.

one of my great origin memories was that amazing run when he literally walked over the top of gasnier. brutal. embarrassing. 

a fully legit qlder complying with the rules of the day (and he never wanted anything to do with the nsw team). but feel free to mention peter sterling and steve rogers et al, as nsw players stolen from qld. and remember the reason for origin in the first place. decades of perfidiousness and theft. 

Ah, the great Origin rivalry--love it! 

Yeah, that run was incredible. In his Origin prime, he was just about unstoppable. Marking him was a three-man job! And even then...

That length of the field try a few years back against the Broncos was something special, too. I watched that more than a few times on replay. Or the time he ironed out Dean Young with that shoulder charge (before the rule change). A sickening blow, but fully legal and a great example of how balanced and powerful his timing and technique are in defence. Just an out-and-out champion. 

[Ken Gargett]

6 minutes ago, MoeFOH said:

Ah, the great Origin rivalry--love it! 

Yeah, that run was incredible. In his Origin prime, he was just about unstoppable. Marking him was a three-man job! And even then...

That length of the field try a few years back against the Broncos was something special, too. I watched that more than a few times on replay. Or the time he ironed out Dean Young with that shoulder charge (before the rule change). A sickening blow, but fully legal and a great example of how balanced and powerful his timing and technique are in defence. Just an out-and-out champion. 

that was one of the great runs, the one against the broncos. blew us away. 

imagine him as a wide receiver (or even running back) in the NFL. his size, speed, amazing hands, brutal power, ability to steamroll or sidestep as needed. could have been one of the greats. mind you, you have to think he will be on the short list for immortal status. the thing that might stop it is that there are so many contenders from this era. 

the next has to be lockyer and/or big mal (yes, an earlier era as a player but this era as a coach) and then we will have certainties like smith and JT. 

[El Presidente]

Broncs wont make the eight.