Winning back-to-back premierships in the NRL has become almost a mythical feat. No team has claimed consecutive premierships since the Brisbane Broncos in 1998 and no team in a full premiership – Brisbane’s 1997 title was in the Super League year – since the Broncos in ’92-93.
Yet 2019 looms very much as the year that drought will be broken with the defending premier Sydney Roosters a rare bird indeed, a reigning champion that has actually improved its roster. The addition of NSW Origin forward Angus Crichton provides sublime halves pairing Cooper Cronk and Luke Keary with yet another potent weapon, adding a devastating edge runner to a top four attacking side.
Crichton will be joined by international wingers Brett Morris and Ryan Hall – the latter when fit again – and while both are on the downside of their careers, they are bullocking runners regarded as consummate professionals. Those gains outweigh the losses of Blake Ferguson and Dylan Napa, particularly considering the controversy that has engulfed Napa.
Professionalism is critical to giving a team any hope of going back-to-back. Former NBA coach Pat Riley coined the term the “disease of more” for the internal forces that work against a champion team in pursuit of a second championship, where individuals in a cohesive unit want more individually at the cost of the team.
Trent Robinson is a very different coach. Unlike most who reach the top, he is not a ranter and a raver. He is a thinker who understands the value of culture, who understands the life cycle of a team, who is clear on what needs to be different the year after. The Roosters’ window is closing with Cronk near the end of his career so are rightfully all in.
They will certainly get their chance. While premierships are typically won at the margins in September, minor premierships are won on class and defence. The Roosters possess the best roster, finished last year as the top defensive team and the club has finished top of the ladder in four of six seasons under Robinson.
Also favouring the Roosters is the fact the challengers are hardly lining up this year. Melbourne, naturally, shape as the prime contenders. They have won the premiership all three seasons after losing a grand final and any team that is led by Craig Bellamy and Cameron Smith will always be in the mix. The injury to prospective Billy Slater replacement Scott Drinkwater will force the Storm to deviate from their initial plan but the veteran Melbourne side has one last run in them.
The Broncos have had the biggest boom over the offseason after bringing the curtain down on the Wayne Bennett era and luring Dally M coach of the year Anthony Seibold, but the excitement at Red Hill seems centred more on potential than anything else. Forecasting improvement because of Bennett’s departure is highly disrespectful of a coach many regard as the greatest of all time and there has been no improvement to a spine that is middling at best.
Bennett, of course, shifted to Redfern and has sparked hopes of a South Sydney title drive. The Burgess boys lead a heavy pack but the Bunnies were found out toward the backend of 2019 and depth looks an issue, particularly out wide.
No team has endured a more wretched offseason than Penrith. While Tyrone May has been the only player sidelined to date from the sex video scandal that has engulfed the club, there have been few who have been left untouched. Distraction is an overused word in sport but there is little doubt that the minds of Penrith players will not be solely focussed on rugby league.
The team that looks to have snuck under the radar is Cronulla. Valentine Holmes is off following fanciful dreams of NFL glory but the most underrated signing, despite his status as one of the most dynamic players in the game, is Shaun Johnson. He is exactly the explosive playmaker Cronulla need. They have a fearsome pack who know what it takes to go the distance and Johnson’s signing allows Matt Moylan to return to fullback, where he is far more comfortable.
At the other end of the table, Parramatta are staring right down the barrel of their fourth wooden spoon of the last decade. They are a club that don’t know whether they are coming or going. Bereft of long-term strategy or job stability, the Eels have signed up big-money veterans in positions that won’t help.
Canterbury are another team who may see more pain than gain in 2019. Under immense salary cap pressure, a roster overhaul was required. It is a long renovation and they are only halfway through.
Even for Eels and Bulldogs fans though, and from teams that are little hope of seeing premiership glory this year, everyone is clamouring for just one thing after a debasing and debilitating offseason for the game. All anyone wants is the whistle to blow, the ball to soar and the season to begin.
