Roosters and Broncos have left the pack behind
After North Queensland’s loss to the Melbourne Storm on Saturday night – their third loss in four starts – the Sydney Roosters and the Brisbane Broncos have pulled ahead of the field and the minor premiership is now a race of two. The closer we’ve edged to finals football the stronger these two teams have looked and, on current form, they are a class above. If they demonstrated that in their intense struggle against each other a fortnight ago they underlined it on the weekend; the weakened Roosters by flaying Manly’s flanks like an over-eager dominatrix, the Broncos by humbling the reigning premiers with an attack sharp enough to split hairs.
Anthony Milford and Ben Hunt? As they say at Crufts: “Woof!” Talk about pedigree. The pair were a delight to watch and they made a mockery of this deadly serious NRL business by romping about with youthful abandon, revelling in their fullness of their ability and their Midas-like night out where everything they touched turned to points. They surely haven’t smiled so much during a game since the Under-10s.
Back at the Roosters, meantime, they too are having a time of it. Even without Jared Warea-Hargreaves, Mitchell Pearce, Blake Ferguson and Michael Jennings, they overwhelmed Manly and if they entertained quiet doubts as to their title credentials when, last week, Warea-Hargreaves was ruled out for the season, they went some way to silencing them at Brookvale.
Souths are going, going… gone?
South Sydney are on life support. Three weeks ago they gave their supporters hope with a stirring win over the Cowboys in Townsville but after two straight losses – including Friday night’s 47-12 humiliation against Brisbane – that rally has come to look like an echo of their former greatness rather than a sign of renewed vigour.
After seeing their side ship 79 points in their past two games, Rabbitohs fans would do well to prepare for the worst. And get their black suits dry-cleaned while they’re at it. You might trace Souths’ demise back to the loss of Sam Burgess and Ben Te’o before a ball had been kicked this season, but they’ve still a side the envy of most. But something’s been missing this year – hunger, for one – and it’s hard to see how they’ll survive the finals now.
Greg Inglis, who missed Friday night’s slaughter, is still recovering from minor knee surgery and may not be the same when he returns. And now John Sutton is gone for the year after breaking a leg (and not in a good way). Perhaps most costly of all is another suspension for Issac Luke who, if he’s not the dumbest player in the NRL, is well in the mix. After pleading “guilty, m’lud” to a shoulder charge on Friday night (in his first game back from suspension, if you can believe it… and when it comes to Luke, you can) he’ll miss the next two matches, the second of which – week 1 of the finals – could be the Rabbitohs’ final game of the season. If that happens Luke has played his last game for the Rabbitohs. Out with a whimper.
Officials least of Dragons’ problems
After their loss to the then last-placed Gold Coast Titans on Sunday afternoon (as well as their uninspiring win against Penrith last week, and thrashing at the hands of Brisbane the week before that) St George Illawarra are staggering towards the finals like a drunk negotiating the footpath home on bin night.
Perhaps that’s why Paul McGregor restrained from criticising the referees after the game, particularly for their generous green-lighting of Dave Taylor’s match-winning try from dummy-half despite him appearing to use (in my eyes at least) team-mate Daniel Mortimer, playing the ball, as a human shield.
As McGregor seemed to be aware, the awarding of Taylor’s try is the least of his problems. This was a second-string Titans outfit and yet McGregor’s team, looking to secure a finals spot for the first time since 2011, were sloppy in defence and, has been the case all season, creatively bereft. Does any team play more one-out football than the Dragons?
They should still make the eight (it would take a big loss against the Tigers this week – conceivable enough – but also for Manly to register a big win against the Sharks) but it’s hard to see McGregor’s men doing anything but making up the numbers if they get there.
Hodkinson’s loss will hurt the Dogs’ chance
Canterbury eked out a tough 20-18 win over the Knights on Saturday night to make it four wins on the trot, and with the Dogs facing a catatonic Warriors side next weekend Des Hasler’s men should enter the finals with what feels like a strong breeze at their backs. But joy is rarely unbridled and on Sunday it was confirmed that halfback Trent Hodkinson had broken his wrist and – joining long-term casualties Michael Lichaa and Tony Williams – will miss the rest of the season.
Hodkinson’s loss will hurt the Dogs’ chances for with him goes Canterbury’s best kicking game and its steady tiller hand. Consequently additional pressure will now be heaped on the young shoulders of Moses M’bye and Josh Reynolds, who has missed a lot of football this season through suspension and injury, the latest of which has seen him miss the past five matches. If Canterbury are to progress deep into the finals Reynolds, should he stay fit much less recapture his best form, will surely have to find a way to silence the Mr Hyde that lurks within. Canterbury can scarcely afford to lose him to yet another brain snap.
The end can’t come fast enough for Penrith
Boosted by the re-signing of Blake Austin, the Canberra Raiders ran six tries past the Panthers on Monday night in Canberra (in front of just 6,717 fans) to leave last year’s preliminary finalists in equal last position with just one round remaining. And next week they play the only team below them on the ladder, Newcastle.
On current form the Panthers best make room in their trophy cabinet for the wooden spoon. What a sinkhole of a year it has been for Penrith, doubly so due to the spring they had in their step before the season started. You’d have to think someone at the Panthers built their new house over an Indian burial ground in the offseason; the horror they’ve endured this year has been of Poltergeist proportions. Indeed, their injury list has been so extensive it would be quicker to list the players who didn’t feature on it for an extensive period than those that did. You could talk about depth but no club – not even the Roosters – could cover for the loss of so many key players. One week to go but the end can’t come fast enough.
