Cooper’s Anzac Day challenge
Mike Cooper joined St George Illawarra from the Warrington Wolves in November 2013 and was described here as a “mystery signing” despite having played more than 120 games for the Wire.
To be fair, the average NRL fan, content with what he’s got, isn’t an avid follower of news from the northern front, and compared to the likes of those who have come before him — harbingers of hurt like Sam Burgess, James Graham, Adrian Morley, Mal Reilly and others — Cooper’s arrival was hardly an obvious coup for the NRL.
Yet Cooper was a consistent contributor at the inconsistent Dragons in season 2014 and in 2015 he’s given the hint that his acclimatisation is over and that he’s ready to lift himself to another pay grade. Against the Broncos in a top-of-the-table battle last week he was outstanding and his match-winning try — a lethal combination of sprightliness, acceleration and strength — was surely the highlight of his Australian adventure to date.
Of course in these parts you don’t get long to admire your own reflection because around every corner there’s some blockhead looking to throw a rock in your pond. As such Cooper will up against it again this Saturday against a Sydney Roosters side smarting and maybe even smouldering after three consecutive losses.
The game is the Anzac Day headliner at the Sydney Football Stadium and it’s one of the NRL’s great occasions. Add the fact that it sees the league’s best attack (Roosters) up against its best defence (Dragons) it’s a game that promises plenty.
The dropped Pennies need picking up
After back to back wins to open the season the Penrith Panthers were flying, and with last year’s stirring run to the preliminary finals fresh in the minds of the faithful, hoped drifted through the foot of the mountains like the smell of burning rubber from the symphony of suburban burnouts native to the area.
But then form five-eighth Jamie Soward’s back demanded fixing and the Panthers have barely registered a growl since. Four losses in their past five games, in fact. Bryce Cartwright and Apisai Koroisau have filled Soward’s, um, breach, and Korosiau was on board when the Panthers managed their only win AS (After Soward) — but that was only against the Sea Eagles who in clipping their own wings in the off-season got a little overzealous.
As with Adam Reynolds’ value to the Rabbitohs, Soward’s worth to the Panthers has been amplified by his absence. The Panthers have looked lost without him, and Soward’s absence has been exacerbated by injuries to half Peter Wallace and starting centres Jamal Idris and Dean Whare. And now Josh Mansour joins the injury list and there are worries that James Segayaro might not be 100%. With the Panthers due to face the buoyant, if still damp Cronulla Sharks, Ivan Cleary’s patched-up, down at heel troops have their work cut out for them.
The trials of being a Titan
It must be hard to play footy on the Gold Coast. It’s like an elephant’s graveyard for sporting teams, the media eye rarely settles on the golden strip of sand what with the allure of nearby Brisbane’s deep pockets and thoroughbreds (just four free to air games for the Titans this year compared to 14 for Brisbane), and you can’t even give an interview without someone tweaking your nipples.
Then there’s the hardly trifling matter of the loss of the club’s license and pre-season drug offences. The Titans are making the best of it, however, and the reassurances that Daly Cherry-Evans isn’t about to back out of his deal (really, truly, he’s not, cross his heart hope to die) must bring some comfort to a club not used to things going their way.
Solace, too, has been earned with a promising start to the year (compared to outside expectations, that is, which hovered somewhere around the ankle height of an Oompa-Loompa). Three wins from their past four, and in the past two weeks, with Josh Hoffman and Wiliam Zillman running riot, the Titans have registered back-to-back wins and scored more than 30 points both times.
While Dave Taylor will miss the Anzac Day match against the Warriors, a team the Titans haven’t beaten in their past nine starts, Nate “Easter Island” Myles lis slated to return to the Titans lineup alongside Eddy Pettybourne back from suspension. You’d never back them with confidence, but there’s a glow coming off the Gold Coast at the moment that’s not down to fool’s gold.
The continuing unfairness of the world
Life’s not fair, we’re taught that at birth (or at least we should be). But still we forget. Ahead of his team’s meeting with Canterbury, who welcome back Josh Morris and Sam Kasiano, Tigers coach Jason Taylor this week spoke out about the unfair expectations his young halves pairing of Luke Brooks and Mitchell Moses are having placed on them by the media —a media who, he says, expect them to perform miracles every week despite their youth and inexperience.
Furthermore, he says, it’s unfair his team are having to face the tough Bulldogs twice in eight rounds when other teams are getting to play weaker teams twice in quick succession —thus being better able to build momentum, his argument goes.
I suppose he’s got a point but when the entire competition is built on unfairness from the get go (not every team plays the other home and away) it’s a minor one. How to solve it? One solution could be that every team plays each other twice, home and away. Radical, I know, but it could work.
Yes, that’s 30 rounds instead of the current 26 but perhaps there are ways of mitigating the strain on players, like scrapping some trial games, an extra bench player, what have you. A full home and away season is the only logical solution to Taylor’s complaint.
Rabbitohs need the smelling salts
After attracting whispers that an undefeated season could be a possibility Michael Maguire’s South Sydney have lost three from four, and that one win was the get out of jail card tossed to them by a helter-skelter James Graham in that round five thriller against Canterbury.
Without that gift the Bunnies could be in the midst of a four-game losing streak. It’s way too early for doom mongering, however. Adam Reynolds’ absence has played a major role in Souths’ slump. Luke Keary and team are missing him like nicotine, and Souths’ creativity and kicking game has suffered.
It could be, too, that Souths are in the midst of a premiership hangover after their post-season high extended into victories in the Auckland Nines and World Club Challenge. All those highs, now the slump. Souths have the team to work their way out of it, but as they wait for Reynolds’ return more creativity is needed from the likes of Issac Luke, Glenn Stewart and Greg Inglis.
The opposition sense a weakness in the Bunnies at present and this week the Raiders, impressive in recent weeks, have a chance for an upset.
Fixtures
Friday
Bulldogs vs Tigers, ANZ, Sydney, 7.45pm
Saturday
Warriors vs Titans, Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland, 1.45pm local (11.55am AEST)
Knights vs Cowboys, Hunter Stadium, Newcastle, 2pm
Roosters vs Dragons, Allianz Stadium, Sydney, 4pm
Storm vs Sea Eagles, AAMI Park, Melboure, 6.15pm
Broncos vs Eels, Suncorp Stadium, 8pm
Sunday
Panthers vs Sharks, Pepper Stadium, Penrith, 2pm
Rabbitohs vs Raiders, Bairlow Park, Cairns, 4pm
