NRL Teams Cant Shake Habit

March 15, 2010

It’s funny how habits for NRL teams stick, even with significant player turnover – some clubs will keep both their good and bad habits.

Winning and losing can both be habits, NRL clubs might recruit well or they may appoint a new coach – but at the end of the day, if bad habits can’t be broken – it could be a frustrating year. The same goes for good habits, it’s amazing to see how even when some teams play bad they manage to pull a rabbit out of their hat and secure a win.

The best two examples of this are the Cronulla Sharks and the Gold Coast Titans.

The Sharkies have made an artform out of losing in recent times. The Cronulla club came into the big League in 1967 and have been unable to win a title, now it’s hard to say whether this has any long standing effects on the culture – but certainly in the past 12 months they’ve continued to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

While the Sharks had a horror 2009, only 12 months prior they managed to finish equal first at the end of the regular NRL season.

But in a staggering statistic, in attack Cronulla only outscored wooden spooners Canterbury that year. Amazingly, the Sharks backed by their strong defence were able to achieve equal first and yet were miles behind almost every single other team in terms of points scored.

Sadly for the the Sharks, their habit of not scoring points remains with them to this day.

Their attacking problems have continued to frustrate them so much so, that they cannot find a balance between smart and risky attacking footy. When problems first appeared for the Sharkies they tended to go into their shells and resort to simple, error free footy. Some games they were flawless and made virtually no mistakes with the ball in hand, but were still losing by small margins because they couldn’t score points.

They needed to take more risks to score points, but in most cases they overplayed their hands and paid heavily for dropped ball and mounting tackle counts.

It looks like Cronulla just cannot shake this habit of being unable to score points, even the impressive offload skills of NSW Origin Rep Anthony Tupou is not enough to get this team chalking up tries.

In their Round 1 match against the Melbourne Storm, Cronulla’s performance was admirable. Apart from a few discipline lapses, they weren’t too bad. They didn’t let the World Champion Storm side run in too many points, but again they couldn’t manage to even notch up 2 tries.

Habits, Habits, Habits. If Ricky Stuart can’t change the habitual culture there, then this team could be in for another long year.

It’s totally the opposite for new boys the Gold Coast Titans. Only a few years after being admitted to the NRL, they achieved their first finals birth last season and have formed a much sought after habit – winning.

Sure, they do lose games. But the thing with the Titans is, even when they aren’t at their best – they have a good habit of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.

Take yesterday for example. The NZ Warriors were expected to be easy meat for the Titans at home and with the Gold Coast at near full strength, this scoreline could have been anything.

But it was an off-game for the Titans, Presto’s hands were failing him early on and new recruit Greg Bird was having a forgettable game.

NZ were up for it and ran away to an early lead. But the Titans good habit kicked in, no panic for this mob, they just went about their business as usual and were able to claw the game back.

They are expecting to win on almost every occasion. Thats the difference.

Think Broncos for virtually the past 2 decades, they expect to make the finals every year. It’s a given. And they generally do.

What about the Dogs of War? Canterbury have an unbelievable ability to pull off an upset when controversy surrounds their team. They’ve had this habit for years.

Penrith have a habit of being able to notch up big scores. They are virtually the opposite of Cronulla. The Panthers will rack up points no problem, but can be guilty of leaking too.

Wests Tigers are known as the modern day entertainers. Their habit is exciting attack, movements that can sometimes start from their own red zone – this side got a whole new culture when Balmain and Wests merged and it’s nabbed them a Premiership in their first decade.

What habits does your NRL side have?

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Panthers are the Darkhorse

March 9, 2010

It’s always easier for NRL teams when they don’t have the weight of expectations. Be that fan expectations or short odds with the bookmakers, no NRL team wants to be labeled ‘the good things’.

Thats why Penrith could be this seasons darkhorse.

Just look at their juicy odds at present with the bookmakers, odds that probably won’t be so good for too long.

Rugby League analyst Greg Alexander might be a little bit biased to his club, but the astute Fox Sports caller has predicted the Panthers can finish as high as 4th in this years NRL.

But apart from the likes of Alexander and their diehard fans perhaps, no one is really expecting Penrith could go all the way.

The Panthers have however, recruited extremely well.  They look to have a dynamic halves combination now after pairing Luke Walsh with the livewire Travis Burns. Former Sea Eagle and Cowboy – Burns, has been possibly the clubs best player in pre-season and looks set to have a massive year at the foot of the mountains.

The Panthers also have the luxury of good depth at the club. Just looking at the team for Round 1 of the Premiership, the likes of Jarrod Sammut and Daine Laurie aren’t even in the side, yet it looks a good balanced squad for Game 1 against Canberra.

A first up Game against the Raiders will have the mountain men very confident at home. And jumping off to a positive start will only help their cause as they fight to make the Top 8 for the first time in many years.

Staying injury free is key to any side, but for the Penrith forward pack who have been so unlucky with injuries – the likes of Petero Civoniceva, Luke Lewis and Trent Waterhouse all need to be kept on the park this year for the side to have any chance.

The continued growth of Lachlan Coote and Wade Graham has been a massive positive for the club, again bolstering the depth levels out West.

Here is the Penrith Panthers side for Round 1 at CUA Stadium against the Canberra Raiders:

1. Lachlan Coote

2. Michael Gordon

3. Michael Jennings

4. Adrian Purtell

5. Shane Elford

6. Travis Burns

7. Luke Walsh

8. Tim Grant

9.Kevin Kingston

10. Petero Civoniceva

11.Frank Pritchard

12.Trent Waterhouse

13.Luke Lewis

Interchange Bench

14.Sam McKendry

15.Joseph Paulo

16. Matthew Bell

17.Nathan Smith

18.Frank Puletua

19.Nigel Plum

20.Brad Tighe

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Matt and Andrew Johns Not Talking

March 8, 2010

Its a sad state of affairs, but as reported recently – former Newcastle Knights dynamic duo Matt and Andrew Johns haven’t been on speaking terms for some time now.

Since the breaking of the Matt Johns affair just under 12 months ago, the pair have hit rocky waters in their relationship with Matt feeling that his brother should have stood by him, as he did for Andrew years before in the drug affair.

With such public interest and debate over the Matt Johns situation, the likable TV personality was forced off air and felt harshly treated by his employer Channel 9 as his image was ripped to shreds in the public eye.

As Andrew also worked for Channel 9, it’s believed that Matt wanted more support and possibly Andrew to resign from the network in protest over how Matt was treated.

Admittedly Channel 9 did treat things a bit like a circus. The Current Affair Tracey Grimshaw interview with Matt and his wife Trish was an extremely uncomfortable setup. Almost all viewers felt awkward as they watched the married couple grilled for an extended period.

Matt was understandably a wreck after the whole situation, as would be his wife obviously.

However, when the opportunity arose to start a new program on Channel 7 – there was some talk that Andrew could link up with his brother in the show to rival the NRL Footy Show on Channel 9.

It’s hard to know the contractual details of the Andrew Johns contract, but if there was any ‘get out’ clause in the agreement – you would think he should walk away from Channel after how they treated his brother?

When Andrew’s drug affair broke years ago, Matt was the first on the front foot – defending his brother and supporting him right throughout the situation. However, it does seem that the same defence was not offered by Andrew when Matt was in his darkest hour.

Joey probably needed to do more and stick up for his brother and close mate this time round.

It’s set to get even more competitive, as the NRL Footy Show on Channel 9 goes to air this Thursday night (with Andrew Johns featuring in the promos) and the new Matt Johns Footy Show appearing in 3 weeks time – they will be head to head and it’s hard to see the family differences being mended anytime soon given this situation.

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Manly might miss Top 8 in 2010

March 6, 2010

Manly Sea Eagles NRLThe loss of Matt Orford will be the biggest hurdle for the Manly Sea Eagles in 2010, but it seems their problems run much wider than just the fact that Orford is missing.

In terms of their first problem, the halfback position – there are plenty of wraps on the new halves coming through the ranks at the Sea Eagles, but rookies no matter how good they are will struggle to achieve consistency in the weekly grind of NRL footy.

Kieran Foran and Trent Hodkinson are getting plenty of praise as possible no.7’s but the pressure will be immense on the starting half as Manly try to rebuild in 2010.

The other major concern is the Brett Stewart legal drama. The talented fullback is close to the best in the game when on-song, but his continuing legal situation is not only a drain on him – but the team too. While they won’t admit it, this will weigh on the minds of Stewart and teammates in 2010.

While Manly have lost Heath L’Estrange and Glenn Hall in the forwards, what would really be worrying coach Des Hasler would be the continued drop in form for Brent Kite. The former Dragons an Australian forward, Kite has been on the decline since winning the Clive Churchill Medal in the 2008 Grand Final.

Hasler has been using Kite off the bench of late, and with departures in the forwards – Kite will be sorely needed to perform at pre-2009 levels.

Possibly the biggest drain on Manly has been the loss of Steve Menzies. Few have pointed to the loss of the veteran Menzies, but while the Beaver was at the end of his career – he was the ‘gel’ that really brought all aspects of the Manly team together. Losing him was like getting a hole in the heart of the entire team.

Finally, the desire factor has really had a negative effect on this side. After winning the NRL Grand Final in 2008 by such a comprehensive margin – that burning desire might have subsided just a tiny bit.

All these factors point to Manly missing the Top 8 in 2010. They scraped in last year and were sent packing in Week 1 of the Finals after copping a hiding at the hands of Melbourne – but this year, they will probably fall short of finals.

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Channel 7 Footy Show adds value

March 6, 2010

Matt Johns Channel 7 NRL Footy ShowThe new NRL Footy Show on Channel 7 featuring Matt Johns is set to provide plenty of value for the National Rugby League as the code builds towards a new free-to-air and pay-tv deal in 2013.

David Gallop has thrown his support behind the new concept and the NRL boss knows that success for the new program will only add more weight to the bid from Channel 7 when the free-to-air rights are up for grabs in the coming years.

Channel 7 has already expressed their interest in the sport and by snaring Matt Johns, have the chance to really overtake the Channel 9 Footy Show given its poor ratings for several years now.

Most viewers crave more serious Rugby League talk, something the Channel 9 Footy Show has been unable to provide.  Its been more like a variety show for a long time now, featuring skits by the panelists and basic audience interaction for prizes in the studio.

Matt Johns and Channel 7 have confirmed they want some humour, but the strong focus on footy will really give them the upper-hand. The same format has been done brilliantly by the Foxsports team, with the NRL of Fox Wednesday night show featuring Warren Smith, Laurie Daley, Gary Freeman and Gordon Tallis really stitching up all the serious NRL fans.

The sticking point for Channel 7 might be access to the Channel 9 footage and archives. While a small snippet of each weekends games must be made available for ‘news’ purposes; large chunks of game footage could either be charged for or restricted by Channel 9.

NRL boss David Gallop doesn’t believe Channel 9 would horde or restrict the footage to other networks, if they shut-up shop – then it could come back and bite them should they lose the rights in a few years and the NRL would look poorly on them if they refuse other networks access to footage.

The filming has already started for Matt Johns and the team, with producers joining the Bulldogs for their recent trial game down in Dubbo. With Andrew Ryan heading up the story, the Channel 7 show will give an insight into the Bulldogs, Ryan along with their game and preparation in Dubbo.

As we near kick-off, the chance for Channel 7 and Johns to nab viewer market share is huge. Plenty of viewers will tune in initially to check out the new program and the original Channel 9 Footy Show doesn’t lift their game quickly – Matt Johns will have an army of viewers locked in for life.

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Sonny Bill Williams cannot play NRL

March 5, 2010

Sonny Bill Williams NRLAs former Rugby League star Sonny Bill Williams considers his future, talk has been rife in League circles that the talented backrower could potentially be playing in the National Rugby League once more, with the Newcastle Knights showing initial interest in luring the Kiwi charger back to Australia.

But the chances of this happening are a million to one.

After his illegal departure from the Bulldogs and the NRL, Sonny Bill Williams was forced to pay $750,000 for breaking his contract or he risked facing lengthy legal battles with his former club and code.

After settling with the Bulldogs, SBW signed off on a clause that restricted him from playing for any other NRL club until the year 2013.

This particular clause will be enforced according to NRL boss David Gallop, who confirmed at least one club approached him this week about the possibility of signing Sonny Bill Williams.

It’s believed the Knights, who are now without the services of forwards Danny Wicks and Chris Houston – approached the NRL about the possibility of bringing Sonny Bill Williams back into the code.

But the surprising thing is, how on earth could the Knights afford the former Bulldogs star?

The Newcastle club say they have around $200,000 to spend on a forward for 2010, and there would be no way on earth SBW would sign for that kind of money. His earning potential in Union would be at least 3 times that figure annually and the question remains whether SBW would want to return to Australia or the NRL after such a messy bust up when he left the fold.

In addition to looking at Sonny Bill, the Knights have spoken about bringing Danny Buderus back into the club for some leadership and direction. But this too smells of panic from the Newcastle camp.

While the money is the first of many hurdles to get SBW interested, the former backrower is far from an attractive prospect. He is regularly injured, would be selected for most New Zealand rep duties and towards the backend of his time at the Dogs, wasn’t setting the world on fire on the park.

Sure, the Knights have had a tough few months after allegations have ripped through the club. But they have some great talent remaining on their roster for 2010 and their junior ranks have always been impressive.

Only 12 months ago, the Knights were complaining that former coach Brian Smith wasn’t using any juniors and was importing talent from elsewhere in the NRL. Well, now is the chance for the Knights to elevate their young stars in the forwards and start building for the future.

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Josh Lewis could ignite Sharks

March 5, 2010

Josh Lewis Cronulla Sharks NRLJosh Lewis has been something of an enigma over the past 4 years. The former Sydney Rooster is now a journeyman, after being told by the Bondi club he wasn’t in their plans when the tri-colours had a plethora of talent in the halves; including Jamie Soward, Mitch Pearce and Braith Anasta – hence Lewis was forced to move on.

But after a recent off-season phone call from Ricky Stuart inviting the talented half to Cronulla, the opportunity is there for Lewis to really stamp his mark on the NRL in the 2010 season.

After leaving Bondi, Lewis had stints with the Gold Coast Titans and Wests Tigers lower grades – but was rarely able to settle in and find a permanent first grade position in the halves with the likes of Prince and Rogers ahead of him and Benji Marshall at the Tigers.

Lewis is still only 24 years of age and after choosing to take a season off this year, the phone call from Stuart has been a major turning point.

The chance to link with his old coach and cement himself as a consistent first grader is an attractive proposition at the Sharks. With Trent Barrett a certainty in the halves, the alternate position is certainly up for grabs. Rookie Scott Porter did a commendable job at the backend of 2009, but cannot be considered a guaranteed starter just yet.

The Sharks have struggled for a genuine no.7 since Brett Seymour was booted out by the club for misbehavior and the strike-power of big name Barrett is reduced with such a big onus soley on his shoulders.

When asked why the decision to recruit Josh Lewis, Sharks coach Ricky Stuart hinted at the attacking-ability of Lewis. The Sharks have struggled to score point in the last few seasons and that has heaped so much pressure on their defence. Even the introduction of Anthony Tupou to the club, a noted playmaker who can start something from anywhere with his offloads – has been unable to introduce any spark to the side.

Lewis is a genuine attacking no.7 – and will generally take the try-scoring option over safety-first players. Something the Cronulla side desperately needs as they continue to go through a rebuilding phase.

The timing could be just right for the club and the journey-man Lewis, and both parties will be hoping their new marriage leads to success in 2010 and beyond.

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New World Club Challenge Concept

March 4, 2010

World Club Challenge Rugby LeagueWith the Storm having again kept the World Club Challenge in Australian hands, after backing up Manly’s effort with a come from behind win over Leeds recently – the calls to extend the annual World Club Challenge to 6 teams seem to be a very productive idea for Rugby League not only in Australia and England but Globally.

This is the final year of the World Club Challenge contract that currently stipulates the game must be played on English soil as agreed by the RFL and the NRL.

As it comes to renewal time, there is no better chance to revamp the format and offer an even more enticing product to fans with financial windfalls for the game and the chance for greater international exposure.

In a small version of what soccer currently does in Europe with the old UEFA (Union of European Football Associations) where leading club sides fought it out to determine who was best in the world.

Current proposals suggest that the best 3 teams from the NRL and the Super League would face off on the traditional World Club Challenge weekend. With three games being played, the winners helping their competition and country outstrip the other on the overall ladder.

There would be renewed interest in the format and the chance for the games to be played on neutral territory would not only remove the problem of the homeground advantage, but it could offer the chance for Rugby League to expand into additional waters.

Destinations in either Asia, Middle East or other parts of Europe could really open new doors.

The other big plus would be the additional TV revenue coming in for the games. More airtime means more money for both competitions and the windfall would be welcomed by both parties.

Ever since the UK went down the Super League path and the NRL went down a different road, the gap between the games has been hard to bridge. This could be the ideal chance to bring the competitions closer together once more and forge a new era of exciting Rugby League.

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Dragons let the NRL down

February 25, 2010

Dragons NRLThe St George Illawarra Dragons have surprised everybody in the Rugby League world this week by flatly refusing to participate in the annual ‘Rugby League Summertime’ promotion that runs on Foxtel each pre-season.

In what is an extremely poor stance by the Dragons, the club has refused to allow David Tapp and his production company into the club to interview players and coaching staff for the 30 minute editorial that runs on Foxtel in the leadup to the NRL season.

Every other NRL club has taken part in this production and many fans look forward to an inside look into their club as the pre-season winds down towards the kick off of the season proper.

It’s totally free publicity for the clubs, with the cameras providing valuable exposure for club sponsors and business partners.

Surely Dragons sponsors such as the St George Bank and Reebok would be ringing club boss Peter Doubst to ask why the club wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to access free airtime and push the brands of the clubs backers?

At first St George Illawarra offered no excuse for the refusal, however after further questions were asked – the club said they were unimpressed with the format of the series from last year and wanted greater control over the production.

This excuse is laughable.

David Gallop should be on the phone to the Dragons and demanding answers over this refusal – as every other NRL club has done their bit to promote the game prior to the season and offered fans wide reaching access through Tapp’s production for Fox Sports.

At a time when membership to NRL clubs is being fiercely promoted, it would have been ideal for the Dragons to mention this on the free airtime.

It’s hard to imagine teams from rival sporting codes refusing free airtime, certainly a 30 minute slot on a popular sports segment.

This continues an unsatisfactory trend in recent times with the Dragons. It hasn’t helped the media cause having Wayne Bennett at the club. While Bennett is improving, as seen with his All Stars Involvement  – he has a hell of a long way to go.

Look at  the Darius Boyd interview from last season. The single word answers and almost disrespectful interview made NRL and Rugby League a laughing stock in the eyes of other codes.

Wake up Saints, this latest stance is unacceptable not just to the NRL as a whole, but especially to your lifeblood – your sponsors and your fans.

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Parra to put cash before points

February 24, 2010

Parramatta StadiumThe Parramatta Eels club are currently in talks to move their opening round Friday night match against the Dragons to ANZ Stadium Homebush to cater to an estimated 40,000 fans.

But what price can a club put on a homeground advantage? What is the cost of 2 competition points?

While there is never any guarantee that a home side will win, surely Paul Osborne and the Eels officials understand that playing at Parramatta Stadium in front of 20,000 predominantly Eels fans gives his side a much greater edge over the Dragons?

Cast your mind back to the first round of the NRL finals last year. The Eels faced the Dragons and while the 8th place Parramatta side upset Minor Premiers St George Illawarra in that match, there was no way the Saints were relinquishing their homeground and rightly so.

Playing at home is a major advantage, but sides like the Eels and more recently the Wests Tigers continue to take the cash over the advantage and move their games to grounds such as ANZ at Homebush.

The other consideration is the ticketed members. Club fans pre-purchased their season tickets and while they are provided seats at the alternate venue, its never the same as the home ground. This potential move to ANZ is a slap in the face for Eels members as they prepare to watch their team in Round 1.

The Dragons on the other hand would be loving the opportunity to rally up 15,000 – 20,000 fans to overthrow the homeground advantage the Eels had. They would be crazy not to gather in big numbers and turn this totally into an away game for the Parramatta side.

While NRL clubs are regularly under financial pressure and cannot resist the pay day of large gate takings offered by ANZ Stadium, sometimes they need to think of the bigger picture.

By forfeiting the home ground, you put a lesser value on the 2 competition points. And as we all know, in the closest competition of all, 2 points in many cases means the difference between making the Top 8 and missing the finals. Just ask the Wests Tigers who learnt that the hard way last season.

It’s a case of short term pain for longer gain, a securing of the 2 points will mean much more of a payday many weeks down the line.

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