Unpredictability Reigns Supreme in NRL
April 18th 2010 06:41
Unpredictability Reigns Supreme in NRL
If the first six rounds of the NRL Telstra Premiership are anything to go by, season 2010 will most certainly be an unpredictable year.
Already, in only these handful of rounds, we have seen many examples of shock loses, second-half comebacks and the resurgence of a number of League outcasts.
The most stunning resurgence thus far is that of Todd Carney, who has sparked the Sydney Roosters back into their winning ways with some scintillating attacking football. Carney was the architect behind some big wins for the Tricolours and has no doubt instilled a new positiveness and confidence amongst his fellow players, in particular Mitchell Pearce.
Credit must also be given to new coach Brian Smith, who after ending his contract with the Newcastle Knights before the end of last season, has a tremendous amount of pressure upon him to perform. It is clear from only the first six rounds though, the effect of Smith upon the club has been invaluable. The form and the attitude of the Roosters has been far and away improved when compared to last season, when the club stumbled throughout and captured the dreaded Wooden Spoon.
On the Gold Coast, Greg Bird is nipping at the heels of Carney, albeit a lot less flamboyantly, and has turned in some solid performances. His efforts against the Melbourne Storm highlight the fact that Bird is essential in relieving the Titans’ reliance on Scott Prince. The next few rounds will certainly be a trial by fire for Bird as he will need to fill the void left by Scott Prince’s injury.
In Tigertown meanwhile, one man has certainly lead the way in NRL comebacks this season and is developing a cult-like following amongst the Wests Tigers faithful. Attend any Wests Tigers games this season and you will surely hear the Tigers diehards cheer ‘Go Loti’ every time the ex-Broncos and NSW Waratahs player, Loti Tuqiri touches the ball.
Stalking his way out on the wing for the Tigers, Tuqiri bears resemblance to the Predator with his long dreadlocks and athletic physique. Even more awe-inspiring is when Tuqiri receives the ball at full flight and in open space, with his dreadlocks streaming in the air behind, as he charges towards the line.
It is almost remarkable that after such a long absence from the game, ‘Loti’ as the Tigers fans love to call him, has made such an impact for Wests. In the 6 rounds so far, he has scored 6 tries and has put in solid performances. In the Tigers last match against Canterbury-Bankstown, he was clearly Wests best player on the field.
In terms of comebacks though, this season has been littered with them and it has not only been by individual players.
In Round 1, both the Titans and Cowboys staged second half comebacks to keep the aura of unpredictability ripe for the season kick-off. But it was the Wests Tigers effort that really stood out when they staged a miracle comeback against the Sea Eagles. Down 20-4 at half-time, the Tigers left it until the 59th minute to begin their fight back. The result was four tries in 20mins as Wests ran out 26-22 against their old silvertail foes.
Manly-Warringah was on the receiving end of a late comeback again in Round 2, this time against the Eels. Similar to the Tigers, Parramatta overcame the Sea-Eagles 20 point lead midway through the second half to ultimately win 24-20. Meanwhile, the Rabbitohs and Storm also fought back against the early leads of their opponents.
Then in Round 4, the Tigers were at it again when they came back from 22-6 after 34mins against the Raiders. Turning on an array of free flowing and attacking football in the second half, Wests ran out winners 35-22, sending the Tigers fans into a frenzy in the Nation’s Capital.
Meanwhile, the next day, Penrith put on an awesome display against the Knights when they scored 5 second half tries to win 34-30 after being down 24-6 at half time. Their spectacular effort was sealed with a try to Adrian Purtell in the dying seconds of the game.
Apart from the comebacks though, the form of certain teams have also added to the unpredictability of the competition. In essence, it is the fluctuation of form from clubs that adds the most in irregularity to season 2010.
The most puzzling of all is the form of Canterbury-Bankstown, who are, for some reason missing the spark and cohesion that saw them dominate in 2009. In contrast, the Roosters are the mirror opposite to the team that ran out in the red, white and blue in ’09. They are playing with a new energy and a new confidence which will certainly make them one of the danger teams in 2010.
As for Parramatta, their form can in no way be compared to the brilliant run the side had at the back end of 2009. The only hope for the Eels is that their current run of inconsistency and bad form is only temporary and the side can charge towards the finals at the back end of the season as they did last year.
In regards to the Rabbitohs, I think they will be the most unpredictable side of 2010. The reason behind that thought comes down to their halves Chris Sandow and John Sutton. Based on the games the side has played this season, the two Rabbitoh halves have been the weak link, especially with regard to their kicking games. Despite the solid platform laid by their stellar forward pack, Sandow and Sutton have failed to capitalise and thus this has resulted in some poor performances for Souths.
With that being said, Sandow and Sutton surely both have the potential to put on brilliant performances and have done so in previous seasons for the Rabbits. It is this key element that will navigate the type of season the club is going to have in 2010, thus instilling a feeling of unpredictability in the week-to-week performance of the side.
With everything being said though, two sides’ performances thus far are anything but unpredictable. The Melbourne Storm and the St. George Illawarra Dragons continue to dominate with their solid and structured style of play. Certainly both sides will feature predominately at the back end of the season. The only question is; which other sides will join them?
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