NRL dummies guide: rugby league owns spotlight in Victoria
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy hopes the NRL’s early return will help grow the game both in Victoria and across the globe. PLUS a dummies guide to rugby league and 25 players to watch.
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Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy says he hopes having the NRL back before the AFL will help grow the game both in Victoria and across the globe.
Under the leadership of the swashbuckling Peter V’landys, the NRL will return tonight to take centre stage before a sport-starved public.
Storm will face Canberra at AAMI Park on Saturday night in what looms as the club’s best opportunity ever to attract eyeballs with the AFL still two weeks away.
“I think it is a great way to grow it everywhere,” Bellamy said.
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“I think overseas there’s not too many competitions happening at the moment so hopefully we can get a bit of global exposure for our game.
“I think that’s why they’ve put a few real blockbuster games on the first few rounds, And hopefully we can get a few more supporters in Melbourne as obviously the AFL will be a few weeks behind us.
“Hopefully they (Victorians) put on the TV and watch us in the first few rounds.”
Even though they’ll be playing in front of an empty AAMI Park, Storm will be determined to fire against a team that troubled them last season.
Canberra beat Melbourne twice last season, including in a qualifying final at AAMI Park on the way to a grand final.
Storm forward Dale Finucane said he was not much credence to past results.
“I don’t look to the past too much in terms of a team winning against us, or how many wins (a team has) in a row, as each game is unique in itself,” Storm forward Dale Finucane said.
“Watching the first two rounds is the most relevant for us to know what they do, as a new year you work on your own different strategies and that’s probably where you get most of your preview from.
“They’re a really good side and they pipped us in the finals to get into the prelim, so we know they are a quality side.”
Storm’s players have been preparing for Saturday night under tight restrictions at AAMI Park.
“This period has obviously been really distorted but we’ve had a good three week period where we’ve had a little pre-season, so we’re excited to get in and play footy again,” Finucane said.
DUMMIES GUIDE TO THE NRL
Itching for some live sport but you’re rusty on the rules of rugby league? Here is your quick dummies guide to the NRL.
* The game is 80 minutes, broken into two halves of 40.
* Each team fields a side of 13 players, with four more on the bench. A team can only make eight interchanges during the whole match.
* A try is worth four points and when a team scores one they’re allowed to try for a conversion kick, which if successful is worth a further two points
* Players can also try for field goals during play, which is worth one point. It needs to be a dropkick and go between the goalposts and over the crossbar,
* A team only has six tackles to produce a scoring play. If they don’t, the ball is handed over to the opposing team. When a player is tackled, they must ‘play the ball’ through their legs to one of their teammates.
* The game is largely about field position, which is why on the last tackle teams will often kick it deep up the field so the opposition starts their tackle count as far as possible from their try line.
* “Get them onside, ref!” If crowds were allowed, you would hear this shouted out many times a game. All defending players, except those who have taken up a position as marker, must go back 10 metres from the point at which the ball is played or to their own goal line. All defending players are required to be ‘in line’ with the referee marking the 10 metres. If not they’re deemed off-side and the attacking side wins a penalty.
* You’re probably wondering about scrums. In short, don’t worry about them too much. They are far more prevalent in rugby union. In rugby league, they are used sparingly to restart play but are of little consequence. - Russell Gould
25 PLAYERS TO WATCH IN 2020
RUSSELL GOULD looks at the top 25 excitement machines set to light up the NRL’s return
1 Cameron Munster (Storm)
Position: Five-eighth
An electric player who feeds off the brilliance of captain Cameron Smith. As adept as taking on the defence as he is cutting his way through it.
2 James Tedesco (Roosters)
Position: Fullback
One of the best three players in the game, he assumed the mantle as the best fullback when Billy Slater retired and was key to the Roosters’ back-to-back premierships.
3 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Warriors)
Position: Fullback
The 2018 Dally M player of the year is unstoppable at his best. Has speed and the finest sidestep in the game.
4 Cameron Smith (Storm)
Position: Hooker
One of the game’s greatest ever players. Even at 36 and after 411 games, the Melbourne captain remains a matchwinner with his supreme ability to control a contest.
5 Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys)
Position: Lock
The hardest man to stop in the game with his powerful surges in the middle or on the edge. He can turn a game with a single run.
6 Kalyn Ponga (Knights)
Position: Fullback
One of the most electrifying players in the league, he has all the skills and can bob up anywhere from fullback.
7 Jack Wighton (Raiders)
Position: Five-eighth
Was best-on-ground in a losing effort in last year’s grand final as a testament to his competitive instincts. Those instincts are what makes him such a dangerous player.
8 David Fifita (Broncos)
Position: Second row
A brilliant and powerful forward who busted a massive 31 tackles in two games at the back end of last season. And he’s only 20.
9 Josh Papalii (Raiders)
Position: Prop
Queensland’s best player in last year’s State of Origin and a seriously imposing ball runner coming off his best season.
10 Josh Addo-Carr (Storm)
Position: Wing
When fans are back, the entire crowd will scream for “The Foxx” whenever he sprints down the wing at AAMI Park. It’s a thrilling sight.
11 Tom Trbojevic (Sea Eagles)
Position: Fullback
Manly won 10 of the 12 games he played last season and five of 14 he didn’t. That’s how important he is.
12 Tyson Frizell (Dragons)
Position: Second row
Injuries hampered him last season, but the Australian and NSW powerhouse is his team’s best forward.
13 Wade Graham (Sharks)
Position: Second row
The heart and soul of Cronulla, he missed most of last season before helping his team qualify for the finals.
14 Mitchell Pearce (Knights)
Position: Halfback
One of the more vilified players for his poor Origin outings, he finally got a series victory last year and is crucial as Newcastle’s playmaker.
15 Maika Sivo (Eels)
Position: Wing
Set the NRL alight with 22 tries in his debut season and could take Parramatta to great heights.
16 Damien Cook (Rabbitohs)
Position: Hooker
The fleet-footed South Sydney dummy-half runner can be gone before you know it and constantly sets up tries for his teammates.
17 Nelson Asofa-Solomona (Storm)
Position: Prop
One of the biggest men in the NRL, he is frightening to tackle and a constant threat to the opposition.
18 Jai Arrow (Titans)
Position: Lock
A rising star among middle forwards. The 24-year-old has a great work ethic and can carry the ball and be a defensive wall in equal measures.
19 Nathan Cleary (Panthers)
Position: Halfback
Had Tik-Tok troubles during the time off but has played Origin for NSW and is a quality player and great goalkicker.
20 Lachlan Lewis (Bulldogs)
Position: Five-eighth
His clean-cut look hides a super competitor willing to get down and dirty to help his team.
21 Benji Marshall (Wests Tigers)
Position: Five-eighth
The evergreen magician with the ball in hand may have slowed down, but his sleight of hand can still perform tricks.
22 Valentine Holmes (Cowboys)
Position: Fullback
Had a bit of a warm-up last year after his NFL journey ended, but still scored 22 tries and could set the competition alight.
23 Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Roosters)
Position: Prop
That opposition player fans love to hate because he rattles everyone with big hits and lots of smack talk.
24 Daly Cherry-Evans (Sea Eagles)
Position: Halfback
One of the game’s best playmakers and leaders. The Queensland captain is a linchpin for his team.
25 Latrell Mitchell (Rabbitohs)
Position: Fullback
One of the game’s more controversial players, unstoppable on his day, but he doesn’t have that day often enough.
NRL ROUND 3 TAB ODDS
THURSDAY
BRISBANE BRONCOS $1.90 v PARRAMATTA EELS $1.94
Suncorp Stadium, 7.50pm
A real flip of the coin job with the Eels a spruik team for 2020 but the Broncos at home.
FRIDAY
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS $1.33 v GOLD COAST TITANS $3.30
Qld Country Bank Stadium, 6pm
The all-Queensland affair is likely to be one way traffic for the Cowboys.
SYDNEY ROOSTERS $1.35 v SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS $3.20
Bankwest Stadium, 7.55pm.
A lot of premiership players in the Roosters’ outfit, a lot of new names, and unknowns, for the Rabbits.
SATURDAY
NZ WARRIORS $2.45 v ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS $1.57
Central Coast Stadium, 3pm.
Everyone is cheering for the Warriors after they all left home to help keep the competition alive.
CRONULLA SHARKS $1.75 v WESTS TIGERS $2.10
Bankwest Stadium, 5.30pm.
The Bronson Xerri drama this week at the Sharks is sure to unsettle them and the Tigers’ odds should shorten by game time.
MELBOURNE STORM $1.62 v CANBERRA RAIDERS $2.35
AAMI Park, 7.35pm.
Match of the round. Storm is poised to stare down last year’s grand finalists, with revenge on their mind for last year’s finals upset.
SUNDAY
PENRITH PANTHERS $1.70 v NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS $2.20
Campbelltown Stadium, 4.05pm.
The Knights could be a surprise packet this season and the Panthers always ride a form rollercoaster.
MANLY SEA EAGLES $1.33 v CANTERBURY BULLDOGS $3.30
Central Coast Stadium, 6.30pm.
Finals contender in Manly against wooden spoon contenders makes for a first-up mismatch.
Originally published as NRL dummies guide: rugby league owns spotlight in Victoria