NRL 2023 mid-season report card and Dally M team of the year
We’ve reached the halfway point of the season and the report cards are out. While some teams have been massive disappointments, others have produced a stunning turnaround.
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As we reach the halfway point of the season, it’s time to check in on how each NRL team is travelling so far in 2023. Who has surpassed expectations and who have been massive disappointments? PAUL CRAWLEY reveals who looks set to top the class and who’s in danger of failing the season. PLUS, see how the Team of the Year is shaping up as the Dally M votes go behind closed doors.
NRL MID-SEASON REPORT CARDS
BRONCOS
Grade: A+
Mid-season standing: Currently 4th, 8 wins, 4 losses, +77 points differential
Pre-season prediction: Outside top 8
Last year’s finish: 9th
Key stat: Most tries from kicks this season (16) and most tries from over half way (12).
Crawley says: At the start of the year Kevvie Walters was coaching to save his career. Now the Broncos look a deadset premiership threat. Even allowing for 3 defeats in their most recent 4 games, still head into Origin in equal top spot.
RAIDERS
Grade: B+
Mid-season standing: Currently 8th, 6 wins, 5 losses, -57 points differential
Pre-season prediction: Outside top 8
Last year’s finish: 8th
Key stat: Worst 20 metre tries/tackles conceded ratio with their opponents scoring a try for every 7.8 tackles in red zone.
Crawley says: Up until last round’s thumping by Manly, the Raiders had won 5 on the trot after a rocky start where losing 4 of first 5. Factor in Jack Wighton’s defection and Ricky Stuart has done a great job just getting the Raiders back on track.
BULLDOGS
Grade: C
Mid-season standing: Currently 15th, 5 wins, 7 losses, -93 points differential
Pre-season prediction: Outside top 8
Last year’s finish: 12th
Key stat: Used 29 players, including 6 debutants - both the most of any team so far.
Crawley says: It would be easy to say the Bulldogs have gone backwards under Cameron Ciraldo because they finished last season higher than they currently are. But they’ve been smashed by injury, and the fact they never stop trying clearly shows a cultural shift.
SHARKS
Grade: A
Mid-season standing: Currently 3rd, 7 wins, 4 losses, +88 points differential
Pre-season prediction: 3rd
Last year’s finish: 2nd
Key stat: 27.2 points per game has Sharks on track for their best ever season. Only team yet to lose back-to-back games.
Crawley says: Another tremendous coaching effort from Craig Fitzgibbon who has this team playing a fantastic brand of footy. After a bumpy start have won 5 of their past 6 to be equal top spot.
DOLPHINS
Grade: A+
Mid-season standing: Currently 6th, 6 wins, 5 losses, +14 points differential
Pre-season prediction: Bottom 4
Last year’s finish: N/A
Key stat: Join Broncos and Storm as only expansion teams to win their first 3 games.
Crawley says: Wayne Bennett has done it again with a team written off as wooden spoon favourites. Yet the NRL’s newest franchise have shocked everyone with a never-say-die attitude inspiring some miraculous comebacks to sit 1 win off top spot.
TITANS
Grade: D
Mid-season standing: Currently 10th, 5 wins, 6 losses, -31 points differential
Pre-season prediction: Outside top 8
Last year’s finish: 13th
Key stat: Would lead comp if games finished at half time - have a +66 first half differential (2nd best) and a -97 in second half (easily the worst).
Crawley says: Are great to watch because they have so much strike across the park. But the issue for Justin Holbrook is a worrying lack of mental toughness which has seen them crash to some really embarrassing losses after racing to big leads.
SEA EAGLES
Grade: D
Mid-season standing: Currently 9th, 5 wins, 5 losses, 1 draw, -8 points differential
Pre-season prediction: 8th
Last year’s finish: 11th
Key stat: Certainly in referees’ good books, awarded easily most penalties (7.9 per game) and conceding equal 3rd fewest (5.1)
Crawley says: Showed against Raiders what they’re capable of when Tom Trbojevic is firing. Now Anthony Seibold just needs to get Josh Schuster and Haumole Olaka’uatu playing consistently to their massive potential and they could really charge home.
STORM
Grade: A
Mid-season standing: Currently 5th, 7 wins, 4 losses, +24 points differential
Pre-season prediction: 2nd
Last year’s finish: 5th
Key stat: Conceding less than 20 points per game for 19th straight year.
Crawley says: Have dealt with Ryan Papenhuyzen’s absence as well as the departure of a stack of experienced forwards. And even though they’ve been inconsistent by Storm standards, somehow they are still joint leaders. Again points to Craig Bellamy’s genius.
KNIGHTS
Grade: C-
Mid-season standing: Currently 12th, 4 wins, 6 losses, 1 draw, -36 points differential
Pre-season prediction: Outside top 8
Last year’s finish: 14th
Key stat: One of 2 teams yet to win back-to-back games along with Dragons.
Crawley says: Produced some courageous efforts in Kalyn Ponga’s absence but have gone backwards big time since the skipper’s return, highlighted by two hugely disappointing defeats against Eels and Sharks. The fact Ponga has now returned to fullback is confirmation they stuffed up his move to five-eighth.
WARRIORS
Grade: A+
Mid-season standing: Currently 7th, 6 wins, 5 losses, -6 points differential
Pre-season prediction: Bottom 4
Last year’s finish: 15th
Key stat: In the top 8 after 12 rounds for the first time since 2018.
Crawley says: Aside from the Dolphins, are season’s biggest surprise packet with rookie head coach Andrew Webster turning a team that finished second last in 2022 into a top 8 contender. Last season conceded the most points of any team, now rank 5th best.
COWBOYS
Grade: E
Mid-season standing: Currently 14th, 5 wins, 7 losses, -82 points differential
Pre-season prediction: 7th
Last year’s finish: 3rd
Key stat: Have won 5 of 8 in Queensland this season, but none from 4 when travelling.
Crawley says: Have crashed from 2nd best defence last year to leaking more points than any team on the back of their flogging by the Tigers. No wonder Todd Payten was ropeable because we saw in the round 11 win over the Roosters what the Cowboys are capable of.
EELS
Grade: D
Mid-season standing: Currently 13th, 5 wins, 7 losses, +44 points differential
Pre-season prediction: 6th
Last year’s finish: 4th
Key stat: 7 losses this season are by an average margin of just 5.7 points.
Crawley says: It was always an uphill battle backing up last year’s grand final following the departure of so many key forwards. But last round’s shock win over the Rabbitohs shows why it’s way too soon to write off Brad Arthur’s Eels. Have actually scored the most points of any team despite sitting so far down the ladder.
PANTHERS
Grade: A
Mid-season standing: Currently 1st, 7 wins, 4 losses, +139 points differential
Pre-season prediction: 5th
Last year’s finish: 1st
Key stat: Still the benchmark in defence, conceding fewest points (11.4), linebreaks (2.7) and run metres (1296) per game.
Crawley says: Ivan Cleary has overcome the departure of Api Koroisau and Viliame Kikau without hardly missing a beat. Not as dominant as last year (where they won their opening 8 games), but still top of the ladder coming off back-to-back premierships.
RABBITOHS
Grade: A
Mid-season standing: Currently 2nd, 8 wins, 4 losses, +94 points differential
Pre-season prediction: 1st
Last year’s finish: 7th
Key stat: Conceding just 15.5 points per game - their fewest since winning the comp in 2014 (15.3 per game).
Crawley says: Shock losers to Eels last round but prior to that had strung together six straight wins. Credit to Jason Demetriou who has done a great job developing the right edge attack that is now as lethal as the left, while their defence ranks second.
DRAGONS
Grade: E
Mid-season standing: Currently 17th, 3 wins, 8 losses, -45 points differential
Pre-season prediction: Wooden spoon
Last year’s finish: 10th
Key stat: 5 losses scoring the same or more tries than their opponents. Missing most tackles of any team (35).
Crawley says: The fact the Dragons felt compelled to move on Anthony Griffin after 6 straight defeats says it all. Have competed in most games but still last on the ladder. Hopefully last round’s miraculous last-play win over Roosters can spark a turnaround.
ROOSTERS
Grade: E
Mid-season standing: Currently 11th, 5 wins, 6 losses, -67 points differential
Pre-season prediction: 4th
Last year’s finish: 6th
Key stat: Scored fewest points of any team, their lowest (179) through 11 games since 2011.
Crawley says: Went into the season with a squad most ranked the best on paper but their form reflects Trent Robinson’s constant chopping and changing to the starting team. Not one player other than maybe Lindsay Collins has been anywhere near his best.
TIGERS
Grade: D
Mid-season standing: Currently 16th, 3 wins, 8 losses, -42 points differential
Pre-season prediction: Bottom four
Last year’s finish: 16th
Key stat: Slow starts have killed the Tigers; a -74 point first half differential this season, easily worst of any team.
Crawley says: One record-breaking win doesn’t make a season, but let’s hope that magnificent victory over Cowboys finally gets Tim Sheens’ players believing in their true potential. Let’s face it, for all the criticism of the Tigers’ on field performances, every starter in their pack would walk into most NRL teams, while some of these young outside backs look exceptional.
CLASS OF 2023: WHO MAKES OUR TEAM OF THE YEAR?
With the Dally M Medal count set to go behind closed doors, we name our team of the year, with a major shake-up to last year’s end-of-season line up seeing only two players keep their spots.
PAUL CRAWLEY’S MID-SEASON TEAM OF THE YEAR
FULLBACK: Dylan Edwards – won’t get a crack in Origin but in club land this bloke is king of the No 1s. Edges out a hot field including Reece Walsh, Latrell Mitchell, William Kennedy and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.
2022 Dally M fullback: James Tedesco
WINGERS: Brian To’o, Jamayne Isaako- the Panthers’ little big man still chews up more metres than any winger, while Isaako has gone from unwanted by the Broncos and Titans to a revelation for the Dolphins. Honourable mentions to Phillip Sami and Jacob Kiraz.
2022 Dally M wingers: Joseph Suaalii, Alex Johnston.
CENTRES: Campbell Graham, Stephen Crichton – clearly the two standouts, although leaving out Herbie Farnworth was tough.
2022 Dally M centres: Joseph Manu, Valentine Holmes
FIVE-EIGHTH: Cody Walker – Seven tries, 15 try assists and 20 line-break assists puts Walker ahead of Cam Munster and Dylan Brown.
2022 Dally M five-eighth: Cameron Munster
HALFBACK: Nathan Cleary – as hard as it is to omit Nicho Hynes, Cleary is now second behind Payne Haas in Dally M voting.
2022 Dally M halfback: Nicho Hynes
PROPS: Payne Haas, Addin Fonua-Blake – astonishing in the modern game that a prop leads the Dally M through 12 rounds, while the Warriors’ enforcer deserves his spot ahead Tapine and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui.
2022 Dally M props: Payne Haas, Joseph Tapine
HOOKER: Harry Grant – standout in a crack field including Damien Cook, Jeremy Marshall-King, Reed Mahoney and Koroisau.
2022 Dally M hooker: Api Koroisau
SECOND ROW: David Fifita, Briton Nikora – who would have imagined back in round 1 Fifita would be first backrower picked here? Nikora is next best just ahead of the wild-eyed Raider Hudson Young, while John Bateman has been enormous for the Tigers.
2022 Dally M second rowers: Viliame Kikau, Jeremiah Nanai
LOCK: Isaah Yeo – arguably game’s greatest lock since Brad Clyde in an exceptional era including Cam Murray and Pat Carrigan.
2022 Dally M lock: Isaah Yeo
Originally published as NRL 2023 mid-season report card and Dally M team of the year
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