NRL 2018 season review: Trent Robinson’s superstars claim Roosters’ 14th premiership
THREE preliminary finals in four years and nothing to show for it just wasn’t good enough for the Sydney Roosters. So they brought in the talent — and Trent Robinson delivered in style.
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THREE preliminary finals in four years and nothing to show for it just wasn’t good enough for a glamour club like the Sydney Roosters.
So they went to market and recruited big guns Cooper Cronk and James Tedesco with the aim of adding another title to their trophy cabinet.
With a bumper roster stacked with talent, coach Trent Robinson was able to steer his side into their first grand final in five years and deliver the Bondi club its 14th premiership.
WHERE THEY FINISHED
1st, premiers
WHAT WENT WRONG?
Not too much. The addition of Cronk and Tedesco added even more pressure to succeed this year. It also had all eyes focused on the Roosters from the first minute of play. But new recruits meant new combinations took time to gel and critics were ready and waiting to write off the Chooks’ chances as they stumbled through the opening rounds of the season.
WHAT WENT RIGHT?
Eventually, everything. After a clunky start to their campaign, a star-studded spine of Tedesco, Luke Keary, Cronk and Jake Friend finally found its groove. Cronk made this team his own as Keary took his game to another level, elevating the likes of Latrell Mitchell with him. But Mitchell wasn’t the only outside that back found another gear, the whole back five had standout seasons.
Departing winger Blake Ferguson even finished the year as the game’s most prolific metre eater, clocking a massive 5039 metres. His inside man, Joseph Manu, had a breakout year, finally living up to his credentials as a future NRL superstar. In the end, their title run was perfectly timed and they even managed to play their most dominant half of football all season in the first 40 minutes of the grand final.
STATS THAT SUM UP THE SEASON
Conceded 14.2 points per game, the least of any side in the competition. The statistic also continued the trend that to win an NRL premiership a side must concede 16 points or less per game. Defence is the cornerstone in the pursuit of premierships.
KEY AREA THEY NEED TO IMPROVE
The loss of Blake Ferguson on this side’s go-forward cannot be underestimated. Ferguson, who was in career-best form, ran for a staggering 5301 metres this year. Coach Trent Robinson has recruited one of the game’s best finishers in Brett Morris but it’s hardly a like for like replacement.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEASON
Beating the defending premiers, the Melbourne Storm 21-6, to become the 2018 NRL champions. It doesn’t get any better than that. Neither does the way they did it. The entire lead-up to the decider was dominated by Cronk’s shoulder and whether he’ll play. Cronk took the field with what we now know what a fractured scapula and with one arm marshalled his troops to a famous victory.
LOWLIGHT OF THE SEASON
Only back-to-back losses of 2018. Riding high with nine-straight wins and all the momentum heading to September, the Roosters fell to their only consecutive losses against the Canberra Raiders in round 23 and then the Brisbane Broncos in round 24. The Broncos loss was particularly concerning with Trent Robinson’s men coughing up 15 errors as they were totally dominated by their opposition. It was also the game which again put enforcer Dylan Napa in the cross hairs of the judiciary. His shot on Andrew McCullough resulted in a three-week suspension.
BIG NAME RECRUITS
Angus Crichton (South Sydney), Brett Morris (Canterbury)
BIG NAME LOSSES
Blake Ferguson (Parramatta), Ryan Matterson (Wests Tigers)
2019: BEST POSSIBLE SCENARIO
They become the first side since the Broncos in 1992/1993 to defend their premiership.
2019: WORST POSSIBLE SCENARIO
Is it possible to have too many stars in one roster? Well the Roosters are about to test the old adage of “too many cooks spoiling the broth”. They add NSW Blues forward Angus Crichton and veteran winger Brett Morris to their already stacked list. Will it take them to back to back premierships or will it be their undoing?
COACH SAFETY RATING: 9.5
If this was any other sport, Trent Robinson’s safety rating would be a 10 but this is rugby league and things can change very quickly in this game. With the NRL title in the bag, job security is the furthest thing on Robinson’s mind heading into next year.