Respected commentator Greg Alexander weighs in on the NRL’s surprise packets and flops to start 2018
THE 2018 NRL season is only a month old and you can throw your predictions out the window. The Daily Telegraph spoke to Fox Sports commentator Greg Alexander about this season’s surprises and flops.
Opinion
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THE 2018 NRL season is only a month old, but the tipping madness has already begun.
Wooden spoon favourites — the Warriors and Wests Tigers — have defied the experts sit on the top of the ladder alongside the Dragons.
But the season’s biggest surprise thus far is at the bottom.
Parramatta was paying $1.55 to make the top eight in the pre-season, but remain winless after the opening month.
The Eels have leaked a whopping 122 points, including 54 in a forgettable afternoon against Manly at Brookvale in round 2.
Fortunately for Brad Arthur and the blue and gold faithful, they aren’t alone in the struggling stakes.
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Capital punishment has reigned in Canberra, with Ricky Stuart’s Raiders 0-4 to start the season.
Of course the Green Machine is without the team’s best player — hooker Josh Hodgson — but they’ve performed well below their lofty standards.
The NRL ladder will most likely change in the coming weeks, but the unpredictable start has left tipsters and experts alike scratching their heads.
The Daily Telegraph spoke to respected Fox Sports commentator Greg Alexander about the surprise start to the season.
WARRIORS
($41 to win the premiership at start of the season. Now paying $12)
The NRL’s great underachievers have been brilliant to start 2018.
Inspired by the direction and composure of new recruit Blake Green, the Warriors are equal competition leaders alongside St George Illawarra.
According to Alexander, the New Zealander’s rise can be largely attributed to greater fitness levels.
“You only have to look at Issac Luke to see that he is the fittest he has been since he arrived in New Zealand.
“They’ve now got a resilience that I haven’t seen from them.
“They needed to change the way they were doing things off the field and that’s obvious that it has happened.
“I mean, talent was never the issue at the Warriors.
“In the past they seemed to be a team that is full of players that think, ‘near enough is good enough’, but I think that has changed.”
WESTS TIGERS
($51 to win the premiership at the start of the season. Now paying $34)
A rejuvenated Benji Marshall guides his beloved Wests Tigers back to the top. This is a statement you wouldn’t have predicted in the pre-season when the Tigers were paying $51 to win the competition.
But under the guidance of coach Ivan Cleary, the joint-venture club is marching to a different beat in 2018.
Cleary’s class and composure is rubbing off on the Tigers, who have showcased tremendous fight to start the first month with three wins.
Alexander believes a greater focus on defence has been the key to the Tigers’ early-season success.
“The Tigers have defended like their lives depend on it,” Alexander said.
“They let in two tries in their opening three games, so they’ve obviously worked extremely hard fitness wise in the pre-season.
“Benji looks fitter than he has been for a long time. “Ivan also has players playing their best football.
“It’s simple, but it’s working for the Tigers.”
DRAGONS
($17 to win the premiership at the start of the season. Now paying $6.50)
After watching St George Illawarra start last season on fire, Alexander isn’t shocked by the Red V’s rise in 2018.
However, he believes their finish to the year could be just as strong thanks to star recruits Ben Hunt and James Graham.
“The fact Hunt and Gareth have been able to work so well, so early in the season is significant,” he said.
“They’ve worked beautifully from round one.
“In terms of skill, Gareth Widdop is on the top half a dozen players in the competition.
“The Dragons have always had a strong pack, but add in James Graham and all the ingredients are there.
“Hunt and a new fullback in Matt Dufty have just added something the Dragons might have been lacking last year.”
EELS
($12 to win the premiership at the start of the season. Now paying $26)
What’s the matter Parramatta?
From lack of effort through to poor attitude and execution, plenty has been said about the highly-fancied Eels.
Alexander, though, credits Parramatta’s poor start to a lack of mongrel in the middle.
“I think it is as simple as the Eels being beaten in the forwards,” he said.
“As a result, their halves have had nothing to work on the back of
“Mitch Moses has been trying to play off the back of slow play-the-balls and Corey Norman has been ineffective.
“They’ve also had a battle with outside backs like Gutherson, Hayne and French going down injured.”
RAIDERS
($26 to win the premiership at the start of the season. Now paying $67)
A failure to win the close games cost the Raiders dearly last season.
Sadly, it’s a record that has continued for Ricky Stuart’s men to start 2018.
The Raiders are winless heading into Thursday’s crucial home game against Canterbury despite being competitive in but last Saturday’s loss to Manly.
Alexander has no doubts Canberra’s fade outs are mentally impacting the players.
“I think the effort against Manly was the culmination of losing three games in a row where they were in the game, but failed to finish it off,” he said.
“The Raiders are such a dangerous attacking side, but I think a lot of mistakes hurt their chances last year.
“While that has improved this season, the errors have come at the wrong time.
“That can do a lot to your confidence and it showed against Manly. They were not ready for the contest.”