Ray of hope: Why NRL finals outcasts can look forward to 2019
THIS weekend marks the end of a very tough season most of the NRL’s bottom eight but it’s not all doom and gloom. We take a look at why those teams can look towards 2019 with optimism.
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NEW BLOOD: CHN signs with Canterbury
RETURN: Barba will join Cowboys
THE 2018 season is over after this weekend for eight clubs.
The Wests Tigers, Raiders, Knights, Bulldogs, Titans, Cowboys, Sea Eagles and Eels have endured their share of lows, shattering lows and, in some cases, crises — with the odd bright spots sprinkled in.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. After Sunday night the season can be consigned to history, and fans can start looking towards the next campaign with renewed hope.
We take a look at why the bottom eight sides can look ahead season 2019 with a sense of optimism.
WESTS TIGERS: STRONGER SPINE
Despite running ninth, the Tigers entered the final game of the season with the second-poorest attacking record in the competition, just three points clear of cellar dwellers Parramatta.
The side’s success came off the back of the fourth-best defensive unit in the league.
The mid-season signings of Moses Mbye and Robbie Farah in the spine were astute additions to the lacklustre threat of the side.
The Tigers lacked spark all over the park for the majority of the season, but their new arrivals added the creativity around the ruck and speed out wide they were sorely missing.
It was ultimately a lack of execution in attack that cost them a place in September football.
The signs are present that their swiftness in attack off the back of Farah and Mbye is improving.
With Farah recently declaring he’ll play on next year, the Tigers spine will vastly benefit from an entire preseason working on the fluency of combinations.
The defensive principles and attitudes are already established, increased time to improve combinations with ball in hand could be the component needed to propel the Tigers into a genuine finals force.
— TW
RAIDERS: ENGLISH CLASS
Here’s a wild stat — Josh Hodgson had more try assists in 2018 than 2017 despite playing in 12 less games. The Englishman has been Canberra’s most important player for years and losing him for a chunk of the year following his knee injury in last year’s World Cup final was a hammer blow to their finals chances.
His poise and class would have helped turn at least a couple of the close losses around and if he plays a full season next year Canberra will back themselves to return to finals footy, especially given their wins over South Sydney and the Roosters in the closing stages of 2018.
Those two games showed what Canberra are capable of and they did it without their skipper, first-choice halfback and fullback.
Adding Jarrod Croker, Jack Wighton and Aidan Sezer back into the mix will only improve the perennially frustrating Raiders and if they carry on with the new and improved attitude they’ve showed in recent weeks they could be one of the competition’s big improvers next year.
— NC
KNIGHTS: CONTINUITY
Newcastle are a real live footy team again. For the first time since 2014 they finished off the bottom of the table and they’re at last building the kind of roster that can contend for the finals again.
Kalyn Ponga, Mitchell Pearce and Connor Watson came to town and all three enjoyed strong debut seasons in the Hunter. Ponga in particular has become Newcastle’s biggest star in over a decade, the kind of superstar that changes the trajectory of an entire club.
However, the three of them only played a handful of games together with Pearce battling a pec injury and Watson dropping in and out of the side with a variety of ailments. Getting the trio to play together more often will be key to the Knights improving next season — at times this year their entire attacking game plan was to chuck it to Ponga and hope for the best.
After this season’s extensive recruitment drive, the Knights have gone far more low key this time and will welcome three new players in Tim Glasby, Edrick Lee and Jesse Ramien with the latter one of the most exciting signings anywhere in the league. The powerfully built Ramien has shown himself to be a player of real class at the Sharks and he has the speed and strength to become one of the NRL’s top centres. It could shape as one of Newcastle’s most astute purchases. The time for rebuilding is over for the Knights — contention should now be the goal.
— NC
BULLDOGS: BUILDING BLOCKS
Look no further than attitude and youth to draw promise for 2019.
It may sound like a cop-out, but the Bulldogs roster showed resilience in a brutal period that was thrust upon the playing group for reasons out of their control.
Salary cap mismanagement forced key men Moses Mbye and Aaron Woods away from the club mid-season, while Kieran Foran’s body gave way after 12 rounds.
After round 15 the club was one spot clear of the bottom of the ladder, looking like a genuine contender to claim the wooden spoon.
Coach Dean Pay instilled a belief in the group that they could dig their way out of the mess, resulting in victories in four of five games prior to their Round 25 clash.
Attitude and belief goes a long way in rugby league, and Canterbury have enough of both in their squad to help significantly improve their ladder position next season.
From a more practical footballing perspective, the swift emergence of Reimis Smith and Lachlan Lewis bodes well for their 2019 prospects.
Playing in a side lacking attacking prowess, Smith won four consecutive player of the week awards from the wing between Rounds 21 and 24.
Possessing an agile frame, with speed and an exceptional tackle-breaking ability, Smith has a Jordan Rapana aura about him.
Lewis injects a high-energy style of football into the attacking unit, not unlike former five-eighth Josh Reynolds, which the Dogs have desperately sought in recent times.
— TW
TITANS: TAYLOR TIME
Injuries played their part, but the Titans underachieved in 2018. They have enough talent in their side to challenge for the top eight, especially in key positions.
They have hit on a winner with Jai Arrow and in Jarrod Wallace and Ryan James they have a trio of heavy-minute, workrate-driven middle forwards while the likes of Moeaki Fotuaika, new arrival Shannon Boyd and Morgan Boyle are all capable of holding up their end. Kevin Proctor is still a very solid edge forward and they have the space to land another quality edge. As we said above, a good pack goes a long way.
But for the Titans to make it back to finals football they need more from their marquee man, Ash Taylor. It was a coup for the club to keep him given Brisbane’s interest, but they need him to start producing at the level of which he is capable on a consistent basis. Taylor is too valuable to the team, both in terms of his contract value and his meaning as the club’s biggest star. With his best mate Tyrone Roberts returning to partner him in the halves and a budding star at the back in AJ Brimson there can be no more excuses for Taylor or for the Titans.
— NC
COWBOYS: MIDDLE MEN
Jordan McLean was one of the incumbent Test front-rowers when he joined North Queensland but never has he played football like he did once he returned from injury. In his last three games he ran for 170m, 169m and 140m, totals he only eclipsed once in all his time with Melbourne. He became the player North Queensland thought they were getting in the first place.
The big unit forms the most fearsome middle triumvirate in the competition with Matt Scott and Jason Taumalolo and when the three of them are firing all things are possible. Taumalolo has been forced to carry the forward pack almost by himself through much of the year, with Scott struck down by a neck injury and McLean only managing 10 games. Put the three of them together and things are a whole lot healthier, with North Queensland managing three wins and two close losses to top four teams in the back end of the season.
A good middle can carry a team through just about anything and it should not surprise that North Queensland’s much-maligned backline improved once the big guns were back. Chuck Michael Morgan back in there, make one or two smart signings and the Cowboys could easily be back on top. Throw Ben Barba or Valentine Holmes in the mix and we’ll have a ballgame up north.
— NC
SEA EAGLES: HEAVYWEIGHT PROOF
Manly need look no further than their competitive record against top eight sides to provide hope for a successful 2019 campaign.
The Sea Eagles’ form against NRL heavyweights this season is enough to make supporters both cringe and remain bright-eyed for what they’re capable of heading into the new year.
Manly boast wins against Brisbane (38-24), Melbourne (24-4), Penrith (18-10) and Cronulla (33-32) this season.
They’ve also come within a whisker of further upsets against the Roosters (22-20), Storm (14-13) and Panthers (28-24).
Manly are full of strike power in their spine between Tom Trbojevic, Daly Cherry-Evans and Api Koroisau.
Despite several glimpses of brilliance, Kane Elgey is yet to come close to reaching his potential in the NRL.
If his change of clubs reinvigorates a rise in form, namely mending his defensive lapses, he could be the perfect foil to take reliance off Cherry-Evans and Trbojevic in attack.
Manly’s 2019 can’t be more calamitous than the year prior, and the reduced distractions could be the key cog that’ll allow the club to reach their potential on the field.
The Sea Eagles have proven on numerous occasions they can once again be a force next season.
— TW
EELS: SUPER SIGNINGS
Parramatta’s recruitment has been underwhelming to say the least for a number of seasons.
To paint the picture, 2018’s prized signings were Jarryd Hayne, Kane Evans, Tony Williams and Jaeman Salmon.
The less said about the above the better, with Hayne’s late-season form resurgence conveniently coming while staking a claim for a new contract, while youngster Salmon provided a shining light for the future after securing a position in the side once finals hopes were long deceased.
The club have made vast improvements to their 2019 roster, albeit with only two key recruits in Blake Ferguson and Junior Paulo.
A major area Parramatta struggled this season was their lack of punch coming out of their red zone, particularly on kick returns through lightweights Bevan French and Clint Gutherson.
Although in a vastly different manner to his early years, Ferguson is playing in career-best form at the Roosters.
He’ll be key to kickstarting their sets and building momentum out of their own half.
Paulo is one of the more underrated forwards in the game, one who would have been pushing for an Origin berth had he not been injured just weeks before the 2018 series opener.
Parramatta lacked aggression in their pack this year, Nathan Brown aside, and the big-minute prop will add a much-needed dose of power to their go forward.
The Eels strike comes from their high-profile spine in Gutherson, Mitch Moses and Corey Norman.
The additions of Ferguson and Paulo are likely to provide a far better platform to allow the key members of their spine to do some damage on the scoreboard.
— TW
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