What’s the Buzz: 50 questions the 2017 NRL season answered

THE 2017 NRL season had it all. Twelve months ago PHIL ROTHFIELD laid out the game’s 50 burning questions. Have a look back and see the answers.

There were plenty of questions heading into the 2017 NRL season.

THE 2017 NRL season had it all.

Twelve months ago Phil Rothfield laid out the game’s 50 burning questions. Have a look back and see the answers.

CHECK OUT BUZZ ROTHFIELD’S 50 BURNING QUESTIONS FOR THE 2018 NRL SEASON ON MONDAY

1 Can Wayne Bennett still coach or has he lost touch with the modern game? Jury’s still out

2 Can Brisbane make the ­finals without the experience of Justin Hodges and Corey Parker? Yes

3 Can Kieran Foran lift the enigmatic Warriors into the top eight, top four or even grand final? No

4 Will the Oust Doust campaigners at St George Illawarra finally get their man? Yes

5 What round will Ricky Stuart be fined for referee abuse? Wrong

6 When will Ivan Cleary replace Jason Taylor, Paul McGregor, Des Hasler or Trent Barrett? Yes

7 Can the great Billy Slater make a successful comeback at Melbourne Storm? Yes

8 Aaron Woods, Boyd Cordner or Trent Merrin? Who will replace Paul Gallen as the Blues’ State of Origin captain? Cordner

9 Can the voice of league, legendary broadcaster Ray Warren, rescue the Channel 9 ratings slide? No

10 Will Robbie Farah prove Jason Taylor wrong and have a big year at South Sydney? No

Robbie Farah didn’t hit his heights at South Sydney. Picture: Mark Evans

11 Will rookie 19-year-old halfback Jai Field emerge as a Dragons saviour? No

12. Can the NRL justify its multimillion-dollar investment in the bunker or will it be another weekly ­lottery? No

13 Will struggling old champ Benji Marshall fit in at the Broncos? Yes

14 What’s Jarryd Hayne’s next dream or will he stay loyal to the Gold Coast? No, Parra

15 Mitch Pearce, Adam Reynolds or even Nathan Cleary? Who will be the NSW Blues’ halfback? Pearce

16 Where will the brilliant Connor Watson play at the Sydney Roosters? Bench

17 Can Cronulla go back-to-back for the first time since the Broncos in 1993? Sigh, no

18 Will the Friday night 6pm timeslot work on Fox Sports and will fans go to the games? No

19 What round will we start to complain about Melbourne’s wrestling tackles? We didn’t

20 Will John Grant say “give me another 12 months” at the end of the season? He tried

CHECK OUT BUZZ ROTHFIELD’S 50 BURNING QUESTIONS FOR THE 2018 NRL SEASON ON MONDAY

ARLC Chairman John Grant.

21 Can budding superstar Valentine Holmes be a better fullback than Ben Barba? No

22 Will James Tedesco overtake ­Darius Boyd, Billy Slater and Greg ­Inglis as the game’s No. 1 fullback? No

23 Can Canberra prove they’re more than just one-year wonders? No

24 Will Jake and Tom Trbojevic both play Origin for the Blues? Jake, not Tom

25 When will we start complaining about five-day turnarounds? Early

26 How do we fill the Monday night footy void? With great difficulty

27 Does Saturday night’s 44-0 win over the Raiders prove Newcastle will climb off the bottom of the ladder? No

28 Can Tom and George Burgess recapture their form of 2014 at the Rabbitohs? No

29 How long until we’re tweeting #nrlincrisis? Round 1

30 Will Cameron Smith be allowed to continue to referee games? Yes

CHECK OUT BUZZ ROTHFIELD’S 50 BURNING QUESTIONS FOR THE 2018 NRL SEASON ON MONDAY

Cameron Smith chats with a referee. File photo

31 Can Des Hasler talk Will Hopoate into playing on Sundays, like we’re hearing? Yes

32 Will Wests Tigers recruit Jamal Idris recapture the form that once earnt him a Kangaroos jersey? No, he retired

33 Can Nathan Peats knock off Farah to be the Blues’ hooker? Yes

34 Is this the year Queensland’s State of Origin superstars will be too old to win another series? No

35 Can the Roosters and Rabbitohs recover from poor seasons in 2016? Yes and no

36 Will Jackson Hastings live up to his boom as a schoolboy star at the Sea Eagles? No

37 Can Laurie Daley survive as the Blues’ State of Origin coach? No

38 Will referees boss Tony Archer ever admit: “We got that decision wrong?” Reluctantly, yes

39 Who can step up and replace ­Michael Ennis as the biggest pest/character in the game? No-one

40 What round will Gus Gould inevitably shut down his Twitter account? Four

CHECK OUT BUZZ ROTHFIELD’S 50 BURNING QUESTIONS FOR THE 2018 NRL SEASON ON MONDAY

Penrith Panthers boss Phil "Gus" Gould. Picture: Brett Costello

41 Who will win the Thursday night ratings war between Matty and Fatty, Fletch and Big Marn, Lara and Erin? Fox Sports

42 Will Manly diehards refer to their beloved Brookvale Oval as Lottoland or Brookie? Brookie

43 Will we finally get some smart ­corporate heavyweights on the underperforming independent commission? No

44 Which journalist will be the first to write about a State of Origin bolter in round one? Bulldog

45 Can we get another grand final fairytale to match the past three — the Rabbitohs, Cowboys and Sharks? No

46 Will we celebrate or mourn the death of City-Country? Celebrate

47 How will we fare in the NRL SuperCoach and tipping comps? Very ordinary

48 How many divorces will Fox Sports’ new 24-hour league channel cause? Plenty

49 Will Parramatta Eels coach Brad Arthur smile? It took three months, but yes

50 How much will we save on our electricity bills now the porch lights are off in the Shire? Heaps

CHECK OUT BUZZ ROTHFIELD’S 50 BURNING QUESTIONS FOR THE 2018 NRL SEASON ON MONDAY