Mal Meninga runs his eye over the Broncos, Cowboys and Titans ahead of NRL season 2017
MAL MENINGA: All three Queensland teams start the NRL season with finals-quality matches that will give us some idea of what to expect in 2017.
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One of the best parts of a new season is the sense of the unknown, and with the three Queensland clubs this year, this is exactly what we have.
The Broncos, Titans and Cowboys all start
the new year with finals-quality matches while effectively road-testing new-look line-ups for 2017.
So what can we expect to see from the clubs north of the border this season?
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1. The Broncos
Brisbane’s blueprint for success this season was unveiled in an unlikely location: Melbourne’s AAMI Park.
Last August, in Round 25, the Broncos produced their best performance of the year to upset the Storm 26-16. It was a terrific performance, and I think it will be the template for how Brisbane approach this season.
That day they caught the Storm’s much vaunted defence by surprise by playing an expansive game, pushing the ball wide to the edges in early tackles and upsetting Melbourne’s defensive rhythm.
2. The Titans
I am really looking forward to watching the Titans play this year because they have made quality additions to their squad.
We all know how good Kevin Proctor is, but Gold Coast’s two English signings Dan Sarginson and Joe Greenwood are also terrific buys.
In my role as Australian coach, I have seen both of these players turn out for England and have been impressed.
Greenwood reminds me of his countryman Elliott Whitehead, who was great for the Raiders last year. Sarginson may take a week or two to adjust to the NRL, but I think he will follow the recent trend of Englishmen excelling in the NRL.
3.The Cowboys
North Queensland did not do a lot of shopping in the off-season, aside from Ben Hampton and the late pick-up of Shaun Fensom, but the loss of James Tamou and Ben Hannant means their pack will be under pressure to produce this year.
Scott Bolton is a tough and experienced campaigner, but the Cowboys will need Jason Taumalolo to take his game to another level this year.
It seems a little odd saying the player that won the Dally M as best player in the game last year needs to improve, but that is the reality.
Taumalolo is an explosive player, but what the Cowboys will be looking for from him this year is a lift in the number of minutes he is able to produce his best football.
The Cowboys’ roster is largely unchanged, and their game plan will be the same. That still makes them one of the best teams in the competition.
4. The Kangaroos
I will be an interested spectator in Townsville on Saturday night, and not just because my mighty Raiders are playing against the Cowboys. As Kangaroos coach, I am heading north to begin preparations for this year’s World Cup.
With the Cup to be played in November, and the final in Brisbane on December 2, we need to be able to handle playing, training and recovering in oppressive heat.
Who better to talk to than the experts at the Cowboys who manage it 12 months of the year?
I am looking forward to learning from the Cowboys’ performance staff, and hopefully picking up some information that might give Australia an edge at the World Cup.
Originally published as Mal Meninga runs his eye over the Broncos, Cowboys and Titans ahead of NRL season 2017
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