NRL half-yearly report card: has your team aimed up to expectations?
HOW do you rate your NRL team’s efforts at the halfway point of the season? Check out Paul CRAWLEY’S half-yearly report card.
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WE’RE one State of Origin down and this weekend marks the halfway point of the season.
So how do you rate your team’s efforts so far?
Check out the half-yearly report.
SHARKS
Position: 1st Crawley’s grade: A
The scary thing is the Sharks don’t seem to be playing anywhere near their best. But let’s face it, no team plays tougher and they just know how to get the job done, even when they don’t deserve it. I tipped them to come fourth while the bookies had them equal eighth in premiership betting. If they stay fit, Andrew Fifita and James Maloney in particular, there’s no reason why the Sharks can’t become the first back-to-back premiers since the Broncos in 1992-93. I still don’t think they will.
STORM
Position: 2nd Crawley’s grade: A+
Every year we tell ourselves why the Storm can’t be up there again. Every year Craig Bellamy finds a way to tell his players they can. Like the Sharks, you couldn’t see them dropping out of the top four from here. And I loved the way Bellamy handled the Jesse Bromwich drugs scandal when everyone was calling for the big stick. The coach expressed his disappointment but understood even good people make mistakes. For me, that understanding and support went to the core of why players obviously respect and admire him.
BRONCOS
Position: 3rd Crawley’s grade: A+
Wouldn’t Wayne Bennett be enjoying this? All the rumours at the start of the season suggested the old bloke had lost his aura and the Broncos players were off him. But you’d struggle to find a team that have looked more together this year. Don’t forget most experts didn’t have them in their top eight. Even through Ben Hunt’s absence they didn’t miss a beat. How many sides could handle losing their chief playmaker as well as the Broncos did?
ROOSTERS
Position: 4th Crawley’s grade: B+
If I had to tip one team to make the grand final right now the Roosters would be it. Just look at the team they trotted out in Canberra last Sunday with five State of Origin players missing. Poor Newcastle would kill for that line up. Can they win it? Before the season kicked off I had doubts.
Not now. Without question the strongest roster in the comp.
DRAGONS
Position: 5th Crawley’s grade: A+
If you were handing out the Dally M coach of the year award tonight Paul McGregor would want to have his suit dry cleaned. No one tipped them to be top eight and most thought they would challenge the Knights for the wooden spoon. Started the year paying $101 in premiership betting, now into $17, and would be in the top four if they weren’t robbed against the Sharks in round 10 without Gareth Widdop and Josh Dugan. I reckon that game told us everything about how far the Dragons have come this year.
SEA EAGLES
Position: 6th Crawley’s grade: A
Like McGregor, Trent Barrett has proved his worth after many were tipping him to be the first coach sacked this year. Tough pack, good halves and that right edge combination of Dylan Walker and Akuila Uate are killing it. And just on Uate’s form, what does his turnaround tell you about Barrett as a coach? I had them finishing 13th this year but they are currently sixth. They just have to get through this period without Tom Trbojevic and it will test them. Don’t forget they are playing to a salary cap this year minus Brett Stewart and Steve Matai’s wages.
RAIDERS
Position: 7th Crawley’s grade: C-
I wish I didn’t barrack for the Raiders because every weekend you find yourself pulling your hair out and yelling at the TV. Still, I haven’t given up them after tipping them to win the comp. The one thing we all agree on is that they have plenty of room for improvement, probably the most of any team. Despite the criticism their attack is copping this year you may be surprised to know they are actually first in points scored heading into this weekend. And this is the Raiders play poorly and without confidence.
COWBOYS
Position: 8th Crawley’s grade: B
I’d challenge any team to have as bad of run of injuries to key players and still be sitting top eight heading into the halfway mark. Lost Matt Scott for the season and have had to contend with periods without Johnathan Thurston, Jake Granville and Lachlan Coote. Have blown from $8 to $23 in premiership betting but I wouldn’t be writing them off yet. At full strength can still beat anyone, as they showed in the first two rounds against the Raiders and Broncos.
EELS
Position: 9th Crawley’s grade: C
Are exactly where I thought they’d be, tipped them to come ninth. Recent injuries to Corey Norman, Michael Jennings and Nathan Brown could be crucial because without any Origin players the Eels really need to make the most of this period and put together as many competition points as they can. Still can’t work out why Beau Scott is playing off the bench. He was brutal against the Raiders a couple of weeks back, changed the game when he came on.
BULLDOGS
Position: 10th Crawley’s grade: D
The criticisms we had of the Bulldogs last year haven’t gone away. Still play too sideways, tough but too predictable, and their halves just can’t seem to get the job done consistently. Josh Reynolds (hamstring) is due back in round 15 which will help but I still can’t put them in my top eight. I tipped them to finish 11th.
WARRIORS
Position: 11th Crawley’s grade: E
Has there been a greater bunch of underachievers in the history of the game? Have a top-four roster but play like they couldn’t care less. The first couple of games after Kieran Foran returned I actually thought they might have turned the corner but that didn’t last long. Can they make the eight? Certainly. Will they make the eight? Good luck. It’s got nothing to do with talent, everything to do with temperament.
PANTHERS
Position: 12th Crawley’s grade: D
I’m guilty. I tipped the Panthers to come second but did admit to concerns about having the youngest halves in the premiership. I’m also glad injury has now forced Anthony Griffin’s hand to play Matt Moylan at five-eighth this Sunday against the Bulldogs with Dylan Edwards at fullback. Moylan plays like a No. 6, so he may as well be there. I still think they will scrape into the eight somehow but can only afford four more losses in 13 remaining games.
TITANS
Position: 13th Crawley’s grade: C-
Work this out. So far this year the Titans beat equal competition leader the Storm and Sharks but sit 13th on the ladder, with their only other wins against the Knights and Eels. Strong across the park and as tough as any team, just too erratic.
RABBITOHS
Position: 14th Crawley’s grade: D
I must admit, Michael Maguire’s blow-up after the loss to the Eels last week didn’t fill me with good vibes.
Something’s just not right at Souths.
OK, they lost Greg Inglis for the year to be fair. But for me they are just playing the wrong style to suit their roster. Sam Burgess has been phenomenal, but overall, this pack just doesn’t have the grunt to play that power game and it is impacting everyone. No chance of playing finals footy again this year.
TIGERS
Position: 15th Crawley’s grade: F
Back at the start of 2015, the Wests Tigers launched their season with a strategic plan boasting 2017 would be the year they made the top four. Instead they are odds on to finish out of the finals for the sixth straight year. And fans and club management want to pin the blame on Aaron Woods, James Tedesco and Mitchell Moses for chasing their dreams at other clubs next year? Have only scored 152 points in 12 rounds, which puts them below every team, even Newcastle.
KNIGHTS
Position: 16th Crawley’s grade: C
The sad thing is we can see great improvement in the Knights’ performances this year but they are still staring down the barrel of the club’s third straight wooden spoon. To make matters worse they’ve lost Dane Gagai next year and every player they chase turns them down, seemingly using Newcastle only to drive up their own price. I don’t know what the answer is because from where I’m standing Nathan Brown seems like a top bloke who is doing a pretty fair job.
Originally published as NRL half-yearly report card: has your team aimed up to expectations?
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