NRL 2022: Which clubs aced their season and which flunked
The Wests Tigers hit a new low in 2022 but incoming coach Tim Sheens and assistant Benji Marshall can make an immediate impact. PAUL CRAWLEY reveals how in his end-of-season report cards.
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The Broncos have not failed despite their late season slide, while the Tigers will be hoping Tim Sheens and Benji Marshall can sprinkle some magic dust to revive their hopes after a dismal 2022.
Paul Crawley hands out his NRL report cards.
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SHARKS
Grade: A+
Currently: 2nd, 17 wins, 6 losses, +187 points differential
Pre-season prediction: 6th
Last season’s finish: 9th
With 17 wins already it’s the Sharks’ best regular season since they won the comp in 2016, while they’re playing for the club’s first top two finish since 1999. Many predicted Craig Fitzgibbon would have an impact but this is beyond what anyone thought possible. What Fitzgibbon has done, particularly with this underrated forward pack, is just amazing, while Nicho Hynes could well finish the season as a Dally M Medal winner and a Kangaroo World Cup tourist.
COWBOYS
Grade: A+
Currently: 3rd, 16 wins, 7 losses, +242 points differential
Pre-season prediction: Bottom four
Last season’s finish: 15th
Absolutely unbelievable how a team that finished 15th last year (and most experts had as wooden spoon favourites) are now top four, averaging 25.9 points and only 15.3 against, both the best in the Cowboys’ history. Scott Drinkwater has been brilliant, so have halves Tom Dearden and Chad Townsend, while Jeremiah Nanai’s 17 tries are equal second most of any forward alongside Ben Kennedy (2001) and David Fifita (2021). Manly’s Steve Menzies has the record with 20 (1998), though Nanai has at least three games in hand.
PANTHERS
Grade: A+
Currently: 1st, 20 wins, 3 losses, +336 points differential
Pre-season prediction: 3rd
Last season’s finish: Premiers
First team in history to win 20 games in three straight seasons. Second behind Storm in points scored (628 to 643) but have the competition’s best defence (292). And the fact they have overcome Nathan Cleary’s early season injury absence and late season suspension to maintain their place as runaway minor premiers is just a credit to all concerned. If they go on and win the title you would have to place them right up with the very best teams of any era.
STORM
Grade: B
Currently: 4th, 15 wins, 8 losses, +255 points differential
Pre-season prediction: 2nd
Last season’s finish: 1st
Look at Manly, then look at Melbourne. The fact the Storm are still fighting for a top four finish despite losing their star fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen again highlights what an outstanding culture this club has. Though it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Did lose four straight for the first time since 2015, and had a 30-point loss for the first time since 2013 (36-6 to Cowboys). But on the back of a magnificent year from Cameron Munster are again a genuine threat.
ROOSTERS
Grade: B
Currently: 6th, 14 wins, 9 losses, +191 points differential
Pre-season prediction: Premiers
Last season’s finish: 5th
Trent Robinson said all along we wouldn’t see the Roosters’ best until the back end of the season and here they are marching into September looking extremely intimidating. Only picked up 14 points in the opening 16 rounds, and 16 points in the final eight rounds. The late recruitment of Matt Lodge has been a masterstroke, while Luke Keary is really starting to rediscover his best. The only drama is they’ll have to make history winning from outside the top four.
EELS
Grade: B
Currently: 5th, 15 wins, 8 losses, +111 points differential
Pre-season prediction: 5th
Last season’s finish: 6th
Showed by beating the Panthers and Storm what they are capable of, but it’s time to do it in the big end of season games. If the Eels roll the Storm this round it will secure a top four finish, and from there they can definitely end the club’s premiership drought. But what they can’t afford is to let this opportunity slip with the likes of Reed Mahoney, Isaiah Papali’I and Marata Niukore leaving at the end of the season. The next month is when the Eels’ should really be judged.
RABBITOHS
Grade: B
Currently: 7th, 14 wins, 9 losses, +140 points differential
Pre-season prediction: 7th
Last season’s finish: 3rd
After a shaky start roared back to life following Latrell Mitchell’s return, scoring 20 points or more in their last nine games. You also can’t underestimate the job Jason Demetriou has done taking over from Wayne Bennett, which has never been an easy transition. I maintain it was a recruitment blunder not keeping Adam Reynolds. Even though Lachlan Ilias deserves huge respect for the job he has done, I reckon had Reynolds stayed they would be fighting from within the four, not the bottom half of the eight.
RAIDERS
Grade: B-
Currently: 8th, 13 wins, 10 losses, +17 points differential
Pre-season prediction: Outside top eight
Last season’s finish: 10th
A terrific coaching effort from Ricky Stuart given the Raiders lost star dummy half Josh Hodgson in round one, played almost the entire season without former skipper Jarrod Croker, and halfback Jamal Fogarty for the first half of the year. It’s meant the Raiders have actually used 13 spine combinations, the most of any side. Yet here they are sneaking into the top eight and growing in confidence every game after seven wins from their last nine.
BRONCOS
Grade: C+
Currently: 9th, 13 wins, 10 losses, -26 points differential
Pre-season prediction: Bottom four
Last season’s finish: 14th
Few outside the Broncos actually tipped them to make the eight, so the fact they were in the top four as recently as round 19 was way beyond realistic expectations. But that said, the way it has fallen apart so spectacularly since is extremely concerning going forward, with Kevin Walters’ emotional coaching style again under scrutiny. It certainly doesn’t help that the past two games is the first time the Broncos have ever conceded 50 points in consecutive matches.
BULLDOGS
Grade: D
Currently: 12th, 6 wins, 17 losses, -193 points differential
Pre-season prediction: Fighting for top eight
Last season’s finish: 16th
The sixth straight season the Bulldogs have missed the finals, their longest stretch since the 1960s, while losing another coach in Trent Barrett along the way. The good news for Dogs fans is that the season has finished on a far more positive with some of the football since Mick Potter’s arrival a joy to watch. Throw in a couple of key signings in Reed Mahoney and Viliame Kikau, along with new coach Cameron Ciraldo, and there is a genuine reason to be excited about this coming pre-season.
DRAGONS
Grade: D
Currently: 10th, 11 wins, 12 losses, -110 points differential
Pre-season prediction: 8th
Last season’s finish: 11th
That’s now four straight seasons the Dragons have missed the finals, and dramas between Anthony Griffin and some players is a huge red flag this could get ugly in the coming months. There has been plenty of legitimate questions about the players Griffin recruited, while the fact Cameron Ciraldo was recently, if unsuccessfully, sounded out highlights sections within have lost faith in the coach. The Dragons better be careful they don’t make the same mistake the Tigers did by carrying the problem into next year.
WARRIORS
Grade: D-
Currently: 14th, 6 wins, 17 losses, -291 points differential
Pre-season prediction: Wooden spoon
Last season’s finish: 12th
It’s one of the game’s great shames that what is consistently such an incredibly talented roster continues to be so underwhelming year after year. This year they have lost six games by a margin of 30 points which is the Warriors’ most ever, while 12 straight losses in Australia is also their worst streak according to Fox Sports Stats. Just been another sad season for a basket-case club who also dumped a coach (Nathan Brown) along the way.
SEA EAGLES
Grade: E
Currently: 11th, 9 wins, 14 losses, -104 points differential
Pre-season prediction: 4th
Last season’s finish: 4th
Hard to remember a more obvious moment when a footy club selfdestructed than what we’ve seen since the Pride jersey fiasco. No doubt losing Tom Trbojevic was a massive blow, but they were back playing some pretty good footy before this drama sent them crashing. Now there’s whispers of a split in the playing ranks and a power struggle between Hasler’s football department and management that could really turn nasty in the coming months.
KNIGHTS
Grade: E
Currently: 13th, 6 wins, 17 losses, -268 points differential
Pre-season prediction: Fighting for top eight
Last season’s finish: 7th
A season that spiralled out of control from the moment Mitchell Pearce was allowed to walk without first having a suitable replacement. From there a team that played finals last year are now 13th, with only two home wins all season. Throw in the ridiculous fallout from David Klemmer’s not so unusual onfield blow up with now departed trainer Hayden Knowles, and Kalyn Ponga and Kurt Mann busted together in a Newcastle pub toilet - while the team was away playing in Brisbane. Just been embarrassing on every level.
TITANS
Grade: E-
Currently: 15th, 5 wins, 18 losses, -206 points differential
Pre-season prediction: Competing for top 8
Last season’s finish: 8th
Saved from the embarrassment of the wooden spoon but it’s still been a terrible year for a team that finished top eight last season. Justin Holbrook rolled the dice letting Jamal Fogarty go and putting his trust in such a young spine, which has backfired badly. The only team not to win a game against a current top nine side – losing all 14 - while haven’t scored a win outside Queensland all season. The arrival Kieran Foran and Sam Verrills should make a big difference next season.
TIGERS
Grade: F
Currently: 16th, 4 wins, 19 losses, -281 points differential
Pre-season prediction: Bottom 4
Last season’s finish: 14th
Had a chance to move on Michael Maguire following that final round belting by the Bulldogs last season but didn’t go through with it. So here they are 12 months down the track and the Tigers are picking up the joint venture’s first wooden spoon with a total of four wins (three fewer than their previous worst season). Let’s hope Tim Sheens and Benji Marshall can finally give this poor dejected playing group some clear direction, because right now they just look devoid of all hope.
Originally published as NRL 2022: Which clubs aced their season and which flunked
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