Why your NRL team can dare to dream in 2018
EVEN the most cynical NRL fans have reason to hope in 2018 - yes, Warriors tragics, you too. Off-season signings and front-of-house changes make for an exciting year ahead.
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EVEN the most cynical NRL fans have reason to hope in 2018 - yes, Warriors tragics, you too. With off-season signings and front-of-house changes galore, there’s plenty to be excited about this year.
BRISBANE BRONCOS
Kodi Nikorima replaces Ben Hunt in the halves but his combination with Anthony Milford is impressive. The pair won 10 of 12 matches when starting together last year.
Main concern: Depth in their utility stocks is an issue following the departures of Hunt and Benji Marshall. Have also lost the equivalent of 31 years of NRL experience.
CANBERRA RIADERS
Have one of the most settled rosters in the NRL, and will be hungrier to repeat their 2016 run to the finals following last year’s disappointment.
Main concern: The loss of Josh Hodgson (knee) for at least most of the season is potentially the worst possible blow for the Raiders. Siliva Havili will replace him but desperately lacks Hodgson’s impetus.
CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
Players have promised a new playing style under rookie coach Dean Pay, and Kieran Foran has the potential to give them an attacking spark they have lacked for years.
Main concern: Moses Mbye has never played fullback before - even as a junior - while they still lack an established halves partner for Foran. Could make for a slow start.
BUZZ: How Peter Beattie plans to save NRL
FIGHT: Munster and Hunt’s World Cup punch on
VALE: Langlands - farewell to an Immortal
CRONULLA SHARKS
Should have a reinvigorated attack with Matt Moylan and Josh Dugan moving into a Sharks’ back line that no longer has the target of defending premiers on their back.
Main concern: Their ageing pack is another year older in 2018, while they desperately need to clean up their discipline and handling.
GOLD COAST TITANS
The drama that surrounded Jarryd Hayne last year is gone, while there are few better coaches to bring through a young halves combination like Kane Elgey and Ash Taylor than Garth Brennan.
Main concern: Their back-row stocks are desperately lean, while their forward pack lacks the grunt of several of their rivals.
MANLY SEA EAGLES
Tom Trbojevic led Manly for line-breaks, line-break assists and run metres last year, and he is only going to get better in his third year of the NRL at age 21.
Main concern: Halfback Daly Cherry-Evans returned to his best with a recognised five-eighth alongside him last year, but it will be much trickier without Blake Green.
MELBOURNE STORM
Billy Slater’s likely farewell tour could be the added motivation they need to become the first team to defend a title in a unified competition in 25 years.
Main concern: Melbourne have a ready-made replacement for Cooper Cronk in Brodie Croft, but the loss of Tohu Harris to the Warriors could place a strain on their forward and utility depth.
NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
Easily the best recruitment drive of the summer has sparked realistic hopes of leaping from a third straight wooden spoon into the top eight.
Main concern: It’s going to take some time for this team to gel, and their draw is one of the hardest in the NRL - facing six of last year’s finalists twice.
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott return to a team that made last year’s grand final, while Jordan McLean joins to potentially make them the complete premiership package.
Main concern: How does coach Paul Green manage the roles of last year’s heroes, many of whom will step back onto the bench or play second fiddle on the return of his stars?
PARRAMATTA EELS
Mitchell Moses has had his first pre-season at the club after slotting in midway through last season, while Brad Arthur will be excited by the prospect of a fully fit Bevan French and Clinton Gutherson.
Main concern: Finding a replacement for Semi Radradra will be key for Arthur, but finding a way to push aside the Jarryd Hayne circus that has already surrounded their pre-season will be a bigger test.
PENRITH PANTHERS
Add the experience and composure of James Maloney to a side that recovered from overwhelming expectations to reach the second week of last year’s finals.
Main concern: The Panthers desperately need Bryce Cartwright to return to his dangerous best after he was a shadow of himself in 2017. He is one of three players signed until 2021.
SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Greg Inglis’ return alongside Dane Gagai’s arrival at the club should make them one of the most dangerous teams in attack from any position on the field.
Main concern: A declining forward pack meant they ran the third least metres in the NRL last year, and their recruitment has done little to solve that problem.
ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
Gareth Widdop had his best season at the Dragons last year, and the arrival of Ben Hunt should free the Englishman up after the team’s attack ran out of puff at the end of last season.
Main concern: Have the roster to make the finals but Paul McGregor must fix the late-season fade-out that has crippled their last three campaigns.
SYDNEY ROOSTERS
Cooper Cronk and James Tedesco’s arrivals give them one of the best spines in the competition, and the cattle to take out their second title in six years.
Main concern: The pressure will be on Cronk from the start. Pearce was a club favourite and if the Roosters don’t get results, cracks could begin to show.
NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS
The pressure that was there at the start of last year is completely gone, while Blake Green may provide the stability at five-eighth Shaun Johnson has so desperately needed.
Main concern: Aside from their normal woes, the Warriors play each of last year’s top four twice in one of the competition’s most difficult draws.
WESTS TIGERS
Ivan Cleary’s rebuild of the club will begin to take hold with a more attacking style during what players hope will finally be a drama-free season.
Main concern: With up to seven recruits likely to feature in the first five rounds against Melbourne (twice), Sydney Roosters, Brisbane and Parramatta, the Tigers could be playing from behind as their team begins to gel.
Originally published as Why your NRL team can dare to dream in 2018
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