Rugby league might not have long to live – but it’s never been better

As the New Zealand Warriors clawed their way back into the contest against Cronulla on Sunday afternoon, the Channel Nine commentators were resolute about what it could potentially mean.

This would be the club’s greatest victory. Ever. The Warriors just had to make it happen.

Perspective is a rare commodity in rugby league; it’s rare in most sports for that matter. It’s easy to get caught in the moment and there were several to get caught in at PointsBet Stadium as the Warriors shrugged off a 20-point deficit to hit the lead via a 35-metre penalty from Shaun Johnson with a minute or so remaining.

The miraculous 32-30 victory – which elevates them to second after five rounds – ranks among the Warriors’ best, but their greatest?

Surely, their greatest was the 2011 preliminary final against Melbourne at AAMI Park.

All the talk leading up to that fixture had been about the Storm winning a premiership a year after their two titles had been stripped for rorting the salary cap. Instead, the Warriors caused a 20-12 upset, thanks largely to the magical abilities of Johnson.

Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson after landing the match-winning penalty goal.Credit: Getty

Both the Warriors and their halfback have been lost souls since, but now find themselves full of confidence and vim again, dropping shakas and F-bombs in post-match interviews. It’s entirely appropriate in what is looming as one of the closest, craziest seasons in recent memory.

Rugby league stuck out its glass jaw last week after Joseph Suaalii signed with Rugby Australia, jumping at a shadow otherwise known as rugby union.

ARL Commission chairman Peter V’landys did his usual Fozzie Bear routine, telling Suaalii he’ll get bored playing the 15-man game — waka, waka, waka! — but all the Great PVL had to do was point at the scoreboard.

The NRL competition has rarely been this unpredictable. (Except for the Wests Tigers, of course, who remain the Wests Tigers).

On Saturday in Mudgee, the Sea Eagles and Knights fought out a 32-all golden-point thriller; a dramatic contest in which brothers Cooper and Jack Johns played against each other for the first time.

Few did it tougher watching than their mother, Trish, and father, Matthew, who hasn’t drunk alcohol in 40 days as part of the 75 Hard Challenge, yet rugby league and indeed the Johns family, were the winners as the sun set in the Central West.

As Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes lined up a monster sideline penalty goal after the siren on Sunday afternoon, Nine’s Brad Fittler asked guru statistician David Middleton if there had ever been two 32-all golden-point matches in the game’s history.

Middleton confirmed to me on Monday there had not – “There’s never been two golden-point draws in one round let alone two 32-all draws,” he said – although I’m not discounting the chances of it happening in coming weeks.

But rugby league wasn’t done yet.

Matt Burton celebrates his match-winning field goal.Credit: Getty

Hours later, the Bulldogs beat the Cowboys 15-14 in golden point before 9626 people in driving rain at Accor Stadium with Matt Burton deftly plugging a field goal on the soggy surface, from out wide, from long range. How good.

There are many measurements by which sports gauge their health and success: crowd figures, memberships, merchandise, TV ratings, TV deals, clicks, followers, how many prawn cocktails have been served at Gambaro, the Caxton Street seafood restaurant the NRL bought last year as an investment property and place to hold fancy Origin parties.

The NRL’s greatest measurement of success has always been the theatre it produces each weekend, and this season is shaping as its finest and funkiest.

We need to accept the game will never be in rude health. It will forever be a hot mess; a constant source of peculiar fascination.

Its rules are all over the shop; one in three passes out of dummy half are forward; it doesn’t know the difference between a hip-drop and dropped beat; it wants more new stadiums after already getting new stadiums that it rarely fills; bush footy is on life support and in desperate need of more money or a priest; grubby player managers have too much power; Justin Pascoe’s moustache; and the NRL and the RLPA still can’t sort out this godforsaken CBA but that’s OK because, frankly, nobody cares.

Because the footy’s started.

On a serious note, the threat of CTE litigation looms large. Doubtless, both the legal and medical professions will, in time, roll up the rugby league circus and all that will be left is a patch of dirt and some kids playing laser tag.

The NRL will only have itself to blame as it continues to fumble around in the dark, trying to find solutions.

Former Manly hardman Mark Carroll has been banging on for weeks about the NRL paying for PET scans for past and current players. Apparently, it does. If that’s the case, why doesn’t someone pick up the phone and tell him?!

In the meantime, let’s make the most of what we’ve got.

After exhibiting worrying signs in their first-round loss to the Dolphins, the Roosters are starting to look the goods – but predict them as premiers at your peril.

Something special is happening at the Warriors under rookie coach Andrew Webster. (No relation, to his eternal benefit). Everyone has grand plans for a Pasifika team becoming the NRL’s 18th franchise, but nothing will be better for rugby league in the South Pacific region than a maiden Warriors premiership.

As Johnson revealed after the match, he and his teammates hadn’t given up hope as they sat in the sheds at half-time, conjuring images of a comeback.

“What a story it would be,” Johnson said. “We will tell our grandkids about this one day, lads. Just go out and have a crack.”

As long as the players are writing the scripts, and the rest of us – refs, administrators and the media – get out of the way, rugby league will be all right.

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