Issue of the year
Before this year, most would not have known what a peptide was. Now, we know what they do, why they're banned, when they were banned and where and how you can get them out of the boot of a car. Who would have imagined in February, as we all looked towards the season oblivious to what was going on behind the scenes, as politicians, the ACC and ASADA prepared for a press conference that would send Australian sport into a tailspin, what lay ahead? Cronulla would quickly lose four officials, including their coach Shane Flanagan — albeit temporarily – then came the boardroom overhaul.
All the while, the Sharks players tried to press on with their season while under intense scrutiny. Training schedules were shifted to fit in with lawyers and then interviews with ASADA, as players everywhere looked over their shoulders. The focus has been on Stephen Dank, the controversial sports scientist from Cronulla, Manly, as well as the AFL's Essendon. We were treated to bit-part players with nicknames such as The Gazelle. We got sick of it all, but also felt sick on realising organised crime could have more of an influence on rugby league than we might have thought. As the year wore on, Manly felt the heat, as did Penrith when after months of investigations and interviews, Canberra's former Panther Sandor Earl became the first casualty among the players.
Match-winner: Roosters centre Michael Jennings shows no thought for self-preservation with his spectacular try in the grand final.Credit: Anthony Johnson
Then in December, more than 10 months after the press conference, the Sharks were punished by the NRL; a $1 million fine and Flanagan suspended for 12 months. Other clubs have been implicated along the way, and the damage for the code has been significant.
The winners
Little doubt about this. Sydney Roosters, in claiming the NRL grand final, were the standout team of 2013. And they had some extraordinary performers in their squad to help them do it. Their coach, Trent Robinson, was a bold choice when he was appointed, having previously been an assistant in the NRL and a head coach in Super League. It was clear from early on that he could coach, though. Sonny Bill Williams was certainly not an unknown, but still, many were not predicting the sort of impact he had on his team, and on the competition. Halfback Mitchell Pearce answered his critics from his Origin disappointment, winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck fooled many with his dancing feet, fullback and captain Anthony Minichiello revived some of his best form to keep the youngster at bay, while Jake Friend showed a maturity many had felt was beyond him. Victory over their great rivals South Sydney gave them the minor premiership. Then the stirring encore; the squad lifted when others could not, blended together perfectly and out-lasted the Sea Eagles in the grand final.
Few people had heard of peptides, or curious characters such The Gazelle, aka Darren Hibbert, before this season.Credit: Nick Moir
The losers
Hard to go past Parramatta, wooden spooners for the second year in a row and, by the end of the season, suffering the same old boardroom malfunctions and looking for a new coach. Fullback Jarryd Hayne spent crucial parts of the season on the sidelines, while Chris Sandow – whose season had begun so promisingly – dropped off the perch, and there will be genuine fears that we have seen the best (even the back) of the halfback. In the middle of a disastrous season, a dozen players were told by coach Ricky Stuart that they should look elsewhere for employment; they were not part of his plans. By the end of the season, Stuart's plans had changed, too. He controversially sought a release to return to Canberra, with the Eels last and fairly lost as well. Boardroom problems had frustrated Stuart; the club's power base shifted with Steve Sharp's rebel ticket assuming power, but that hardly calmed the waters. The club has a new coach in Brad Arthur, and some new talent – including Will Hopoate – to keep fans enthused. Things are looking up; yet they can only be looking up from where they are coming from.
Snap of the year
When Josh Dugan pressed "send" on what he thought was a cheeky post on Instagram in March, he perhaps did not expect things to play out as they did. Dugan said more with a fingertip and a bottle of brightly coloured alcopop than he could have with words. His photo, taken with Blake Ferguson on a Canberra rooftop, began a chain of events that resulted in their both being sacked by the Raiders. By the end of this year, Dugan is with St George Illawarra and appearing to be sorting himself out, while Ferguson has lost his contract and has been found guilty of indecently assaulting a woman at a Cronulla nightclub.
The 'Dropped My Bacon Sandwich' moment
It was not the skill involved, although it was impressive. It was not the disregard for his welfare, although it was significant. It was that Sydney Roosters centre Michael Jennings threw himself at the football and came up with something so remarkable in a grand final that was so damn astonishing about the NSW player's try against Manly. On a stage like that, there have been few better tries. He flung himself towards the bouncing football and almost knocked himself out in the process. It served to be the knock-out blow for Manly.
The name you didn't know at start of season 2013
One game. That's all it took for halfback Luke Brooks to be the player on just about every Wests Tigers supporters' lips when discussing next season. Many Tigers fans were desperate to see a glimpse of Brooks in the NRL before his debut, in round 24 against St George Illawarra, particularly after Benji Marshall's decision to leave the club. He could only play that one game because of salary cap restrictions, but he showed enough to suggest he might be worth the hype.
The one to watch
You might think that the name Dallin Watene-Zelezniak will take some getting used to. But if the buzz around this youngster matches his talent, we will know about him soon enough. Penrith officials rate this 18-year-old, of New Zealand and Polish background, so highly that they believe he will force Matt Moylan into the halves. We can only hope they do not put him in the second-tier salary cap. By all accounts, this one deserves to play on merit.