Posted by Crooksy on March 10th , 2009 under Rugby League | 
The North Queensland Cowboys will be looking to bounce back hard after their abysmal season in 2008 where they narrowly avoided the wooden spoon as a result of their superior defence compared to the Bulldogs. The return of players and personnel from injury and rival clubs has created a feeling of excitement up in Townsville that last year was just a minor glitch, and 2009 will see the Cowboys back in the top half of the ladder where they belong.
Returning Personnel
Matt Bowen has fought back from the knee injury that saw him play just six games last season. The club is being cautious with him at the moment, as they realise the value in having him for the whole season, and in particular the stretch leading into the finals. His return to the team will add extra spark to the backline. Read more of this article »
Posted by Crooksy on March 2nd , 2009 under Rugby League |
Having assessed the chances of Wayne Bennet’s new team in a previous post, I’ll now turn to the squad he has left behind after being at the helm for the last 532 games, The Brisbane Broncos.
Old Man Bennett…Gone
The first thing that springs to mind is there has to be some hangover from the departure of such a long serving coach. The club has known no other leader since it entered the competition 21 years ago, and the indelible mark he has left at the club is not something that can be replaced overnight.
Add to this the fact that along with Bennett, 13 of last years players have left the club and you are looking at a squad that barely resembles the 2008 version.
But if there is any club with the talent to overcome such a challenge it is the Broncos. Much to the disgust of their southern rivals, the Broncos have been the most consistent performers in the NRL since they entered the competition, having missed the finals just three times in two decades. Read more of this article »
Posted by Crooksy on February 24th , 2009 under Rugby League |
Trent Barrett Returns
I’ve spent the last few years living and working overseas during the Australian winter, and this often makes it tough to keep up to date with everything that happens on the domestic football scene – NRL, Super Rugby, AFL etc. Somehow in my time away the Cronulla Sharks have emerged as a top four team and it kind of took me back to the days of ET, Gavin Miller and Sparkles McGaw.
The thing about the Sharks over this period was that they had some great teams, but never managed to get their act together during the post-season. The perfect example of this was 1988 season where they finished as minor premiers but were bundled out with successive losses to Canterbury and Balmain.
And I was looking at the current Sharks team wondering if they’re going to experience the same problems. Personally, I think this may be the year they finally see some success. Now I’m not confident that they will win the tournament, but I think they have moved ahead of Melbourne, and should be installed as second favourites for the competition in behind Manly. Read more of this article »
Tags: cronulla sharks, nrl, nrl 2009, nrl cronulla sharks, nrl preview 2009, nrl sharks, reni maitua, ricky stuart, sharks nrl 2009, sharks titans, sharks trent barrett, trent barrett
Posted by Crooksy on February 22nd , 2009 under Rugby League |
How Far Can Bennett Take The Dragons?
The obvious talking point with the St. George Illawarra Dragons this year is how much of an effect Wayne Bennet can have in his first season as coach. The general consensus over the last couple of years has been that nathan Brown just didn’t seem to command the respect that is required to get that extra 5-15% effort from the players at training and on the pitch which means the difference between a top four team and an also-ran.
This is understandable and is in no way a reflection on the character or coaching ability of Brown – his coaching began in 2003 with him taking charge of many of his ex-teamates. It was only natural that there were going to be difficulties in making the transition from player to coach at the same club at such a young age (he was just 29 when he took the reins).
And I’m sure everyone involved will tell you that it wasn’t really a factor. But they’d be kidding themselves, of course it was a factor. There are attitudes that just gradually seep into a team’s mentality over time without anyone realizing it is happening. He wasn’t able to properly assert his authority early on, and his tenure as coach had that as its foundation. Read more of this article »
Tags: nrl, nrl 2009, nrl betting 2009, nrl dragons, nrl odds 2009, nrl preview, nrl preview 2009, nrl st george illawarra, nrl st. george, nrl wayne bennett, Rugby League, rugby league 2009, wayne bennett
Posted by Crooksy on February 18th , 2009 under Rugby League |
The NRL season kicks off in a little less than a month, and the bookies have pretty much gone with last years top eight to finish in around the same positions this year with the two noticeable exceptions being the Raiders and the Cowboys. After finishing the ’08 regular season in sixth position, the bookies have given the Raiders little chance of a top eight finish this year and are rated as being just good enough to avoid the wooden spoon
The Cowboys on the other hand have been installed as top six material, even after their 2008 season finished with them barely avoiding the wooden spoon as a result of a superior points difference. Much of this has to do with the return of Matt Bowen to the team, and that extra strike power at fullback will be enhanced by the addition of Willie Tonga to the centres. Thurston will have more options than he did last year, and this should see the team finish higher up the ladder.
Over the next couple of weeks I’ll take a look at the teams with the greatest chance this year and see how this year may be better or worse for them than ’08. Injuries and player movements are always a factor as new players settle in at teams, and new combinations are tested. Read more of this article »
