So What Did We Learn?

The Sharks celebrating their emotional victory over the Titans

Round 1 of the NRL season is now over and I hope, unlike some of the Aussie cricket team, you all did your homework. What are the takeaways from the first week of matches and what was most surprising?

We don’t want to get carried away by any specific performance or lack thereof, as after all, one match does not a season make and plenty of teams have started slow and ended up having successful seasons. But that doesn’t mean we can’t look at what happened and leave us with some valid thoughts.

For the most part, the games were relatively uncompetitive. The Rabbitohs 18 point victory to open the season on Thursday seemed as though it would leave the Bunnies near the top of the ladder on for and against, but by the end of the round four other teams had won by even more.

So the first question to ask is how bad were the teams that got smashed and does it mean anything?

The Tigers were handed the worst of the thrashings on Monday night by the Knights and looked awful. I don’t think many had huge expectations for the Tigers and a lot of the result comes down to how well the Knights played at home. More importantly, the Tigers were dealing with one of their own passing away only a week earlier in Mosese Fotuaika and I can’t imagine how much that would have been on the minds of the Tigers players. I am willing to give them a pass for their Round 1 efforts, but Mick Potter needs to get his team looking more like a football team in time for Round 2, or else some real questions will have to be raised.

The Warriors are another team with a new coach who looked like they were ill-prepared in Round 1. Matt Elliott would have wondered what he signed up for whilst watching the Warriors inept efforts against Parramatta. Whist Parramatta were clearly on fire, I honestly think this one was more about the Warriors defence than any long term sign about the Eels improvements.

Yes, Parramatta will be better than last year, but I could have made a line break against the Warriors on Saturday given the size of those holes. The Warriors have so much talent and Matt Elliott is a pretty good coach, but it looks like the more things change the more they stay the same for New Zealand. Talent stops meaning much when discipline, effort and concentration go out the window and the Warriors consistently put up efforts like this in away games. The fact the players wanted Tony Iro to get the job over Elliott may mean that Elliott will never really be able to get through to this team, but we will have to see if they can turn it around and make use of the roster they have on paper.

On the subject of discipline, the Roosters have got to be one of the most frustrating teams to support. I am unfortunate enough to be friends with several Roosters fans, frankly it probably would mean I know most of the Roosters’ fans, and they were left shaking their heads at the continued lack of improvement to their discipline.

The commentators during the game had an interesting conversation about why the Roosters have such poor discipline year after year and Gus suggested it could be a lack of respect for authority. I have to agree with that assessment. The Roosters have such a great roster, but they shoot themselves in the foot by thinking they will get away with murder over and over again. They try to make every single play a match winning one rather than just completing their tackles and sticking to the game plan.

The last few years has seen the Roosters have several off field indiscretions and their players tend to get away with minimal punishment. Sure they will stand a player down, but then they bring him back a week later like nothing happened. I’m sure many of you have seen or heard stories of partying Roosters around the Eastern Suburbs as well. That’s fine, but I believe it has a direct correlation with how many penalties they give away on game day.

Change the culture off the field and you will change it on the field.

Trent Robinson will get through to them eventually and I think they’ll make the finals, but it has to start by preaching discipline and patience. They will score a lot of points this season though, win or lose. They have so many weapons.

Penrith handily beat Canberra, with the score blowing out late and I thought Penrith showed clear signs of the culture change Phil Gould is implementing coming to fruition. The Panthers have an ok roster, with some decent additions, but they are still quite a no-frills team. They are only going to win matches by playing harder and smarter than their opponents and I was impressed with their defence against Canberra. They might not have an amazing season, but they won’t go quietly against anyone it seems.

Canberra on the other hand looked poor, but they are an enigma. You count them out and they go on a run to make the finals. You predict them to make the finals and they barely win a game. They always seem to win enough home games to be decent, but I honestly have no idea what to expect from them week to week. Next week they might win convincingly or lose again and nothing would surprise me.

The Manly win over the Broncos was about what I expected. Manly should be a better team than the Broncos, but both teams should be solid enough. I really didn’t take too much out of it besides the fact that I think Corey Norman should be playing at 6 and is wasted at fullback.

The Cowboys win over the Bulldogs was also relatively expected, with all the outs the Bulldogs had. The match was played on neutral ground in Gosford and I think both teams will still be pushing for a top 4 spot by the end of the season.

No result was more obvious than the Storm over the Dragons though. That is what happens when the reigning premiers host a team I think will be trying to avoid the wooden spoon. If you didn’t see that result coming, I don’t know what to tell you.

Finally the Sharks. Bless their cotton socks. The match was a bit weird and had quite a lot of errors and thus few points were scored. But the fans were incredible and I legitimately had goose bumps as they sang ‘Up, Up Cronulla’ after the win. Regardless of what happens with them now, I was really happy for their players and fans that they could at least enjoy that moment. That being said, that game lived inside the vacuum of the moment and I don’t think it can be used to gauge much about either team going forward.

That does it for Round 1 and I already can’t wait for Round 2 to start in a couple of days.

Oh football, how I missed you.

Are You Ready For Some Football?

Greg Inglis on the fly last season

We are just over a week away from the start of the NRL season and to me the offseason has felt like a lifetime. Of course rugby league is once again in the news for reasons besides the actual game, as yet again the face of the NRL season launch has found himself in an off field situation, however I am not going to be discussing that particularly issue while we don’t know all the facts. It’s not entertainment and it’s not worth speculating publicly about.

There is so much to look forward to in the 2013 NRL season and I thought I’d share my thoughts on what I’m excited about:

• OK so this first one isn’t exactly the footy itself, but for the first time I will be playing Fantasy NRL in the draft format traditionally associated with American fantasy sports. It has existed in Australia before this year, but for the first time that I know of it is available for free (because who in their right mind would pay to play fantasy sports?) and if you know how obsessive I am about my Fantasy NBA, I am going to be just as bad when it comes to Fantasy NRL. Although I must admit, in light of recent developments, I’m glad we postponed our draft date.

• For the first time since I wasn’t a toddler the Rabbitohs go into a season with legitimately high expectations. A top four finish with a rookie coach and rookie halfback in 2012 has Rabbitohs fans excited and expecting the club to challenge for the premiership in 2013. It’s a bizarre feeling for a fan not used to success, at least in this sport and after attending the Charity Shield last Friday, my excitement levels to watch the Rabbitohs in 2013 could not be higher.

• A new era in State of Origin. Ricky Stuart is no longer the coach of the Blues and after being very critical of his decisions as coach in 2012, I am hopeful that the Blues will have a real opportunity to end the drought. Queensland is still going to be just as competitive and won’t hand it over, but hopefully Laurie Daley can become the NSW version of his old Canberra teammate Mal Meninga. I know I’m biased but it’s not in the interests of State of Origin for this domination to continue as it has as if one horse always wins in a two man race, eventually the race itself is no longer interesting.

• The new era in refereeing. Harrigan and Raper are out and Daniel Anderson is in and by all accounts, fans and pundits have been impressed during the preseason so far. Refs have been given more licence to make decisions, which should empower them and give them confidence and also they are now required to give an opinion when referring to the video ref. It remains to be seen how it goes, but it can’t be much worse and if it is a noticeable improvement then it will do wonders for the game.

• This one is less excitement and more general interest, but how will the league go without the shoulder charge. Players are bound to do it on occasion almost out of muscle memory and instinct and how they are punished will be of note. Also worth following is how TV networks respond to big hits them they happen, as historically they love promoting the big collisions, both during the game and in their promos and now those big collisions aren’t even legal. Will the game actually suffer like many predict? Or will it simply be a topic of conversation for a few weeks and then no one will care anymore?

• The rookies. Every year I love watching the kids I’ve seen dominating the Toyota Cup (now the Holden Cup, which is going to take some getting used to) coming up and taking the NRL by storm. My favourite young gun who I’m hoping gets plenty of NRL game time this year is Edrick Lee of the Raiders. He debuted in first grade against my Rabbitohs last year, but if he gets his chance in a pretty deep Raiders backline, he is going to be a big-time fan favourite and excitement machine.

• The inevitable controversy. This is weird, but sometimes it can be fun to get angry or worked up about a particular issue in footy. Whether it’s refereeing or rules or a team or whatever else, there will surely be something that gets us debating and arguing over the course of the season and whilst in the moment it might be frustrating, it’s part of what makes us love sport too.

• My team has Greg Inglis. You know… in case you forgot.

What are you excited about heading into the 2013 NRL season?

The Billionaire Blues

Nathan Tinkler wondering what happened

It was not long ago that I wrote about the freak out Rabbitohs fans were having when Russell Crowe announced he would give up his ownership share after 2013. Today Newcastle fans in both rugby league and soccer (I’d say football but in this context that would complicate things) must be having a heart attack after reports came out that the ATO are looking to wind up Nathan Tinkler’s assets, including of course the two Newcastle football teams.

Obviously this is huge cause for concern for Novocastrians as whilst private ownership can be a huge advantage in sport, the downside is situations like this. League’s typically go through rigorous procedures to approve of potential owners before allowing them to buy teams, but I don’t think either the A-League or the NRL even considered Nathan Tinkler going broke.

Unfortunately this story isn’t all that surprising. There are many stories of people getting rich quickly and blowing it. Often those stories come from things like lottery winners, however sometimes it happens to people who actually earn the money through business ventures.

The Tinkler situation reminds me of the Eddy Groves situation that occurred with the old Brisbane Bullets in the NBL. Eddy, if you remember, was the founder of ABC Learning Centres and was fast becoming one of the richest men in Australia. He was expanding his business overseas and looked on top of the world. Eddy bought the Brisbane Bullets and the NBL thought it not only now had a rich owner of a team, but even maybe the Frank Lowy style benefactor the league needed. However Groves, much like Tinkler, got ahead of himself, overextended his business interests and the good times didn’t keep on rolling.

Sometimes the mentality it takes to make the fortune in the first place is the same mentality that eventually tears it down.

Of course representatives of Tinkler claim the bills will be paid and all will be well, but few people at this stage believe them. Whether the Newcastle teams go the way of the Bullets will not just be a function of the owner’s finances, but also the finances and strategy of the league as a whole. The NBL were in no position to save the Bullets and could do little but watch the team go under, however the NRL is certainly not in that same position.

The NRL is sitting on the goldmine that is the new TV deal and I doubt they will want the Newcastle market to go under. Whilst it’s not a huge city, it’s a city that is passionate about rugby league and they always have good crowd numbers and merchandise sales. It’s also a hotbed for up and coming talent. Whilst we can’t know yet how it will play out, I think if required the NRL will step in and save the Knights, much like the NBA did with the New Orleans Hornets until they found a new owner for them.

The A-League on the other hand might not do the same for the Jets however. They too just received a shiny new TV deal which they are delighted with, but it isn’t in the same ballpark as the NRL deal and I think they will do everything they can to find a new owner for the Jets, but won’t be willing or able to foot the bill themselves if required.

If the Jets went under it would be a real shame as Newcastle has embraced the team and their local rivalry with Central Coast is something the A-League has over other sports.

A year from now I doubt Nathan Tinkler will still be the owner of either team, but whether those teams still exist at all, at least in Newcastle, is a story we will have to watch unfold.

Seeya Later Gladiator

Russell Crowe watching on next to John Sutton

Russell Crowe is selling his shares in the Rabbitohs. That one sentence is enough to create a big news story and also send panic through a large section of Rabbitohs fans. Some are angry at him, some are worried about the future and some are saying ‘I told you so’ about selling the club to him in the first place.

What I want everyone to do is calm down and realise that Russell Crowe is not the be all and end all of the club and he would be the first person to tell you that. This change, whilst obviously a big deal, isn’t as big a deal as people seem to be thinking it is.

There is a lot yet to occur and we can’t be totally sure what the future ownership structure of the club will look like, but no matter what happens the club is both protected and self sufficient enough to handle it.

First of all, no matter who Crowe sells his shares to (and Holmes a Court if he sells too for that matter) and no matter what percentage of the club they own, they cannot make decisions such as turning the Rabbitohs into the Perth Pirates. The 25% of the club the members still own hold the veto rights on all decisions involving the name, colours, logo and location of the club. The club can move stadiums within the “Sydney basin” but can’t actually move away. Also people seem to jump to some sort of conclusion that Crowe is simply going to sell to the highest bidder, which is likely going to be some movie villain, Gordon Gecko style corporate raider who comes in and destroys the club. Whether or not this new owner is stroking a white cat in a swivel chair at the time I’m not sure.

Second of all, there is a chance that either the members or Souths Juniors will end up owning the club. Obviously this would require the members finding the funds to pay whatever the club ends up being valued at or the Juniors affording it, but it is an option that could occur, however I get the feeling it is most likely the club will remain in private ownership.

Here’s the thing people need to realise about 2012 Souths compared to 2006 Souths. In 2006 the club needed Russell Crowe and more specifically the money he was willing to put into the club, not just in terms of the purchase price, but also all the money he put in to keep the place going. But in 2012, thanks to that money and the hard work of people on and off the field the club is actually self sufficient. In 2013 - the last of Crowe’s ownership - the club will either turn a profit, or at least break even and therefore who actually owns the club won’t matter. The NRL grant to clubs is increasing significantly and is actually going to be higher than the salary cap, which means the NRL grant should fund most of the costs of the club in general. Add onto that the fact that Souths have the highest membership and sponsorship revenue in the NRL, or at least of the Sydney clubs, the club is in a position to run itself without having an owner as emotionally invested as Crowe.

Contrast this to the situation in Newcastle where Nathan Tinkler’s demise is putting the Knights in danger. But the Knights are in the position the Rabbitohs were in six years ago when Crowe bought the team, not the position the Rabbitohs are in now. The Knights are not self sufficient as their own entity and without money coming in from ownership, they were always going to be in trouble. This difference is why we should be thanking Russell Crowe for what he did and appreciate that now is the time for him to move on and deal with his personal life.

So yes, there is a chance the club will be bought by someone “outside the family” who sees it as a way to get into the high life of owning a sports team and potentially as a smart investment now that the business is actually viable. But in this day and age people need to appreciate that sports teams are just that... businesses. It is in the interests for the new owner that the club continues on the path it is on both on and off the field and whether they are a fan of the club or not won’t matter.

Finally, this issue seems to be bringing out a lot of the in-fighting between the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ camps from the original vote to sell the club in the first place. We really should be past this. ‘No’ voters should clearly be able to see that the club is in a much better position than it was when we voted and appreciate that this wouldn’t be the case without the course of action we took. ‘Yes’ voters need to move on from the George Piggins hate and realise that entire thing is now just a chapter of the past. In fact the media as a whole need to stop going to George every time they want a quote on Souths. I understand the man did a lot and was a big piece of the club’s history, but you don’t see past administrators of other sports teams being interviewed constantly, no matter how influential they were once upon a time.

It’s time to put that entire thing to bed and appreciate the fact that we support a club that is highly competitive both on and off the field and the future is bright, with or without a movie star leading the way.

That’ll Do Rabbit, That’ll Do

Adam Reynolds opening the scoring against the Raiders

And so just like that the Rabbitohs season is over. Surprisingly almost all the Rabbitohs fans I’ve spoken to or seen post online seem to have a very similar mindset after the team was eliminated in the preliminary final.  Whilst the result was obviously disappointing, the loss was fair and yet so cruel due to the untimely injury to Adam Reynolds who is arguably the team’s most important player. That, in and of itself, is a huge statement to make about a rookie but there you go.

All fans seem to be very content with the result of the season as a whole, finishing third on the ladder, qualifying for the preliminary final and the emergence of several new players such as Reynolds, Everingham and Justin Hunt, as well as the development of others like Farrell, Peats, McQueen etc.

What I love most however, is that whilst the fans are quite content with how the season played out, the players themselves aren’t in the same boat. Nathan Merritt was quoted as saying he sees the season as a failure and that is exactly how I want him to feel. I don’t want him to feel like a failure, he most certainly isn’t, however if the team is happy with just being competitive, then the concern would be that 2012 is as good as it will get.

We see 2012 as a success because we naturally assume that a young team, with a first year coach will improve going forward. It makes sense that if the Rabbitohs can perform this well with youngsters and rookies in many positions as well as the first year of a new system, each year after will be even better. However, you really never know with this stuff. Look at the Tigers and Warriors change in fortunes from 2011 to 2012, or the Eels from 2009 when they made the Grand Final until now.

A friend of mine who supports the Eels warned me that I shouldn’t be satisfied with just getting this far because you never know when you’ll get this close again. When the opportunity is there, you have to take it. Not every team can be Melbourne or Manly and contend for years on end. The hope is that the Rabbitohs will be more like the Storm, where Maguire learned from Bellamy, and be able to turn a promising season into a successful era; however it is certainly not guaranteed.

As important as 2012 was for the Rabbitohs, 2013 is even more important. They will enter the season not just with expectations to be serious contenders, but anything short of the 2012 performance will be considered a failure, not just by the team but by the fans as well. Was 2012 the start of something, or one good year?

After years of being quite unlucky with injuries, 2012 was about as lucky as a club can get in that department for the Cardinal and Myrtle. Roy Asotasi was the only long term injury and he returned in time and in form to make a solid contribution to the finals series. Nathan Merritt missed the first part of the season but hit the ground running as soon as he returned. Even the Greg Inglis suspension could be considered a stroke of luck as it enabled GI to refresh his body for the backend of the season, whilst the team went 2-1 without him.

We can’t assume 2013 will be quite as lucky in that regard. The club has the depth now to cover for most positions, especially in the forwards, but it doesn’t surprise me to see rumours of interest in Blake Ayshford and Sandor Earl to add depth to the backline stocks. I’m also a fan of Jordan Tongahai who plays left centre for the Toyota Cup side.

Another question is whether Souths will be impacted more during Origin in 2013. Obviously Inglis will be missing. Te’o is another who might be selected for Queensland and then you have the possibility that Adam Reynolds might be called up for NSW or even finally Nathan Merritt might get his chance. If that happens, will the Rabbitohs have the form slump that the Storm and Broncos experienced after Origin was over and if so, will they be able to bounce back the way the Storm did and Broncos didn’t?

Optimistically I see the Rabbitohs getting at least as far as they did this year, but I certainly won’t be taking it for granted. For now I’ll spend the offseason content and very proud of the performance of a team that hadn’t won a finals game since I was a baby. Being there to see the team beat the Raiders and win a finals match is an experience I’ll never forget and for that I thank Michael Maguire and the entire team.

Now for South Sydney to march on. Glory Glory.