Game On!!

Hello everyone and welcome to the 1st Edition of Keyto’s NRL Hits (and misses). I am a current student journalist and spent last year writing NRL match reports, team previews and features for the Sports Australia website. This year I am introducing a weekly opinion piece where I will give my views on the big NRL issues from the week or just jibber on randomly.

Very briefly I will tell you a bit about myself. First and foremost I am a rugby league fan. I’ve been a fan since my grandparents took me to watch the Broncos play at the old ANZ Stadium when I was about 10 years old. I am an unabashed Queensland supporter and my favourite team is the Broncos. Last year I decided to try and turn my love of rugby league into a career by studying journalism at QUT in Brisbane and was invited to write match reports for Sports Australia (http://www.sportsaustralia.com/) by a work colleague.

I wanted to introduce a blog or opinion piece because while I love news reporting, sometimes it’s fun to speak what’s on your mind! I would love reader participation and welcome comments to be sent to my email, andrew.keyte@gmail.com, or on this site.

To start things off I would like to give my 2009 NRL season preview; we’ll have a look at each team and I will tell you how I think (or want) their season to pan out. And oh, I won’t touch the off-field dramas today. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of other opportunities across the season...

BRISBANE BRONCOS: Top Eight, just. That winning culture and sprinkling of superstars I think will be enough to slip the Broncos into the top eight. This is a young team but there’s potential there for great things...maybe not though in 2009.

Key Gains: Israel Folau, Ben Te’o, Lagi Setu, Michael DeVere

Key Losses: Wayne Bennett, Ben Hannant, Michael Ennis, Darius Boyd, David Stagg, Tonie Carroll, Denan Kemp, Greg Eastwood, Joel Moon

Key Man: D.Lockyer always figures but look for Peter Wallace to really build on an impressive 2008. He has a rep jersey to win back and seemed to relish guiding this side around last year. Wallace has a great chance to build on that platform he set in 2008.

CANTERBURY BULLDOGS: Fringe of the Eight: Looking at the recruits you would have to say, on paper, Bulldogs top four in 09. However, there’s a difference between a champion team and a team of champions...the Dogs may need this season to develop into a champion team.

Key Gains: Brett Kimmorley, Michael Ennis, Ben Hannant, David Stagg, Josh Morris

Key Losses: Corey Hughes, Reni Maitua, Willie Tonga, Kane Cleal

Key Man: Brett Kimmorley last year had one of his best seasons and took Cronulla to the cusp of a Grand Final berth. Another year on, can ‘Noddy’ do the same for the Dogs?

CANBERRA RAIDERS: Top Eight, maybe: The Raiders really surprised me last year so I’m not going to write them off now. Hardly a team of superstars but they have one in Terry Campese on the rise. They MUST learn to consistently win games away from Canberra.

Key Gains: David Shillington, Stuart Flanagan, Bronson Harrison.

Key Losses: William Zillman, Colin Best, Todd Carney, Michael Weyman, Neville Costigan, Ryan Hinchcliffe.

Key Man: Campese is their man in attack. He rocketed to within a handful of votes for the Dally M Medal last year and made his debut for Australia in the World Cup. Campese will be a target but also the man at the wheel for the Raiders.

CRONULLA SHARKS: Top Four: I loved the way Cronulla played old-school footy last year and it got them 3rd place and a game from the GF. Trent Barrett returns to the NRL and he will be expected to take Kimmorley’s role. Throw in Maitua and Tupou running wide...I like the Sharks again in 2009.

Key Gains: Trent Barrett, Anthony Tupou, Reni Maitua, Corey Hughes

Key Losses: Brett Kimmorley, Greg Bird, Isaac De Gois, Kevion Kingston, Adam Peek, Fraser Anderson.

Key Man: Brett Seymour. Barrett has spent a few years in England so may be a little rusty. Seymour really developed last year alongside Kimmorley and this year he has a chance to leave his mark on this team.

GOLD COAST TITANS: I want to say Top Eight, but can’t: They have the top squad but do they have the depth? History shows if Prince goes down so do the Titans...hopefully they have learnt from their (brief) past and can finally crack that elusive big match in September.

Key Gains: William Zillman, Matt White, Sam Tagataese

Key Losses: Gavin Cooper, Clint Amos, Michael Hodgson, Luke Swain, James Stosic, Josh Lewis.

Key Man: Scott Prince. Everyone knows he is the guy running this team and their attack revolves around him. Prince needs greater assistance consistently from those around him: Rogers, Friend and Campbell along with Laffranchi and Harrison.

MANLY SEA EAGLES: Grand Final bound: I can’t find a better team than the Premiers and it seems the only team that could hurt Manly is the Sea Eagles themselves. An awful week or so for them off the field before the competition begins but it’s on the field where Manly will turn now.

Key Gains: Chris Bailey, Tony Williams, Shane Rodney

Key Losses: Steve Menzies, Steve Bell, Luke Williamson, Mark Bryant

Key Man: Matt Orford. Personally I’m not sold yet on Orford as a big game player (Origin games: nil). But I’m just a guy on the street with an opinion. This has to be his year, not just a good 3 or 4 games in a row here and there...2009 must be the year of the ‘Ox’.

MELBOURNE STORM: Close to the top, but not the force they once were: The Storm have been a victim of their own success with a host of their stars forced out of the club. Any team with a Slater, Inglis, Cronk and Smith plus a coach like Bellamy should always be a threat on some level.

Key Gains: Ryan Hinchcliffe, Wairangi Koopu, Matthew Cross

Key Losses: Israel Folau, Michael Crocker, Matt Geyer, Antonio Kaufusi, Jeremy Smith, Sam Tagataese.

Key Man: Cameron Smith. He is the conductor at dummy-half and his combination with the other superstars has won many a game. He leads from the front and will do the same this year. The signing of Hinchcliffe will likely see Smith spend more time in the halves this year too.

NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS: Come on Knights, Top Eight!! I am a fan of Brian Smith...always have been. I like that he had the guts to do what had to be done even though it made him a villain (again). Still a young team but they showed enough last year to have me cheering them this year. No Buderus hurts, De Gois though is a fair replacement.

Key Gains: Isaac De Gois, Ben Rogers, George Ndaira.

Key Losses: Danny Buderus, Chris Bailey, Matt White, Mitchell Sargent, Jesse Royal.

Key Man: Kurt Gidley. He did everything last year, probably even drove the bus some days. He is now the captain, fullback, goal kicker, key play maker, organiser and everything else. Gidley along with De Gois and Jarrod Mullen can provide a fine nucleus for this team.

NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS: Building Momentum: A fast finish to the 2008 season, including an 8th-place finish that still produced a win over the Storm at Olympic Park, allows for a real platform into 2009. Match winner Stacey Jones returns, Ruben Wiki has retired but the Warriors have another motivation. Popular youngster Sonny Fai lost his life in January, presumed drowned after saving his younger brother and cousin from a rip. The Warriors still have a place for Sonny in their club and he will provide a huge motivation.

Key Gains: Stacey Jones, Jacob Lillyman, Joel Moon, Denan Kemp, Jesse Royal

Key Losses: Ruben Wiki, Grant Rovelli, Logan Swann, Wairangi Koopu

Key Man: Lance Hohaia. He had a great season last year but now with the return of Jones and a fully fit Wade McKinnon at fullback it remains to be seen where Hohaia fits. Wherever he does play, if Hohaia can replicate his form of 2008 the Warriors will be well placed for another strong finish.

NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS: Return to the Eight: There’s no reason I can see that suggests the Cowboys should have a season paralleling the horrors of 2008. The playing roster is strong, the coaching structure overhauled and the culture reflects wins. Mobility in the forwards is debateable...but a fully fit Bowen and Thurston pose trouble for any opposition.

Key Gains: Willie Tonga, Antonio Kaufusi, Grant Rovelli, Clint Amos

Key Losses: Jacob Lillyman, Ray Cashmere, Sione Faumuina, Justin Smith, Mark Henry, David Faiumu

Key Man: Carl Webb. We know about Thurston, Bowen and Payne but these guys need a strong forward pack to be at their best. Webb is the leader of a pack containing plenty of big boppers and a stack of aggression. Webb also has rep jumpers to reclaim this season.

PARRAMATTA EELS: Good Luck: I didn’t like the Eels at all last year and they’ve made no major changes to their playing roster for this year. To me, and others, the attitude in 2008 from the majority of the players STUNK and that’s what crushed them. Their still a young team, stacks of talent, but can new coach Daniel Anderson channel that towards winning consistently?

Key Gains: Kevin Kingston

Key Losses: Tim Smith, Mark Riddell, Chad Robinson, Daniel Wagon, Tony Williams

Key Man: Jarryd Hayne. He has been named at 5/8 to start the season and the Eels need to see something creatively from him. Only Brett Finch stands out as a play maker which makes me wonder where their points are going to come from. Huge ask for Hayne, but he is so talented that he may well deliver.

PENRITH PANTHERS: Too young for the Eight: I really like the youth at the club and I’m a fan of Matt Elliott but I just think they need one or two more years to really develop as a top team. The Panthers will win some good games and beat their share of top teams, but they won’t do it consistently enough. The big question: Does the club have the patience to wait or will Elliott cop the bullet before Origin time?

Key Gains: Gavin Cooper, Shane Elford

Key Losses: Tony Puletua, Rhys Wesser, Luke Priddis, Luke Rooney, Shane Rodney

Key Man: Jarrod Sammut. He has been given the halfback job in Round 1 and the club knows he has superstar written all over him. Sammut will need time to grow into this tag and hopefully this year he will be given more time to cement a regular position in the side.

ROOSTERS: Finals bound, but I’m not confident: When I think Roosters I think finals but that may just be a hangover from their most recent glory days now more than 5 years ago. A talented side that fell over last year in the finals...I just don’t know in 2009. The Roosters could honestly be top four or bottom four. Also, I haven’t heard of their two signings either!

Key Gains: Jordan Tansey, Sisa Waqa

Key Losses: Anthon y Tupou, David Shillington, Amos Roberts, Mickey Paea, Brent Grose

Key Man: Braith Anasta. Officially the club captain now and coming off, what I thought, was a career best season in 2008. He has grown as a player under Brad Fittler and that influence should shift through the entire team now. Anasta could see a permanent return to rep football this year.

ST GEORGE-ILLAWARA DRAGONS: Top Two: You can’t ignore the Wayne Bennett factor at this club. He knows how to produce the winning football teams by squeezing the very best from every player. They’ve made some good signings too and come September I expect the Dragons to be right near the top of the table.

Key Gains: Wayne Bennett, Jeremy Smith (forward), Darius Boyd, Luke Priddis, Neville Costigan, Michael Weyman, Mathew Head, Mickey Paea, Nick Emmett

Key Losses: Mark Gasnier, Jason Ryles, Lagi Setu, Josh Morris, Rangi Chase, Simon Woolford, Ben Rogers, Kirk Reynoldson

Key Man: Jamie Soward. I was going to say Bennett but he won’t be the guy setting up tries and making the tackles. Soward is the textbook example of a guy ready to take the next step under a coach like Bennett and this is the year for that to happen.

SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS: Time to deliver: At this time of the year for at least the last four or five years we’ve heard that now is the time for the Bunnies. Well, now IS that time...they need to start delivering consistently in 2009. The squad has a nice mix of youth and experience, the coach has been there for a while and their fans deserve a consistently winning team.

Key Gains: Rhys Wesser, Colin Best, Kane Cleal, Garrett Crossman

Key Losses: Nigel Vagana, Dean Widders, Jeremy Smith (halfback), Manase Manuokafoa, Yileen Gordon, Eddie Paea, Germaine Paulson

Key Man: John Sutton. A guy like Chris Sandow will have heaps of pressure on him after a stellar debut season so it’s up to the experienced Sutton to lend a hand. He should have a regular gig at 5/8 to start the year and has been around long enough now. It’s time for Sutton to step up another notch on a regular basis.

WESTS TIGERS: There’ll be moments, but not enough: I can’t see the Tigers regularly beating good teams this year because, on paper, it appears most other teams’ line up at least equal or better to the Tigers in all positions. That may well amount to absolutely nothing and I hope it does...I like the Tigers! And games aren’t won or lost on paper.

Key Gains: Gareth Ellis, Josh Lewis

Key Losses: Brett Hodgson, Ben Te’o, Stuart Flanaghan, Bronson Harrison, Mathew Head, Ryan O’Hara

Key Man: Benji Marshall. Time to forget rugby union and concentrate on a full year of quality NRL. Someone may be able to help, but has Marshall completed a season from start to finish yet? He’s been handed the 7 jumper, this is his team to run and 2009 is the time for us to see Marshall raise his game and show us the player many think he can be.

So that’s my thoughts on each side for season 2009. I apologise for the length of the column but there are 16 teams to cover. I promise that things will be shorter next week and maybe more ‘random’...even though I hate that word!

My tips for Round 1: Storm (just), Broncos, Warriors, Manly, Cronulla, Gold Coast, Roosters, Tigers

Please feel free to email me at andrew.keyte@gmail.com or leave a comment below. Hope your team wins this weekend and I’ll talk to you again soon!

Keyto