Almanac Rugby League – 2022 NRL Round 20: Play the whistle!

 

 

If you’re the type who likes to buy an argument then this week has been a good one for you! Let’s start back on Sunday afternoon and the chaotic end to the Cowboys v Tigers match. But where do you start in that particular incident? The illegal kick-off to restart play? The alleged block on Feldt? The single whistle to stop the game rather than a double blast to end the game? The ‘legality’ of the captain’s challenge? Over-reliance on the Bunker? A possibly technically correct decision rather than a morally correct one? The element of human error in making decisions? And on and on. Work it out for yourself! I think Liam summed it up best when he texted me that, ‘it’s a bastard of a way to decide a game’. Spot on!

 

Then there’s the Sea Eagles jersey fiasco, another one to open a can of worms and Pandora’s box combined. Try to correctly identify for me the so-called high moral ground in that one! Well, that will depend on who you ask. To me, it’s a classic example of how changing societal attitudes impact the context and meaning of particular words which have meant one thing for so long but have come to mean something completely different, in this case inclusivity, and which can be seen to be inherently contradictory. Again, go figure it out for yourself! The bottom line is that the whole issue was just so badly handled.

 

And, unfortunately, the whole mess has had the effect of shunting this week’s focus of Women in League Round into the background.

 

In other results from Round 19, the Broncos presented themselves as worthy finalists and genuine top four contenders with a convincing win over the Eels at Parramatta. A dynamic first half and the influence of Adam Reynolds created the win while the bullocking form of Payne Haas will send a few shivers through defenders confronting the big man in the coming weeks. It was, however, a real dent in the credentials of the Eels who, (dare one say it) yet again, failed to rise to the occasion on offer to stamp their claim as a force in the competition. Their reward is to go on to meet the Panthers this weekend.

 

It was a similar case in the Dragons v Sea Eagles match. St George-Illawarra surprised Manly with a gutsy effort to keep their top eight hopes alive while the Sea Eagles dropped out of the eight on percentages. Give Ben Hunt the Dally M medal now – what a season he’s having and how the Dragons rely on him! The Roosters’ win means that we now seem to have four teams vying for that eighth spot – Roosters, Sea Eagles, Raiders and Dragons. I know who I’d pick! The question for the Knights is whether or not they give Ponga the rest of the year off to potentially save his career after yet another head knock – from today’s press it seems that they will, and rightly so.

 

The Raiders rolled up in their pyjamas to play the Warriors and had to change into their playing gear at half-time to go out and save their season after conceding 14 points start to the Kiwi-based outfit. Enter Jack Wighton and exit the Warriors. Canberra has to learn that you won’t play finals based on that sort of approach. The Sharks got off to a flyer against Penrith but couldn’t sustain the effort. Nevertheless they retain third spot for now with the prospect of confronting the improving Rabbitohs this weekend.

 

The Storm are officially in strife after a fourth loss on the trot and the loss of Papenhuyzen for the remainder of the season. They’ll need to beat the Warriors in NZ this weekend to shore up their finals spot while, at the same time, fending off continuing destabilisation around speculation about the future of Munster at the club after yet more mind games from Wayne Bennett at the Dolphins. The rebirth of the Bulldogs continued with a good win over the Titans to get them up to 12th on the ladder, something that looked a pipe dream two months ago.  It was another disappointing effort from the Gold Coast men – let’s leave it at that.

 

Round 20 starts tonight with the Sea Eagles hosting the Roosters. The events of the week see Manly go into this game severely undermanned while the Roosters regain the dangerous Joey Manu and impact forward Lindsay Collins. The result? This probably costs Manly their season while the Roosters shore up 8th spot on the ladder. The scoreline could get ugly!

 

Tomorrow evening the hot and mostly cold Warriors host the struggling Storm across the ditch. Here’s a chance for the home side to claim a big scalp! Another defeat will mean a total loss of credibility for Melbourne as a threat this year. I think they’re already gone as a premiership contender with Papenhuyzen out until next year but I think they’ll rally to win this particular game. Expect their forwards to react to recent stinging criticism which will allow the likes of Hughes and Munster to run the show.

 

The later game, Eels v Panthers, should be one of the match-ups of the weekend but the recent indifferent form of the Eels will see them struggle against the force which is the Panthers. The latter may well be missing Luai and Crichton but, as we saw during the Origin period, the ‘step up’ players named in their stead will fit in seamlessly. A loss will likely see the Eels drop out of top four contention even though a finals spot is almost assured.

 

Saturday afternoon starts with the Titans hosting the Raiders. If the Raiders show up from the opening whistle it could be over by half-time with the Titans in seeming disarray and not helped by the Kevin Proctor stupidity that emerged during the week. Canberra will also be looking to keep the door to a finals spot ajar even though I think it has closed on them already. I’ll go with the men from the capital.

 

This is followed by the best game of the weekend, the Sharks v Rabbitohs clash at Pointsbet Stadium. The Sharks got a reality check against the Panthers last weekend and will be without the dependable Dale Finucane (suspended). This will hurt more than it looks because Finucane has been their up-front glue this season. The Rabbitohs are building towards a finals push and still have top four aspirations. Their backline is developing a lethal quality about it with Mitchell imposing himself, AJ scoring tries at will, Ilias developing nicely and Walker capable of anything. Clearly, it’s the Bunnies for me.

 

The increasingly confident (and competent) Broncos host the hurting Wests Tigers in the night game. Brisbane can hang on to 4th spot with a win and will go into this one as warm favourites, and deservedly so. But what can we expect from the ‘kicked from pillar to post’ Tigers? Can Luke Brooks put two great games together in a row? Will the agony of last weekend deflate or inspire them? The bookies have them at $7 which may give the answer. Expect it to be lively but it’s hard to go past the Broncos.

 

On Sunday afternoon the Knights are at home to the Bulldogs which could be an enthusiastic match given that the Knights want to show their fans that they’re better than their lowly ladder position suggests while the Dogs want to continue their resurgence. No Ponga for the rest of the year takes away the Knights’ best attacking player (and a dependable defender) while Burton and The Fox are on fire for the Bulldogs. Canterbury for me.

 

The round concludes with the Dragons taking on the fortunate Cowboys. Perhaps last weekend was the scare the Cows needed to refocus their minds. They underestimated the Tigers and almost (should have) paid for it. The Dragons surprised against Manly last week and still harbour finals hopes even though I think that opportunity is gone. I think the Cowboys will win but only after having to draw on all of their resources against a fired-up opposition.

 

So my winners this week are the Roosters, Storm, Panthers, Raiders, Rabbitohs, Broncos, Bulldogs and Cowboys.

 

And, not to be forgotten by the Almanac, here’s to all the mums, spouses, partners, daughters, aunties and women as a whole who love their rugby league. This round is for you.

 

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Our writers are independent contributors. The opinions expressed in their articles are their own. They are not the views, nor do they reflect the views, of Malarkey Publications.

 

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