Almanac Rugby League – NRL 2022 Round 12: The middle of the ladder is becoming a little bogged down!

 

 

It’s been raining a lot here lately – about 500mm (20 inches) at our place in the past couple of weeks. Not surprisingly, the front yard is a bit boggy and presents a challenge to navigate your way through it. It’s a bit like the current state of the NRL ladder where the middle is heavily saturated, a gluepot that’s hard to escape and, to be honest, a bit of a morass of mediocrity compared to the top of the table. Round 11 did little to help any number of teams to escape the bog.

 

It’s ok for the Panthers as they continue on their all-too-easy winning ways; the Storm may be stuttering at the moment but have key troops returning soon to regain momentum; the Cowboys are maintaining their own version of a stampede. On the next level, the Broncos, Eels, Sharks and Roosters seem to have a firm hold on finals aspirations, even if they are not in the same league as the top three at this stage.

 

Then comes the morass where  steps are more often sideways than forward. The Rabbitohs are in a bit of a mess; the Raiders can’t find consistency to be taken too seriously; the Sea Eagles are in strife and the long-term loss of Turbo looks likely to cruel their season; the Dragons are hard to see as a possible top eight side; the Warriors are just too cold and hot (more the former than the latter); the Titans somehow just can’t get better.

 

Then, at the bottom of the bog, come the Tigers, Knights and Bulldogs, their seasons over before the end of May – that’s if they weren’t at the end of April!

 

Yet, in spite of all of that, Round 12 offers a few games worthy of anticipation. We start tonight with the Storm hosting the Sea Eagles, a clash with its share of history over the years. Melbourne should be too good in this one, even if they are still without Paps at the back but, hopefully, with Hughes and Big Nelson back on board. Manly, who I think got a bad rub of the green last week, will be game but that won’t be enough. Imagine what Bellamy will be like if the Storm drop three in a row!

 

Friday evening starts with the top of the table Panthers v Cowboys match in Penrith. Images of a rock v a hard place come to mind. Both sides are playing with great self-belief, flair and enthusiasm. But the northerners will be without Feldt and possibly big JT which will make their task even harder against a side that has lost at home only once in the past three years. I’ll be interested top see how the raw youths of the Cowboys’ forward pack hold up against their seasoned opponents. Penrith to continue their march towards September. The Broncos v Titans derby follows at Suncorp. These clashes often belie wherever the sides sit on the ladder with ‘little brother’ causing the ‘big smoke’ boys a fair share of bother over the years. I can’t see that happening this time. Brisbane gutsed out a strong win without Reynolds to show that they’re more than a one-man team which will give them heart. The Titans have struggled to get their act together and I don’t think it will happen this week.

 

The Warriors and Knights meet at Redcliffe on Saturday afternoon with both desperate for a win. The winner will be the one that is interested for long enough. It’s anyone’s guess who that might be. I fancy the Warriors because I was unimpressed by the way the Knights folded against the Broncos after a contentious call went against them. The Warriors might be mercurial but I think they give more, more often. The Rabbitohs are just as much in need of a win and should take out some of their recent frustrations on the Tigers in the evening game. Yes, the Tigers had a win but it was only over the Bulldogs. Souths are on a different level. Saturday night’s Sharks v Roosters match-up should be a beauty; it’s just a pity it’s not on free-to-air tv. This game offers the winner a chance to emerge from the mid-table mud to some extent and affirm genuine finals hopes. The Sharks have home ground advantage for whatever it might be worth; the Roosters aren’t far off, even if they were eventually swamped by the Panthers. I think it’s a toss of the coin but I expect the Roosters to prevail in what might be a high scoring game.

 

Come Sunday afternoon and the Bulldogs host the Dragons out at Belmore. I’ll go with the Dragons because I can’t see the Dogs being able to score enough points to threaten their more lethal opponents. September can’t come soon enough for the boys from the outer west. The round is completed with what may be the best game of them all, the Raiders v the Eels. The men from the capital look to have found some mojo at last to match their on paper potential. The Eels got out of a tight one last week (with some questionable help from the whistle) which is the sign of a good side. They also want to regain the form that put the Panthers away a couple weeks ago to demonstrate that Parra can go deep into September, perhaps even to the last game of the season. I think Canberra is still a work in progress so I’ll go with the Eels.

 

So my winners this week are the Storm, Panthers, Broncos, Warriors, Rabbitohs, Roosters, Dragons and Eels.

 

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About Ian Hauser

A relaxed, Noosa-based retiree with a (very) modest sporting CV. A loyal Queenslander, especially when it comes to cricket and rugby league. Enjoys travel, coffee and cake, reading, and has been known to appreciate a glass or three of wine. One of Footy Almanac's online editors who enjoys the occasional editing opportunity to assist aspiring writers.

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