Almanac Rugby League – NRL 2022 Round 14: Two coaches sacked but Broncos v Raiders is the one to watch!

 

There may have been only four matches in Round 13 but we learned quite a lot. On the sad side, both the Bulldogs and the Warriors are officially basket cases. I feel particularly sorry for Matt Burton who went from being a key premiership player with the Panthers in 2021 to best player in the worst team in 2022. Josh Addo-Carr must also be pondering the wisdom of leaving the Storm, persistent premiership possibilities, for the perennial punching bags at Belmore.

 

Then there’s the curious case of the Roosters who would have expected to bag the two points against the early leaders-but-fast faders from Canberra. The capital men put on a gutsy display in defence, especially in one sustained period during the first half, and then took a couple of half chances (a charge down and a half-volley pickup) to put the Bondi boys under pressure. By comparison, the Roosters botched several good opportunities and were left to rue the day. With the Storm, Eels and Panthers in the next three rounds, it could get messy in terms of a top four finish for the Chooks. Canberra mightn’t be pretty but they were effective and have three winnable games ahead against the Broncos, Knights and Dragons. Their fate is in their own hands.

 

At the top of the tree, the Panthers and the Cowboys demonstrated the depth of their squads by brushing aside their opposition. Penrith still looked like a well-oiled machine even without six key players away on Origin duty; the Cowboys showed enthusiasm and endeavour to reinforce their credentials by dismissing the Titans with ease.

 

On to Round 14. (Bear in mind that this is being written prior to knowing about any injuries/suspensions fallout from Origin I.) The Cowboys host the Dragons in Townsville tomorrow night with the northerners hot favourites to extend their winning run. The inclusion of any Origin players will only confirm the odds in favour of the Cowboys. The Dragons are a part of that mid-table morass I wrote about a few weeks ago. After the Cowboys, they face the Rabbitohs, Raiders and Broncos – they simply have to win at least half of these four games to remain in the hunt. Like the Raiders, their fate is still in their own hands – but not for much longer if they can’t win regularly.

 

Saturday starts with the Titans hosting the Rabbitohs and, on form, you’d chalk this one down to Souths. The Titans don’t seem to be able to put a full game together; they’re hot in patches but their cold is freezing. They’ll stay in the bottom four. Then the Roosters take on the Storm in the early evening game at the SCG. Already two games out of the top four, the Roosters must win to stay in touch and remain credible as a force in the competition. The Storm are not at the top of their game in their usual menacing way, so here’s the opportunity for the Chooks to stay in the fray. If JWH is back along with Tedesco, Tupou and Collins, I’d rate them a real chance if they take more of the opportunities they create. I think I’ll go for the upset and pick the Roosters. The Broncos v Raiders night game is, perhaps, the most intriguing game of the round. The Broncos are six on the trot; the Raiders, although not fully convincing just yet, are developing something better than we’ve seen earlier in the season. It’s a cliché but this game will tell us a lot about where both sides fit in the overall mix. If the Broncos win, they’re genuine finalists and possibly top four; if they lose, they’re likely finalists. If Canberra win, they’re back and probable finalists; if they lose, it’s 50/50 come September. I’ll go with the home team.

 

On Sunday the Tigers host the Sea Eagles. The Tigers are bottom four for a reason and now they’ve sacked their coach; the Sea Eagles were great last week – even if it was against the imploding Warriors. Manly are a confidence team and last week will only boost that self-belief. They have the Cowboys and the Storm coming up in the next fortnight, so they’d better win this one to keep in touch with the top eight; a loss will see them off the pace and struggling to regain a foothold. Manly for me, comfortably. The Knights host the Panthers and I expect we’ll see the juggernaut  continue its unstoppable surge towards the minor premiership. Only the Panthers can beat themselves at the moment. Good (K)night, Newcastle! Later in the evening, the Warriors host the Sharks in Redcliffe. While the Sharks have lost a bit of their bite in recent weeks, it’s hard to see the self-destructing Warriors presenting them with much of a fight. In fact, the Sharks should look to this game as an opportunity to run themselves back into some form. The wild card is the departure of Nathan Brown as the Warriors’ coach and the arrival of club legend Stacey Jones in his place. Will the Warriors rediscover their fight? I’ll stick with the Sharks.

 

Then, come Monday afternoon, the Bulldogs take on the Eels at Stadium Australia. For the Eels, this is about a top four spot; for the Bulldogs, it’s about pride and stemming the bleeding. Let’s hope that Mick Potter can infuse something – anything! -to help drag this proud club out of the doldrums. Being competitive for 80 minutes will be a good start. There’s only one winner here – the Eels.

 

So my winners this week are the Cowboys, Rabbitohs, Roosters, Broncos, Sea Eagles, Panthers, Sharks and Eels.

 

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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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