5 players to make an impact in 2014

Will Hopoate – Eels

He’s only 21, he hasn’t played in the NRL for two seasons, and yet he’s already won a premiership and played State of Origin where he scored a try on debut as the second youngest player to ever play for NSW. Now after his two year Mormon mission, he returns to the NRL having left a Manly outfit that was on top of the NRL he now joins a team that has claimed back to back wooden spoons and last made the top 8 when Hopoate had not even entered first grade. For Elder Will Hopoate, he was unable to watch the horrid last two seasons the Eels have endured, accessing media isn’t permitted throughout his mission. But according to the Eels strength and conditioning team, it’s all systems go for Hoppa. He has the potential to be one of the truly elite players in the game, big, strong, fast, skilled, a great leader and he has his head very firmly screwed on. The Eels are going to be turning to him often so he’s going to be seeing plenty of ball and plenty of opportunities to show his skill surrounded by a young and improving Eels backline cast.

Elijah Taylor – Panthers

After three seasons and 67 appearances for the Warriors, the 23 year old Kiwi international makes his way to Penrith to join past coach Ivan Cleary and the Panthers. Taylor’s 2012 campaign got off to a rocky start playing at hooker in place of the injured Nathan Friend and also doing a stint off the bench, but once he was shifted back to a more natural spot of lock, Taylor blossomed. A fantasy NRL players dream, Taylor has a huge motor and eats up a tremendous number of tackles while also having a good level head and a few nifty skills with the ball to go with it. Taylor brings a no nonsense, workman like approach to the field and should continue to improve if he is afforded some stability in his selection to make the Penrith 13 jersey his own. If that happens, expect a lot of people to start taking a lot more notice of Taylor than they have in the past with Penrith likely drawing a lot of spotlight this season. He is a player that you can trust to bring it all every week, a former Toyota Cup captain, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see Taylor grow into a great captain in first grade as well.

Adam Reynolds – Rabbitohs

I’ve chewed many peoples ears about this guy and that won’t be stopping anytime soon. As far as I’m concerned, Adam Reynolds is already the third best player wearing the number 7 in the NRL behind only Cooper Cronk and Daly Cherry-Evans. The 2012 NRL rookie of the year and leading points scorer, Reynolds made an immediate impact in the top grade helping lead the Bunnies resurgence to being one of the elite teams in the competition. Reynolds toolset is excellent, his short and long range kicking is precise and he’s a master of helping the Bunnies earn repeat sets. He’s not a big bloke at 173 and 85kg but he’s as hearty and tough as anyone else on the field. For years NSW have cried out for a long term solution in the halves, making futile changes year after year with no success, it’s time for Reynolds to be given the keys. In this his third year I expect him to continue to evolve, to continue to prove that he should be mentioned whenever the top halfbacks are being discussed and to show that he is the Blues halfback of the future.

Ben Barba – Broncos

We all know the ability of Barba. 2012 leading try scorer, Fullback of the Year, Provan-Summons medal winner, Peter Frilingos headline moment of the year and, most importantly, the Dally M medal winner. In 2012 Ben Barba was the toast of Rugby League, playing the best football we’d seen since Jarryd Hayne’s magical 2009 season, every minute he was on the field was can’t miss football you never knew what was going to come out of his bag of tricks next as he helped lead the Bulldogs to the Grand Final. Fast forward to 2012 and Barba’s radiant light was reduced to a mere flicker. Stood down indefinitely to begin the season while he entered a facility to assist him with gambling and alcohol issues, his family life fell apart in the public eye amongst plenty of rumour and speculation, and to make matters worse when Barba returned to the field he was hampered by injuries. At just 24, Barba now joins the Broncos, closer to home with presumably a clearer head and hopefully recovered from his injury woes. He may not quite hit the dizzying heights of 2012, to play at that level was never going to be sustainable, but I expect Barba to spring back to being one of the real treats to watch in the NRL. 

Greg Inglis – Rabbitohs

Well everyone will predict this one, but this is the man I see winning the Dally M unless injuries get in his way. Greg Inglis is the LeBron James of the NRL, he’s the prototype of what the perfect Rugby League player should be, scientists are trying to engineer another one of this guy. 195cm 105kg, lean, mean, fast, powerful and yet so talented that he’s won both Five-eighth of the year and Fullback of the year while being the Queensland and Australian centre and having the most tries in Origin history. At 27, we may still be yet to see the peak of GI’s powers, and he’s no doubt going to have a point to prove after his Rabbitohs flamed out in the playoffs. Whether you like the Bunnies or not, whether you like Queensland or not, whether you like Australia or not, try to enjoy the spectacle that is possibly the greatest athlete to have ever played Rugby League.

5 youngsters to watch out for in the 2014 NRL season

Toka Likiliki –  Prop Knights

If you haven’t seen Likiliki on the field, you’ll notice him pretty quickly the first time you watch him as the guy that’s 186cm tall and 127kg. A monster with the ball in hand, Likiliki is deceptively skilled and versatile for such a mountain of a player with fantastic explosiveness that can be used off the bench in short, brutal dosages but has even been used on the wing at times throughout his Under 20s career. A member of the junior Kiwis and former Warriors junior, it’s a beauty watching this big boy in action, don’t be surprised to see him very quickly become a fan favourite once he brings his hulking frame and destructive runs to first grade.

Luke Keary – Halfback/Five Eighth Rabbitohs

A member of the 2012 Toyota Cup player of the year squad, Keary has already became a familiar face to many NRL fans having played 10 games for the Rabbitohs in 2013. But many of these games came off the bench as the Rabbitohs sought to slowly blood the young half behind their top pivots Adam Reynolds and John Sutton and so has yet to really be able to show his wares. From what we have seen of him, Keary hasn’t looked out of his depth at all in first grade and will give the Rabbitohs a real conundrum this year trying to find a place for him with two such classy halves already on deck. Keary has a fantastic all around skill set that would be great for an off the bench utility role if the Bunnies desired, but Keary’s talent demands much more.

Michael Chee Kam – Second row/centre Sea Eagles

Big things were expected of the Kiwi born, Australian School Boys junior Michael Chee Kam in 2013 having been snatched up by the Eagles from the Raiders system. Another from the 2012 Toyota Cup team of the year, fans were hoping that the 189cm 103kg youngster would help fill the void of the departing Tony Williams. Unfortunately, injuries robbed Chee Kam of his 2013 season and all of the pre-season hype was left unfulfilled, but at just 22 years of age there’s no reason to think that with a strong build up to 2014 that Chee Kam can’t bounce back and make the impact that so many were expecting from him last year. Chee Kam has plenty of strength and the potential to be very damaging with the ball in hand, with Manly he’ll need to put in a lot of work to earn minutes at such a deep club, but they have a fantastic culture for a young talented player like this to play with.

David Klemmer – Prop Bulldogs

The 2012 Toyota Cup player of the made 4 early season appearances for the Bulldogs in 2013 and quickly showed he was more than up for it. So high are the wraps on Klemmer that the Dogs locked him up to a 3 year extension last year worth nearly $1 million as a 19 year old who was yet to make a first grade appearance. A towering 200cm tall and tipping the scales at 120kg, Klemmer has shown an incredible engine, capable of carting his huge frame around the park for the best part of 80 minutes.  In the 2012 Toyota Cup campaign, Klemmer ate up 4208 metres for an average of 180 per game, while making 137 tackle busts and 55 offloads. It’s a big step up from the Under 20s to the NRL, but his gigantic size makes almost everyone else in the competition look like his junior.

Luke Brooks – Halfback Tigers

Granted a one off exemption by the NRL due to salary cap constraints, the Tigers unveiled wonder-kid Luke Brooks to the Rugby League in round 24 at the Sydney Cricket Ground and Brooks proved worthy of the hype, turning in a try scoring man of the match performance as the Tigers took care of the Dragons. Brooks is deemed by many to be not only a superstar, but one of the generational talents to come through the sport, drawing several comparisons to the legendary Andrew Johns. Brooks has a great short and long range kicking game, knows how to steer a team around the park and doesn’t shy away from the tough stuff on defence. Heading into 2014, no youngster brings with him higher expectations than Luke Brooks.

Early tips for the 2014 NRL season

Top 8 finish – Titans 3.25 @ Bet365

The Titans finished 2013 in 9^th places, missing the playoffs by just 2 points with the 8^th best attack in the competition and 9^th best defence but injuries to several key players hamstrung them throughout pivotal points of the season. On paper the Titans are a much better team than a lot of people give them credit for. Their halves pairing lacks experience, but on talent the combination of Aidan Sezer and Albert Kelly is matched by few other pairs in the competition. During their first season together they meshed incredibly well with the calculated kicking game of Sezer beautifully complimented by the gamebreaking ability of Kelly. Up front the Titans pack is led by three of the best representative forwards of recent years in Nate Myles, Greg Bird and Ash Harrison. They pack plenty of size and muscle in the likes of Big Dave Taylor, Ryan James, Luke Douglas, Luke Bailey, Matt White while young hooker Matt Srama has shown he can punch well above his weight during his time in first grade. In the backs while they’ve just lost the enigmatic monster Jamal Idris, they’ve added former Storm strike weapon Maurice Blair who they’ll be hoping doesn’t suffer the same fate as so many others who have departed Melbourne. They also possess one of the fastest pairs of backs in the competition in David Mead and Kevin Gordon while Will Zillman is a very talented and versatile option who flies under the radar. This team has a lot going for it, if they can stay healthy then I have them pencilled in to my top 8.

Dally M – Greg Inglis 8.00 @ Bet365

The hot tip of many to walk away with the award last year, Inglis claimed the Dally M Fullback of the Year and Provan-Summons award in 2013 but fell short of the top prize. Prior to his late season knee injury, Inglis was unquestionably the most destructive attacking weapon in the competition. A former five-eight of the year, Origin and International centre and now playing at fullback and deemed the best in the competition there, Inglis has all the talent in the world and a herculean build to match. At just 26 with a birthday around the corner, the strapping Rabbitoh won’t likely be slowing down this year surrounded by a star studded Bunnies team. Inglis is arguably the greatest athlete the game has ever seen and looks to be at the height of his powers, it’s going to take an incredible effort for anybody to beat him this year.

Grand Final Winner  - Rabbitohs 6.50 @ Bet365

Many, including myself, thought 2013 would be the year the Bunnies went all the way. The third ranked attack and fourth ranked defence led Souths to finishing the 2013 tied at the top with 40 points winning 75% of their games. After flaming out in 2012 after star halfback Adam Reynolds picked up an injury against the Dogs, things were shaping up nicely for the Bunnies as they took down the Storm in their qualifying final but Manly put a halt to proceedings in the preliminary final sending them home 30 to 20. While the Bunnies certainly had a few old heads at the club, this team still has plenty of room to grow with key players like Adam Reynolds and George Burgess just 23 and 21, the Rabbitohs also spent last year blooding boom young half Luke Keary into the first grade side and they’re lead by some of the truly elite talents in the world with Sam Burgess, Greg Inglis and Issac Luke who show no signs of slowing down. The perfect script for 2013 that so many spoke of was a Bunnies vs Roosters final, the Bunnies could not do their part but so often in sport we see teams need to lose like that before they can cross the final hurdle, now is the time for Souths to finally bring the glory back to South Sydney.

Early tips for the 2014 Super Rugby Season

Winning Nationality – New Zealand $1.90 @bet365

Call me a biased Kiwi but since the conception of Super Rugby, New Zealand teams have accounted for 12 championships compared to just 3 each for Australia and South Africa and New Zealand Rugby showed little sign of slowing down throughout the 2013 year. The back to back champion Chiefs come in favourites once again and with good reason with several core players still young and developing despite having already achieved such great success. Players like Aaron Cruden (25) Ben Afeaki (25) Ben Tameifuna (22) Tawera Kerr-Barlow (23) Sam Cane (21) are already world class talents who still have plenty of room to grow. It’s scary to think that this Chiefs outfit that has already won two titles in a row could still just be scratching the surface, but they account for a significant portion of what is looked to be the future of the All Black side. But you aren’t just betting on the Chiefs, you’re betting on the always threatening Crusaders and with the talent at the Blues, Hurricanes and Highlanders there’s always a chance they put all the pieces together as well.

Top Australian Team – Reds $3.50 @bet365

In an up and down year for the Wallabies, it came as no surprise to me that when the Australian side once again opened their arms to Quade Cooper that things started to head in a better direction. One of the most polarising players in the Southern Hemisphere, there’s little debate that when he puts it together he’s a world beating talent, and combined with Will Genia in the halves they have the potential to be as good as any halfback/first five combinations out there. It was only 2011 that we saw this tandem help lead the Reds to a Super Rugby title with an exhilarating brand of Rugby that left defences clueless and fans out of their seats. Well supported by the likes of Mike Harris, James Horwill and the Fainga’as if Cooper and Genia continue their march back into form then there’s no reason why they couldn’t once again set Super Rugby alight.

To make the top 6 – Cheetahs $3.50 @bet365

Since their return to the competition in 2006, the Cheetahs had failed to finish any higher than 10^th on the ladder, until last year when they dashed in to 6^th place and earned themselves their first post season appearance. While they were lost in that qualifier, it was a huge accomplishment for a team that for so long had been one of the running jokes of the competition. Despite a 10 win 6 loss record, many pundits failed to acknowledge the improved play of this young Cheetahs outfit after being acclimatised to seeing them as the easy beats for so long. The Cheetahs represent an exciting outlook for the future of South African Rugby, determined to move away from the confined, 10 man style game that the South Africans have grown accustomed to. The Cheetahs, led by dynamic young five eight Johan Goosen, have plenty of flair and love to toss the ball around, an exciting attacking game that countless Super Rugby teams have proven can be very successful at this level. After an injury riddled 2013 campaign, Goosen, who at 21 has already notched 4 caps for the Springboks, will be desperate to stamp his authority quickly in his quest to make the South African number 10 jersey his own. The Cheetahs play in such a positive fashion and have proven they’re capable of being amongst the top of this competition, this year the pressure is on for them to show they can do that consistently and I expect them to rise to the challenge.

Five players to watch at the Rugby League World Cup

As much as the World Cup is about watching your nation go to battle to achieve the status of the best in the world, a huge part of the enjoyment for spectators stems from the chance to watch a wide range of players, some of whom we are familiar with and watch every week, some we may have never seen before. It presents an opportunity to see who those on the other side of the world get to watch each week, who are their stars and how do they stack up to ours, while also a chance to see familiar faces of our own teams in different environments facing different challenges. Roosters fans who have cheered the likes of Sonny Bill Williams and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves now find themselves on the other side of the fence as they turn out in black and white to take on the Australians, while Warriors fans who have developed a longstanding rivalry with the Melbourne Storm now find themselves cheering the likes of Jesse Bromwich. There’s a vast array of interesting and exciting talents who will be on display at this tournament, here I identify five in particular to keep your eye on.

Danny Brough – Five eighth, Scotland

Huddersfield Giants five-eighth Danny Brough embraced his first year as captain by leading the Giants to their first league leader’s shield in 81 years.  The thirty year old amassed 323 points in 28 Super League games in 2013, eclipsing the club record for both goals and points in a season. Brough’s exploits were recognised with an abundance of post-season awards, capturing the Albert Goldthorpe medal for the second time in his career, Rugby League Writers Association player of the year and the most prized individual award in Northern Hemisphere Rugby League, the Man of Steel award. Serving as captain for the Scots, Brough made his international debut back in 2004 and also served as captain for Scotland’s 2008 World Cup campaign. Scotland will fancy themselves a strong chance of coming out of Group C and they’ll be looking to the fantastic kicking game of Brough to direct them there.

Petero Civoniceva – Prop, Fiji

When the 2012 NRL season wrapped up, many thought it would be the last time they’d see this all-time great run around a footy field. After debuting in the NRL all the way back in 1998 and for Australia in 2001, Petero called it quits on what was an incredible career spanning 309 NRL games, 33 Origins for Queensland and 45 appearances for Australia. But not quite ready to give the game away, Petero turned out in 2013 for the Redcliffe Dolphins in the Queensland Cup and will now roll the dice one last time playing for his country of birth Fiji for the first time. He won’t be one of the most exciting players at the tournament and his prime has long passed, but few things will bring me more enjoyment than watching one of the best players to ever take the field, and a top bloke to go with it, have one last dance. Those old legs held up for a long time when people expected them to give in, don’t be surprised if Petero at the ripe age of 37 still has enough tread on the tyres to show the kids how it’s done.

Sonny Bill Williams – second row, New Zealand

Always in the headlines, SBW’s World Cup campaign was a hot topic long before the tournament had even begun. Initially ruling himself out of Kiwis selection, only to declare himself available once the Kiwis had named their squad, it came as little surprise that the defending champions quickly made room for him, unfortunately at the expense of standout Melbourne rookie Tohu Harris. Returning to the NRL after a lengthy hiatus that saw him become a Super Rugby and Rugby World Cup winner, SBW immediately contributed to a Roosters campaign that eventuated in a minor premiership and Grand Final victory, he now looks to achieve these exceptional feat of being a World Cup winner in both League and Union to compliment his NRL and Super Rugby championships. One of the most polarising figures in the game, the impact he made in returning to the sport after such a log absence was incredible. Perhaps the biggest “star” in the sport, Williams is a gigantic boost to the Kiwis chances of pulling off a successful title defence despite the fact the Kiwis have never actually won a game in the seven contests he has played for them.

Sam Tomkins – Fullback, England

24 year old English sensation Sam Tomkins is a name NRL fans have grown increasingly familiar with after a season of rumours about his potential excursion down under culminating in the Warriors locking up his services for the next three years. The man known as the “British Billy Slater” has long been heralded as the crown jewel of Super League, leading the Wigan Warriors to two Challenge Cups and a Grand Final, winning the 2012 Man of Steel award and amassing an incredible 144 tries in 150 appearances.  His strike rate in internationals is even better; at just 24 Tomkins is England’s all-time leading try scorer with 16 tries in 15 appearances. The World Cup will prove a fabulous opportunity for those in the Southern Hemisphere to get a look at what all the fuss is about when the electric fullback tries to deliver glory for the host nation.

Johnathan Thurston – Five eighth, Australia

The only man to turn out in every single game of Queensland’s incredible eight straight Origin series victories, Thurston winner of numerous Dally M halfback and five-eighth of the year awards was on hand when the Kangaroos went down to the Kiwis in 2008. While already a huge star on his own, it was still Darren Lockyer who was seen as the leader of the halves, including a man of the match performance in their losing final effort. This time JT enters the tournament as the man in the 6 jersey after a frustrating NRL campaign that saw his North Queensland Cowboys once again eliminated in dubious circumstances. Spurred on by the loss in 2008, there’d be no better way for Thurston to wash out the foul taste of the Cowboys playoff exit than by returning the World Cup to Australia for the first time in his career.   JT always rises to the occasion, countless times he’s stepped up when his rep sides have needed him and his supreme goal kicking especially in clutch situations could prove the difference between Australia and their perceived biggest threat New Zealand.

www.bettingpro.com.au

@WellsNorthShore

Argentina vs Wallabies preview

Through 9 Rugby Championship appearances Argentina is yet to record a victory, but a wounded Wallabies side offers up a tantalising opportunity for the Pumas to pounce.

After joining the SANZAR nations to form the Rugby Championship last year, the Pumas have mustered up just 1 draw and 8 losses, but currently sitting in third on the Rugby Championship ladder through virtue of a bonus point, the Argentines will have plenty of incentive to firm their position when they take on a Wallabies team who were left licking their wounds at the hands of the Springboks at Suncorp.

The Wallabies have historically had little problem dealing with Argentina with 14 wins in 19 contests, but the current Wallabies incarnation looks a far cry from the reputation their jerseys have earned and the Argentines have the mastermind of many Australian defeats in their coaching ranks in former All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry. Henry has plenty of experience in exploiting the weaknesses of the Wallabies who have been dealing with all too familiar problems up front where their forwards have simply been outmatched particularly at scrum time and the domination exerted by the Springboks will have done nothing to help their confidence.

Conversely the Pumas have proven that if there is one aspect of the game that they’re ready to compete regularly with the SANZAR it is up front, Argentina for a long time have prided themselves on their scrimmaging and this spells bad news for a Australia. If the Wallabies are once again punished at scrum time and at the breakdown, the accurate boot of Nicolas Sanchez will offer them little reprieve, the Pumas could potentially hang in this game just on the back of Sanchez knocking over penalties.

The Wallabies shambolic state has reached right through to the top of their ranks with their captain, and the man widely considered the world’s greatest halfback, has been relegated to the bench in place of Nic White who will wear the Wallabies number 9 jersey for the first time. Ben Mowen will take on the captaincy in what will be just his 7^th test match after debuting a mere three months ago.

For all of their issues however, the Wallabies still possess on paper an incredibly potent backline, even if we’re yet to really see them click. Regular changes to the backline won’t help their cause and another big change comes this week with Genia being dropped, but if they can finally get the platform up front and find a way to get the likes of Folau and O’Connor some quality ball then these guys know their way to the try line.

Historically the Pumas have struggled outside of Argentina, but they pushed Australia close last year on the Gold Coast going down 23-19 on the back of a 69^th minute try to Digby Ioane, Things were also close back in Rosario where the Wallabies were able to emerge 6 point victors.

 

With Ewen McKenzie still in pursuit of his first win at the helm of the Wallabies he will no doubt have his troops primed for the perceived minnow of the competition. If they can find some semblance of balance in the battle up front then they should have the backs to get them home. It’s unlikely they will find such balance however, and while I predict they’ll do enough to scrape in with a victory, it certainly won’t be by much which makes the Argentina +10 @1.91 line with Bet 365 look very juicy, but act swiftly as the Pumas line has already taken a hammering and will only go down further heading into the weekend. 

Predictions for the NRL finals

1. First week upsets

The Cowboys so often struggle to take down the big teams away from Queensland, but for one week at least they’ll muster up the performance to go past the Sharks. There would be no greater fairy-tale this year than Matt Bowen going out a champion and while sadly it’s not to be, JT and Mango will pour out a heart on their sleeve performance to go past the Sharks before hitting the top four brick wall. Both teams enter the game in high spirits after big wins in round 26 and offer a great contrast in styles with the Sharks physical, grind you down to their level approach in contrast to the great running football the Cowboys, but with the form the Cowboys are in the Sharks won’t be able to tie them down.

The Knights enter the playoffs after a high flying 48 point win over the hapless Eels and while pretty much everyone knocks the Eels around, the Knights will still be feeling pretty good about themselves. Conversely, the Bulldogs limp into the playoffs after floundering to a 16-11 loss to the Broncos. While it’s understandable that the Dogs had little to play for and it can be tough for teams to get up for games like that, they looked very average and have been prone to these flat patches throughout the season  and the Knights have had their number this year winning both contests including a 44-8 hammering at Hunter Stadium. This Bulldogs team have jumped a lot of hurdles this year after they soared to the 2012 Grand Final, but the Knights will finally put this team out of its misery.

2. The refereeing still won’t make sense

If there’s one group that has been worse than the Eels this year it’s the referees. I don’t subscribe to any conspiracy theories that they’re out to help certain teams, I do subscribe to the theory that their general ineptitude has at times cost teams games and as a result, peoples bets. The referees have, inconsistently, tried to take a hard-line approach to physical altercations in the game, best of luck maintaining that in the war that is finals football. Expect plenty of players being penalised for tackling the opposition too hard, a few quarterback passes that are inexplicably missed by everybody wearing pink, shoulder charges that aren’t penalties because they didn’t hurt anyone and one complete gaff from the TMO. All most of us want from the refereeing is consistency, unfortunately being consistently inconsistent isn’t quite what we were hoping for.

3. No Cinderella story this year

The top four of the Roosters, Bunnies, Storm and Sea-Eagles have monopolised those top spots throughout the year and don’t expect that to change. While there was much parity in the middle of the table, it has been clear for a long time who the top dogs are. The top four hold a combined 19 and 5 record against the bottom four and while any team in the NRL can win on their day, don’t expect any surprises when it comes to these four teams who have been playing finals quality footy for most of the year. This group are the 4 more potent attacks and also the 4 stingiest defences, but when these four teams play each other the defence generally wins out with only 2 games fought among these teams featuring over 36 points. With tighter and more intense defences in the playoffs, expect some low scoring affairs when these heavyweights clash.

4. May the best halves win

All of the old clichés revolve around the big blokes needing to do the work up front to lay the platform and you need great defence to win a premiership, but when you look at the top teams in the competition, big efforts up front and strong defence can be taken for granted. What will prove the difference between these teams will be who can bring the best kicking game to win the territory battle, to force those line drop outs and who can create that little piece of magic to unlock these outstanding defences. It’s no coincidence that the top four teams consist of the best halves combinations in the competition, and these guys hold the key to their teams fortunes in what will be the final audition for the likes of Reynolds, Cherry-Evans, Pearce and Maloney to claim a spot in the Australian World Cup side. If the battle in the halves ends in a stalemate, expect the blokes in the number 1 jersey like Inglis or Stewart to be the players who break the deadlock.

5. Adam has the last laugh

Laurie Daley’s early declaration that Mitchell Pearce would be the New South Wales Origin halfback was met with much criticism and when the Blues limped out to an eight successive Origin defeat once again the selection of Pearce was in the spotlight. Meanwhile, the defending rookie of the year Adam Reynolds has put on a season that may see him take home the Dally M halfback of the year award. A fantastic goal kicker striking at 89%, Reynolds finished the regular season with the third most points in the NRL while also tying for first in try assists. Only two players in the competition had more kicks in play than Reynolds and while the Bunnies team is loaded right across the park the immaculate precision from the boot of Reynolds has been the source of much of their success. After a hamstring injury in the semi-final provided a devastating end to his 2012 finals campaign, missing NSW selection and being denied the minor premiership in round 26, Reynolds will have the last laugh as he guides the Bunnies to their first premiership in over 40 years and takes home a Churchill Medal that Daley will be unable to ignore.