Ranking the 2015 NRL Nines Jerseys

As the new opener of the NRL season, the impending Auckland Nines not only provides fans their first taste of the Rugby League action they’ve been craving all summer, but also the first in the vast array of jerseys that clubs will be peddling to you this year.

In 2014, the jerseys ranged from what the hell is that? To umm, what team is that? To well that one is OK I guess.

Between the likes of women in league round, adopt a small Ethiopian child round, heritage round, whore out the front of your jersey to promote a billion dollar film round, weird alternate jersey cash grab round, close the gap round, and embrace alcohol round (just joking, that’s every round), the Nines jersey will be one of roughly 17 jerseys that you’ll have to justify to your significant other this season to be a good consumer truly dedicated fan.

But with the exorbitant price of jerseys, we’d like our Nines investment to not look like something that has sat in the back of your closet after a trip to Bali 15 years ago. So I've gone ahead and taken a look at all 17 Nines jerseys this year, and so I present the 2015 NRL Nines fashion rankings.

16. Tigers

You may have read that introduction and been thinking James you idiot, there’s only 16 teams so there’s only 16 jerseys not 17, what a noob.

Actually, noob, the Tigers have taken it upon themselves to have two jerseys for the Nines this year, which was probably necessary because their primary colour is orange which is a popular colour 

amongst NRL teams, we wouldn't want a clash between two teams wearing orange now would we?

But my fault with the Tigers isn’t that they wear orange, and the blatant cash grab only enhances my primary issue, which is that these aren’t even bloody jerseys, they’re singlets. Spare me your “sleeveless jersey” retorts, they’re singlets.

It’ll be hot, I get that, but it’s a slippery slope from here to running around bouncing the ball on the ground every few steps and having names like the Swans.

15. Storm

Speaking of how crap AFL is, here comes Melbourne at 15.

Remember the good old days when jerseys were a nice hearty material with a proper collar? Melbourne obviously do because, and far be it from me to compliment Melbourne, but they have the best looking alternate jersey in the competition with a proper collar.

But over the years, we've regressed from the once awesome League jersey, to the love-handle hugging, no collar having, skin tight jersey that may make the ladies, or men if you’re that way inclined, swoon over SBW (insert new heartthrob who isn't shifting to Union here). This is the next step in the devolution of the NRL jersey.

They’ll probably sell a crap load of these things however, so expect more teams on the bandwagon next year citing the benefits on the players.

14. Bulldogs

The Bulldogs could have went down to the local primary school, told the kids they have five minutes to Photoshop up a Bulldogs Nines jersey with one hand tied behind their back and several of them would have produced something more inspiring than this one.

Hot off the trails of their sterling effort last year, I imagine the discussion around the creation of this jersey went something along the lines of

Designer 1 - Well, we’re the Bulldogs right? So I say we put a big Bulldog on the front of the jersey.

Designer 2 – I like it!

Designer 3 – And the dog should be blue!

And then they opened up Microsoft Paint, googled a picture of a bulldog, stuck it in Paint and smeared some blue over it.

Ever met the guy who claims he’s awesome at Photoshop, because it’s cool to be good with Photoshop, and then he produces some really crap attempt at sticking someone’s head onto another person’s body and it looks terrible? That guy has a 10 GB folder of awesome jersey mock-ups like this one.

13. Dragons

The Dragons designers called the team doing the Bulldogs jersey and asked what they were doing for their design, once they were told they were just sticking a massive dog on their jersey, the Dragons thought you know what would be even better? Sticking a massive dragon on the jersey!

If there’s one thing better than having two dragons on your jersey, it’s having three dragons.

It isn't so great however when the biggest dragon looks like something from a paint by numbers kit that only came with the colour grey, so you just painted the whole thing grey. The big dragon should be some fantastic, intimidating creature, but it belittles the big dragon when there’s then the little green dragon next to it devoid of anything from the neck down just sitting there like chill bro, Puff the Magic Dragon up in here.

12. Sea Eagles

Remember when your parents would go on holiday and they’d be like we’ll bring you a present and you’d be like yes awesome a present, then they’d bring you back some lame ass shirt from a gift shop where they went to and you’d be like oh great, thanks.

Then you’d feel obligated to where the shirt and you’d get stuck in this conversation like

Unnamed friend – Oh you went to the Kasperky Surfing tournament?

Me – No, I’m just wearing the shirt.

Unnamed friend – Oh, why are you wearing a Kaspersky Surging tournament shirt?

Me – My parents got me it.

Unnamed friend – I see.

And then after going through the same conversation five times you wear your jumper the rest of the day even though it’s 32 degrees until you can get home and retire the shirt at the bottom of your drawer. This is one of those shirts.

11. Cowboys

I like my jerseys simple, but there’s a difference between a tidy, simple jersey design, and the nothingness that is the Cowboys effort. Unless the lines on the front are designed to place would be tacklers into some sort of hypnotic trance, I have no idea what they are going for here.

It is as if the criteria was we’d like a jersey in white, with lots of lines on it, and that’s exactly what they got.

The jersey has none of the Cowboys yellow trim beyond the advertising on the sleeves, had they implemented more of that, then it would be a little more appealing. Again, I like it simple, give me your team colours tidily presented and I’ll be happy.

It isn't the hideous sight that some of the other offerings are, but it’s certainly the most boring.

10. Raiders

I'm unsure whether digging up the corpse of Ken Nagas is a damning reflection of the Raiders lack of talent, or an indication of their lack of regard for this tournament, but one of the few things the Raiders will do right this year is keeping their jersey green.

That’s all I want from the team known as the “Green Machine”, wear a green jersey.

I could do without the white sleeves, and they probably wasted a bunch of money paying somebody to design the patterns on the jersey that ultimately nobody will care about, but it’s green. You did something right Canberra.

9. Knights

I see what they’re trying to do here, and while I'm not too keen on most gimmicky jerseys, I can see how this one sounds appealing in theory.

However, in practice it isn't quite the shining set of armour they perhaps envisioned, an adequate reflection of the Knights recent efforts then at least.

Still, as far as gimmicky jerseys go, if they can strike a better balance between a jersey and actually sending their team out there in a full set of armour, then they could be onto something.

8. Sharks

The only top eight the Sharks will be making this season.

While I can see what the Knights are trying to achieve, I have no idea where the Sharks are going with this one. It reminds me of one of those ice-cream on a sticks that is supposed to look like something and then you pull it out of the wrapper and it looks absolutely nothing similar. Like here’s our new Sharks ice-cream, it really looks like a shark, and then you pull it out of the wrapper and you get this thing.

That said, there’s something about it that makes me not dislike it, even if I have no idea what it’s meant to be. At least they've got their colours in there, and it is a nice, cool colour pallet.

7. Titans

On the topic of nice colour pallets, the Titans have an interesting one to work with also.

The blue in their jersey is striking, however they could have utilised more of their yellow.

They've tried to do something interesting with what looks like a tip of a blade on the front of a jersey, but they could have embraced that further.

But it isn't an eyesore, even if that’s only by virtue of having a nice shade of blue to work with. Still, that’s enough to get you pretty far up this list.

6. Eels

Something about the Eels yellow always reminds me of the wrapper of a block of butter. Almost like they invented some new butter that has blue dots in it because some exec had the bright idea that if butter was full of blue dots it would make it “fun” and you could market butter to kids as “fun” and get them into the kitchen baking but then the parents realise the blue is made of some food colouring crap and they don’t let little George eat such things so the product flops entirely.

Parramatta just flows as a great name for a butter company, Parramatta Butter. If your jersey reminds me of butter, then for better or worse it’s a winner in my book.

As I've mentioned, I'm not fond of most of the gimmicky jerseys, but the Eels strike a decent balance between staying true to their team’s identity, while making things a little more fun for the carnival type atmosphere.

5. Panthers

Proof that you can have a fun, gimmick jersey, while still maintain a simplistic approach rather than looking like the product of an art school dropout.

The Panthers have a relatively “normal” jersey here, with the claw marks to add some flavour, and the eye behind the scratches gives it an extra little edge.

The claw marks are a simple, effective way to further convey who they are. It’s a touch of edge, a touch of physicality, these aren’t your typical housecats.

4. Broncos

If you don’t already know me, I hate the Broncos. I’ll take every opportunity I can to take a shot at the Broncos.

But it’s hard to slight them for the sleek design here, if anything the extra gold trim makes the Nines jersey more striking than their regular home one.

One of the perks of being sponsored by Nike must be that when you’re sitting there with a stupid picture of a cartoon donkey on your concept jersey designs, they send somebody in who dictates they can’t be associated with something that looks so bad and ensures you get something that looks legit.

I hope they lose every game.

3. Warriors

As much as I appreciate teams sticking to their traditional colours and designs, there’s no denying that the Warriors jersey is certainly a sight to behold.

To be fair, you’d be forgiven for forgetting what the Warriors traditional colours are anyway given they wear such drastically different jerseys so often, and no doubt there’ll be many of these ones packed into Mt Smart this year lost in the jersey shuffle.

The designs on the jersey itself ensure that they maintain representing the New Zealand culture, plus it has Woodstock on the sleeve and I love Woodstock’s.

2. Roosters

It was no doubt very tempting for those creating the Roosters jersey to just draw a strapping young cockerel on the front, but common sense prevailed and the tricolours have gone with a traditional striped jersey approach featuring their customary blue red and white colour scheme.

Maybe I’m a bit of a Debbie Downer, but I can dig that. Even though it’s the nine man version of the game, these blokes are still going out there playing Rugby League, and the Chooks outfit looks like a Rugby League jersey. It’s definitely a far cry from the “sleeveless jersey” offerings.

Score one for history and tradition.

1. Rabbitohs

“Really, that boring one?” you may ask, or perhaps “f*%@ng Souffs mate?” both equally valid questions, but yes, the Rabbitohs come in at number one.

The Rabbitohs green and red stripes are an easily identifiable colour scheme, whether you love them or hate them, if you see that on a League jersey, you know it’s the Bunnies and they’ve stuck with that.

But they didn't just load up the stripes and be done with it, the Rabbitohs jersey features a Maori koru design, which creates an interesting blend between the Rabbitohs traditional style stripes jersey and paying homage to the culture of the host nation. The result is an attractive, Rugby League looking jersey, which still allows for some creativity in the spirit of the occasion.  

Waratahs vs Reds over 40.5 points

An attacking explosion could well be on the cards for this week when Israel Folau and the Waratahs taking on Quade Cooper and the Reds.

Each side got their campaign off in entertaining fashion last week. The Waratahs beat up on the hapless Force running in 6 tries including 3 to their superstar fullback. The Reds meanwhile, up against much tougher competition in the form of the Brumbies, ran in 3 tries to 1 despite being on the short end when it came to territory (37%) and possession (42%) with Cooper pulling the strings.

But these two sides weren’t without their faults, as is to be expected at this early stage of proceedings. The Waratahs still gave up 21 points, including 2 tries, to a Force team that isn’t exactly renowned for their attacking flare and discipline proved to be a big issue with 15 penalties and a yellow card, the Reds will be far more inclined to punish the Waratahs for their indiscretions. The Reds meanwhile were far from the teacher’s pet themselves giving away 14 penalties and a yellow card of their own. There is plenty of points from genuine attacking Rugby in both sides, but the points are even more likely to flow if they carry on with similar antics this week.

Both teams were solid when it came to the set piece and the breakdown for such an early outing, which is what both of these backlines will desire to provide a strong platform to launch from. The Reds showed plenty of steel metal in defence against a Brumbies side that has a lot to offer on attack also, but the Waratahs, already all guns blazing, will find a way to put at least a couple on the board. Battles between these teams have at times been staunch defensive showdowns, such as their last encounter a 14-12 Reds win in Sydney, but this week I expect the points to fly. Both sides loaded with attacking weapons and each likely to commit a few indiscretions should see this one eclipse the current offered total of 40.5 points.

Super Rugby Week 3 Betting preview

Blues v Crusaders (Crusaders –5 - $1.91 Bet365)

The history books show a Crusaders loss but the result was far from an accurate representation of the match with a 78th minute intercept try forging a flattering 8 point Chiefs win. The Crusaders  dominated possession, territory, the breakdown, set piece, but the one stat they came up short was a dreadful 1 from 8 penalties made, 21 points gone begging for the Crusaders. A Benji Marshall lead second half resurgence from the Blues wasn’t enough to overcome a 24-0 halftime deficit. Rookie Simon Hickey enters the mix at number 10 and it will be a big ask to have him guide this Blues team against a Crusaders outfit that brings back 2013 International Player of the Year Kieran Read. 

Rebels v Cheetahs (Cheetahs -1.5 - $1.91 sportingbet.com.au)

The Rebels are the lone team without a game this year, but have lost plenty of talented players from a team that struggled last year. Those players weren’t without their issues, so this ultimately may prove beneficial for a Rebels side in search of their first playoff appearance, but all signs indicate that their pursuit won’t end this season. The Cheetahs responded to their surprising week one loss with a strong win over the Bulls thanks to young fly-half Johan Goosen who is quickly re-establishing his presence after an injury riddled 2013. Despite being in Melbourne, this line seems very generous, the Cheetahs have the tools to be a playoff team, and they should be much too classy for the Rebels regardless of where they play.

Stormers v Hurricanes (Hurricanes +6.5 - $1.90 sportsbet.com.au)

Both of these teams started their campaigns in ordinary fashion, the Stormers losing by 24 to the Lions, and the Hurricanes going down by 18 to the Sharks. The Stormers who had plenty of ball and territory were unable to convert this into points, managing just one try and one penalty from two attempts. The Hurricanes were outclassed in every facet against a powerful and relentless Sharks side that provided very little opportunity for the Hurricanes to compete. The Stormers should be very strong in Cape Town, but will afford the Hurricanes much more opportunity to compete than the Sharks did. The Hurricanes have some special backs who can get across the line and keep things close unless the Stormers elevate their attack.

Chiefs v Highlanders (Chiefs -7.5 - $1.87 ladbrokes.com.au)

The Highlanders came out firing against the Blues, surging to a 24-0 en route to victory, while the Chiefs escaped with a far less convincing 8 point win. The Chiefs struggled mightily with possession and territory, but they did muster some courageous defensive stands late in the match where it looked like the Crusaders were finally going to take the game away from them. That defence will likely prove a much more formidable foe than a Blues side that rolled over for the Highlanders so meekly to begin their clash. The Highlanders won’t have their raucous local crowd to stir them on, but the Chiefs will no doubt have been given plenty of areas to improve on for their first outing in front of the Hamilton faithful this year. 

Waratahs v Reds (Waratahs -5.5 - $1.88 ladbrokes.com.au)

The stars of the Australian conference after round one, the Reds delivered an impressive upset against the Brumbies while the Waratahs stomped on the Force as many expected. The Reds attack showed glimpses of their prowess, but the Waratahs backline quickly showed that they have plenty of firepower as well. There are two main factors in supporting the Waratahs here, the clash taking place in Sydney, and Israel Folau. The former League superstar got his campaign underway in electric form crossing over for three tries, he’s a legitimate threat to break play open every time he touches the ball either making a break for himself, or his strong offloading creating openings for others. Folau powers continue to grow and he’s going to continue to be a handful for even the best opponents.

Force v Brumbies (Brumbies -6.5 - $1.91 Centrebet)

The Force put in a typical gritty performance, but simply could not match the talent of the Waratahs with Folau leading an overwhelming attacking charge. They were solid at the set piece and the breakdown and put in plenty of effort, but did not have the skill to compete. Heading to Perth will provide a boost, but similar problems are on the horizon this week when the Wallaby laden Brumbies stroll into town. The Brumbies made just 82% of their tackles against a Reds side that exposed some holes in the Brumbies defence, but the Force lack the attacking weapons that the Reds have to follow suit. Plenty is expected of the Brumbies this year, and with the Reds and Waratahs making promising starts, the Brumbies will need to bounce back against one of the perceived easy beats of the Australian conference.

Bulls v Lions (Lions +6.5 - $1.90 sportsbet.com) 

The early surprise package of the year, predicted cellar dwellers the Lions backed up their first week upset of the Cheetahs by dishing out a 24 point thumping of the firm favourite Stormers thanks to 29 points from the boot of Marnitz Boshoff. The Lions were outdone when it came to territory and possession, but strong defence restricted the Stormers to just one try and Boshoff did the rest. The Bulls slumped to their second defeat in as many contests in a hard fought contest with the Cheetahs, but another wonder boot in the form of Johan Goosen outshone his Bulls counterpart to secure a 6 point victory. Heading to Loftus will be an immense task for the Lions, but the boot of Boshoff should be able to keep them close.

World Club Challenge Tip

Finally the World Club Challenge comes to Australia, and the hosting Roosters look set to make things very difficult for the Wigan Warriors.

With an extended season that included a run to the finals, along with World Cup appearances for several players, many of the Roosters stars have seen little action in the preseason build up, so the Chooks may come in a little underdone. However, they are armed with all but two of the players that took the field for their championship victory, so familiarity will be far from a problem for this side who put on one of the best defensive seasons in history as well as scoring 52 points more than any other side in 2013.

Wigan are coming to terms with the departure of megastar Sam Tomkins who has taken his talents to Auckland, attempting to fill his shoes is former NRL star Matt Bowen who has quickly fallen out of favour with fans after  Wigan got their season underway in poor form going down 24-8 to Huddersfield. A warm up match against a very understrength New Zealand Warriors side proved little challenge for the tourists, but the defending NRL champions are another beast entirely.

Much will depend on the mind-set of the Warriors. Having started so poorly and then traveling halfway around the world, do they feel they can compete with the NRL’s best in Australia? Do they believe in themselves with Tomkins gone? The task of playing this Roosters outfit in Sydney is daunting for any side.

The bookies are giving Wigan little respect here with a line of 16.5 for the Chooks first hit out of the year and while they are capable of covering that, it’s a little too big for me to want to take on for the first game of the year. Instead the appeal lies with the point total. The English sides love the physical, straight forward approach, and the Roosters have shown that for all their attacking exploits, they’re very fond of a good physical arm wrestle themselves. With little footy under their belts on the year, I’m expecting the Chooks to try to take the ascendency up front here and grind out a tough defensive win in a low scoring game coming in under the 44.5 total.

Super Rugby Week 2 tips

Crusaders vs Chiefs,

Chiefs +4

An early season All Black trial with the back to back defending champions travelling to Christchurch taking on the most successful side in Super Rugby history. Both forward packs are littered with All Blacks, but the Chiefs should have the superiority in the front row and in the critical 10 jumper with All Black Aaron Cruden going up against young Tyler Bleyendaal. Both backlines have plenty of firepower, and the Chiefs welcome All Black great Mils Muliaina. These heavyweights will go blow for blow, it’s always difficult to travel to Christchurch but for the first hit out of the season the Chiefs should be up for it.

Bulls Cheetahs

Cheetahs +1

Both teams are licking their wounds after week one, the Cheetahs upset by the lowly Lions, the Bulls thumped by the Sharks. The Cheetahs have the benefit of a second home game and will be eager to show their fans that last years’ playoff appearance was not a fluke. The books have this one as a toss up, and as someone who is a big believer in the Cheetahs and Johan Goosen, I’ll back them to overcome the first round hiccup and get things back on track this week.

Highlanders vs Blues

Blues -1

The Blues have All Blacks Tony Woodcock, Keven Mealamu , and Ma’a Nonu on the shelf, but should still prove too classy for a lacklustre Highlanders side. The Highlanders have lost a multitude of players and done little to replace them, they remain a two man army of Ben Smith and Aaron Smith. The Blues possess some of the best young jewels in New Zealand Rugby with Charles Piutau, Steven Luatua and Francis Saili, while also welcoming back the brutalising Jerome Kaino. Despite the trip down south, the Blues should be too talented for this Highlanders side.

Brumbies Reds

Reds+4.5

On the other side of the ditch, two powers of Australian Rugby collide when the Reds head to Canberra. Reds coach Richard Graham is looking to revive a struggling, one dimensional Reds gameplan from 2013 into the beautiful attacking spectacle they were in their 2011 championship season. The enigmatic pairing of Quade Cooper and Will Genia began to rediscover themselves as the 2013 international season went on and seem poised to stamp their authority once again. A Wallaby studded Brumbies side will be no pushover, especially at home, but I’m backing the Reds to have enough flare to keep this relatively tight.

Sharks Hurricanes

Sharks -12.5

The Jake White era got underway in fine fashion for the Sharks with Pat Lambie leading them to a convincing 15 point victory. It’s never easy for teams to travel to South Africa, and while it is easier to do so at the start of the year when the players are fresh, a first up game in the republic against a side who has already had one hit out this year is far from ideal. Infamous for their unpredictability, the Hurricanes are always capable of pulling an upset with an assortment of world class exciting backs. The Sharks possess one of the most punishing forward packs in Super Rugby who should give the Sharks the ascendency, being at home and having a game under their belt will go a long way.

Lions vs Stormers

Stormers -9.0

A swift reality check is gusting into Johannesburg as the Stormers take on the Lions. A last minute drop goal resulted in a shock victory in the Lions Super Rugby return which will have been a huge boost of confidence, but captain Jean de Villiers will no doubt be determined to ensure his side avoids similar embarrassment. It’s going to take more than one last gasp effort to jump on the Lions bandwagon, and I expect things to return to normal this week with a superior Stormers side taking care of business.

Waratahs vs Force

Waratahs -12.0

With the return of Kurtley Beale and introduction of Nick Phipps bolstering a side already lead by superstar Israel Folau, the Waratahs backline is one of the most talented in the competition, if the pieces can fit together. The Force will put up an admirable fight, but they don’t have the forwards to combat the Waratahs, and they certainly don’t have the backs capable of participating in a shootout with them either. The combination of Folau and Beale could turn this very ugly very quickly.

The good oil for the Auckland Nines

 The NRL Nines is shaping up to be a fantastic spectacle and whether you'll be attending or spending the weekend on the couch with your chip and dip, the game is always that extra bit exciting when you've got some money on the line. Here's a couple of tips that I see as really good value for the sensible minded punter, as well as some high risk, high reward options for those looking to make a real splash this weekend.

Green Group Winner – Broncos $2.00 @ Centrebet

The Green group, featuring the Broncos, Eels, Roosters and Bulldogs looks to be a one horse race, but the Broncos are still being offered at good value. The Bulldogs and the Roosters are clearly not taking the competition very seriously with numerous big names missing from their 9s sides, Des Hasler hasn’t even made the trip to Auckland. The Eels were set to unleash new recruit Will Hopoate, but now he’s out with a groin injury and superstar Jarryd Hayne is nowhere to be seen. The Eels have most of their other players on board, but without Hopoate and Hayne that isn’t really saying much. It’s all hands on deck for the Broncos however, with representative players like Thaiday, Parker, Glenn and Hoffman all named, along with 2012 Dally M Player of the year Ben Barba.

Red Group – Panthers $1.95 @ Centrebet

The Red group, featuring the Panthers, Dragons, Rabbitohs and Storm is another pool with a couple of heavyweights who have opted to keep their big names at home with the likes of Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater, Greg Inglis, Adam Reynolds, Isaac Luke and the Burgess brothers all nowhere to be seen. The Dragons side shows their intentions to give the competition a real crack with rep stars like Josh Dugan, Josh Morris and Trent Merrin all featuring, but they’ll be hard pressed to match the wealth of quick young players the Panthers are bringing to the table with the Naiqama’s, Josh Mansour and keep an eye out for George Jennings , brother of Michael “Jetboot” Jennings and Tyrone Peachey, nephew of Cronulla great David Peachey. For all the flak he caught last year, don’t be surprised to see Jamie Soward fit in very well in this format.

Tournament Winner Group – Blue $2.35 @ Centrebet

The “pool of death” in this tournament, the Blue group, consisting of the Titans, Knights, Sharks and Tigers make up 3 of the current top 5 favourites, and even their least respected team, the Tigers, sit as the 11^th favourite with the bookies, but a real smokey for many punters.  2.35 represents great value to hitch yourself to the wagon of all four of these teams, who have all named very strong outfits and are clearly coming to play. Remembering that two teams from each pool move on to the playoff stages, you’ll be equipped with two of these heavy favourites in that next round, which should place you in very good stead indeed.

Tournament Top Try Scorer – Ben Barba $11.00 @ Centrebet

Most remember Ben Barba’s 2013 for the off-field drama, the injuries, and ultimately his departure from the Bulldogs. What many forget was the beautiful display Barba put on to start the year, scoring three tries in the NRL All Star game, smiling all the way. Barba is a true showman who has shown numerous times his ability to elevate his game for the big occasions and the 9s festival should be just the ticket for the man known as the X-Factor to put on an incredible show. At his best, he’s impossible to wrap up for 13 man defences, so if he’s on his game, 9 defenders don’t have a chance. The Broncos will likely have few problems escaping the pool stages, ensuring you get the opportunity for tries further into the tournament also.

Tournament Winner – Titans $8.00 @ Centrebet

I’m very high on the Titans for this upcoming NRL season, and I’m even higher on them in this form of the game. In David Mead and Kevin Gordon, the Titans have possibly the fastest pair of players in the NRL, and players like Brad Tighe and Will Zillman are no slouches either. Big Dave Taylor often takes three blokes to bring down on his own and has the skill of a five-eighth, he’s going to be an incredible handful for a team of 9 to contain and Greg Bird is one of the most dynamic forwards on the scene who can fill any role. Albert Kelly showed to the world in 2013 that he’s put his past issues behind him and is ready to capitalise on his incredible skill set, and those skills along with his great pace should transfer to the 9s perfectly. Speed is going to count for a lot in this tournament and the Titans have it in spades, along with great forwards who should be able to acclimatise well to the 9s environment, and a half capable of completely dominating the tournament, the Titans on paper really have it all.

2014 Super Rugby preview

Chiefs

2013 finish –  1^st

Predicted 2014 finish – 1^st

Despite winning the title the last two years, the best is likely still to come from this Chiefs team. Their young core of Aaron Cruden, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Sam Cane , Ben Afeaki, Ben Tamifuna figure to be integral parts of the All Blacks for a long time to come. They have lost some talented, experienced names in players like Richard Kahui,Lelia  Masaga, Craig Clarke, but have recruited very well to address these departures, bringing in players like Tom Marshall, Robbie Fruean, Jamie Mackintosh along with former All Black Mils Muliana.

Reds

2013 finish – 5^th

Predicted 2014 finish – 2^nd

After the combination of Quade Cooper and Will Genia rediscovered their magic throughout the Wallabies 2013 campaign, I’m high on the Reds returning to the level of play that saw them capture their first Super Rugby title in 2011. That year, Cooper and Genia unleashed a beautiful display of attacking Rugby that the rest of the competition could not compete with.  The Reds say goodbye to Digby Ioane, but welcome Lachlan Turner from the Waratahs as a replacement.

Bulls

2013 finish – 2^nd

Predicated 2014 finish -3^rd

The Bulls have had a lot of player turnover for this year, but welcome back one of the all-time greats of world Rugby in Victor Matfield. Matfield personified the tough, brutal game the South Africans like to play and despite being 36 I have no doubt that Matfield will make a huge impact especially at the lineout. Fortress Loftus remains one of the toughest places for an opposing team to play in world Rugby.

Brumbies

2013 finish – 3^rd

Predicted 2014 finish – 4^th

The Brumbies lose Wallaby great George Smith, but should see the return of possibly the worlds best number 7 David Pocock after a knee reconstruction in 2013. Jake White has returned to South Africa, replaced by another great Wallaby, and Brumbies great Stephen Larkham. Several young Brumbies elevated their games in 2013 resulting in Wallabies selection for the likes of Nic White, Matt Toomua, Christian Lealiifano, Jesse Mogg. Expect this group to once again strive to monopolize the Wallabies jerseys.

Cheetahs

2013 finish – 6^th

Predicted 2014 finish -  5^th

2013 marked the first time the Cheetahs ever made the playoffs in Super Rugby competition, achieving this without mercurial young fly-half Johan Goosen. 21 year old Goosen, who has already made his Springboks debut back in 2012, showed many flashes of being one of the next great stars in world Rugby, but had his 2013 decimated by a knee injury. If Goosen can rediscover his pre-injury form, he should have no trouble leading the Cheetahs to another playoff appearance, along with winning back his Springbok jersey.

Crusaders

2013 finish – 4^th

Predicated 2014 finish – 6^th

The greatest franchise in the history of Super Rugby once again figures to be amongst the best teams once we hit the business end of the season. The Chiefs may have eclipsed them as the current New Zealand powerhouse, but make no mistake this team is still full of All Blacks all over the field. Their forward pack would stand up to any international side, and despite the losses of Robbie Fruean and Tom Marshall, their backline still packs plenty of punch. Former All Black Colin Slade joins the team to help with their depth at fly-half and the acquisition of Fijian flyer Nemani Nadolo could prove a genius stroke.

Waratahs

2013 finish -  9^th

Predicated 2014 finish – 7^th

The Waratahs are another team who have seen plenty of player turnover for this season, including key names like Berrick Barnes and Lachlan Turner but they welcome home the enigmatic former Waratah Kurtley Beale, as well as Wallaby Nick Phipps.  Israel Folau enters 2014 with a fantastic first year of Union under his belt, the scary thing with Folau is that he likely hasn’t hit the peak of his powers at only 24 years of age and having played just one season of Union, I expect the young phenom to obliterate everything in his path in 2014.

Sharks

2013 finish – 8^th

Predicted 2014 finish – 8^th

IRB Hall of Fame coach Jake White returns back to South Africa to take the reins with the Sharks. They retain the brutal pairing of Jannie du Plessis and Bismarck du Plessis, alongside Willem Alberts and “The Beast” Tendai Mtawawarira alongside exciting backs in the likes of Patrick Lambie, JP Pietersen, Odwa Ndungane.  With the monster boot of Francois Steyn the Sharks can punish infringements from areas of the park that other kickers simply can’t reach. The Sharks should once again be in the thick of things and could force their way into the playoffs again if White can work his magic.

Hurricanes

2013 finish – 11^th

Predicted 2014 finish – 9^th

Throughout their history, the Hurricanes have had some of the most lethal backlines in the competition and 2014 looks to be no different. Beauden Barrett has emerged as a real contender to Aaron Cruden as the future number 10 for the All Blacks, they’ll be boosted by what will hopefully be a full season of star wing Cory Jane on the opposite side of the destructive Julian Savea, and players like TJ Perenara and Andre Taylor are great young talents who could easily find themselves in the All Blacks mix in 2014. Keep an eye on 20 year old flanker Ardie Savea who, although he didn’t play, was taken on the 2013 All Blacks European tour, expectations are huge for this guy.

Stormers

2013 finish – 7^th

Predicted 2014 finish – 10^th

The Stormers lose former IRB player of the year and one of the great attacking players of modern times in Bryan Habana who heads to Toulon, along with talented young fly-half Elton Jantjies but may see the long awaited return of former Springbok star Schalk Burger after a gruelling two years sidelined with knee injuries and bacterial meningitis. Jean de Villiers remains one of the games elite talents and Newlands is never high on the list of grounds teams wish to visit.

Blues

2013 finish – 10^th

Predicted 2014 finish – 11^th

Whatever the results, the Blues are going to generate a lot of interest on both sides of the Tasman with the introduction of former League superstar Benji Marshall. At his peak, Marshall was one of the most entertaining and skilful players either code has ever seen, but his last year at the Tigers left a lot to be desired and Marshall’s inconsistent play even saw him dropped to the bench. The big question is whether this was an indication of the decline in Benji’s talents, or a reflection of the stress Benji was under in relation to his contract dilemmas and eventual decision to leave his beloved club. The Blues have lost talisman Rene Ranger but bring back All Blacks Tony Woodcock and Ma’a Nonu along with All Blacks World Cup hero Jerome Kaino. A backline of names like Saili, Nonu, Halai, Pitau has the potential to be the most explosive in the competition, but they need direction, can Benji be the one to provide that?

Force

2013 finish – 13^th

Predicted 2014 finish - 12^th

Since their entry to the competition in 2006, success has been hard to find for the Force and 2014 looks to be no different. A lot of player turnover will give fans some fresh faces to tune in for, but it will be a long year for stars like Nick Cummins and Ben McCalman to will this team near the playoffs. The Force had by far the most anaemic attack in Super Rugby last year scoring just a meagre 267 points, but they were a respectable defensive outfit with their 366 points allowed just 2 more than the champion Chiefs. Expect more of the same from the Force this year, a team big on heart and determination but lacking the skills to compete beyond that.

Rebels

2013 finish – 12^th

Predicted 2014 finish – 13^th

Going toe to toe to avoid with the force to avoid the wooden spoon in the Australian conference are the Rebels who have lost a lot of, at times troubled, talent in Nick Phipps, James O’Connor, Cooper Vuna and Kurtley Beale with their best new recruit being former Highlander Tamati Ellison. The 12^th place finish in 2013 represented the best year in the Rebels short history, but their attempts to assemble what looked to be quite a talent roster have not panned out. With the exodus of talent, the Rebels may save themselves a few headaches, but there’s a clear step backwards in skill also.

Highlanders

2013 finish – 14^th

Predicted 2014 finish – 14^th

A star studded list of departures from the 2013 squad show a cast of failed experiments for the Highlanders. Tony Woodcock, Andrew Hore, Ma’a Nonu some of the most experienced All Blacks in history all depart after disappointing stints, along with Colin Slade, Hosea Gear, Jamie Macktinosh, Tamati Ellison, Kade Poki, Buxton Popoali’I, on paper this was a very talented side but it was not to be.  Little was done to replace these departures, though Patrick Osborne is an exciting young talent that has slipped under many peoples radars. Aaron and Ben Smith give the Highlanders two great young All Blacks, but they won’t have nearly enough support to be competitive this year.

Lions

2013 finish – Absent

Predicted 2014 finish – 15^th

Replacing the last place Kings, the Lions return to Super Rugby but look prone to being cannibalized by the South African conference. After being loaned to the Stormers, Elton Jantjies returns to the side to provide a small glimmer of light. Jantjies, a 23 year old fly-half, has won numerous awards throughout age group representation in South Africa, with two caps for the Springboks Jantjies is thought by many to be a future international star but will really have his work cut out for him coming back from a much better equipped Stormers outfit. The South African conference is incredibly competitive and they’ll likely feast on Lion throughout the year.