9 more sleeps to go

So here we are into the single digits with 9 more sleeps remaining. I like to continue to set little markers within the countdown to make it feel like more progress was being made, and cracking into single digits was one of those. Next it's the march towards the one week mark, which is only a couple of nights away, yes after just two more posts we'll be looking at only one week of sleeps until the footy is back! on with the countdown...

#9 Robbie Farah

2012 was a turbulent year for the Tigers rake both on and off the paddock. Injuries saw him restricted to just 16 games and the disappointing Tigers, predicted by most to be amongst the competitions elite fizzled out and missed the top eight, but when he was on the paddock, he once again showed why he's the best hooker in the game not named Cameron Smith. For a long time Farah has been ignored when it comes to NSW selection, with only two appearances in 2009 and 2012 looked to be no different as he was advised that the returning Danny Buderus would be taking on the blue number 9 jersey as Farah, once again, was deemed not an "Origin" type of player. But fortune would favour Farah in the form of an injury to Buderus, and after an outstanding performance for NSW City, Farah finally found himself back in the Origin arena.  While the Blues would once again go down to Queensland, Farah stood out as one of the best players in the series, picking up the Brad Fittler medal for NSW and putting on one of the great Origin performances in the game 2 victory for New South Wales. Farah would handle the ball 101 times and amass an Origin record 63 tackles, with no missed tackles, leaving anyone who questioned Farah's credentials as an "Origin type player"  with a fair bit of egg on their face. But a cruel twist followed, after Farah played quite possibly the greatest game of his career, he soon lost his mother Sonia to her battle with pancreatic cancer. To make matters worse, his mothers untimely passing was thrust into the media as miscreants on Twitter thought it an opportune time to put the knife in to Farah, who opted to take this as an opportunity to draw attention to the way people use the social media platform and make them held more accountable. 2012 would see Farah become the most capped Tigers captain in club history, and at the same time once again see rumours of a rift between he and star half Benji Marshall which he vehemently denied in a scathing interview with Matthew Johns on NRL on Fox. The end of the year saw bitter disappointment from a club perspective, but a finalist for Dally M Hooker of the Year as one last testament to the level of his own individual performance.

Not sure what's going on with this guys TV but it can't be good for his eyesight 

At 29, Farah has logged 185 games for the Tigers, was part of the 2005 Premiership winning team, 3 games for Australia and 1 for Lebanon, 5 for NSW, 6 for NSW City as well as appearing for the NRL All Stars. He's a two time Dally M Hooker of the year, a two time runner up for Dally M Player of the year, as well as a RLIF Hooker of the Year winner. Consider for a moment the competition Farah has been up against for those Hooker of the Year awards,namely, one Cameron Smith. Many believe Smith to be the greatest hooker the game has ever seen and, surprise, he'll be revealed later on in the countdown. In recent times, Smith has had somewhat of a monopoly on the award, winning it 4 times, so it says a lot that Farah was able to take it twice. In a competition without Cameron Smith, Farah may well be a 4 or 5 time winner. So too has Smith denied Farah much of the international acclaim he deserves. With Australia having Smith who is incredibly durable and plays 80 minutes like it's a stroll on the beach, there simply hasn't been much room in the Kangaroos for Robbie. If Smith wasn't on the scene, we'd be talking about Farah as the premier hooker in the game after the departure of Buderus. But what of his lack of Origin matches? after all, Cam Smith doesn't stand in his way there. Danny Buderus had laid claim to the Origin hooking spot before Farah even entered the competition, and went on to amass a total of 21 games for NSW. Once Buderus was gone, the NSW selectors turned a blind eye to Farah, labelling him as not "Origin material" compared to players perceived to have more of an edge to them like Michael Ennis, of course, when Robbie finally got his opportunity, this theory went right out the window.

Farah putting another grub in his place

The notion that Farah didn't play an Origin type of game wasn't entirely unfounded. Despite his herculean defensive effort in 2012 game 2, Farah is first and foremost known for his exemplary abilities on attack. The high flying offensive style of the Tigers isn't just about Benji Marshall, Farah is just as much a part of it. His sniping runs around the ruck are extremely potent and he has a bit of toe on him once he cuts loose. He's got a great understanding of what's going on and has a very crafty passing game to back that up, he's extremely dangerous near the opponents goal line with his ability to either make the slippery scoot out of the ruck, or hit a crispy short ball to put a man over the line. On top of this, he's got a fantastic kicking game, often taking the pressure of his halves by launching some big, precise kicks out of dummy half, the occasional drop kick too if need be, he has all the tools to play in the halves and indeed has in the past. Like many others who have made my countdown, he brings to the table the skills of various positions to separate him and make him one of the elite. In Robbie Farah, you have a hooker with the speed, darting runs and distribution that you want from your number 9, but then you add to that the kicking, passing and mental game of a half, and then you start looking at a guy who isn't just a great hooker, but one of the greatest overall players in the competition. The high octane attack at the Tigers which was powered in large part by Farah is a far cry from the gruelling defensive slugfest that Origin often becomes, but if people couldn't see this in Farah at an NRL level, they certainly saw it in Origin. Farah is a real heart on his sleeve type of player, and that's why he's been such a great captain for the Tigers. He doesn't have the reputation of one of the hard men in the competition, but he's all heart and when you have as much heart as Farah does then that's enough to make you one tough competitor. This guy gives you absolutely everything he's got and never gives up, he might not always get it right, but at least you know he's going to do all he can to get you a win. Defensively, well all you have to do is once again point to that effort in Origin 2, when you break the tackling record for Origin, then that's about all you need to prove your defensive credentials. Once again I feel this comes back to the heart Farah plays with, he's 179cm and 89kg, on the Origin paddock that makes him one of the small blokes, and Queensland wanted to exploit that, but he just dug deeper than anyone else on the field and refused to yield. 

"Even Rocky had a montage"

Farah enters the new season as the captain of a team with a lot to prove. The Tigers should have been much better than they were, and they should be much better in 2013, the majority of that expectation falls on the shoulders of Farah and Marshall. For the first time, Farah enters a season as "the guy" when it comes to the NSW hooking situation, and while 2012 was such an up and down season for him in so many ways, knowing that you're the premier hooker from your state must put a bit of a chip on his shoulder. I expect this to only be a good thing for Farah, in no way do I think he will become lazy or assume he will make Origin again, in fact quite the opposite. Getting that taste of Origin, only to ultimately lose the series, is going to just spurn Farah on more, push him to ensure he gets an opportunity for another crack at it. He's waited a long time to be that guy, and I don't see him letting anyone take that blue 9 jersey away from him. No longer needing concern himself with the once looming threat of DJ Yallah reappearing at his restaurant should ease a massive load off his shoulders also...

HECTIC BRO

Check back in tomorrow for number 8, special marks for you if you know where the montage quote is from.  As always if you have any comments, criticisms, suggestions then let me know @WellsNorthShore one more  great Farah clip to see us off...

12 sleeps to go

How great has it been to already have two really enjoyable contests this week? with an enthralling World Club Challenge backing up from the Charity Shield contest, let's hope the two games on tonight prove just as entertaining. Moving on now to 12 sleeps remaining, we are inching ever closer to the single digits, let's get on to number 12 in the countdown with another highlight machine.

#12 Benji Marshall

This may end up reading awfully similar to my entry on Jarryd Hayne. Another guy who once held the throne as the kinf of the NRL. Benji lead a Tigers outfit predicted for the basement to Grand Final glory and took the Kiwis to a World Cup victory. But recent times haven't been as kind to Benji, rather than the fairytale story of the Tigers in 2005, the 2012 Tigers were predicted at many bookies to win the whole competition, instead they floundered out of the 8, finishing up in 10th and the "Benji Magic" was at times not to be found. The 27 year old is a two time RLIF Five-Eighth of the year, a Golden Boot winner, and a Dally M Five-Eighth of the year winner. Statistically, Benji was again amongst the elite of the league, Third in points with 167, 72 goals, 3 drop goals, 312 kicks in play, and leading all players in the competition with 37 try assists. But the Tigers as a whole were an inconsistent outfit, and Benji both contributed and suffered as a result. Without a stable partner in the halves, Benji wasn't able to play his natural game and despite the high assist total, his attacking game was at times stifled by trying to play a more composed "solid" game which just didn't work for him. By all accounts, the Tigers seem set this year to let Benji be Benji, which is great news for all League fans.

By most players standards, Benji 2012 was still awesome

Pretty much everyone knows the deal when it comes to Benji. Arguably the most talented guy in the competition. A former Australian National Touch team player, there's guys that have all the tricks, then there's the guy who made all the tricks. Benji unleashed on the competition an array of trickery the likes of which has rarely been seen across any football code. He's another guy with a humongous boot on him, a great example of which was shown off when he slotted a 50 metre drop goal against the Titans. His arsenal of flick passes, no look passes, skip out passes allow Benji to put guys into gaps that nobody else would think possible. As he drifts across the field, he leaves defenses almost frozen, it's like Benji slows down time so he can make the decision of which runner he wants to hit with his pass. It's his array of fakes, dummies, and his amazing steps that cause this effect, opposing defenses simply don't have the slightest clue what Benji is going to come up with when he has the ball in hand.. That's why you can't constrain Benji and try to settle him down, you need to let him be free, because there's no gameplan to shut down a free roaming Benji Marshall. No disrespect to his Tigers teammates intended, but I'm pretty sure you could put a wheelie bin at centre and give it the occasional push and Benji would send it in for a few tries a year. If you've watched a few Tigers games then you've no doubt seen it, Benji drifting across the field as the Tigers have various options running through, he dummies, he dummies and then he hits a guy with a perfect pass to see him through a gap untouched.

Benji resorted to 50 metre drop goals to even the playing field with Moltzen

After a few grim years dealing with shoulder issues that threatened to derail his career, Benji has now amassed 179 NRL games and 24 tests for New Zealand where he proudly serves as the captain. At only 27, he should still have a few good years left in him. The Tigers will no doubt enter 2013 with a huge point to prove after such a disappointing 2012 campaign. The exit of Time Sheens will bring a fresh environment to the Tigers and I expect Benji to be able to be himself and really find his game again. While Benji was entirely capable in the roll he was used in 2012, it wasn't the best way to capitalize on his abilities. Benji at his best is selective when he enters the play. He isn't a halfback who can control the whole game and lead everyone around, he's a five-eighth who should be playing off a halfback and breaking the game open, that's how you best utilize the abilities of Benji Marshall. I always thought it said a lot about his ability that so many Australian past players, commentators, "authorities" would openly refer to him, a proud Kiwi, as the best player in the world. 

I've spent many a work day watching Benji compilations

Check back in tomorrow for number 11 as we see prepare for the home stretch, the last week of no televised League before the season gets under way. As always I'm on Twitter if you have any criticisms or suggestions @WellsNorthShore

25 sleeps to go

One more night down after we were drip fed a little bit of league action last night with the Indigenous side running rampant over the NRL All Stars. So many of our favourites were back in action, the magic aura surrounding Ben Barba doesn't seem to have gone anywhere, Inglis as monstrous as ever, Hayne looked ready for a big year, but most impressive of all to me was the play of Johnathan Thurston. He was the man pulling all the strings behind that great Indigenous side performance, the finishing from Barba and Ferguson was excellent, but it was Thurston who was the conductor, he was simply brilliant. So with that little tease aside, we move on to 25 sleeps left, and on to player number 25 in the countdown to NRL 2013

#25 Aaron Woods

Some may think I'm jumping the gun a little here by already ranking the 21 year old, 194 cm, 109 kg Tigers prop so highly. He hasn't played Origin yet, he hasn't played a test, he's only been in the competition two years, props mature later than backs do. But take a look at what this guy did in 2012

Tied for 5th most runs in the competition with 377

4th most metres in the competition with 3455

15th most tackles in the competition with 808

Woods is the only player in the competition to feature in the top 15 in all three of these categories, his work rate is simply unparalleled. Dream Team players will testify, the way Woods logged huge minutes every week saw him rack up the fantasy points. 

Photos with less than three guys tackling him proved difficult to find

We've seen plenty of young backs enter the competition and take to the water fairly quickly. But prop has remained very much a position of the elder statesmen. Tamou is young himself, but he's got three years on Woods, Matthew Scott is 6 years older, Ben Hannant is 7 years older. This may sound like I'm making excuses for Woods, but far from it, Woods is playing at the level of these guys, and yet he's still just a pup. How good will this guy be when he's 26, 27? he looks like he could play 80 minutes every week if you asked him to

Woods highlight videos proved difficult to locate also

At 21, he's already answered all the questions about his ability at the NRL level, all that is left is to prove himself at the next level. He's had a showing for the City Origin side where many felt he was the best prop on the field, he made the Prime Minister's XIII and he was on standby for NSW in Origin 2 and 3. It will be a tremendous shock if, injury permitting, Woods doesn't make the NSW side this season, and I suspect this will only make him even better. He was a finalist for Dally M Prop of the Year last year, and yes I'm aware I am ranking him higher than the guy who actually won the award, but to me the body of work he puts out every week deserves it.

 He carries the ball all game like a prop, he tackles all game like a second rower. Furthermore, his team in 2012 was one of the biggest disappointments in the NRL. Through no fault of his own, the Tigers were one of the favourites with the bookies to take our the title, instead, they were terribly inconsistent and failed to even make the top eight. Despite a team that on paper appeared to be so loaded with talent, it was the 21 year old who was one of the few guys they could depend on. The Tigers seemed to change their stripes every week, but not Woods, with Woods you knew every week you were getting a guy whose legs didn't stop pumping, who wouldn't stop tackling unless you yanked him off the field, not to mention being a very adept offloader. There's really nothing bad you can say about this guy, he's entered the competition in fantastic fashion and is one of the true rising stars of the game. He's going to be amongst the elite props in the competition for a long time to come.

There's literally more videos of my pet Lorikeet on YouTube than there are of Aaron Woods

If you weren't already well aware of this blokes prowess, I suspect by the end of the end of 2013 you certainly will be. In 2012 Woods played like one of the top props in the game, 2013 will be the year where he is treated like one.

Mateo was evidently very impressed with Woods ability

Check back in tomorrow as we move on to #24, get at me on Twitter @WellsNorthShore if you have any criticisms or comments or you just want to have a blab about sport. With any luck #24 will have some more videos, someone needs to get on to uploading a bit more of Woods in action!