The new NRL season is simply eight days away, with Fox League launching its protection of the brand new marketing campaign in fashion on Wednesday in Sydney.
As a part of the occasion, a trio of specialists took to the stage to share their predictions for the way the 2023 season will play out. From the challengers for the title to the perfect purchase of the season, right here’s what Matthew Johns, Cooper Cronk and Paul Kent needed to say on a few of the sport’s greatest subjects!
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Dragons duo keep away from suspension over melee | 00:36
WHO WILL WIN?
Penrith have gone back-to-back, however their hopes of a three-peat took an enormous hit with the departure of plenty of key figures to rival golf equipment.
However, Cooper Cronk believes they’ll nonetheless set the usual for his or her rivals to search out.
Cronk mentioned: “Absolutely they can be (the benchmark). I think the top four will be there again … I think defence is king and they’re the four best defensive teams.
“They were a little disappointing in the World Club Challenge, but I think Penrith can definitely put it back three times in a row.
“I think Melbourne Storm, the Roosters, the Cowboys are a great club. I think what Todd Payten has done there in terms of resetting the whole base, the expectations of what it means to be a Cowboy is a really good thing.
“Parramatta as well. I think the five best defensive teams in our competition will be fighting it out again.”
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Matty Johns mentioned: “There’s a few sides there (in the hunt).”
He was filled with reward for the ‘brilliant’ Sharks within the pre-season, and Nicho Hynes who has “picked up where he left off” final season.
He continued: “The Roosters, of course, the best three players at the World Cup were (Roosters players) Joey Manu, (James) Tedesco, and Joseph Suaalii. Sam Walker is a year older, Cheesy Fries (Brandon Smith) has gone there at hooker.
“And of course you’ve got Paramatta, Melbourne. The last 20 years, Melbourne have been eulogised five or six times but they always find a way.
“I looked at Souths and I thought to myself ‘They’re going to find it hard to maintain (their level).’ But what really impressed me on the weekend about Souths, they had a lot of new attacking shapes.
“A lot of times you think they’re an incredibly entertaining side, and entertainment comes with a little bit of a soft underbelly. Not with Souths. I think they’re a huge chance of winning it.”
How will the Dolphins fare in 2023? | 01:55
WILL THE DOLPHINS STRUGGLE?
Plenty of pundits have declared the NRL’s latest membership is a lock to complete final, however Paul Kent believes a Wayne Bennett mantra will see them end above 5 or 6 groups!
Paul Kent declared: “I actually don’t believe the hype that they’re gonna win the (wooden) spoon. I think they’ll be really strong.
“I don’t think they’ll make the finals but I think they’ll be within shouting distance of it.
“What Wayne’s gonna do there, we all know how he coaches – he’s gone and picked the Bromwich brothers (Jesse and Kenny), (Felise) Kaufusi. Tough guys out of a good system, that know how to win, know how to put standards in place.
“Bennett’s whole mantra for the entire season will be: ‘let’s be tough to beat’ … he’ll want them to compete for every minute. In the NRL if you can do that consistently enough, you’ll jag a win here and there that you probably shouldn’t, because we do see teams have those off weekends.
He went on: “They’re gonna have a few teething problems, no doubt, but they’ll be in the fight … I think they’ll finish 11-12. I think they’ll go alright!”
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He added: “Bennett’s got this style that he’ll bring to the Dolphins … which is: ‘let’s just be the side that’s gonna be in the fight every week’ … if that’s your aim going out every week, it’s pretty tough (to beat) when you’ve got the old warhorses like the Bromwich’s and Kaufusi, you’ve got a little bit of resilience in your team.”
Can Tigers replicate 2005 GF success? | 02:41
CAN THE TIGERS REPEAT 2005?
With Robbie Farah, Benji Marshall and Tim Sheens, the Wests Tigers have gotten the band again collectively as they attempt to emulate their 2005 success – and that has translated to their attack-minded method on the sector.
But Cooper Cronk has a key warning about an space they need to tackle to be victorious this season.
Cronk mentioned: “I thought their performance on the weekend against the Raiders was very impressive. Their style of footy was great. They zinged the ball from left to right, they played quite expansive. It was shades of ’05.
“I like the romance, I like that Benji, Sheens, Farah, they’re all back. But ’05 was 18 years ago and the game’s changed a hell of a lot!
“The thing I worry about the Tigers and that talk about ’05, is they all talk about promoting the ball, scoring tries, points points points. I get that, but defence is still king.
“Unless they’ve got a defensive system that will limit the opposition scoring points, I don’t think the attacking mindset is going to be the thing that shoots them up the ladder. But if they can put it together, put the attack with the defence, then absolutely (they can win).”
Johns mentioned: “What Sheens is a genius at is the ability to recognise what a side needs and then adjusting your style to suit that side. If you look at the way they played against the Warriors first up (in pre-season), granted they were missing a few key blokes, but they were really poor. And then it was a total contrast (the next game). That’s Sheens’s coaching.
“David Klemmer is the perfect example. Klemmer last weekend did more ball-playing than I’ve ever seen. And it was clever stuff, dummying underneath, hitting guys on the outside. That’s the thing about Sheens – on the weekend they just looked like a typical Tim Sheens-coached side. It is exciting.”
Who was the perfect purchase within the offseason? | 01:18
BEST BUY OF THE OFF-SEASON
It is perhaps Api Koroisau or Viliame Kikau, Reece Walsh or a number of names. But Matty Johns believes Brandon Smith’s transfer to the Roosters may very well be the largest acquisition, and Paul Kent agreed.
Kent mentioned: “If the Roosters can get up and Cheese is there (he could be the buy of the year). He’s certainly going to be (important). He fills the gap the Roosters discovered they had last year. They had a couple of hookers at the club they thought would come through, they didn’t come through as they had hoped.
“They’ve gone out and do what the Roosters do – they troubleshoot, they find out where they’re a little bit vulnerable, and they go out and fix the problem.”
He added: “I think he’s been a tremendous buy … they’re very good at what they do.”
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
