16 tribes vying for one big prize

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 01 Maret 2014 | 20.47

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They won't want to hear this in Queensland, Melbourne or Wellington.

It would just confirm the conspiracy theory that the competition is too Sydney-centric – never mind the fact the trophy has left NSW four times in the past eight years*.

They won't want to hear it in the west or The Shire or on the northern beaches. It might entrench the feeling the cashed-up Roosters and Rusty's cuddly bunnies are media darlings.

But my ideal season is a Roosters-Rabbitohs sandwich. What happens in the other 190 games between their round one blockbuster on Thursday night and the most keenly anticipated grand final in decades would be the filling.

The only question is who would be benefit more if that mouthwatering dish hit the plate in October. The success-starved Rabbitohs faithful, the born-to-win Roosters or the Australian Rugby Union.

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Sam Burgess and Sonny Bill Williams won't be playing for the Wallabies after they finish tenderising each other in the NRL. But the sight of two rugby-bound superstars at the centre of rugby league's greatest showpiece might prompt some to toss a coin in the ARU's begging bowl.

If a Roosters and Rabbits grand final seems the ideal main course, we are still salivating over the entrée. This is a season replete with intriguing storylines, some of which involve the game's most notable and notorious characters.

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Whether you consider Ricky Stuart notable or notorious will depend on your interpretation of his troubled season with Parramatta, a club with a board room that makes the Italian parliament seem like a Buddhist temple.

Stuart's return to Canberra is as much a referendum on his coaching career as an appointment. He has won a premiership with the Roosters, taken cash-strapped Cronulla to the top four and revitalised the Blues against the rampaging Maroons. Yet Stuart's legacy remains dependant on a period of success and stability with a club with the behavioural record of Gold Coast hostel in Schoolies Week.

Rooster's Anthony Minichiello celebrates with fans at full time of the 2013 NRL Grand Final. Source: News Limited

Wayne Bennett does not have to prove a thing. Any suspicion the Super Coach was merely the Superannuated Coach in off- Broadway Newcastle was erased when the Knights fought their way to the final four last season.

But after a tumultuous pre-season Russell Packer is behind bars, Willie Mason is catching cabs to training and Jarrod Mullen's has a hamstring off the bone. If Bennett can ensure his time in Newcastle ends with an exclamation mark, not merely a full-stop, he can also win the Sydney to Hobart on foot.

Penrith seem to be in the 18th year of a five year plan. Which is not a criticism of Gus Gould's unfolding vision, but the inevitable ridicule that painfully meticulous rebuilding process has suffered in a game which does not tolerate short-term failure.

Some will also mock the Panthers' recruiting. They will tell you the only tackle Jamie Soward has is in his fishing bag. That the only thin in the gym Jamal Idris's uses too much is the mirror. That Peter Wallace might not have been Scotland's best playmaker, let alone the Broncos'.

But there is something happening in the hills. Something that, you can't help hoping, will regenerate a club that holds a more important place in the lives of its fans than the NRL does for those in wealthier areas.

Rabbitoh Warrior, as he likes to be called, a passionate Souths fan. Source: News Limited

It's still hard to tell what the Storm means to Melbourne. They are certainly respected and should Melburnians realise Cameron Smith is thinking about leaving, I'm sure they would hope the well regarded skipper stays.

But Melbourne – outside the team's loyal bunch of supporters - has never universally loved a Storm player. Not like Sydney once loved Plugger Lockett. Maybe they will love George Rose.

Even the most myopic AFL-centric Melburnian won't miss him. Gorgeous George will be a cult hero in a team replete with legends. But, pound for pound, maybe the best marketing vehicle the club has had.

The Storm visit Manly in the first game. The refereeing department has had an overhaul. Fans of Geoff Toovey's hyperbolic post-match oratory hope the whistleblowers don't get everything right.

The Burrow unveil a banner celebrating Nathan Merritt's 200th game. Source: News Limited

Toovey was the surprise hit of the 2013 season. At once passionate, savvy, heartwarming and just a decent half from clinching the premiership. Toovey might be the best – and the first – reason to hope Manly don't finish last.

What do we make of Cronulla? Besides a prosperous franchise in coastal Queensland?

Suspended coach Shane Flanagan's appearance at a trial game was ill-advised because it drew attention to the club's past problems as it attempts to move on. How can Flanagan preach self-sacrifice to his players when he won't sacrifice an afternoon in a corporate box for the Sharks' greater good?

Last year an entire season was overshadowed by the Sharks' murky dealings. This one deserves to be played out in a bright spotlight.

*Yes, I know, the Storm had to give two back.


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