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GAME on ... With six runs, another pinpoint perfect kicking game and a shift in rules, Adam Reynolds reinjected himself into the Origin debate.
There was Andrew Johns saying before Thursday night's game that Reynolds needed to run the ball more. Matthew Johns wrote the same earlier, in the Telegraph. Two great football judges in agreement.
Reynolds is young but proud of his performance. He looks to improve.
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He had a quiet end to last season and no doubt heard the opinions over the summer, brought into sharp focus on Thursday when the Rabbitohs met the premiers.
And so he ran.
And in doing so he revealed a glimpse of a game that threatens to change all over again, as the rules have an impact on the footy being played.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson would not be surprised.
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South Sydney's Adam Reynolds tackled by Rooster's Jared Waerea-Hargraves. Pic Gregg Porteous Source: News Corp Australia
On Wednesday's NRL360 Robinson spoke about the new rules, and the stress they will put on defence. There are fewer men in the tackle, meaning more offloads. More offloads mean more running football, more opportunities. Scores, Robinson believed, would stretch as one team became dominant.
What nobody could see coming — and you can throw Robinson in with this, despite his crystal ball — was the fatigue in the Roosters defence once the Rabbitohs began establishing dominance.
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The Roosters were ragged.
How permanent it is remains to be seen, but it appears the new rules have reintroduced a fatigue factor to the defence that has long been missing, and was long missed.
As Reynolds showed, it brought the running halfback back into the game.
While he could not have been sure this would be the impact, it appears Reynolds benefited because had already decided he was going to run.
He'd listened to the voices and knew the backdrop to the story, which provided the substance to Thursday's game.
Before this game last year Laurie Daley publicly declared nothing short of a leg falling off would stop Mitch Pearce being his Origin halfback. Right or left, it didn't matter.
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It outraged Souths fans, who can generate a healthy appetite for such things.
Reynolds was the Dally M Rookie of the Year. He was a pure halfback. And the Blues had been trialling halfbacks for years without real success.
Daley sought to calm the anxiety created by that third point by declaring Pearce's selection early.
But as Reynolds kept producing and the Bunnies jousted with the Roosters at the top of the table, a rearguard support grew for Reynolds. It grew even more when the Blues lost the second game, and again when they lost the series.
Pearce returned to the Roosters as the Origin whipping boy, and many vocal judges — I wouldn't call them sound — declared the debate now over. Reynolds should be Origin halfback in 2014.
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Then came the finals, and Pearce's steady guiding of the Roosters to the premiership and Reynolds' uncharacteristic quietness as the Rabbitohs fell short. Heaven forbid, could the vocal judges be wrong?
Reynolds ran just once in the preliminary final against Manly and, failing to provide a threat equal to his kicking game, was rendered ineffective. Maybe Pearce was the right choice all the time.
Now, it turns again. Reynolds ran six times for 41m on Thursday. Pearce once for 7m.
Expect that to change, too.
Andrew Demetriou holds press conference to announce his stepping down as AFL CEO. Source: News Corp Australia
RETIRING JUST AS REAL CONTENDER EMERGES
ANDREW Demetriou quit just when the fight was about to begin.
Demetriou resigned as the heavyweight champion of Australian sport just as a new contender arrived in the rankings.
NRL boss Dave Smith's performance this past fortnight has underlined his improvement in the 12 months since his first awkward speech at last year's season launch — "Benji Barba", anyone?
This season's speech was first class, and this week's punishment of Cronulla and coach Shane Flanagan was as tough as the current, anaemic NRL rules allow.
Demetriou has exercised a similarly firm hand, and leaves just as the NRL appears to have found a worthy opponent.
Under Demetriou, the AFL stole a long march on the NRL and is years ahead in governance and vision. Such was the quality of his leadership he has put systems in place that will see AFL hardly miss a beat once the credits start to roll on his career.
The NRL is playing catch-up and, while "vision" remains a dirty word in the NRL ever since John Ribot left the phrase dead and partly decomposed, the fruits of what Smith is putting in place are starting to be seen after he was widely criticised last year for being too invisible.
Finally, there is the smell of momentum about the NRL.
Watch for Demetriou to pop up in politics at Victoria's state election later this year, before going on to become, oh, maybe Victorian premier.
Foxtel host Matt Shirvington Source: Supplied
JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION: MATT SHIRVINGTON
Host of Shirvo's Super Saturday, Fox Sports 1, today from 11am
All those players, all those games they've played, and they've named it Shirvo's Super Saturday.
Yes, Beaver (Steve Menzies) has played 500 games, Princey (Scott Prince) has played 300, tomorrow we've got Loz (Laurie Daley) and Kevvie Walters, one of the greatest premiership winners, and they've named it after me. Not sure why.
Surely one of them's asked why it's not their name on the show?
(Laughs) Like Princey's Super Saturday? No, but I don't know what they're saying behind my back. But we have got five games and 11 hours of NRL to get through, so it's an amazing package.
You're still working with the Dragons as sprint coach?
My job's not to just improve their top speed. It's the transition, it's being able to be as fast as you can whether it's minute one or the 70th minute.
Is there anyone in the NRL who might get you now?
The young guys tend to be a bit quicker because they haven't put on the weight yet. I love watching (Shaun) Johnson move, (Marika) Koroibete is quick, (Michael) Jennings at the moment.
Have you got them covered?
I'm going to say yes. I haven't done a 40m test for a while but the last time I was still pretty fast.
Jason Little and Tim Horan, Wallaby greats. pic Mark Evans Source: News Corp Australia
CHILL PILLS
Tim Horan knows all about knee injuries, and so when David Pocock came out of his second knee surgery in as many years he was there at the hospital, delivering a book about attitude.
Umpires Aleem Dar and HDPK Dharmasena speak to Michael Clarke. Source: Getty Images
ANGRY PILLS
Claims of ball tampering throughout the series in South Africa marred what was otherwise a great contest. Both sides are too good for that.
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A GOOD WEEK FOR
ON knees that are nothing more than re-treads, but with a heart that pumps like a steam train, it was fitting Ryan Harris ended Australia's successful summer with the final two wickets to beat South Africa. Harris showed selectors what they can do with their "rotation policy", which should be consigned as nothing more than a dark chapter in cricket's history.
Harris knew what the selectors didn't; you can't measure heart.
A ROUGH WEEK FOR
Ange Postecoglou tried to put a positive spin on Australia's 4-3 loss to Ecuador after the Socceroos led 3-0 at half-time. And we're trying just has hard for him. He will take a young side to the World Cup and, as such, young legs. It revives memories of Guus Hiddink's strategy in 2006, when the Socceroos were fitter and ran harder than anybody, with outstanding success. Still, a 3-0 lead at half-time? Ouch.
DON'T MISS
AMAZINGLY, Alessandro Del Piero is the only Sydney FC player who has scored in previous derbys against Western Sydney. Keep an eye on ADP tonight (Fox Sports 3, 7.30pm), fresh off a game of beach footy with the Bondi Rescue crew.
A loss for either side will leave them in need of mouth-to-mouth.
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