The Jarryd Hayne effect. It's very real. You only have to look at how the crowds have flocked to the grounds where he has played in the past fortnight. The TV ratings for the two games he has played have surpassed even the television broadcasters' wildest imagination. When Jarryd Hayne stood motionless, arms outstretched, with that "there you go" expression on his face, after kicking the winning field goal for the Titans, the scene was more like the crescendo in a Hollywood movie, than that of a normal weekend club game of rugby league at Campbelltown. Not that his superstar status needed to be confirmed, but with that one match-winning moment of brilliance, Hayne ensured that every game in which he participates between now and the end of the season, will be close to a sell-out. It's what brings crowds through the gates in any sport. Champions. Crowd-pleasers. Legends. The prospect of witnessing these magic moments and seeing great players do things that we mere mortals could ever dream possible. So where am I going with this? It is a perfect lesson for all those who currently sit in senior management positions in the NRL. Fans do not cheer for good governance, glorified state-of-the-game addresses, great television broadcast deals, or handsome profits. They do not cheer for the judiciary, refereeing KPIs or the bunker. They don't give a rat's tail about wi-fi at grounds, new technology, or corporate hospitality. What sells this game more than anything else you can name, is our wonderful footballers, playing the kind of football, the fans understand.
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2. Sharks to be tested on Monday night
The Sharks travel to ANZ Stadium on Monday night in a match that is unlikely to have any great bearing on their prospects of a top-two finish at season's end, but may give us a great insight into exactly where their premiership challenge currently sits. After 15 straight wins, the Sharks have not won a match since defeating Newcastle at home late last month. It's easy to find reasons for their recent performances. The one thing the Sharks will be keen to dispel is the commentary suggesting the lengthy season may be starting to take its toll on some of its players. Forget about South Sydney's lowly position on the premiership ladder. Their recent form has been terrific, culminating in a huge victory over the New Zealand Warriors who up until last weekend were one of the form teams in the NRL. Souths will be a real test for the Sharks on Monday night. If Rabbitohs half-back Adam Reynolds is available after failing to finish the match against the Warriors, then we will see whether the Sharks are really in a late-season slump, or they are just steadying themselves for a semi-final assault in September.
3. Raiders primed for first preliminary final
Canberra's impressive win against the Storm on Monday night has all but assured the Raiders a top-four spot. This high finish gives them an undeniable chance to play their first ever preliminary final of the NRL era. The Raiders are the only team of our current 16 clubs not to have played in a preliminary final, despite having made the finals nine times since 1998. Melbourne and Brisbane, with eight preliminary appearances apiece, have the opportunity to join the Roosters (nine times), with most appearances.
Too strong: the Raiders defensive line wraps up Tohu Harris . Photo: Getty Images
However, there are a number of teams who haven't featured in grand final qualifiers all that often over the first 18 years of the NRL. Gold Coast (1), Wests Tigers (2), Penrith (3), Warriors (4) Cowboys (4) and the Sharks (4), are all still a chance to make it to week three of the play-off series. Whilst no one at those clubs will be looking that far ahead, I'm sure their fans are getting excited their teams are still in there with a chance to play in these big indices and games. For Canberra fans though, seeing their team qualify now for their tenth finals series over the past 18 years, they really trust that this is the year their season doesn't end in week two of the finals. On recent form it certainly shouldn't.
4. Dragons, Rabbitohs show their true potential
Both the St George-Illawarra Dragons and the South Sydney Rabbitohs have been struggling to score points during the middle part of the season. Last weekend saw a shift in attitude from both sides towards their attacking football and it produced outstanding results. The Dragons, who had averaged just 9.6 points in their previous five matches, ran in five tries and scored 32 points in defeating one of the premiership favourites in Cronulla. They completed 84 per cent of their sets of six in possession. Normally such a figure would mean a team had been ultra-conservative in their ball-movement to eliminate mistakes. On the contrary, the Dragons boys played a far more expansive game than we've seen from them in a couple of seasons. There was far greater freedom in their play, producing 18 offloads and four line breaks. They ran hard and fast, indicating improve confidence in what they were trying to achieve. Most importantly, they played football, giving the Sharks plenty of headaches with the variety they offered in attack. The Rabbitohs, who averaged just eight points in their previous five matches, scored more points against the Warriors (41) than they had totalled in those five previous games. They also had a high completion rate of 88 percent, but ran in six tries, many as a result of a superb Adam Reynolds kicking game. Again, they appeared to play with far greater self-belief. It was a better performance than anything we have seen from the Bunnies so far this season. If both of these clubs continue to play in this vein over the next three weekends, they will cause the clubs higher up the premiership table plenty of worry.
5. Can the Cowboys bounce back?
A month ago most people had conceded that the Cronulla Sharks, Melbourne Storm and North Queensland Cowboys pretty much had this 2016 title race between them. They were easily the three most dominant teams in our competition and appeared to be a cut above the rest. All of a sudden, all three teams look to have hit a speed bump along the road towards the finals. For the Sharks and the Storm, this little period of indifferent form could have been predicted given how far ahead of the pack they were in the race towards the minor premiership.
Speed bump: Johnathan Thurston of the Cowboys. Photo: Getty Images
I would say both clubs have taken the opportunity available to them because they are so well placed on the premiership ladder to introduce a heavy phase of training to steal them for the semi-finals in a few weeks. This is normal practice. It can make them seem a little flat in the short term, in exchange for long-term benefits. I would anticipate them tapering their training load before the last premiership game so they are fresh and hard fit for the September play-offs. The Cowboys on the other hand needed to keep winning in order to achieve an all-important top four finish. It is alarming, therefore, just how lethargic they have looked over the past couple of weeks in their losses to the Wests Tigers and the Sydney Roosters. We have marvelled at how this team has remained injury free since almost the middle of last season. Perhaps the downside of this is that the same 17 or 18 players have been playing high-intensity rugby league every week since that time and are now starting to feel the effects. I guess we will know a lot more about their physical and mental state when they play host to the Warriors this weekend. Another mediocre showing will cast real doubts over their ability to defend their title.
6. Best wishes to Matt Orford
It's always sad when we hear stories of ex-footballers falling on hard times or facing difficulties with their health in their senior years. The rugby league community rallies behind such people and is always there to offer support. It came as a huge shock this week though when we heard the news of recently retired star Matt Orford undergoing emergency surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain after suffering a seizure. You just don't expect to hear such news involving such a young, fit, 38-year-old athlete. To Matt, his family and friends, may I offer our sincere best wishes and hopes for a speedy recovery. We are all thinking of you.
Phil Gould is the general manager of football at the Penrith Panthers
