The nine players under the most pressure in 2016

[OVP]

http://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/th...pressure-in-2016/story-fndv2us0-1227578743156

The nine NRL players under the most pressure in 2016


October 22, 20153:09pm



PRESSURE is a part of top line sport and what separates the best from the rest is the ability to execute under that pressure.

The true greats, the ones who live forever, they thrive under pressure that makes most sportspeople wilt.
Pressure can come from a big contract, a mistake in the past or a recent player transfer and we’ve named the nine NRL players who will be facing the most pressure in 2016.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
Nobody can dispute Tuivasa-Sheck’s ability or pedigree. Some of the things he did in 2015 didn’t seem believable even as they were happening with his speed, footwork and tackle breaking ability making him a natural choice for Dally M fullback of the year.
However, his move to the Warriors is fraught with complications and potential pitfalls. How will he adapt to playing outside the Roosters’ ultra professional and ultra disciplined setup? Can he combine well with Shaun Johnson, given they’re rather similar in style and skill set?
Talent usually wins out and every red-blooded football fan should be hoping the Tuivasa-Sheck-Johnson-Luke combination clicks instantly, but given how much the Warriors have put up to bring him home the stakes are exponentially high.
Aidan Sezer
The Raiders have very quietly put together a really nice squad for 2016, but whether they can improve on this year’s 10th placed finish comes down to Sezer. Canberra’s troubles with winning close matches were well documented this season and the kicking game, composure and organisational skills of Sezer should go a long way to arresting those troubles. While Sam Williams did some good things in his return to the national capital, Sezer is a class above and is the biggest free agent the Raiders have secured in some time. With Ricky Stuart coming off contract at season’s end, he’s bet the farm on Sezer.

James Maloney
The Roosters main attacking weapon since 2013 has been James Maloney and he’s been one of the best halves in the NRL for some time. He provides elite level playmaking and can consistently create points, which makes him a perfect pick up for the Sharks. Cronulla nearly made the top four in 2015 with the halves combination of Jeff Robson, who is solid enough but rarely inspires, and Jack Bird, who is better suited to the centres. With Maloney pulling the strings behind their excellent forward pack and with Valentine Holmes slotting in at fullback, a maiden premiership must be the goal for the men from the Shire.

How will James Maloney adapt at the Sharks in 2016?Source:News Corp Australia



Kieran Foran
Parramatta have had several busts in the recruiting department over the past decade, but they’ve never had a transfer quite like Foran. The Eels have bet every cent they have that Foran and Beau Scott are the men to turn them around — one can presume they’ve used the money they were saving in case Jarryd Hayne dropped out of the NFL — and given the disastrous end to the Chris Sandow era and their six-year playoff drought fans are hungry for hope. The tough and gritty Foran contract saga played out in a far more low key manner than Daly Cherry-Evans, but there’s every bit as much pressure on him in 2016.
Trent Hodkinson
In one of those strange scenarios that can only be thrown up by rugby league, the incumbent New South Wales Origin halfback, who was a year removed from a series win and a grand final appearance, was allowed to leave his club. Hodkinson was passed over for Moses Mbye at Canterbury and joins a Knights team fresh off a wooden spoon. What makes the move so risky, for both sides, is that Hodkinson rarely produced consistent football in his time with the Dogs. He had streaks here and there, but six years into his first grade career he’s never really hit the heights one would expect from a halfback with his resume. With the Knights in desperate need of a little inspiration and creativity, Hodkinson must find some manner of consistency.

Anthony Watmough
Anthony Watmough’s decline from bruising Origin forward in 2014 to big money bust in 2015 needed to be seen to be believed. The veteran didn’t just have a bad year in his first season in blue and gold, he was a downright liability. He crabbed across field throwing suicidal passes, he struggled with injuries all season that robbed him of much of his power and his decline was endemic of the malaise that engulfed the Eels throughout the tumultuous season. However, with a proper off-season (undoubtedly his first for many years) Watmough just might be able to squeeze out a few of the games that made him such a coveted signing. Given his pay packet, the Eels are sure hoping so.

Anthony Watmough had a rough first season with the Eels.Source:News Corp Australia



Mitchell Pearce
James Maloney and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck were the two most damaging attacking players in the Roosters squad last season by any measurement you want to bring to the table. Rarely does a team lose one star, let alone two, and given the uncertainty over who will play fullback for the Chooks and the inexperience of the impressive Jackson Hastings, there is more pressure on Mitchell Pearce than ever before at club level. Pearce’s best seasons have come when he was partnering Todd Carney and Maloney in the halves — when he’s been forced to be the main playmaker he’s rarely starred. The capabilities of Pearce to dominate the attacking game will be the making of the Roosters in 2016.
Ben Hunt
It’s a damn shame that all anybody will remember about Ben Hunt in 2015 was his infamous drop in the grand final, but that’s the nature of the business. One of the best running halves in the competition, Hunt was one of the best in the competition all season and the scary part is that he can only get better as his combination with Darius Boyd and Anthony Milford continues to grow. However, can he recover psychologically from his grand final gaffe?
Daly Cherry-Evans
Daly Cherry-Evans makes more money than God and has a contract that runs until the Second Coming. As such, there’s a huge amount of pressure on him to deliver the goods and be the player the Sea Eagles need him to be in 2016. With the departure of Kieran Foran and the tremendous amount of player turnover at the Sea Eagles over the last two seasons — much of which was to accommodate Cherry-Evans — Trent Barrett will be praying to every God there is that his star halfback has the goods.
Originally published as The nine players under the most pressure in 2016

 

[--Storm--]

Barba, still done nothing since his breakout year.

 

[no name]

Nine? What an odd number to pick.

 

[Ibleedblue]

Big eyes are on Isacc Luke to perform

 

[Snappy]

Anthony Watmough
Anthony Watmough’s decline from bruising Origin forward in 2014 to big money bust in 2015 needed to be seen to be believed. The veteran didn’t just have a bad year in his first season in blue and gold, he was a downright liability. He crabbed across field throwing suicidal passes, he struggled with injuries all season that robbed him of much of his power and his decline was endemic of the malaise that engulfed the Eels throughout the tumultuous season. However, with a proper off-season (undoubtedly his first for many years) Watmough just might be able to squeeze out a few of the games that made him such a coveted signing. Given his pay packet, the Eels are sure hoping so.

Surely this is a mistake. Rhyno told us last week that Watmough was one of their best this year.


.

 

[OVP]

Re: Mitchell Pearce ...

Agree with the article, he rarely performs when under pressure. Personally, and I am a Roosters fan btw, i think we let the wrong half go. Hastings is a halfback and he performed admirably alongside James Maloney when Pearce was injured. I have doubts he can do the same thing alongside Mitchell Pearce. I have this sinking feeling in my stomach that it could be a very tough year for the Roosters. We lost our two best attacking weapons in RTS and Maloney ... that is not something you fix in a year imo. Fergo at fullback gives me shivers too.

I'm not convinced the Roosters can make top four next year, we could even miss the 8 entirely depending on how the combinations work. I think we'll make the bottom half of the 8 and be cannon fodder in the finals. I'm not a Pearce fan at all, it should have been him that was flicked, not Maloney imo. The Sharks will reap the benefits of Jimmy next year, he's an excellent attacking 5/8 and a little on the under-rated side. They bought well, the Sharks.

 

[Kiwi]

I think there will be pressure on all halves pairings both old and new.

The Broncos halves to atleast be as dangerous as they were this year. I fully expect them to get better and be the best halves pairing by seasons end, many Bronco fans will feel the same way, and be very vocal about it. The club will expect them to improve as well, the media will too, so there will be a lot of pressure on them to do it again but only better, time will tell.

There will be similar pressure on Thurston and especially Morgan to do it all again as well. Morgan had a blinder of a year, he will need to back that up if the Cowboys are any chance of going back to back.

Brooks and Moses have been promising for a few years, it'll be do or die for them in 2016, if they don't click consistently you would expect the Tigers would be looking elsewhere for a replacement for atleast one of them.

Elgey and Taylor will unfairly have a lot of pressure on them to turn the Titans around.

Foran and Norman, DCE and Lyon ( maybe? ), Soward and Wallace, and Johnson and Lolohea to turn their clubs around

Maloney and Bird/Townsend, Cronk and Green, Benji and Widdop, Austin and Seizer, Reynolds and Keary and Reynolds and Mybe under pressure to lift their clubs to the next level and to keep up with the likes of the Cowboys, Broncos and Roosters of 2015.

Pearce and Hastings to keep the Roosters strong in the face of losing key players.

Only 6 clubs will go into the 2016 season with the same halves as 2015, and of those 6 clubs the longest a halves pairing have been together is only 2 years ( I could be wrong, but not by much if I am ).

So it's all about the halves in 2016, has there ever been such a merry go round with regards to halves before with all clubs either changing halves or their pairing being in it's infancy?

 

[DiegoNT]

Barba, still done nothing since his breakout year.

And nobody expects him to ever repeat his 2012 efforts. He has found his niche at the Sharks as a bench/impact player, he is no longer a 'go to man' like he was at the bulldogs, and was expected to be at the Sharks. The Sharks go to men are Maloney, Holmes and Ennis, so the pressure is off barba this year

 

[Kiwi]

And nobody expects him to ever repeat his 2012 efforts. He has found his niche at the Sharks as a bench/impact player, he is no longer a 'go to man' like he was at the bulldogs, and was expected to be at the Sharks. The Sharks go to men are Maloney, Holmes and Ennis, so the pressure is off barba this year

You'd think it would ne next to impossible for Barba to break into the Sharks spine.

 

[beave]

Thurston. Until he wins a GF he will never be considered one of the games greats.......

 

[Jason Maher]

Good points Kiwi. A very interesting season shapes up for all teams.

On my mob, Benji has a bit of additional pressure in the form of Drew Hutchison. Benji's contract runs out at the end of next year, and assuming Widdop sticks around, it will be a straight up choice between a 31 year old Marshall and a 21 year old Hutchison. While obviously not every gun prospect becomes a gun first grader (Beau Henry, Kyle and Chase Stanley, Evander Cummins, Cameron King, Matt Mundine is an impressive list of recent flops for us, albeit in the case of King and the better Stanley due to incredibly bad luck with injury), if you don't back your young guns, someone else will.

 

[Gina Minehart]

David Bowie

 

[Twatface Magee]

Sounds like a f**king Buzzfeed article.

 

[Charlie124]

Thurston. Until he wins a GF he will never be considered one of the games greats.......

I know he's got 2 premiership rings, 4 Dally M's, a Clive Churchill medal, several RLPA medals and has been spoken about as being named the first ever playing Immortal..... but i think he needs to win a Grand Final by 13+ to really cement his legacy as a true great of the game.

 

[mozza91]

He could try not getting run over by blokes that weigh 80kgs on a weekly basis.

 

[I Bleed Maroon]

I don't envy RTS. He has to go in and basically lead the Warriors to the finals after the massive failure that was Sam Tomkins.

 

[Penrose Warrior]

DCE? To paraphrase Keith Miller, pressure is a messerschmitt up your arse, not a 10m contract and a club that has already had more than its share of success. No one's tipping the Sea Eagles as premiership favourites and I get the feeling they'll outdo any predictions.

 

[Jubileeboy]

I, for one can't wait for the Manly after game press conferences.
Starring that highly intellectual, wordsmith from Shellharbour, the great Trent Barrett.
He needs to go down the path of Bennett and say nothing or it will surely be worthy of his own weekly thread.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

I don't envy RTS. He has to go in and basically lead the Warriors to the finals after the massive failure that was Sam Tomkins.

But he's the best player in the world so he should be able to handle it.
He's certainly on another level to Boyd.

 

[madunit]

I thought Farah would be there, given he has the end of his career to fight for