Rhyno
First Grade
- Messages
- 9,318
Today we look at the Top 10 flops of the 2015 NRL season.
1. ORIGIN III
The embarrassing 52-6 scoreline in favour of the Maroons says it all.
Here we were thinking the younger, hungrier Blues would get the job done against the so-call Dad’s Army Queenslanders at Suncorp with the series locked at one game apiece after a pretty comfortable win at the MCG in game two.
Instead, it was utter humiliation for Laurie Daley and his side and the whole of NSW as the likes of Johnathan Thurston and Corey Parker spearheaded the Maroons to the biggest winning margin in Origin history.
It was joy for the Maroons and more pain for the Blues in Origin this year. Picture: Gregg Porteous
2. DAVE SMITH
On the nose with clubs because of his aloofness and his lack of any real feel for the game, the NRL CEO has not endeared himself to too many this season outside of his highly-paid lieutenants.
His predecessor David Gallop was shown the door because he was considered “too reactionary”.
Gallop had nothing on this bloke. Some of the rule and policy changes on the run have been nothing short of a fiasco with the controversial shoulder charge issue a case in point. The product has suffered, as have the crowds.
Then, when it appeared Smith had finally kicked a goal by securing a sizeable television rights deal with Channel 9, he was blown out of the water by the AFL.
3. THE PRODUCT
Yes, there were some quality games and some outstanding individual performances during the season. But they were outnumbered by the boring, totally structured contests that featured little imagination and next to no inventiveness.
Is there a stat on how many times in a game we witnessed five hit-ups and a kick on the last?
Throw in the endless stoppages, the constant video ref referrals and the sometimes double-digit replays before a decision is reached and you wonder why crowds are down and previously rusted-on fans are finding something else to do.
4. CROWDS
Down, down, down … again.
The NRL’s prediction in March of average crowds of 16,500 this season seemed optimistic at the time and they proved that way. It just makes predictions of a 17,000 average in 2017 seem pie in the sky.
Crowd numbers are on the slippery slide down, not up and given we are going to see four games live on free-to-air in 2018 and beyond, it is hard to see just how figures are supposed to improve. Ticket prices, the exorbitant price of food at games, parking costs — they are just some of the issues relating to poor crowds. And who hasn’t got a big flat-screen TV at home these days.
Season 2015 had its share of down moments.
5. WARRIORS
This mob promise so much but deliver so little. They should be an NRL powerhouse but when the going got tough this season, they went to water.
On their day, there is no better team in the NRL to watch. But consistency is not their strong point.
Consider this: At the end of round 18 after beating Melbourne at home, the Warriors were sitting in fourth spot on the premiership ladder on 22 points with eight games left. They didn’t win another game. Star halfback Shaun Johnson broke his leg against Manly in round 20 and the cue went in the rack.
6. SAM TOMKINS
It is hard to categorise Tomkins’ move to the Warriors as anything other than an abject failure.
A superstar in the English Super league with Wigan, he was signed by the Warriors for the 2014 season and was hailed as the next Billy Slater.
He managed just 13 games this season because of injury and scored only one try. Few raised eyebrows when it was announced in April that Tomkins would be granted a release to return to England at the end of the season due to homesickness.
Sam Tomkins is heading back to England.
7. KNIGHTS
Has there ever been a fall from grace quite like the Knights in season 2015. A month into the competition and the Knights were unbeaten and outright premiership leaders.
But then they didn’t just get the wobbles, the wheels fell off completely. They won just one of their next 12 games before a 52-6 flogging in round 20 saw Rick Stone exit.
There was some improvement under caretaker Danny Buderus but a final round capitulation to Penrith saw them claim a second wooden spoon.
8. FARAH’S TREATMENT
After 13 seasons and more than 230 NRL games for the Wests Tigers, loyalty amounted to nothing when captain Robbie Farah was told to find a new club despite having two seasons to run on his contract.
Clearly, coach Jason Taylor wanted him out and he had the backing of the Tigers board to make it happen. If he stayed, Farah was told he would be running around in NSW Cup in 2016.
Farah is a polarising figure but whichever way you look at it, it is a savage kick in the guts for a player who has given his all for the club and sacrificed money over the years to keep the Tigers under the salary cap.
Robbie Farah’s time at the Tigers looks over.
9. CHRIS SANDOW
At his best, he was a matchwinner. At his worst, you wouldn’t feed him.
Unfortunately, the gap between best and worst with the Parramatta halfback was massive and in the end, Eels coach Brad Arthur had had enough and so too had Sandow.
Arthur wanted more structure and discipline from his No.7. He wanted a halfback who could follow a game-plan.
Sandow wanted to be unshackled and allowed a free rein to let his instincts rule how he played. Sandow, after negotiating a payout, was out the door and off the England.
10. LUKE BROOKS
It’s easy to forget this kid is still only 20 and maybe everyone was expecting too much from him this season.
But thinking back to his man of the match performance in his NRL debut in 2013 and last season’s rookie of the year award, who didn’t think 2015 was going to be a big year for Brooks?
Maybe it was having to adjust to the new structures brought in by coach Jason Taylor that slowed his progress or the fact the Tigers hardly set the world on fire Whatever the case, we are going to have to wait a little longer to see what might develop.
1. ORIGIN III
The embarrassing 52-6 scoreline in favour of the Maroons says it all.
Here we were thinking the younger, hungrier Blues would get the job done against the so-call Dad’s Army Queenslanders at Suncorp with the series locked at one game apiece after a pretty comfortable win at the MCG in game two.
Instead, it was utter humiliation for Laurie Daley and his side and the whole of NSW as the likes of Johnathan Thurston and Corey Parker spearheaded the Maroons to the biggest winning margin in Origin history.
It was joy for the Maroons and more pain for the Blues in Origin this year. Picture: Gregg Porteous
2. DAVE SMITH
On the nose with clubs because of his aloofness and his lack of any real feel for the game, the NRL CEO has not endeared himself to too many this season outside of his highly-paid lieutenants.
His predecessor David Gallop was shown the door because he was considered “too reactionary”.
Gallop had nothing on this bloke. Some of the rule and policy changes on the run have been nothing short of a fiasco with the controversial shoulder charge issue a case in point. The product has suffered, as have the crowds.
Then, when it appeared Smith had finally kicked a goal by securing a sizeable television rights deal with Channel 9, he was blown out of the water by the AFL.
3. THE PRODUCT
Yes, there were some quality games and some outstanding individual performances during the season. But they were outnumbered by the boring, totally structured contests that featured little imagination and next to no inventiveness.
Is there a stat on how many times in a game we witnessed five hit-ups and a kick on the last?
Throw in the endless stoppages, the constant video ref referrals and the sometimes double-digit replays before a decision is reached and you wonder why crowds are down and previously rusted-on fans are finding something else to do.
4. CROWDS
Down, down, down … again.
The NRL’s prediction in March of average crowds of 16,500 this season seemed optimistic at the time and they proved that way. It just makes predictions of a 17,000 average in 2017 seem pie in the sky.
Crowd numbers are on the slippery slide down, not up and given we are going to see four games live on free-to-air in 2018 and beyond, it is hard to see just how figures are supposed to improve. Ticket prices, the exorbitant price of food at games, parking costs — they are just some of the issues relating to poor crowds. And who hasn’t got a big flat-screen TV at home these days.
Season 2015 had its share of down moments.
5. WARRIORS
This mob promise so much but deliver so little. They should be an NRL powerhouse but when the going got tough this season, they went to water.
On their day, there is no better team in the NRL to watch. But consistency is not their strong point.
Consider this: At the end of round 18 after beating Melbourne at home, the Warriors were sitting in fourth spot on the premiership ladder on 22 points with eight games left. They didn’t win another game. Star halfback Shaun Johnson broke his leg against Manly in round 20 and the cue went in the rack.
6. SAM TOMKINS
It is hard to categorise Tomkins’ move to the Warriors as anything other than an abject failure.
A superstar in the English Super league with Wigan, he was signed by the Warriors for the 2014 season and was hailed as the next Billy Slater.
He managed just 13 games this season because of injury and scored only one try. Few raised eyebrows when it was announced in April that Tomkins would be granted a release to return to England at the end of the season due to homesickness.
Sam Tomkins is heading back to England.
7. KNIGHTS
Has there ever been a fall from grace quite like the Knights in season 2015. A month into the competition and the Knights were unbeaten and outright premiership leaders.
But then they didn’t just get the wobbles, the wheels fell off completely. They won just one of their next 12 games before a 52-6 flogging in round 20 saw Rick Stone exit.
There was some improvement under caretaker Danny Buderus but a final round capitulation to Penrith saw them claim a second wooden spoon.
8. FARAH’S TREATMENT
After 13 seasons and more than 230 NRL games for the Wests Tigers, loyalty amounted to nothing when captain Robbie Farah was told to find a new club despite having two seasons to run on his contract.
Clearly, coach Jason Taylor wanted him out and he had the backing of the Tigers board to make it happen. If he stayed, Farah was told he would be running around in NSW Cup in 2016.
Farah is a polarising figure but whichever way you look at it, it is a savage kick in the guts for a player who has given his all for the club and sacrificed money over the years to keep the Tigers under the salary cap.
Robbie Farah’s time at the Tigers looks over.
9. CHRIS SANDOW
At his best, he was a matchwinner. At his worst, you wouldn’t feed him.
Unfortunately, the gap between best and worst with the Parramatta halfback was massive and in the end, Eels coach Brad Arthur had had enough and so too had Sandow.
Arthur wanted more structure and discipline from his No.7. He wanted a halfback who could follow a game-plan.
Sandow wanted to be unshackled and allowed a free rein to let his instincts rule how he played. Sandow, after negotiating a payout, was out the door and off the England.
10. LUKE BROOKS
It’s easy to forget this kid is still only 20 and maybe everyone was expecting too much from him this season.
But thinking back to his man of the match performance in his NRL debut in 2013 and last season’s rookie of the year award, who didn’t think 2015 was going to be a big year for Brooks?
Maybe it was having to adjust to the new structures brought in by coach Jason Taylor that slowed his progress or the fact the Tigers hardly set the world on fire Whatever the case, we are going to have to wait a little longer to see what might develop.
