SBW had left the game for five years. everyone thought he'd no longer be a good NRL player, especially in the post Shoulder Charge world. People looked at our 2013 squad, and thought if we played to our potential we'd finish about sixth.
SBW was an absolute beast in 2013. Best player in the competition. Lifted the entire squad from also-rans to premiers.Quite deservedly won the Best Player in the World Award (RLIF).
Its laughable how people rewrite history in their minds to suit their delusions. gut said SBW couldnt tackle, yet it took him about a month to miss his first tackle back in league. Our defence was a key part of our 2013 success, and that was lead by Sonny Bill. AJB...... said SBW wouldn't be any good in a non-shoulder charge league, yet SBW's Roosters brilliance happened after the should charge had been banned. i even remember someone on here describing SBW's 30m charge through the manly defence in the GF as a risky 50-50 play