The jury is still out, verdict some way off
We might as well call the whole thing off now. Yep, roll out the bunting and confetti and get the trophy presentation sorted. Never mind that we’re just two rounds into the 2018 NRL competition, this year’s champions have already revealed themselves.
Thanks to back-to-back wins over two of this season’s supposed title contenders – the Roosters and Storm – the Wests Tigers are absolute morals to claim the premiership.
In doing so, Tigers coach Ivan Cleary would forever cement his reputation as the saviour of, seemingly, lost causes.
Only no-one’s predicting that, are they? No, two wins, albeit against genuine championship contenders, isn’t considered a sufficient sample size. The Tigers don’t have the depth and front-loading their season, in order to peak early, will surely tell in the end.
So what about Newcastle? They’ve started 2-0 too, and are riding a wave of Mitchell Pearce-generated optimism. Manly and Canberra were pretty good scalps to start their season with.
The Dragons top the table, thanks to wins over perennial top-eight teams Brisbane and Cronulla, but you won’t find many folk tipping them either. That’s because coach Paul Mcgregor has form when it comes to flogging players and, in his three-and-a-bit years in charge, the Dragons have succumbed to fatigue almost every time.
In 2015 they hung on to finish eighth; every year since they’ve been among the early leaders, only to miss the finals.
Penrith are third, after coming back to pip the Eels and Rabbitohs. Few people dispute their potential but, despite the best efforts of executive general manager Phil Gould, that’s yet to be realised.
With James Maloney now joining Nathan Cleary in the halves, maybe this could be the year the team’s performances match their talent. Maybe.
Plenty of good judges have lost money tipping the Panthers before.
Which brings us to the last of the 2-0 starters. It remains to be seen if Souths and the Gold Coast make long playoff runs this season but good on the Warriors for beating them.
The Warriors made an effort to get fit this year. They also resolved to try a bit more regularly and, heck, even their lugubrious coach Stephen Kearney is said to have shown signs of life during some fly-on-the-wall TV thing.
The Hurricanes had the same network come and film them before the 2016 Super Rugby season and went on to win a maiden title. A Warriors premiership is almost written in the stars, then.
Look, you do have to congratulate the team for coming out and winning their first two games. But in the same way that the starts of the Tigers and Knights are unlikely to signify title tilts, it’s too early to say we’re seeing fundamental change at the Warriors.
They’re fit, as they said they’d be, and they’re trying. Noone’s ever doubted their talent, it’s the effort and decisionmaking that have left a bit to be desired.
I tend to say this every year, in reference to the Warriors, but wake me up in September. If they’re in the eight and they win a playoff game or two, I’ll be the first to congratulate them.
For now, they remain a team who’ve not qualified for the finals since 2011. We’ve seen too many false dawns to crown them champions after just a fortnight.