Penrith punish rusty Roosters
9 hours ago | Aidan Edgecomb
They say a week can be a long time in Rugby League. Well if that's the case, then twelve months must seem like a lifetime ago for the men donning the cardinal and myrtle.
The reigning NRL premiers from 2014 started season 2015 in dynamic fashion, adding the Auckland Nines and World Club Challenge trophies to their cabinet before opening the season with three straight wins including a dominant round one performance over eventual Grand Finalists Brisbane and looked a legitimate chance to be the first team to go back to back in over twenty years. The grind of the season would soon set in though and while they showed enough class to remain competitive throughout, they eventually hit a brick wall, ending the season with three straight losses before being steamrolled by the Sharks in their elimination semi.
South Sydney supporters didn't have to wait long for some renewed hope, with 2014 Grand Final hero Sam Burgess ending months of speculation shortly after the season, to announce he would be returning back to the 13-man game and to his beloved Rabbitohs.
Whilst the return of the big Englishman to join forces with brothers George and Tom will be an undoubted boost, his signature did come at a cost with the club being forced to move on Chris McQueen, Tim Grant and Dylan Walker in order to squeeze Burgess under the salary cap.
With big Sam back on deck their forwards look set to be a powerful force once more, but it will be interesting to see if they can get the same roll on with the departure of Isaac Luke to the Warriors. The Kiwi International is well renowned for being one of the best rakes in the game at getting his pack rumbling. This leaves Cameron McInnes and Bulldogs recruit Damien Cook with big boots to fill.
The pair look set to deliver a nice one-two combo for their team with McInnes' calm and sharp work out of dummy half suited to the opening exchanges, before Cook potentially coming off the bench to unleash his dynamic running game against tiring defenders still adapting to the reduced interchange rules.
WHY THEY'LL WIN IT
If Mcinnes and Cook are successful in getting them on the front foot, the Burgess boys could have their biggest impact on the competition yet. The brothers have all hit their peak at different stages throughout their careers, with Tom the latest to hit top gear over the last twelve months. Now with them all at their destructive best, they should be able to lay more than a solid platform. With Adam Reynolds behind them steering the ship, there will be plenty of opportunities for the likes of Kirisome Auva'a, Alex Johnston and Greg Inglis to use their strike power out wide.
WHY THEY WON'T
Finding the hunger and desire to win a competition is always harder to recapture than before that first taste of success. There have been some rumblings of parts of the playing group being over the disciplinary style of coaching that Michael McGuire employs at the club. If the rumblings are true, then it will be awfully hard to get that hunger back. They also look really short on depth in the forwards. Once a couple of injuries set in, that a rigorous season inevitably brings, they will be relying on some untested rookies to jump in and fill the void.
KEY PLAYER
Greg Inglis
Or should we say the South Sydney medicos? Hampered by an ongoing knee injury for the best part of two years, Inglis admitted recently it would be an injury he'd have to manage for the rest of his career. Despite continued denials from Coach McGuire at the back end of last year, his star player was left with little power in his knee, if any at all to explode off and showcase his best. When fit and well, a Greg Inglis in full flight is one of the best sights on a Rugby League field, but managing the big Ferrari to be firing off all cylinders at the end of the season is the key.
ROOKIE TO WATCH
Cody Walker
With incumbent five-eight Luke Keary out suspended for round one, we probably won't have to wait long to see the 26-year-old Walker finally making his NRL debut. The 2013 QLD Cup player of the year has been biding his time for a number of years in the Melbourne Storm system, playing for their feeder side Easts Tigers before being signed by the Rabbitohs for last season and playing a starring role for the North Sydney Bears in the NSW Cup. Blessed with a cool head to go with his all-round passing, kicking and running games, the young half all but cemented his debut with a strong showing in the Charity Shield recently.
PLAYER MOVEMENT IN
Michael Oldfield (ESL - Catalans)
Damien Cook (Bulldogs)
Sam Burgess (Rugby Union)
Hymel Hunt (Storm)
Dane Nielsen (Dragons)
PLAYER MOVEMENT OUT
Isaac Luke (Warriors)
Ben Lowe (Retired)
Glenn Stewart (ESL - Catalans)
Chris McQueen (Titans)
Dylan Walker (Sea Eagles)
Tim Grant (Wests Tigers)
Darren Nicholls (Broncos)
BEST 17
1. Greg Inglis
2. Alex Johnston
3. Kirisome Auva'a
4. Bryson Goodwin
5. Aaron Gray
6. Luke Keary
7. Adam Reynolds
8. George Burgess
9. Cameron McInnes
10. David Tyrrell
11. Chris Grevsmuhl
12. John Sutton
13. Sam Burgess
14. Tom Burgess
15. Jason Clark
16. Paul Carter
17. Damien Cook