yokahontas
Bencher
Just had a bash (on Facebook) at figuring out what the NRL script is for the next few weeks:
Ok, this is going to be a long post. Consider yourselves warned.
Someone told me a few months ago that I would make a good scriptwriter for the NRL, so here are my predictions for the rest of the finals series:
Sharks vs Cowboys (today): Sharks to win, with the narrative that they are starting to build into a tilt at back-to-back titles (B2B titles are highly unlikely for any club, however, as there is far more money in merchandise sales when a club wins after a drought, particularly a long one. People are much less likely to rush out and buy all the t-shirts, stickers, commemorative posters etc when last year's are still in good nick). Cowboys narrative: they've bravely limped into the finals without JT, but will go no further.
Next week: Brisbane vs Penrith (Brisbane were never going to win Wk 1, by the way - there's far more money in a Wk 2 game at Suncorp than one at Allianz). Brisbane to win, as they'll be the only Qld team left to keep interest north of the border for another week. Penrith are only a peripheral part of the 'battle for Western Sydney' (against AFL and soccer) so, while they were handy to pique the Westie interest Wk 1, they become expendable once they come up against the Queensland money-spinners.
Sharks vs Roosters: I'm tipping the Sharks, given there's far more value in keeping the B2B narrative going for one more week, than there is in keeping the comparatively small Roosters fan base happy.
Your Week 3 winners, and grand finalists, will be Melbourne and Parramatta.
Now this is an interesting one; the NRL need Parramatta to do well, and to win a premiership in the very near future, to reignite waning interest in rugby league in the West, largely down to the recent successes of GWS and WSW.
However, this year there's a hiccup that may not have been foreseen at the beginning of the season: Cronk leaving Melbourne. Parramatta were never going to be allowed to win Week 1 and spoil Scam Smith's milestone game; they may, similarly, be held back from marring the last game that Scam, Gronk and Billy the Cat play together for Melbourne.
How GWS go over the next couple of weeks could have an impact though; if they pull the rabbit out of the hat and recover from their first-up loss to go on and win the flag, expect a quick script rewrite for the NRL during Grand Final week, with the Melbourne big three to go down valiantly against the great white hope of Western Sydney rugby league.
Otherwise, I'm leaning towards the Melbourne fairytale to take out this year, and the Parramatta one to be writ large all over 2018.
Ok, this is going to be a long post. Consider yourselves warned.
Someone told me a few months ago that I would make a good scriptwriter for the NRL, so here are my predictions for the rest of the finals series:
Sharks vs Cowboys (today): Sharks to win, with the narrative that they are starting to build into a tilt at back-to-back titles (B2B titles are highly unlikely for any club, however, as there is far more money in merchandise sales when a club wins after a drought, particularly a long one. People are much less likely to rush out and buy all the t-shirts, stickers, commemorative posters etc when last year's are still in good nick). Cowboys narrative: they've bravely limped into the finals without JT, but will go no further.
Next week: Brisbane vs Penrith (Brisbane were never going to win Wk 1, by the way - there's far more money in a Wk 2 game at Suncorp than one at Allianz). Brisbane to win, as they'll be the only Qld team left to keep interest north of the border for another week. Penrith are only a peripheral part of the 'battle for Western Sydney' (against AFL and soccer) so, while they were handy to pique the Westie interest Wk 1, they become expendable once they come up against the Queensland money-spinners.
Sharks vs Roosters: I'm tipping the Sharks, given there's far more value in keeping the B2B narrative going for one more week, than there is in keeping the comparatively small Roosters fan base happy.
Your Week 3 winners, and grand finalists, will be Melbourne and Parramatta.
Now this is an interesting one; the NRL need Parramatta to do well, and to win a premiership in the very near future, to reignite waning interest in rugby league in the West, largely down to the recent successes of GWS and WSW.
However, this year there's a hiccup that may not have been foreseen at the beginning of the season: Cronk leaving Melbourne. Parramatta were never going to be allowed to win Week 1 and spoil Scam Smith's milestone game; they may, similarly, be held back from marring the last game that Scam, Gronk and Billy the Cat play together for Melbourne.
How GWS go over the next couple of weeks could have an impact though; if they pull the rabbit out of the hat and recover from their first-up loss to go on and win the flag, expect a quick script rewrite for the NRL during Grand Final week, with the Melbourne big three to go down valiantly against the great white hope of Western Sydney rugby league.
Otherwise, I'm leaning towards the Melbourne fairytale to take out this year, and the Parramatta one to be writ large all over 2018.