From The Couch: Round 17

From The Couch: Round 17

SBW Wristies Galore A Rugby League Disgrace: Rugby League should be deeply ashamed of the parade of public handjobs offered to Sonny Bill Williams over the last week. It has been a black mark on the game. Those who have lavished praise and adulation on one of the great code traitors should be disgusted. Those who built up excitement about his return should be deeply ashamed. Those who decided it was appropriate to show rugby union or have a ‘Sonny Cam’ or think his return was at all good for the game should be banished from Rugby League for life. Just as Williams should have been. Williams should be treated like a leper. 

Vale, Kerrod Holland’s Unlikely NRL Career: Kerrod Holland played 70 first grade games. That is approximately 70 more than his talent suggested he should. One would hope he is an excellent electrician and that that was his calling. Holland’s legacy at Canterbury will likely be as the personification of Canterbury’s punishing demise. 

PVL Stokes The Fires: Peter V’landys really does what no other Rugby League boss has done before: make Rugby League fans believe. He has done it time and time again, from getting the season back underway to sacking Todd Greenberg. He has done it again by belittling the AFL’s decision to sell their soul and stage their Grand Final in Brisbane. It was a decision that reeked of arrogance, sadness and desperation. Cutting the game down by declaring that the NRL was taking the Grand Final to Cairns was not only funny but just strengthened Rugby League’s radicalism. 

Abdo Appointment Spot On: Peter V’Landys may have been somewhat hyperbolic by declaring that Andrew Abdo will be the game’s “best CEO ever” – sorry Jersey Flegg, Bill Buckley, Kevin Humphreys et al – but the decision to remove the interim tag from Abdo was the right decision. Abdo is the perfect foil for the effervescent, big-picture, dominant PVL. He is eminently sensible, cares little for publicity and prizes pragmatism and providence far more than any of his predecessors. The subtext of V’landys call was that Abdo will be eminently better than Todd Greenberg and probably David Smith. On that front he was 100% correct. Abdo is the right man for the game right now to execute on V’landys correct assertion that Rugby League is the greatest sport on earth and should be followed by everyone on earth. 

Townsend Send Off Stupidity: Nobody loves either violence on a Rugby League field or the pointed finger of a send off than your old school author but the decision to send Chad Townsend off for his Ultimate Warrior flying shoulder block on Kalyn Ponga by Ben Cummins was arguably as bad as his six again retraction in last year’s decider. Townsend’s shot was spectacular. It was late after the whistle. High contact though was severely questionable. What a terrible shame he was marched. 

Ranking The Centres: The Top 20 centres in the NRL in 2020:

Josh Morris
Joseph Manu
Stephen Crichton
Zac Lomax
Kotoni Staggs
Brent Naden
Bradman Best
Justin Olam
Euan Aitken
Enari Tuala
Brian Kelly
Michael Jennings
Campbell Graham
Jesse Ramien
Jarrod Croker
Dane Gagai
Josh Dugan
Jake Averillo
Waqa Blake
Brenko Lee

2020 Field Goal Update – 15: Nathan Cleary broke a long field goal drought with a late field goal that meant plenty to margin punters across the nation. 

Fun Fact #1: Kerrod Holland has won 25 of 70 games. 

Fun Fact #2: Kieran Foran has played 39 of a possible 65 games since moving to the Bulldogs.

Fun Fact #3: New Zealand’s last three Test captains – Adam Blair, Dallin Watene-Zelezeniak and Benji Marshall – have all been dropped this season. 

Betting Market of the Week: Number of weeks Chad Townsend is suspended:

$1.40: Under 0.5
$2.80: Over 0.5

Rumour Mill: There is potentially a big story brewing out at Penrith regarding a senior Panthers player who has supposedly broken the bubble. A staff member was alleged to have been involved in the breach. Media outlets are believed to be close to breaking the story. James Tamou is on the verge of signing with the Wests Tigers, the rumour mill has it. David Furner is believed to be in front in the Dragons hunt for a new coach. 

Moronic Coaching Decision of the Week: Steve Georgallis starting Kerrod Holland and Marcelo Montoya over Jake Averillo is as infuriating as it is stupid. 

The Coaching Crosshairs: Michael Maguire is absolutely making the right moves at the Wests Tigers. He is cracking down on those lilies and wallflowers in the club. He is making the hard calls. He is also winning no friends at the club. He may be able to put the locker room offside now but the time seems to be closing in on the tide tipping and he will struggle to come back after it. 

Beard Watch: Francis Molo channeling Ivan Milat is exceptional. 

Watch It: The 1980 BRL Grand Final between favourites Souths and underdogs Norths was an absolute cracker with the Devils causing a 17-15 upset. The Norths team featured Mark Murray, Mark Graham and Joe Conescu while Souths had future Immortal Mal Meninga as well as Chris Phelan and Billy Johnstone. It is regarded as the greatest Grand Final upset in BRL history. Watch it here.