The new NRL season is just eight days away, with Fox League launching its coverage of the new campaign in style on Wednesday in Sydney.
As part of the event, a trio of experts took to the stage to share their predictions for how the 2023 season will play out. From the challengers for the title to the best buy of the season, here’s what Matthew Johns, Cooper Cronk and Paul Kent had to say on some of the game’s biggest topics!
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Dragons duo avoid suspension over melee | 00:36
WHO WILL WIN?
Penrith have gone back-to-back, but their hopes of a three-peat took a big hit with the departure of a number of key figures to rival clubs.
However, Cooper Cronk believes they can still set the standard for their rivals to hunt down.
Cronk said: “Absolutely they can be (the benchmark). I think the top four will be there again … I think defence is king and they’re the four best defensive teams.
“They were a little disappointing in the World Club Challenge, but I think Penrith can definitely put it back three times in a row.
“I think Melbourne Storm, the Roosters, the Cowboys are a great club. I think what Todd Payten has done there in terms of resetting the whole base, the expectations of what it means to be a Cowboy is a really good thing.
“Parramatta as well. I think the five best defensive teams in our competition will be fighting it out again.”
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Matty Johns said: “There’s a few sides there (in the hunt).”
He was full of praise for the ‘brilliant’ Sharks in the pre-season, and Nicho Hynes who has “picked up where he left off” last season.
He continued: “The Roosters, of course, the best three players at the World Cup were (Roosters players) Joey Manu, (James) Tedesco, and Joseph Suaalii. Sam Walker is a year older, Cheesy Fries (Brandon Smith) has gone there at hooker.
“And of course you’ve got Paramatta, Melbourne. The last 20 years, Melbourne have been eulogised five or six times but they always find a way.
“I looked at Souths and I thought to myself ‘They’re going to find it hard to maintain (their level).’ But what really impressed me on the weekend about Souths, they had a lot of new attacking shapes.
“A lot of times you think they’re an incredibly entertaining side, and entertainment comes with a little bit of a soft underbelly. Not with Souths. I think they’re a huge chance of winning it.”
How will the Dolphins fare in 2023? | 01:55
WILL THE DOLPHINS STRUGGLE?
Plenty of pundits have declared the NRL’s newest club is a lock to finish last, but Paul Kent believes a Wayne Bennett mantra will see them finish above five or six teams!
Paul Kent declared: “I actually don’t believe the hype that they’re gonna win the (wooden) spoon. I think they’ll be really strong.
“I don’t think they’ll make the finals but I think they’ll be within shouting distance of it.
“What Wayne’s gonna do there, we all know how he coaches – he’s gone and picked the Bromwich brothers (Jesse and Kenny), (Felise) Kaufusi. Tough guys out of a good system, that know how to win, know how to put standards in place.
“Bennett’s whole mantra for the entire season will be: ‘let’s be tough to beat’ … he’ll want them to compete for every minute. In the NRL if you can do that consistently enough, you’ll jag a win here and there that you probably shouldn’t, because we do see teams have those off weekends.
He went on: “They’re gonna have a few teething problems, no doubt, but they’ll be in the fight … I think they’ll finish 11-12. I think they’ll go alright!”
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He added: “Bennett’s got this style that he’ll bring to the Dolphins … which is: ‘let’s just be the side that’s gonna be in the fight every week’ … if that’s your aim going out every week, it’s pretty tough (to beat) when you’ve got the old warhorses like the Bromwich’s and Kaufusi, you’ve got a little bit of resilience in your team.”
Can Tigers replicate 2005 GF success? | 02:41
CAN THE TIGERS REPEAT 2005?
With Robbie Farah, Benji Marshall and Tim Sheens, the Wests Tigers have got the band back together as they try to emulate their 2005 success – and that has translated to their attack-minded approach on the field.
But Cooper Cronk has a key warning about an area they must address to be victorious this season.
Cronk said: “I thought their performance on the weekend against the Raiders was very impressive. Their style of footy was great. They zinged the ball from left to right, they played quite expansive. It was shades of ’05.
“I like the romance, I like that Benji, Sheens, Farah, they’re all back. But ’05 was 18 years ago and the game’s changed a hell of a lot!
“The thing I worry about the Tigers and that talk about ’05, is they all talk about promoting the ball, scoring tries, points points points. I get that, but defence is still king.
“Unless they’ve got a defensive system that will limit the opposition scoring points, I don’t think the attacking mindset is going to be the thing that shoots them up the ladder. But if they can put it together, put the attack with the defence, then absolutely (they can win).”
Johns said: “What Sheens is a genius at is the ability to recognise what a side needs and then adjusting your style to suit that side. If you look at the way they played against the Warriors first up (in pre-season), granted they were missing a few key blokes, but they were really poor. And then it was a total contrast (the next game). That’s Sheens’s coaching.
“David Klemmer is the perfect example. Klemmer last weekend did more ball-playing than I’ve ever seen. And it was clever stuff, dummying underneath, hitting guys on the outside. That’s the thing about Sheens – on the weekend they just looked like a typical Tim Sheens-coached side. It is exciting.”
Who was the best buy in the offseason? | 01:18
BEST BUY OF THE OFF-SEASON
It might be Api Koroisau or Viliame Kikau, Reece Walsh or a host of names. But Matty Johns believes Brandon Smith’s move to the Roosters could be the biggest acquisition, and Paul Kent agreed.
Kent said: “If the Roosters can get up and Cheese is there (he could be the buy of the year). He’s certainly going to be (important). He fills the gap the Roosters discovered they had last year. They had a couple of hookers at the club they thought would come through, they didn’t come through as they had hoped.
“They’ve gone out and do what the Roosters do – they troubleshoot, they find out where they’re a little bit vulnerable, and they go out and fix the problem.”
He added: “I think he’s been a tremendous buy … they’re very good at what they do.”
