It’s time to revisit our bold predictions for the 2022 season and bask in the glory of our correct forecasting while chuckling at the ones we got hopelessly wrong.
We nailed two and came agonisingly close with another seven of our predictions, while five were complete flops and one is still to play out.
Yes, Melbourne missed the top four for just the second time in a decade and Matt Burton made his Blues debut.
But, Eels halfback Mitchell Moses went nowhere near winning the Dally M Medal and the Rabbitohs charged into a fifth straight preliminary final.
Read on for the 2022 NRL Bold Predictions revisited.
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BOLD PREDICTIONS REVISITED
1. SAM WALKER TO PLAY ORIGIN
Verdict: Almost.
The Roosters playmaker was picked in the Maroons squad for the series decider at Suncorp Stadium which Queensland won.
Walker was named Dally M rookie of the year last season and he enjoyed a strong second half of 2022 after switching from five-eighth to halfback.
The 20-year-old steered the Roosters around the park on their eight-game winning streak heading into finals, but they were upset by the Rabbitohs in week one.
Walker started all 25 games and scored the second-most points in the competition after finishing the regular season with 209 points, seven tries and 90 goals.
The young gun also kicked a field goal in Magic Round, and set up 16 tries to complement his five linebreaks as the Roosters finished sixth.
It’s a matter of when, not if Walker plays for Queensland.
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2. BRONCOS TO MAKE THE TOP EIGHT
Verdict: Almost…
How on earth didn’t they?
The Broncos were sitting pretty in the top four after Round 19 before an slide saw them lose six of their last seven to inexplicably finish 9th.
That run included a loss to eventual wooden spooners the Wests Tigers and the Dragons who had nothing to play for in the final round.
Broncos fans grimaced as a collective when coach Kevin Walters declared in July his side would win a premiership.
“We certainly can, I am not sure when that is going to happen, but it will happen, I am putting that out into the universe,” Walters said.
It didn’t help losing Maroons stars Pat Carrigan (five-week suspension) and Selwyn Cobbo (fatigue) after Origin.
But there is no excuse for imploding in such emphatic fashion just when Brisbane’s finals drought surely looked over.
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3. STORM TO MISS THE TOP FOUR
Verdict: Nailed it
This bold prediction was looking shaky with the Storm sitting on top of the ladder heading into Round 10.
But they lost six of their next nine games and Melbourne had slid to fifth after Round 19.
They recovered with a four-game winning run and looked set to clinch fourth, but losses to the Roosters and Eels in the final two rounds sealed their fate.
The fifth-placed finish saw them host a red-hot Raiders in the first week of finals and Ricky Stuart’s men became the first club in history to win five straight in Melbourne.
This season was the first since 2014 the Storm haven’t featured in the second week of finals and just the third time since 2005 they’ve finished outside the top four.
Next year is Craig Bellamy’s last as head coach but he will remain at the club in a management role.
4. KNIGHTS TO GET THE SPOON
Verdict: Almost…
Almost everything that could have gone wrong at the Knights this season did.
Between David Klemmer’s spray aimed at trainer Hayden Knowles, to Kalyn Ponga and Kurt Mann’s toilet cubicle incident — it was a disastrous campaign for Newcastle.
While Adam O’Brien’s side started the season optimistic after wins over the Roosters and Tigers, they were quickly brought down to earth after backrow enforcer Mitch Barnett’s ugly forearm on Penrith’s Chris Smith.
The men from the Hunter only managed four more wins in 2022 and O’Brien was widely tipped to get the sack and become the next NRL head coach to be shown the door.
Newcastle finished the season in 14th, only two wins ahead of the Tigers.
5. PONGA SIGNS RICHEST DEAL IN NRL HISTORY
Verdict: Almost…
Kalyn Ponga re-signed with the Knights in April on a deal that will see his stay extend until at least the end of 2027
The talented fullback sat down with Wayne Bennett to discuss a lucrative deal to move to the NRL’s newest franchise.
That contract would have been in with a chance of breaking the current record held by Daly Cherry-Evans and Jason Taumalolo at $10 million each overall.
While Nathan Cleary tops the The Daily Telegraph’s NRL Rich List per season with a yearly salary of $1.3 million, Ponga could have dwarfed that figure to join the Dolphins.
Ponga’s new contract is reportedly worth upwards of $1 million-per-season, which isn’t a major increase on his old $1.1 million deal.
6. BURTON TO PLAY ORIGIN FOR BLUES
Verdict: Nailed it
“What rep player or future rep player with half a clue would want to go to the Bulldogs knowing it could be the end of your representative career if you go there?” The Daily Telegraph’s Paul Crawley said after Josh Addo-Carr was sensationally snubbed from the Blues team.
While ‘the Foxx’ was left out, another Canterbury gun was ready to make his mark in the Origin arena — Matt Burton.
After a red-hot 2021 season with the Panthers, the 22-year-old made the move to Belmore and impressed in the halves.
NSW coach Brad Fittler picked Burton to play in the centres, while also utilising his eye-watering kicking game.
The Blues were ultimately beaten by the Maroons in a brutal series decider, but after an impressive campaign, Burton has also been included in Mal Meninga’s Kangaroos squad.
MORE NRL NEWS
MUNSTER: The ‘masterstroke’ that convinced Storm gun to reject Dolphins bid
‘GOING TO MISS HIM’: Eels get win over Panthers as shining light emerges
DOLPHINS TARGETS: Rabbitohs superstar, a left-field Tigers gun and Eels duo
‘WHAT HAPPENS NOW’: Dolphins in ‘serious trouble’ after $5m Munster strikeout
LEGAL ACTION: Hasler considering suing Manly as coaching saga takes twist
7. LATRELL FOR TOP POINT SCORER
Verdict: Not even close.
To be fair Latrell Mitchell could have gone close had he not missed 10 weeks of the regular season with a hamstring injury.
Mitchell finished eighth on the point scorer list with 152 from just 17 games, with the winner Cowboys star Valentine Holmes topping the lot with 244 from 24 games.
Mitchell’s goal kicking was also shaky early in the season before he slotted 14 straight leading into and including the finals series to finish with 61 goals to Holmes’ 100, but he only scored seven tries to go with 20 try assists.
8. MOSES TO WIN DALLY M MEDAL
Verdict: Not even close.
The Eels halfback finished sixth in the race to the Dally M Medal on 22 points, but was a fair way short of the runaway leader Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes on a record 38 points.
Hynes finished five clear of the second best player James Tedesco on 33 points, while Ben Hunt was third with 32 and Scott Drinkwater and Dylan Edwards were tied fourth on 23 points.
Still, Moses had a pretty impressive season with the most try assists in the NRL with 28, two ahead of Hynes, while he also had 12 linebreaks, seven tries and finished second on the point scorer’s list with 220 behind only Valentine Holmes with 244.
Moses also guided the Eels to their first grand final since 2009 in his most consistent season of first grade to date.
9. MADGE TO BE THE FIRST COACH SACKED
Verdict: Almost…
While no one wins when a coach loses his job, it is the harsh reality of a results driven business and the Tigers simply didn’t get results in 2022.
Michael Maguire only won two of his 12 games this season, before a mid-season review saw Tim Sheens part ways with the Tigers coach at the halfway point of the year.
But it was Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett who was the first flicked in 2022, after he fell on his sword after Magic Round.
Maguire’s Tigers were not helped by a horror casualty ward, but if it were not for one point wins over the Eels and Rabbitohs, he could have been axed much sooner.
Maguire has since been linked to the Knights job if Adam O’Brien is sacked, while he could also take up a role as an assistant to Ricky Stuart at the Raiders until a head coaching post becomes available, but for now he will focus on New Zealand’s World Cup charge.
10. REECE WALSH TO JOIN DOLPHINS
Verdict: Not even close.
It was always going to be debatable as to whether Reece Walsh would uproot his young family when the Warriors returned to New Zealand and the young gun just couldn’t go through with it.
Walsh decided to reunite with the Broncos on a three-year deal after cutting his stay with the Warriors short despite having two years to run on his deal.
A reported relationship breakdown may have contributed to his Broncos homecoming, but given his young age it is understandable that he would want to remain close to family in Brisbane.
Walsh was one of many fullback targets the Dolphins missed out on with the Broncos swooping on the talented 20-year-old, who has scored 11 tries and 182 points in 38 games for the Warriors in his NRL career to date.
MORE NRL NEWS
LEILUA: Cowboys star stood down over alleged domestic violence offences
‘WE’RE NOT ARROGANT’: Cleary hits back at ‘unfair’ criticism of Panthers
‘TASTELESS’: Eels star responds to Panthers’ premiership celebrations
WHISPERS: Sloan set to request second release as Dragons face exodus
LET ME GO: Dragons young gun requests release to join Dogs after Hunt re-signs
11. TONGA TO WIN WORLD CUP
Verdict: Still in with a shot.
The Rugby League World Cup doesn’t start until October 15 and Tonga along with Samoa are a real dark horse to upset the world order of favourites New Zealand and Australia.
Unfortunately their cause was not helped by a three game ban handed down to skipper Jason Taumalolo for a high shot in the Cowboys’ preliminary final loss to the Eels.
Taumalolo was critical of the ban believing it should be served in the NRL and not jeopardise what is likely his final shot at World Cup glory with Tonga.
Still, Tonga have a star-studded squad and if they get through the pool stage when Taumalolo will be free to play again anything can happen in knockout rugby league.
12. EELS VS ROOSTERS GRAND FINAL
Verdict: Almost…
Predicting one half of the grand final deserves some credit, particularly given the Eels’ struggles in the finals under Brad Arthur over eight seasons.
The Eels had an inconsistent regular season but peaked at the right time of year to reach a first decider since 2009, before going down to a red hot Panthers side 28-12.
However, blind Freddy could have tipped the Panthers were going to make the last game of the season if they stayed fit and healthy, such has been their dominance over the past three seasons.
They romped to the minor premiership by four points and did it with ease in the finals series, while the Roosters scraped into the top eight and were knocked out in week one by the Rabbitohs.
13. RABBITOHS TO MISS THE FINALS
Verdict: Not even close.
After four rounds this prediction looked likely with the combination of Cody Walker and Lachlan Ilias struggling to fire.
The Rabbitohs sat in 13th place and losses to the Broncos, Storm and Panthers had pundits writing them off as premiership contenders.
Rookie coach Jason Demetriou was also under fire — however, Souths turned it all around.
Upon return from a hamstring injury, Latrell Mitchell played some of his best football while Ilias found his feet and won the club’s Rookie of the Year award.
The Rabbitohs clunky attack was a thing of the past by Round 16, turning on the heat in a 30-12 victory over the Eels.
The Redfern club were once again bundled out of the premiership race by the Panthers, losing in the preliminary finals.
To make it to the final four from seventh place after the regular season is a valiant effort, however Rabbitohs fans will be hoping their side can avoid the rigours of an elimination final next season.
14. SBW TO FIGHT GALLEN IN GRAND FINAL WEEK
Verdict: Not even close.
Since we made this prediction in February, Paul Gallen has had three fights, two of which were on the same night.
The premiership winner lost to Kris Terzievski and beat fellow rugby league legends Ben Hannant and Justin Hodges back-to-back.
However, the 41-year-old is yet to step foot in a ring with Sonny Bill-Williams.
Gallen said to foxsports.com.au his famed arch rival was too “dumb” to make the bout happen after multiple attempts to schedule the superfight.
Sonny Bill-Williams is set to face Mark Hunt on November 5, while Gallen has only one fight left on his contract with No Limit Boxing.
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15. EELS TO WIN THE PREMIERSHIP
Verdict: Almost…
The Eels came desperately close to breaking the current longest-standing premiership drought in a cross-town grudge match, but it wasn’t to be.
Parramatta went down 28-12 and were blown out of the park by Ivan Cleary’s side, stretching their pursuit of silverware into a 37th year.
Marata Niukore (Warriors), Isaiah Papali’i (Wests Tigers), Oregon Kaufusi (Sharks), Reed Mahoney (Bulldogs), Ray Stone (Dolphins), Tom Opacic (Hull KR) and Hayze Perham (released) are all departing the club — prompting suggestions Parramatta’s premiership window is closing.
With Josh Hodgson, J’maine Hopgood and Jirah Momoisea, along with a crop of juniors, ready to fill the void left by the departing players, the Eels will be desperate to go one better next season.
