NRL draw release whets the appetite for 2013
The belated release of the 2013 NRL draw today – which for the first time has the exact dates and venues for the first 20 rounds of the competition – will have fans of every club circling their most anticipated clashes of the upcoming season. The highlights, mouth-watering match-ups and innovations of the 2013 draw include:
Round 1 – South Sydney v Sydney Roosters, Allianz Stadium: The Rabbitohs and Roosters produced two of the most extraordinary finishes in premiership history in 2012. The traditional Round 1 showdown between the only remaining foundation clubs is the perfect way to open the NRL season, and this Thursday night clash has the added component of Sonny Bill Williams' return to the code.
Round 1 – Brisbane v Manly, Suncorp Stadium: This Friday night match-up has been scheduled in the opening round to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Brisbane's entry into the NSWRL premiership. In the first round of 1988, the Wally Lewis-led Broncos pumped defending premiers Manly 44-10 at the old Lang Park. It still ranks as one of the greatest days in the club's glittering quarter-century history, while the Sea Eagles' former Kangaroo prop Don McKinnon was infamously fined for urinating on the field during the game.
Round 2 – New Zealand v Sydney Roosters, Eden Park: The Warriors have had monumental success with Eden Park season-openers in the past two seasons, drawing a club record home crowd of 38,412 in Round 1 of 2011 against Parramatta, and 37,502 in a Grand Final rematch against Manly this season. The club returns to the hallowed headquarters of New Zealand rugby union for its first home game of 2013. The presence of Roosters recruit and Kiwi dual international Sonny Bill Williams – and to a lesser extent former Warriors linchpin James Maloney – should ensure another bumper attendance.
Round 3 – Melbourne v Canterbury, AAMI Park: The Grand Final rematch has been scheduled as an early-season Thursday night blockbuster. Although Bulldogs prop James Graham will still be missing through suspension for his infamous ear-chomp on Storm fullback Billy Slater in the decider, tensions will still be simmering between the two sides. A massive psychological edge for the remainder of the season is up for grabs for the NRL's top two sides.
Round 5 – Gold Coast v Brisbane, Skilled Park: The south-east Queensland derby will be sprinkled with an extra bit of spice with the return of foundation Titans captain Scott Prince to his old home ground wearing a Broncos jumper.
Round 6 – Wests Tigers v St George Illawarra, Sydney Cricket Ground: Keen rivals the Tigers and the Dragons will square off at the game's spiritual home, the SCG, in this Sunday afternoon showpiece.
Round 7 – Sydney Roosters v St George Illawarra, Allianz Stadium; Melbourne v New Zealand, AAMI Park: the two traditional Anzac Day clashes have produced some classics in recent years and will remain on the schedule for 2013.
Round 9 – Wests Tigers v Cronulla, Allianz Stadium: This Friday nighter will be one of the most anticipated showdowns of the first half of the 2013 season. Tigers stalwarts Chris Heighington and Beau Ryan were controversially allowed to leave the club and join Bryce Gibbs and Andrew Fifita – who were cut loose by the club in 2011 – at Cronulla. Expect plenty of banter in the lead-up and a fair smattering of fire as a bunch of close mates on either side embark on 80 minutes of one-upmanship. The Tigers and Sharks face off again at Toyota Stadium in Round 17, while high-profile Sharks recruits Luke Lewis and Michael Gordon play against their former club Penrith for the first time in Round 20.
Round 11 – Parramatta v Gold Coast, Mudgee Stadium: The NRL will break new ground in 2013 with the staging of a premiership match in the central west NSW town of Mudgee.
Round 17 – Gold Coast v Penrith, TIO Stadium; Canterbury v North Queensland, Mackay Stadium; South Sydney v New Zealand, NIB Stadium: The NRL's commitment to rugby league outposts is highlighted by the draw for Round 17 – a match will be played in Darwin for the second straight season, with the Titans taking their home fixture against the Panthers to the Northern Territory; the Bulldogs will again take a game to Mackay, where Ben Barba wowed his hometown fans against Melbourne last year; and the Rabbitohs' ongoing Perth experiment continues with their hosting of the Warriors, who are a guaranteed drawcard thanks to the large expat New Zealander population in the west.
Round 18 – North Queensland v Manly, Townsville Stadium: The Cowboys will have to wait until mid-July to gain retribution for their gut-wrenching, controversial exit at the hands of Manly during the 2012. Perhaps it was a deliberate ploy by the NRL to play down arguably the worst video refereeing performance in NRL finals history as a talking point in the lead-up to the match.
Thursday night games will be staged during the first four rounds of 2013, while Sunday twilight games (6:30pm kickoff) are scheduled for the opening six weeks of the season.
Critics of Brisbane's prevalence in Friday night scheduling will be livid with the NRL's (with Channel 9's undoubted influence) allocation of eight Friday games for the Broncos in the first 11 rounds, although they only have three Friday games scheduled between Rounds 12 and 20.
Clubs line up for JT
The hottest topic in rugby league is Kangaroos superstar Johnathan Thurston's potential destination for 2014. Keen to lock up its greatest-ever player till the end of his career, North Queensland has reportedly tabled a 3-year $1million-a-season deal to keep him in Townsville. The Cowboys remain in the box seat to retain their 29-year-old co-captain, but a number of suitors are queuing up to snare arguably the NRL's most valuable player.
Canterbury – Thurston and his manager Sam Ayoub were spotted earlier this week meeting with Bulldogs officials. A genuine halfback commander is about the only missing piece in Des Hasler's premiership puzzle, and the 2012 runners-up shape as Thurston's most likely destination if he was to leave North Queensland. He played 29 NRL games for the Bulldogs from 2002-04, joining the Cowboys after coming off the bench in the 2004 Grand Final victory. Winning a premiership as the key man and potentially captain will be a huge motivator for Thurston and Canterbury is the best bet for achieving that goal.
Penrith – The Panthers, backed by general manager Phil Gould's clout, have been rumoured to be chasing hard for Thurston since midway through 2012. But the club promptly quashed speculation it would bid for the Kangaroos maestro early this week. Penrith desperately needs a dominant half, but salary cap issues appear to have hamstrung last season's 15th-placed team.
Parramatta – Ricky Stuart's arrival at the club has put the Eels right in the mix to snare Thurston. Former Kangaroo No.7 Stuart was Thurston's first Test coach and mentored him in the Australian side for three seasons. Thurston could be the missing ingredient to tie Parramatta's brilliant but erratic attacking arsenal together. The Eels are a realistic chance, but are firmly behind Canterbury and North Queensland in the race for the game's most prized signature.
St George Illawarra – The Dragons are arguably even more desperate for someone of Thurston's star quality and playmaking dominance than Parramatta is. Former NSW pivot Jamie Soward went off the boil in 2012 and speculation remains that he may take up a deal with a Super League club or in Japanese rugby union at the end of next year. Meanwhile, the retirement of halfback and captain Ben Hornby and Dean Young, and Beau Scott's move to Newcastle leaves the Saints light on experience, leadership and representative-quality talent. The joint venture is more cashed up from a salary cap point of view than most of its rivals, while the quieter lifestyle that Wollongong provides compared to bustling Sydney could prove a factor for Thurston after nine years in Townsville. The Dragons' dubious short-term title-winning prospects and lack of a high-profile coach puts a couple of strokes in the cons column, however.
Brisbane – The Broncos tick a number of boxes for Thurston: a heavyweight club with excellent premiership prospects, a good coach, spending power and close proximity to family (Thurston is a Souths-Sunnybank junior and played extensively in Toowoomba). But the signing of fellow veteran and former Test and Origin No.7 Scott Prince for two years to accompany Peter Wallace in the halves has clouded a potential bid for Thurston.
Gold Coast – The Titans would beg, steal or borrow to net Thurston following Prince's departure and their failure to lure Cooper Cronk earlier this year. The club's location would be attractive to Thurston, but its tenuous financial situation may prove a turnoff for the superstar and rule the Titans out of launching a bid in the first place.
A Short History of Rugby League in Australia
My first book, A Short History of Rugby League in Australia, is out now through Slattery Media Group. It is a passionate and comprehensive 752-page account of every aspect of the code's history in Australia, contains a foreword by Brad Fittler and was expertly edited by BackPageLead's own Nick Tedeschi. Available now at all good bookstores, or mail order (Australia and overseas) via the link: https://www.slatterymedia.com/store/viewBook/a-short-history-of-rugby-league-in-australia
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