Where did we all go wrong?
It’s NRLCEO grand final week, and if you’ve made it this far, you’ve done far better than me, and certainly don’t need my advice and predictions.
So instead of looking towards this weekends proceedings, I thought we could take a look back over NRLCEO and see where our ‘experts’ got it right, and where we failed miserably.
The Season In Review.
I had planned to go over my season preview and look at what I picked correctly and what I got wrong, and why that might have been. But now that I look back over my columns for the season, I realised that I had forgotten that I didn’t join the NRLCEO writing ranks until round 2. I just jumped right in with wacky week-to-week predictions, and completely bypassed an entire season preview.
Which, to be honest, is probably for the best.
I can tell you that I bought right into Wayne Bennett’s three-year plan for Newcastle and thought that they would be serious title contenders this year. They certainly had the side to do it, but somehow it capitulated. Even after the very rocky start to the season, and the career ending injury to Alex McKinnon, the team bounced back in a big way and throttled the hapless Sharks in the #RiseForAlex match. I thought that his injury would be exactly the tonic to kick-start their season, and inspire them for the rest of the year. I WAS VERY WRONG!
I was, however, entirely right about the Roosters. They are still an outside chance of taking the minor premiership, and this season I drafted several of their players into my side, so score one for the Ballboy!
I don’t think anyone could have expected the clusterfuck that the Sharks produced on and off the field this year. While I expected Gallen would be a reliable workhorse (when he plays) I put too much stock into the rest of the team, and yielded very little in return.
Brisbane have performed pretty much exactly as I thought they would this season, or they will if they just miss out on the top 8.
The Dragons have outperformed my expectations, but that is probably due in large part to getting rid of Steve Price. With him at the helm, they would be languishing down with Ricky’s Raiders.
Speaking of which, the Raiders have bucked their trend of making the finals one year, then missing out the next. They were due to make the top 8 this year, but unless Ricky Stuart can walk into a team full of premiership contenders, he cant coach a team to success. So I picked that one I guess.
I’m not sure what to make of the Bulldogs. History led me to believe that a Hasler coached team should do well. And they kinda are. But I expected them to be doing slightly better than they are. Same with Melbourne.
At the start of the season, I didn’t have any doubt that the Sea Eagles would be contenders, but I don’t get Manly right now. With their injuries and club upheaval, they should be doing their best not to slip out of the top 8. Any other team would’ve capitulated by now. Penrith are much the same.
While I think the Panthers have a solid club base, ever since I wrote a column suggesting that their success is attributed to their ability to stay uninjured, they have had injury after injury. Despite that, they are still on track to finish in the top 4, where I predicted they’d finish at the start of the year. Hopefully they do, because I have $10 riding on Penrith finishing in the top 4.
So yeah, I drafted according to where I predicted teams would finish. I got several very right, and others incredibly wrong.
Around the NRLCEO Traps.
Geoff ‘Workhorse Watcher’ Adams predicted that Ben Creagh may have a big 2014. In the absence of Prior, Weyman, and Miller, Captain Creagh somehow also went missing, and it could help explain why the Dragons had a sub-standard season.
Geoff correctly predicted that Nathan Peats would be a big scorer, and he was until his unfortunate injury. However, the Workhorse Watch may need corrective glasses though, after suggesting that Jason Bukuya would be a stand out at the Warriors.
While you try and remember who Joel Reithmuller is (and who he plays for), just be glad you didn’t follow Adams’ advice when he suggested that the North Queensland forward would “be the perfect replacement” for legendary workhorse, Dallas Johnson.
What Geoff got exactly right, was that Elijah Taylor would have a much better season than 2013’s WHT haul of 13 and go closer to 2012’s tally of 19. Before his injury in round 21, Taylor had registered 17. Two of which were doubles.
More impressive is when he suggested that James Graham would improve on his 15 WHT’s from last season. I mean, I’d be stoked if I could guarantee a player would get 15 WHT’s in a year, but Graham performed immaculately scoring 28 thus far. That equated to one per week, six weeks where he scored doubles, and on top of that he’s managed to score 3 tries. The only complaint you’d have against Graham, is that surely there is no way he is ever going to be able to replicate this next season! But I’m certain he’ll go down trying.
In addition, Geoff made other predictions that were all good picks but not exactly surprising, i.e. Mannah, Paulo, Rochow, McGuire, Parker, Thaiday, McCullough, Gillett, Jackson, G. Burgess, Ballin, Myles, Harrison, Douglas, Blair, Woods, and Fulton.
So overall, The Workhorse Watch season preview was very helpful indeed. I’ll certainly be paying close attention to Geoff’s preseason coverage next year!
On the other end of the spectrum, Wacko Jacko certainly lived up to his name on occasion over at Hot or Not.
After Round 1, he implored everyone to drop Adam Blair for a first up lacklustre performance. He also suggested at the same time, that Adam Docker would “be a big player for your CEO side.” This season Docker has only managed to rack up 32 points, while Blair has 42.
Unfortunately, it seemed like Jacko’s NRLCEO team was out of finals contention after 12 rounds, because his Hot or Not column suddenly stopped appearing. I know ever since I dropped out of our comp, I couldn’t give a stuff about CEO!
It might be for the best anyway. That round Tyrone Peachy, Dale Copely and Chad Townsend were all “Hot” and Benji Marshall, Cooper Cronk, and the Eels were all “Not.” Things sure have changed since then…
NRLCEO commish, JB, didn’t really do preseason predictions. Well he did – the NRL 2014 Season Guide – but it was fairly impartial, and he barely talked up his Raiders at all! So he gets a pass. Plus I don’t really want to bad-mouth him, or I wont be back for 2015.
Then there was the Tantasy crew. Firstly they introduced their ‘audio’ podcast as “Tantasy TV.” That’s backward Kiwis for you! And it really tells you all you need to know about taking advice from them…
Inu?! One of the lads shortlisted Inu. Thankfully one of the other boys had the sense to suggest he’d be “rocks and diamonds.” And if you had Inu between rounds 14 and 19, he would’ve scored you 12 points. For the rest of the season: 0.
They also had big wraps on Albert Kelly. And for the first 10 rounds, they would be doing ok. Not so much for the rest of the year.
Travis Robertson?! A first five round draft pick? Boys, in the famous words of Gus Gould “No no no no no.” God I hope you didn’t waste your pick on this Storm centre. I don’t believe he even played a match for Melbourne this year.
They did also make some good calls with players like Gidley and Thurston predicting their 2014 form, and they’re always entertaining – so I’ll certainly be tuning in to hear what they have to say next season (though I’ll be taking their opinions with a grain of salt!)
So Long. Farewell. Auf Wiedersehen. Good Night.
I’d now like to take some time to honour those players who are hanging up their boots, and leaving many of us lamenting their retirement, wondering where our fantasy points will come from next year.
Jharal Yow Yeh was an early casualty this year. He played 60 games for the Broncos and crossed the stripe 33 times.
Raiders Captain, Brett White has called time, and will leave a hole in the Canberra pack. He was always good for several WHT’s each year, and will be sorely missed by many CEOs.
Krisnan Inu is off to French Rugby next year, but I doubt anyone will care about his departure fantasy-wise.
Beau Ryan was fairly handy to NRL CEO’s throughout his career (53 tries in 124 games), but his Sharkie’s teammate John Morris was, at times, worth his weight in gold. Morris scored 49 tries (as well as many WHT’s) over his 300 matches for the Knights, Eels, Tigers and Sharks.
No NRL team will be depleted of more workhorses than the Titans this year. Luke Bailey, and Ashley Harrison are retiring, and Mark Minichiello is heading to Hull. All three have been exceptional fantasy forwards throughout their career, and many CEO’s will be torn up at their departure.
Storm pair, Junior Moors and Ben Roberts, are leaving Melbourne for Castleford, but they should be fairly replaceable I’d imagine.
Jerome ‘Throwa” Ropati retired mid season, and was a loss to both the Warriors and CEO’s everywhere. He was an absolute fantasy champion throughout the years. Kevin Locke is also leaving NZ, and his 26 tries in 89 appearances will be missed.
The Knights are losing three players to England in the offseason, Cuthbertson, Dobson, and Mantellato to the Rhinos, Devils and Rovers respectively. CEO’s should miss Cuthbo’s workrates, but since the other two were fringe first graders, they shouldn’t be missed much at all.
Ashton Sims is off to Warrington, and will leave holes in fantasy teams everywhere, though I wouldn’t necessarily rule out a return to the NRL in the future. And Brent Tate has finally succumbed to injury and retired – amazingly NOT because of his neck!
There are plenty of losses at the Eels. Willie Tonga is finally leaving the NRL. After 12 years, 181 matches, and 78 tries, the former Dally M Centre of the Year is off to England. Ben Smith has been a fantasy tease. Smith went close to a WHT more often than actually registering one, on top of that, (disregarding his 14 tries in 2005) he only scored 23 times in the other 9 years of his NRL career.
Parra’s Liam Foran and Daniel Harrison are leaving for the London Broncos (but wont be missed by CEO’s) though Ken Sio (who leaves for the Hull KR) will be.
Penrith Captain, Kevin Kingston will be a big loss to many CEO’s teams this offseason, but not half as big as the Rabbitoh’s powerhouse workhorse Sam Burgess. Ben Te’o is also leaving Souths, but due to his up and down form, I would imagine his loss to be more of a blessing than a curse to CEO’s who can never pick the right week to name him and the right week to bench him.
The Dragon’s Matt Groat heads to Salford and will be missed only by those who enjoy saying his name. Heh heh heh “Groat!”
Of all the players retiring/leaving at the end of the season, few more deserve to go out with a grand final win than Roosters captain Anthony Minichiello. Sure there are the Origin-time haters, but it’s difficult to say a bad word against the fullback. Sonny Bill Williams is also leaving, and his loss is a big one for CEO’s.
Braith Anasta is finally retiring (and going by this years form, he should have last year!) Liam Fulton was an absolute workhorse machine throughout his career, and is a big loss to fantasy teams everywhere. Cory Patterson less so.
To be honest, I’m kinda happy and sad that NRL fantasy football season is coming to a close. I’m in the thick of EPL fantasy season, and NFL fantasy season kicks off this Friday. It’s my first EPL fantasy season since 2002, and in the NFL, I’m hoping to go one better and actually win this year’s final. I’ve managed to lose the grand final for the last two years in our NFL fantasy comp. On top of that, I have my NHL draft at the end of the month!
Meanwhile – I feel like I should make some predictions for this round and the finals.
I’m picking Roosters, Storm, Tigers, Raiders, Cowboys, Dragons, Bulldogs, and Panthers.
That should mean the Roosters win the minor premiership, Sea Eagles slip to 3rd, Panthers secure 4th, and I’m going out on a limb and suggesting that the Warriors finish above the Broncos on the ladder.
I’m uncertain about the Eels. They’re so up and down. If they win, they make the 8, if they don’t, they finish 11th.
As far as the finals go, I can’t see anyone outside of the Sea Eagles, Rabbitohs, or Roosters winning it, with the outside chance of the Storm actually qualifying for the game, but not actually being able to win it.
As far as who is likely to win the whole kit and caboodle, I’m the ol’ Crystal Steeden says that the Roosters will be the first team to go back-to-back since the Broncos in 1992-1993.
Well there you have it. That’s enough from me for one season. Thanks to JB for allowing my babbling nonsense to feature on NRLCEO, thanks to everyone else who posts (semi) informative articles on the site and give me a good read in between fantasy matches, and thanks to both of my readers. I appreciate you guys.
Have a great off-season!
The Crystal Ballboy
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