The Serve

The Big 5 - NRL Round 5

Are the Broncos in a crisis, Newcastle without Andrew Johns, video referees, teams failing to back up after Monday Night football and the Kangaroos. They provide this weeks big 5 questions.

5. Is Brisbane in a crisis?

The important fact is the fact that it was Wayne Bennett who uttered the ‘c’ word after the loss to the Titans. Last year he stubbornly refused admit his team was in the slump like a child stubbornly refuses to swallow Benadryl, so his paranoia has added currency. One win out of five matches in itself is not disastrous, however losses at Suncorp to Penrith and Gold Coast, hardly the trendsetters of the competition, suggests there could be a problem. They are scoring points though, which is a welcome change from previous dry spells. Look for the grand final rematch in round 7 as the true indicator.

4. Is there a Monday night curse?

The stats are suggesting there is. There have been four Monday night games, with just 1 of the 8 teams producing a win when backing up. Souths victory over Parramatta in the 2nd round being the exception to the rule. Having a shortened preparation should be a genuine concern, especially the five day variety, although it’s so commonplace these days, it’s difficult to imagine why Mondays are posing such a problem. Perhaps the Monday night game requires such a unique build up, i.e. watching an entire weekend go by before playing, that the turn around is somehow more difficult. Not a valid excuse among professionals.

3. Can the Knights be a force without Johns?

Okay, they won this weekend against a fairly decent side. Winning without was something the Knights had learned to do a couple of times this year, but a force? Newcastle weren’t one of the fancied teams, even with Johns, so it is hard to imagine them competing on the regular basis with the likes of Melbourne and the Cowboys and Manly. The Knights are 3 and 2. The avalanche of money on a Newcastle wooden spoon was opportunism gone horribly wrong, for this side will win its share. A force? Maybe not this year.

2. Is the Video Referee becoming impossible to understand?

Let’s make this clear: Souths forward David Fa’alogo had no business in trying to plant the ball over the try line with one hand. He could have used two hands, he could have tucked it under his arm. However, his fancy put down was a classic 50/50 call. No one could be certain whether he had any downward pressure. The rules state that benefit of the doubt must go to the attacking team. It did not. Another perplexing decision. We’re dealing with officials who don’t have to make on the spot decisions. They have time to consider and reconsider their actions. Consistency should not be an issue, but somehow it is.

1. Is the Australian Kangaroos side too heavily stacked with Broncos?

Ricky Stuart didn’t miss an opportunity to rub Wayne Bennett’s nose in the dirt, claiming the Broncos problems had ‘nothing to do with the six players’ picked in this side. Well, if the stars fault then it must be the coaches, mustn’t it?

Take the raw numbers out of the equation and think about it: Darren Lockyer is the first player picked. His combination with Karmichael Hunt is key, so that’s two Broncos. Justin Hodges is the best centre in the game, while it’s difficult to argue against Petero Civoniceva. Shaun Berrigan has not been in supreme form, but he was stellar in the tri nations and the final series. Sure, Brent Tate is a questionable pick, but even without him, that would be five Broncos. Still too many? The Australian Rugby League decided long ago to show loyality. Stay loyal to them and they’ll stay loyal to the cause. They didn’t want a repeat of 2003 when nearly 20 of the best weren’t available. A small price to pay.