THE BIG 5 - Questions ahead of Round 1
5. Will the Titans fly out of the blocks?
Despite the romance that goes with debut matches, expansion teams tend to have patchy records on opening day. Brisbane’s demolition of defending premier Manly, the Western Reds triumph over the Dragons and even the Melbourne Storms low key debut win at Wollongong are countered by numerous first game flops. Of the other new teams from the last twenty years, Auckland, North Queensland, the South Queensland Crushers, Adelaide, Hunter Mariners as well as the Gold Coast Giants and Newcastle all got the jitters. That’s the history. Sunday is the future. The Titans have a good team, the Dragons are an unknown. The Titans are twos-on. That seems about right.4. Will Monday Night Football be a hit?If it isn’t a hit it certainly won’t be the fault of the promotions machine, which has gone into overdrive. With Fox promising to make Monday night their premier match, there should not be too many duds. The television numbers will be huge for them, crowd numbers remain to be seen. It might be a slow burn, but Monday night is here to stay.3. Why does the cricket world cup have an opening ceremony?
OK, not a league question I know, but what the hell is the point of having a bunch dancers and firecrackers for a cricket event? To extend the event even longer? So we can see what Scotland captain Craig Wright looks like in an awkwardly striped business suit?
2. How will the Andrew Johns/Brian Smith combination gel?
That is if Johns even plays against the Bulldogs. A good test for the Knights, who look a little thin on talent. Smith and Johns have been spending the off-season palling around like James and Andrew G, and whether that means their football styles will be compatible won’t take long to realise. When asked about the subject, Johns said “Why does the cricket world cup have an opening ceremony”.
1. Is this the year Souths compete?
Each summer seems to have a similar tone. Rugby League headlines dominated by the Rabbitohs. Craig Coleman gets sacked, then Paul Langmack. George Piggins is chucked out. Holmes-a-Court and Crowe take over. This time the summer headlines have been positive. New player after new player. Will it work? It’s Paradoxical. The demands will be immediate, although the changes may take a while. Players like Kidwell and Asotasi are winners, but learning how to win could take Souths a few weeks.
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