The League Nut

It's no secret that the Parramatta Eels have struggled over the past couple of years, since making the 2022 Grand final their form has significantly waived. something had to give and ultimately coach Brad Arthur fell on his sword after a 10-year stint. Arthur took the reins as caretaker coach in 2012 for the final 6 games, after Stephen Kearney was sacked. Ricky Stuart took over as head coach in 2013, before quitting the club at the end of the season, Arthur then returned to the club for the 2014 season. Brad Athur coached Parramatta for a total of 203 games, with 105 wins and 98 losses including a wooden spoon in 2018, and 5 final's appearances with 1 Grand final appearance. I believe Brad fell victim to an outdated game plan that hasn't been adjusted since the lesson they received from the 2022 grand final. the current game plan relies too heavily on the middle forwards that really sucks the gas right out of them, exposing a real lack of fitness. It was a very strange dec...

      IT’S THE BACKFLIP OF THE DECADE! The rugby league world has gone into meltdown this morning, as David Fifita pulls-off the almighty Backflip! Fifita has told Gold Coast Titans, he will take up his option to remain at the club for another two seasons, after he signed with the Roosters just last week. Fifita hasn’t broken any rules though, as all contracts signed now have a ten day cooling-off period, and I believe deals are not allowed to be officially announced until the cooling-off period has expired! So is it more fool the Roosters?  This is a major win for the Gold Coast Titans, as they were on the receiving end of a backflip of their own back in 2015, when Daly Cherry-Evans turned his back on them. DCE signed a four year deal with the Titans, before (reportedly) signing a “lifetime” deal with Manly Sea Eagles worth $10 million, in the eleventh-hour. The Roosters have tried to smother Fifita’s decision by putting out a statement minutes after the news broke,...

 

      Who will be our Blues? Well it’s that time of year again, when rugby league fans get excited about the pinnacle of the game, (STATE OF ORIGIN!) The talk really heats up and everyone from experts, to us “couch-coach’s” and even journos throw their two-bobs in. This year there’s a new bloke in-charge, Michael Maguire ,   and he has publicly stated, he will be picking a new look blues. He will be picking based on current form. As always there is so much speculation on just who, will play and what position. Let’s start with fullback. So many names in the mix but two are stand-outs and big debates are going on around rugby league circles across the state. We have the incumbent  fullback and (Captain) James Tedesco  , the 31 year old started his Origin career 2016, and has had 22 appearances in 7years for 11 wins and 11 losses, a 50% win rate. I feel his form had dropped in previous years but has returned to form this season, however I believe he’s had...

                 Dolphins         By 4 Panthers  Broncos  Knights  Dragons Storm Titans  BYE: Raiders 

       Why it could work for everyone! Well it has been quite a frenzy in the NRL this week, after news broke on Sunday, that Gold Coast Titans “million dollar “ 2nd rower David Fifita was heading to Penrith, for a meeting with Panthers coach Ivan Cleary. Speculation had been brewing over the past few weeks, due to a “unusual clause” Fifita has in he’s current contract with the Titans. He has a clause, which allows him up until round 10 to tell Titans, whether he will stay on at the club or leave at the end of the season. The Roosters have also entered the frenzy, but it was interesting to learn the other night on NRL 360, when James Hooper revealed that the Roosters have been Speaking to Fifita for the past few weeks, and are a little un-happy with the Panthers jumping in at the eleventh hour. If Fifita leaves the Titans, it will free up some well needed cash for a well needed “playmaker”. The Titans are pretty well right for forwards, but really need a quality half...

FRIGHTENING PROSPECTS  The Melbourne Storm have been experiencing a bit of a low for their standards in recent years, since the departure of club and Queensland legend Cameron Smith, along with a few key experienced members of their forward pack, Jesse and Kenny Bromwich along with Felise Kaufusi and Brandon Smith. This year with the young forward pack, having yet another year and another brutal Craig Bellamy offseason under their belt,  along with the experience big Nelson Asofa-Solomona up front, and the star studded spine in Papenhuyzen, Munster, Hughes and Grant the Melbourne Storm are looking like, they are a big contender for the 2024 Telstra NRL Premiership,  and could rival the current three-peat undisputed NRL champions the Penrith Panthers. A fully fit and connected Melbourne Storm are a formidable force, and an absolute excitement machine. However, they suffered another blow in their game vs Gold Coast Titans last weekend, with star fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen, p...

 RAIDERS RUIN THE FORTRESS  Friday night footy started with an absolute belter on the northern beaches last night, when the depleted young Canberra Raiders had the daunting task, taking on an inform Manly Sea Eagles. The Raiders have struggled in recent weeks, suffering a heavy loss at the hands of the Brisbane Broncos, at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane 34-10. Then another brutal defeat last Sunday night at home, in Canberra by competition leaders the Cronulla Sharks 40-0. However the Raiders do welcome back their captain Elliott Whitehead, and boy oh boy, didn’t he make a difference. The Manly Sea Eagles have evidently enjoyed the home ground advantage this season, at 4 Pines Park and re-confirming the un-official title, known as the “FORTRESS” Brookvale oval, with big wins against two competition heavy-weights, in the Roosters and the Panthers, and also defeating Parramatta. Visiting teams just simply find it difficult, to get anything go their way, and struggle to get any sort...