Super-hot games are not hard to find in the NRL at the moment. The Sharks 25-18 win against the Storm at home last Saturday night was riveting stuff. In fact, it may have been the best game of the year so far.
Upon hearing the news before kick-off that Sharks superstar half back Nico Hines had been ruled out with a calf strain, it would have put the shivers up most of the Sharks’ fans. However, what their team delivered was everything the great game of rugby league is about: uncompromising defence and attack when the slightest chance came along. It was brilliant stuff.
The “can’t take a trick” Rabbitohs seem to be digging their hole deeper, and playing their number one man Latrell Mitchell – who looked like he hadn’t trained in weeks – did not help their cause at all.
In fact, it was a great example of no matter how good any player is, if they are not fit and obviously lack condition, don’t expect them to deliver a miracle. Unfortunately, quite often the opposite happens as the Rabbitohs found out against a motivated Dragons outfit.
But watching the weekend unfold I wonder how the NRL clubs would go in a promotion relegation competition. I accept it’s a hypothetical argument or idea here in Australia, but promotion relegation is the ultimate survival test when a club is not going well.
I coached Wigan in the UK during the late 80’s and like it is today, their competition includes promotion relegation. Even though we were the top club up there while I was coaching, and never threatened by relegation, as coach I still used to shiver at the thought of losing a few games in a row.
Finish at the bottom and it was “see you later”! You spent the next season in the division below and had to refocus to rebuild.
So, as it stands now, the bottom four NRL clubs in a promotion relegation competition would really be under the blowtorch, even though we are not even halfway through this year’s premiership.
