I don’t know about the average Joe Punter but the question is no longer which two teams will play off in the NRL grand final, but who will play the Penrith Panthers for the title on the first Sunday in October.
I know there are still a few rounds of action to go before two clubs go into battle at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on October 1 but the Panthers are on a six-game roll and to be honest, look unstoppable.
Barring major injuries or suspensions they appear certain to complete a rare premiership hat-trick.
They look to have the complete package on the field and with Ivan Cleary as their coach, solid leadership.
I’ve been hugely impressed by Penrith’s forward pack, the way they’ve gone about their business even after losing quality contributors Api Koroisau and the big bloke Viliame Kikau this season.
Many judges thought losing those two key players would take a heavy toll.
But in my opinion, Cleary has done a wonderful job rebuilding his engine room.
He has found a way to stay on top of the NRL ladder through the tough Origin period and even when his talented son, Nathan, went down injured with a hamstring for several weeks.
Penrith just doesn’t appear to have a weakness. They are a mile ahead of their chasers boasting a 100-point better differential.
Even If they finish level on points with the Brisbane Broncos or any other teams still in the hunt, Penrith will still take the minor premiership on points percentage which is a magnificent effort by the club.
Penrith has lost only five games all season.
Watching teams play week after week you do your best not to get too excited about their performances, but it’s impossible not to be thrilled by Penrith, the style of football they produce every week.
The job Penrith did on Melbourne Storm on the weekend merely confirms my opinion.
They’ve got some stylish and creative players but they’ve also got some extremely aggressive blokes up front and loads of talent at the back.
I love watching their forwards, they are always in your face and play a power game which is their trademark, and are extremely hard to combat.
Like they say, defence wins grand finals and Penrith currently concede just 12.1 points per game with their nearest rival being the Warriors who give up more than 18 points a game.
I really like what I see from their coach, he never seems to panic or show any worrying signs, even when Penrith is beaten.
There is no arrogance about him. He was a pretty quiet bloke as a player and he has maintained that composure and calmness as a coach after learning his trade under some very smart men.
He’s a realist. He works with his players and works with the talent he has got and makes the most of it.
He’s definitely one of the favourites, if not the favourite to finally break his drought and walk away with the NRL Coach of the Year after missing out for the past two seasons despite winning back-to-back premierships.
It looks like that battle could be between Cleary, Kevvie at the Broncos, and Kiwi rookie Andrew Webster.
Those three guys stand out, don’t they?
Kevvie (Kevin Walters) has done exceptionally well carrying the weight of an entire city on his shoulders and Brisbane is certainly capable of making it to the grand final and at their best they could trouble Penrith.
On another hot topic of debate, I don’t have a problem with New Zealand bidding to host a State of Origin match.
I made my thoughts well-known about taking the game outside of Queensland and New South Wales some years ago but things change over time.
I remember we took an Origin (exhibition game) to the USA in 1987 in California and we’ve taken Origin games out of Queensland and New South Wales previously and played them in Victoria, Western Australia, and South Australia.
The Kiwis are part of our national rugby league competition and they made some big sacrifices to keep the game going during COVID, so I think they have every right to bid to host an Origin game in New Zealand.
I don’t have any issue with that, but for the Kiwis, it would be like staging an exhibition game because they really don’t have any attachment to the contest.
I remember I didn’t like it when they first took games away from Queensland and New South Wales because the NRL said the game was a ‘national competition’ and Origin had to be played all over the country.
I guess if you look at it that way, Western and South Australia don’t have teams in the NRL but New Zealand does, so that puts a different spin on things.
But I reckon most Queenslanders and New South Welshman would say Origin games should only ever be played in those two states even if rugby league wants to grow the game.
