Here are the talking points for the final round of the 2017 season.
End of the line
Well this is it. There are a few big games this weekend that will decide who plays on and who has Mad Monday. Thursday night’s QLD derby is huge for the Cowboys, who won’t want to be depending on other results going their way later in the round. The same goes for both Manly and Penrith, who meet on Saturday afternoon. Whatever happens in both of those matches, it will all come down to the Dragons, who face the resurgent Bulldogs on Sunday in a game that will ultimately decide where all the chips fall. It seems remarkable that despite sitting outside the top 8 with a week to go, the Dragons are actually in the box seat with their superior points differential, knowing either the Sea Eagles or Panthers, and possibly the Cowboys, will be there for the taking by the time they take the field. You can be sure that there some twists and turns still to come with only one round to sort the season out.
Saint or sinner?
Speaking of the Dragons, Josh Dugan has been reinstated this week after being dropped for the Panthers match for missing the team bus. Granted, not the crime of the century, but clearly the latest in a long form line of behavioural indiscretions that will have the Sharks, his club from 2018, nervous about their signing. Whether it’s been with the Raiders, Dragons or NSW Origin team, Dugan has struggled to live up to the cultural expectations of every team he’s been involved in. With a less than perfect behavioural record themselves, the Sharks now seem like an intriguing place for Dugan to end up. It would not surprise if his cards had been marked in terms of representative football, particularly if the new Blues coach is a strict disciplinarian. Paul Gallen has made it quite clear that Dugan will have to shape up, or his time in the Shire won’t be a pleasant experience. Does he have the desire, at this stage in his career, to turn things around and fulfil the promise he’s always had to be leader on and off the field? The odds are starting to drift.
Go west
The announcement this week that the opening round of 2018 would feature a double header in Perth is great news. The fact the two games will feature the Rabbitohs and the Bulldogs is less exciting. The NRL needs to make sure that quality opponents are sent for both teams, or it will be a wasted opportunity. Giving Perth fans a chance to see a Cameron Smith, Billy Slater or Jonathan Thurston in the flesh would be invaluable. It would also appear that it is not merely a coincidence that the announcement comes at the same time the Australian Rugby Union are locked in a war with the west. While it would be premature for the NRL to start pushing for a franchise to be set up in Perth off the back of the ARU’s troubles, the opening round double header is a smart, quick investment in a now open market. The possibility of timing the event with the opening of the new stadium is also a coup, and a successful night will pave the way for more fixtures, including State of Origin, due to head over there in 2019. The battle for the west has begun again.
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Words: Cameron Stokes
