There were more than a few shocks in the first week of the 2018 NRL season. History was made as the four teams who finished at the bottom of the 2017 ladder started 2018 with victories.
Ben Hunt had the last laugh over Wayne Bennett and Mitchell Pearce showed his old side what they were missing as he piloted the Knights to a golden point win over the Sea Eagles.
Week Two starts with the Sharks and the Dragons renewing their traditional rivalry. Sharks coach has Shane Flanagan has taken the advice on board and restored order to the Sharks line-up with Josh Dugan at fullback and Valentine Holmes back on the wing.
The Roosters take on the Bulldogs and the Broncos square off with the Cowboys in what promises to be the match of the round. The Tigers will be looking for another giant-killing effort as they take on the reigning champs and the Knights will be wanting to keep their energy against the Raiders in Canberra.
The Sharks struggled with their new combinations as they went down to the Cowboys in the season opener in a closely fought contest in Townsville. Josh Dugan was outstanding in his first outing for his new club and will be looking for another massive performance in his first home game of the season.
The Dragons were equally impressive in their win over the Broncos, with Ben Hunt staring against his old side, scoring a try in his first game for St George.
The Sharks will have to make do without young gun Sione Katoa, who suffered a broken jaw in the loss to the Cowboys and Luke Lewis remains on the sidelines with a foot injury.
The Dragons have no injury concerns with prop Paul Vaughn a likely starter after being cleared of injury in the win over the Broncos. Gareth Widdop looked exceptional with the ball, striking up a nice combination with Hunt and fullback Matt Dufty.
The Sharks will need to work out their best starting combination to have a chance to unlock the Dragon’s defensive line. Valentine Holmes starts on the wing for the Sharks and Josh Dugan moves to fullback against his former side. The Sharks were unlucky against the Cowboys in the opening round, while the Dragons were buoyed by the performance of Ben Hunt. Dugan at fullback and Holmes on the wing will make the difference for the Sharks and they should be able to get home in a close derby clash.
The Roosters were shocked into reality after ending up on the wrong side of a 10-8 upset to the West Tigers in the opening round. After spending the cash on shiny backs Cooper Cronk and James Tedesco, the Roosters forwards couldn’t build any forward momentum for Cronk or Tedesco to threaten the Tiger’s try-line.
The Roosters will be without Luke Keary who’s recovering from a broken jaw. The Bulldogs are sharing the pain with a new halves pairing, with Kieran Foran failing to fire as the Bulldogs were comprehensively beaten by the Storm in Perth.
The Roosters will be eager to make up for their round one shocker against the Tigers and you’ll expect a player of Cronk’s quality to lead a spirited fightback against the Dogs. Canterbury are adjusting to life under new coach Dean Pay and if Cooper Cronk can convert the pressure into the scoring opportunities, then the Bulldogs could be in for tough night at the office.
The Broncos were woeful in their performance against the Dragons in Sydney. The Broncos struggled for ideas against a strong Dragon’s defence and they’ll be up against it against an attack second only to the Melbourne Storm. The Cowboys will be hoping to welcome back Lachlan Coote and Michael Morgan for the clash in Brisbane, the pair were late scratching’s for the first-round clash with the Sharks.
The Cowboys were superb in their opening round win against the Sharks and Wayne Bennett will come under real pressure early in the season if his side can’t produce a massive turnaround against one of the premiership favourites.
These two sides share some history and the Broncos forwards will be looking for a better effort after being shocked by the Dragons in Round One. Michael Morgan could be a late inclusion for the Cowboys and North Queensland will be wary of a Bronco’s backlash. The Cowboys will be able to get across the line in what looks to be a tough clash for the Queensland sides.
These two sides managed to surprised league pundits by causing major upsets in the first round.
The Warriors were able to solve their travel blues with a massive win against South Sydney in Perth and the Titans were able to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat against the Raiders at home on the Gold Coast.
On paper, the Titans won’t be a match for the Warriors, with the New Zealand side having one of the most talented sides in the competition. The Titans showed some real character in their opening fixture but will struggle to match the power of the Warriors forward pack.
The Kiwis will be feeling confident at home, but stranger things have happened. The Titans won’t be getting carried away with their first-round victory over the Raiders and the clash with the Warriors is a massive test for a side favoured by many for the wooden spoon. The Titans will be looking for further improvement, while the Warriors need a win against one of the weaker sides in the competition.
Panthers coach Anthony Griffin was able to silence his detractors as his troops overcame a 14-point deficit to run over the top of Jarryd Hayne and the Eels in a 24-14 win.
Panther’s young gun Nathan Cleary showed us why he is being talked as a potential NSW halfback with a faultless display, including kicking six goals from as many attempts with the boot. The Rabbitohs were disappointing in a first-up loss to the Warriors and will only be happy at escaping the clash with no major injury concerns.
South Sydney were rusty in the first round, with Greg Inglis returning after an extended injury layoff. Penrith were dynamic against the Eels and will be able to take advantage of South’s rustiness. The Panthers represent some good value in the market to get the job done and salute against the Rabbitohs.
The Storm continued their 2017 form by trouncing the Bulldogs in the first round 36-18. With Cameron Munster at fullback, the Storm were able to control the flow of the game with relative ease against the Dogs and they’ll get better as the season progresses.
With fullback Billy Slater due to come back into the line-up, Munster will shift back to the halves role to accommodate the superstar. The Tigers played with some heart in their first-round win over the Roosters, but every man and his dog would be surprised to see lighting strike twice.
The Storm shouldn’t be troubled in getting on top of the Tigers, but the Roosters also through the same thing. Billy Slater returns to the Storm line-up to celebrate his 300th NRL game. In what shapes as his penultimate season in the NRL, the Storm will be wanting celebrate Slater’s milestone with a win
The Sea Eagles will be disappointed not to be able to get over the line against a determined Newcastle Knights in the first round. The Sea Eagles had their chances in the golden point loss to Newcastle. The Sea Eagles will be eager to make amends and looked fairly settled in the line-up.
The Eels will be looking for more from Jarryd Haynes with the superstar struggling to make an impact against the Panthers. Corey Norman’s battle with Dale-Cherry Evans looms as an interesting subplot with a possible Queensland Origin jersey up for grabs with the retirements of Cronk and Thurston.
The Sea Eagles were unlucky to go down to the Knights in the first round and should be able to take the points against the Eels. Dale Cherry Evans has a point to prove this season and he’ll look to clip the wings on the ‘Hayne Plane’ in a closely fought affair.
aiders coach Ricky Stuart deserves better after his charges snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against the Titans. The Raiders had no answer to the Titan’s pressure as their ill- disciple cost them a first-up win.
Newcastle felt like they turned a corner, overcoming the Sea Eagles in a golden point win and Mitchell Pierce proved to be the difference. The former Sydney City Rooster playmaker was cool under pressure, nailing a field goal in extra time for the win. Kalyn Ponga looms as a superstar in the making for the Knights, the 19-year old scored the opening try of the Knight’s season and could break things wide open against a poor Raider’s defence.
Newcastle has the chance to turn the corner this season and while all the talk was about Pearce’s effort against Manly, Kaylen Ponga showed that he could be the x-factor that the Knights have been searching for. The Knights are good value to steal another win from the Raiders.