Broncos' threat to Panthers, fresh Bunker drama: Good, bad and ugly of NRL round 24
Brisbane have emerged as genuine premiership contenders amid some more ugly controversy for the NRL.
😃 The good: Broncos emerging as genuine premiership threats
😔 The bad: Cronulla and Gold Coast's jersey clash
😡 The ugly: Graham Annesley facing fresh officiating controversy
Brisbane are serious threats to Penrith's three-peat hopes
Sometimes you have to put club loyalties aside and just sit back and enjoy watching a quality side go about its work. In the 80s it was the great Parramatta and Canterbury teams.
The 90s was all about the Broncos, Raiders and Sea Eagles. Melbourne took centre stage in the 2000s, with wonderful cameos from the likes of Manly, the Roosters and, more recently, the Panthers.
They are not quite there – and are yet to win a thing – but the Brisbane Broncos are emerging as one of those must-watch sides. Kevvie Walters' young team is playing a terrific brand of attacking rugby league that has you checking the draw to make sure you're there to watch them, either live or on TV.
The likes of Reece Walsh, Ezra Mam, Selwyn Cobbo, Payne Haas, Kotoni Staggs, Pat Carrigan and Jordan Riki are box office exciting, old maestros Adam Reynolds and Kurt Capewell are expertly pulling the strings and guiding them around the park.
Brendan Piakura offers punch and power off the bench and the coach's son, Billy, is braining them. Kevvie Walters, who played in the great Broncos eras, has been critical of his side in the past for trying to "finesse" their way to victory.
Not now. Brisbane is mixing magic with muscle, scoring the highest number of points (588) so far this season while conceding the second fewest (375). They are clearly Penrith's biggest threat to this title.
Cronulla and Gold Coast's near-identical jerseys
Rugby league is a big money business watched by millions each weekend. It receives saturation coverage – at least when the Matildas aren’t on a World Cup tear – and every single game has a huge amount of importance attached to it.
Which leads us to the Cronulla-Gold Coast clash on Friday night. It's not the biggest issue in the world but how in the hell do two sides get thrown out there in almost identical playing colours and strips?
Didn’t the two clubs talk to each other before the game? Don't the NRL stay on top of these things?
Cronulla changing their jersey design – yet again – didn't help matters but why didn't anyone think to raise it as an issue? It was confusing for those at the ground and viewers watching on the box.
As Fox League caller Dan Ginnane commented: "Interesting jerseys here. There might be a bit of a clash. Seriously, how do we have jerseys that look so close together?"
It's a fair question. Is it time NRL clubs went down the road of overseas football clubs and have a radically different colour to their traditional strips for away games? Just a thought.
Why aren't the Titans wearing their white jersey vs Cronulla?
How hard is it to realise there'd be a jersey clash with sky & cyan?— Markus (@SwanMort) August 11, 2023
More officiating controversies than you can poke a stick at
So, you reckon you hate Mondays? Try starting the working week as Graham Annesley.
Poor old 'Felix' as Annesley is fondly known, must hit the alarm clock like Billy Murray in Groundhog Day and he climbs out of bed to face the rugby league world each week. As the NRL's Head of Football, it's his job to explain the weird, wonderful and whacky decisions his match officials have come up with over the weekend.
Last week it was the down and out Wests Tigers left to accept Annesley's apology after a couple of howlers, including a pass Tom Brady would have happily owned, ruined their shot at an upset win over Canberra. Annesley didn't wait until Monday to let Manly know they were victims of a couple of dodgy calls against Penrith on Thursday night.
He got in early and let Sea Eagles boss Tony Mestrov know the officials got it wrong. Mestrov was thankful for the honesty but would have rather a decent crack at the two points.
Same deal for St George Illawarra, who are likely to receive a similar call apologising for the match-turning try awarded to the Rabbitohs in Cairns on Saturday. It’s hard to believe the game has come so far with technology yet still gets simple calls so wrong.
As for Graham, they reckon his partner has ordered a fetal-shaped lounge setting ahead of next season so he can resume his normal position in a bit more comfort in 2024.
Sign up to our newsletter and score the biggest sport stories of the week.
