NRL Offseason Octopus - Under The Radar
To be a hearty NRL fan, there's some things you've just got to accept like really weird decisions by the video ref (chill out cricket fans, this happens every week in the NRL). You've also got to accept the mayhem surrounding the Sydney clubs as our summer has and will be headlined by Sydney clubs who can't help but find themselves up to the neck in drama.
A lot of this has to do with the Sydney bubble. There's so many NRL clubs crammed into one city which brings with it all the media, thus forming the centre of the NRL universe. Robbie Farah might stay at the Tigers, Dylan Walker's on the move, Peta Hiku's likely to move, Will Hopoate is likely to move and the Dragons want a piece of any pie. But what about the teams outside the bubble, those NRL teams who are sliding in under the radar?
There are two teams who stand out to me as teams to keep an eye on over the summer and leading into next season and they are the Melbourne Storm and the North Queensland Cowboys. The Storm are understandable as they get busy under the AFL cloud, ensuring that minimal fuss is made about their pre-2016 moves and the Cowboys? Well the Cowboys have just returned to training, yeah go figure.
The Cowboys obviously deserved a bit of a break after winning it all in 2015, which also makes them a weird 'Under The Radar' contender as they are the defending champs. What is scary for the rest of the NRL is that the Cowboys haven't lost any notable players this summer and will be able to call on the same players who did a Premiership-winning job.
Glenn Hall has retired, he was a veteran who did a great job of filling a spot in the forward pack when called on while Cameron King and Kelepi Tanginoa have both joined the Parramatta Eels. King is yet to really make his mark in the NRL at hooker and will still sit behind Nathan Peats at the Eels. Tanginoa must not have liked the winning feeling as he's re-joined the Eels after moving north for the 2015 season and didn't really feature this season as a back-rower. Loosing these three and a few fringe players like Robert Lui is all good, especially when you have re-signed the likes of Jason Taumalolo, Ethan Lowe, John Asiata, Jake Granville, Ben Hannant, Michael Morgan, Ben Spina and the hugely promising Coen Hess.
Lachlan Coote will still be fullback. Ray Thompson will offer cover for Jonathan Thurston and Michael Morgan. Hess will offer cover for Lowe and Gavin Cooper. Asiata will still come on in the middle and give Taumalolo a break. Granville and Rory Kostjasyn will still share dummy half duties and there's still a prop rotation of James Tamou, Matt Scott, Bolton and Hannant.
Oh and there's still a plethora of young outside backs eager to compete for a starting spot; Mathew Wright, Tautau Moga, Kyle Feldt and Gideon Mosby-Gela who is perhaps one of the most exciting youngsters the Cowboys have. They'll be competing for one spot in the backline as you'd have to think that Justin O'Neill, Kane Linnett and Antonio Winterstein have their positions locked up.
The Cowboys look scary and will happily go about their business in the far north without the prying eyes of Sydney media who are instead concerned with fish-bowl dramas ... just like the Melbourne Storm. The Storm have lost a far greater chunk of NRL-calibre talent this summer which could obviously have a negative impact on their 2016 hopes. Matt Duffie had only just re-emerged from injury to showcase his ability on the wing before announcing a move to the Auckland Blues, joining fellow backs Mahe Fonua and Kurt Mann in the departures lounge. Ryan Hinchcliffe has also left, leaving the Storm with a gap in their roster where experienced NRL players used to sit.
In typical Storm style they have signed players who don't catch the eye but will fit the overall way of the Storm. Cheyse Blair (Manly) offers depth in the outside backs, so does Jeremy Hawkins (Canberra) and the Mark Nicholls (Canberra)/Matt White (Gold Coast) combination gives the Storm two gritty forwards to compliment the Jesse Bromwich etc.
There's also a crop of youngsters who have either enjoyed a taste of the NRL or who will be looking to impress in 2016. Cameron Munster leads the way after stepping in for Billy Slater this year and with Slater to return to the fullback jersey, it'll be interesting to see where Munster can find a hole to fill. Munster along with Ben Hampton and Marika Koroibete give the Storm some x-factor to go with the steady presence of their big-three while someone like Tony Tumusa will be fun to watch as well. Tumusa was re-signed by the Storm after this season as he impressed in the Under 20s and the Aucklander will be keen to put pressure on those ahead of him.
We are coming to the end of the Storm's big-three era, yet I view this as a very exciting time for the Storm as it coincides with Jesse Bromwich, Tohu Harris, Kevin Proctor and Dale Finucane entering their prime years. Throw in Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Felise Kaufusi - two young forwards who offer skill, size and aggression - and most of the bases are covered.
It's business as usual in Melbourne as they spend their summer quietly integrating young players and veteran job-doers into a mix of the game's elite players. They've done this before/they do it every summer and know how to remain competitive with a strong core holding down a rotating cast around them. The Cowboys haven't been in this situation before though, yet I reckon they love have the pressure of being defending champs as far away from eager eyes as you can get in the NRL.