With Trent Barrett becoming the first coach to be trucked through the exit door this season, the only way out is for the Bulldogs to finish.
Or is it? Long-suffering Canterbury fans thought it was going to happen two years ago when Dean Peo Belmo left mid-season because he lost “full board support”.
But they collected wooden spoons last year and finished after 10 rounds with a 2-8 record and the only other team with the same record, the worst build-up to a rare winning game against the West Tigers.
Mick Potter has set foot in violation of a rugby league universe case that shines on a man who was given a rough time while coaching his two-year-old West Tigers squad that aged and paid extra.
If he could turn the week around Canterbury with a low-suffering, flu-prone team behind two training sessions to win at Leichhardt, it would be the most magical strategy ever performed by anyone with a Potter title on record.
And as the old saying goes, there are only two types of coaches – those who have been fired and those who are waiting for the ax to fall. There are many candidates who may not be at the top of the list along with Potters Round 11 rivals Michael Maguire although Nathan Brown, Anthony Griffin and Adam O’Brien could very well follow Barrett’s disgraceful consequences long ago.
Here are all the big questions for each club in Round 11.
Round 11 questions
Knights vs. Broncos at MacDonald Jones Stadium, 7.50pm (AEST)
Is there anything left in Anthony Milford’s tank? Newcastle have played a gamble by signing former Broncos playmaker and after a promising start after Jack Clifford’s season went south quickly and fellow playmaker Adam Clooney failed to make his mark, it’s worth a punt. But will he be fit enough? Milford’s push in the Broncos was that he was a poor coach and that was translated into the playground. He has not been the victim of an NRL match since September and his old team will not make it easy for him.
Brisbane 2022 Marquee Kurt Kepwell and Adam Reynolds hired (Photo by Chris Hyde / Getty Images)
Did the Broncos sign the two best recruiters of 2022? Adam Reynolds has been voted the best pick of the year for the way he has transformed Brisbane, the way he has missed the field generals over the years. Second-rower Kurt Capwell’s influence is not far behind – he has not only given them a strong ball runner on the left edge but he has brought leadership and experience that is still relatively young pack. Halfback Nico Hynes, Storm Speedster Javier Coates and Cowboys veteran Chad Townsend are the only other recruits who will compete with Cape Wells for runner-up honors.
Friday
Tiger vs. Bulldogs at Leichard Oval, 6pm (AEST)
Is Brent Naden an NRL center? Part of the reason why he left Canterbury was removed from the wings. He looks like he will have a chance to make an extended run at the center with the West Tigers but it is time to show that he can perform consistently as he has never been able to snatch a place despite having plenty of opportunities in Penrith and the Bulldogs.
Will something change at Bulldogs? No one can expect Mick Potter to change too much in a very short time to prepare this team for Friday night’s match but perhaps a few different ideas will spark the team for the remaining 14 matches of the season. Josh Jackson raised a few eyebrows when he claimed on Wednesday that they could still make eight and Josh Hann almost revived the Cronulla season last season when John Morris got the chop but most Bulldogs fans would be happy to just move away with a wooden spoon and Such an unusual at the beginning of the year after finishing in the relatively respectable 10-13 range.
Ells vs Sea Eagle at Combank Stadium, 7:55 pm (AEST)
Should RCG Withdraw an Origin? Reagan Campbell-Gillard has played five Tests for Australia, including a 2017 World Cup final win, but has a lonely old origin in his biography in the opening match of the 2018 series. With the Knights pushing Daniel Sifiti out of form, and Dale Finuccans, Victor Radley and Cameron Murray injured, the Blues are looking for a middle forward or two. RCG has played 10 games in a row this year and is averaging 24 tackles and 154 running meters in 50 minutes per game so there should be a strong chance of getting at least one interchange berth behind Els teammates Jr. Paolo and Broncos Behmouth Payne Haas.
Reagan Campbell-Gillard Ell is an enforcer. (Photo by Cameron Spencer / Getty Images)
Is the sea eagle over-rated? After Tom Trobozevic led them to the Grand Final qualifiers last year, most people assumed that Manly would be all set for the top four in 2022. But they are in ninth place after 5-5 and last week’s 38-0 magic round beating Brisbane. And their win came against last-placed Canterbury (one point), the Raiders during their early-season slump, against the Knights, Titans and Tigers. They are 0-5 against the current eight teams.
Saturday
Dragons vs. Warriors at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, 3 p.m. (AEST)
Did Anthony Griffin do irreparable damage to Tyrell Sloan or save her? Tyrell Sloan is a gun young fullback who has now been dropped for the second time this season. When Andrew McCullo was out last week, Moses moved to the MB Hooker and he clearly didn’t find the confidence that Griffin said he would return to the NSW Cup. He’s still a kid in terms of NRL and hopefully it’s just the growing pain that every fullback goes through early in their careers and he comes back to make the red and white No. 1 jersey his own in the long run. You would hate to go down the spiral of confidence from constantly dropping and withdrawing talent like her.
Jazz Tebhaga will not fit in a good team? Warriors Stallworth brought 100 games to the NRL in Saturday’s clash with the Dragons in Kogarah. He’s a player that every good team needs – someone who works defensively and doesn’t complain despite the randomness between hookers, locks and benches. Unfortunately for him, the Warriors have been frustrated since his debut in 2016 and he snatched the playoffs two years later when he was knocked out of the first round final. And the team is unlikely to see any final action this year. He has the option of a player for next year but any competing CEO should inquire about his services for the price of their salt.
Cowboys vs. Storm at QCB Stadium, 5.30pm (AEST)
Can the Cowboys Break the Storm Hood? The North Queensland club have not collected any competition points from their last 12 encounters with Melbourne. During that time the Cowboys averaged six points in the first half and most of those games ended half-time. Riding high on a five-game winning streak and playing at home against a team without star fullback Ryan Papenhuizen and big prop Nelson Asofa-Salomona, they won’t have a good chance of breaking their storm pattern.
(Photo by Bradley Canaris / Getty Images)
Did Breath Anasta hit the question mark of Cameron Munster? As he tries to push the extremely clever juggling act to become an on-air pundit and a player agent at Fox Sports, Breath Anastasia could hurt the market value of his star client during the week. In NRL 360, Anasta Bulldogs general manager Phil Gould called him a liar, calling him Pinocchio for some of his comments about Trent Barrett, which led to the sudden departure of the Canterbury coach earlier this week. The Bulldogs have been touted as a potential landing spot for Munster in 2024 when his Storm Deal expires but the hopes of getting an offer from them are now dashed as Gold is one of the best games among the biggest anger holders.
Rooster vs. Panthers at SCG, 7.35pm (AEST)
Does anyone now suspect Joseph Swalley’s credentials? Earlier in the season, there were a few whispers about “what a fuss” about Joseph Swallow as he found his footing again at the NRL level when his Rocky campaign ended quickly after he caught a crack in one of them and bypassed him. Start this one. But that catch last week. It may be dangerous to compare him to the amazing athletes of the distant past, but the skill and hang time he displayed in scoring was from his amazing Origin Tri in 2008 in the Israeli Folau mold.
Can anyone find a weak link in Penrith? If you can, there are 15 NRL coaches who want to hear from you. The Panthers have scored 18,244 runs this season, which is 4,901 more than they admit.
(13,343) – This is not only the best positive difference of any team but also the next best team, 2,70 meters higher than the North Queensland Cowboys at 2531. Yet they have only two players in the NRL’s top 40 for the meter race per game – Dylan Edwards, 1st with 197 and rookie winger Taylan May, 10th with 151 – which shows you how equally their workloads across the park are. Distributes.
Sunday
Apex Oval, Rabitos vs Raiders in Dubbo, 2pm (AEST)
Can rabbits start climbing stairs? They are in eighth place with a 5-5 record and only one of these wins was above the top-eight team – the Roosters of Round 2. Their riders and tigers, then the Titans and Dragons are on either side of the bay in the next five. To keep a gap in the round chase pack they should collect at least three wins there.
Should riders be offloaded less? Offloading can be a dangerous tactic and can be overused. Canberra is leading the league with 126 this season, collecting 44 more than the South, but Green Machine is the 12th-best offense in the most important offensive division – points on the scoreboard. Getting tackled and getting a quick play-of-the-ball is often more beneficial than flying the ball backwards to further stifle your attack.
Titans vs Sharks at Cbus Super Stadium, 4.05 pm (AEST)
Can the Titans challenge the line? The Gold Coast ranks 15th when it comes to line engagement, better than just the Raiders. Their playmakers need to wear their eldest son’s pants while they are in their possession and take the pill to the line, cut one or two spots and this will make room for their front and outer backs. Young halfback Toby Sexton (seven per game) is the only Titan in the NRL’s top 40 in this division, almost twice as much as half-partner AJ Brimson.
Did Miller hit the spot? It’s been a while since NRL’s rugby has been transformed and Sevens Exponent Lachi Miller will make his fullback debut when Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon returns Nico Hynes to halfback for the second match of Will Kennedy’s two-game ban. Miller will not be able to hold his place when Kennedy returns next week, but he can show that if he can slot in Cronulla’s complex backline run, it’s worth another try down the track.