NRL Midseason Grades: Part 1

So we are halfway through this crazy season... and I don't want it to end.

This season is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in recent history - some great teams at the top, and a race for the final few top eight spots will be unmissable.

Earlier in the year, I put out my preseason predictions - these will be used as a basis for my grades. However, for some teams who I graded rather unfairly (i.e the Tigers) I will loosen that criteria a little bit.

So without further ado, let's read the table from bottom up.

16. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs: F

Even when I have no expectations, they manage to disappoint me

One win in their first 10 games is inexcusable. This team just is not at an NRL level. The fact that they have already used 26 different players is mind boggling. Off-season pick up Joe Stimson has been out since Round 2, Jack Cogger has only picked up 2 appearances, and poor old Kieran Foran is set for another stint on the sidelines after picking up a toe injury.

The players used in their spine reads like a formation you'd find in the A-League: 3 fullbacks, 2 five-eights, 3 halfbacks and 2 hookers. It is just impossible to develop any sense of consistency with that many changing parts. And that is shown by the fact they have only picked up 19 tries all season- giving them by far the worst attack in the league.

Their one game after interim coach Steve Georgalis saw them collapse in the last 15 minutes against the Dragons. The team they had beaten earlier in the season.

Yeah, whoever takes on this head coaching job has a big task on their hands.

15. Gold Coast Titans: D+

Upgrades people, upgrades!

The Titans are already one win away from matching their win total from last season with 10 games remaining. While first grade veterans Shannon Boyd and Nathan Peats have been effectively pushed from the club, the emergence of Beau Fermor and Erin Clark have been a boost for the side. Anthony Don's 6 tries have been by far the teams best, with only Brian Kelly and Phillip Sami scoring multiple tries outside of him.

Ash Taylor has again struggled to find consistency in first grade, even after moving from the 7 to the 6. But put simply, the Titans don't have a half good enough to replace him at the moment. Throwing $1.2 million a season at David Fifita Jr is definitely worth it - but the Gold Coast have other issues which need to be addressed as well, starting in the halves.

14. Brisbane Broncos: F

It's very rare the Broncos are this low on the table.

With 10 games to go last season, the Broncos sat 2 points outside the Top 8. Now it is 4 points. Given they had to win 6 and draw 1 of those last 10 to make the finals then, it looks as though Brisbane's six-year finals streak is coming to a close.

Injuries have definitely taken their toll. Star back rower David Fifita Jr underwent knee surgery in the COVID stoppage and has not returned. Jake Turpin fractured his leg in Round 3. Captain Alex Glenn has only appeared in 5 games, as has Matt Lodge. Payne Haas has been dominant, but he is unable to do it alone.

The Jamayne Isaako to fullback experiment has been deemed a failure, with the Kiwi international moved back onto the wing. With youngster Tesi Niu added to the injury list, Anthony Milford is set to be the next cab off the rank. He has struggled to find form in the 6, and performed admirably in the 1 when he was moved there last season. On top of that, opens a spot for youngster Tom Dearden in the starting lineup- potentially the spark Brisbane need.

The Broncos have reportedly issued an ultimatum to Anthony Siebold- win 5 of the last 10, or you lose your job. Regardless of Siebold's success, Paul White should be firmly at risk of losing his job. Not only is he the longest serving Broncos CEO, he is also the only one to not win a premiership and the only one to have fired a coach- something he has done 3 times in his 10 seasons in charge. Should Siebold go, having White run a coaching search would be a disgrace to such a historic club.

13. New Zealand Warriors: C-

I mean, could we really expect much more?

Plucked away from their families in the name of television rights and 8 games a week, most people were tipping the Warriors for the spoon, especially given there would be no Origin period for them to get some cheeky wins in.

Instead, they have bagged 3 wins and have established themselves as a firm mid-table club. They have beaten teams in the same area of the table as them, and been flogged by teams well above them. The definition of a team in NRL Purgatory.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck hasn't been at his Dally M form this season, but Kodi Nikorima has stepped up nicely. Watching him develop alongside Blake Green over the past 12 months has been a joy to watch, and it would be a real shame to see the experienced halfback pushed out of the club because of his relationship with controversial agent Isaac Moses.

Of course, the sacking of Stephen Kearney was a decision which had to happen, although the timing was slightly off. While the teams form has arguably worsened under interim coach Todd Payten, the team was not going to get where the board wanted them to be under Kearney. 1 finals appearance in 4 seasons won't cut it in the NRL, and it will be up to the Warriors board to find a coach who can get the best out of this squad.

12. North Queensland Cowboys: D-

All 3 Queensland teams are in danger of missing the finals. A harrowing sight indeed.

The Cowboys started off hot, but have dropped 6 of their last 7 to leave them needing a miracle to make finals footy this season. Valentine Holmes has dealt with ankle problems which forced him to the wing and then the operating table. Captain Michael Morgan underwent surgery on his shoulder during the break, and may be forced to miss the rest of the season after it got infected.

Of course, there have been bright spots in the Cowboys season. Jason Taumalolo is still 4th in the Dally M race despite being on a bad team. Kyle Feldt is in Origin-level tryscoring form, 9 tries from 10 games, although he has been a bit suspect defensively.

Reece Robson has solidified himself as the Cowboys first choice hooker, and has quietly gone about his business. But of course, the most eye catching one is the emergence of Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow - an 18-year old who's try on Sunday against Penrith lit up the NRL community. With Holmes' season all but over, HTF will get 10 games at fullback to show off what he can do- and we could be in for a treat.

Of course, everything has a casualty, and that casualty is longtime head coach Paul Green leaving the club. Green took the Cowboys to the first premiership in club history and is by far the best Townsville have seen. Whoever comes in will have big shoes to fill, but will have an exciting roster which can be molded into just about anything they want.

11. St George Illawarra Dragons: C+

If this article were written 5 weeks ago, the Dragons would be squarely in the F category. They had won just 1 of their first 5, and rumblings had emerged that vice-captain James Graham was ready to leave the club. Paul McGregor was squarely on the hot seat, and it looked like the Dragons were at rock bottom.

But since then, the Dragons have won 3 of 5 - their only losses coming against both of 2019's Grand Finalists. They sit 11th with 4 wins on the year, and are in a spot where they can still push for top 8 footy. Probably the biggest catalyst of the move has been putting Ben Hunt at hooker. His playmaking and deceptive speed make him ideal for that role, especially given the new rule changes aiming to speed up the ruck.

Matt Dufty and Zac Lomax, two players who were thought to be competing for each others job, have combined to form one of the best strike pairings in the game - Dufty picking up 8 tries from 8 games, with Lomax bagging 6 from 10. Not to be outdone, Mikaele Ravalawa has also bagged 6 in 9 games. Adam Clune has emerged as a reliable halfback, which has freed up Corey Norman to play some amazing attacking footy.

However, ultimately it will be the forward pack where the Dragons' finals hopes rest. Graham's return to St Helen's has left a massive hole of experience in the side, one that is being filled by Tyson Frizell, a player who has already committed his future to Newcastle.

Paul Vaughan is still reliable, and Cameron McInnes has done well at lock so far, however Tariq Sims' repeated suspensions are not helping the club. This is why they want Jack de Belin back playing so much. Whether or not they make the top 8 will come down to how their forwards can hang with the big boys at the top.

10. Manly Sea Eagles- C-

Manly and injuries - a duo which never quite seem to separate.

After some amazing form to start the season, Tom Trbojevic re-injured his troublesome hamstring in Round 6 and missed the last 4 games, with a few more weeks on the sidelines still to come. That leaves him having played 18 of a possible 35 games - excluding the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Brett Stewart recorded more than 18 games per season outside of his first and last in first grade. If you're a Manly fan, that has to be a little bit worrying.

Trbojevic isn't the only big name to miss time - Dylan Walker has missed 4 weeks and Martin Tapau has struggled with a thumb injury. But it is the loss of Addin Fonua-Blake which has caused the most angst in Brookvale. He picked up a 2 match ban for abusing the referee after a blown call in a tight loss to Newcastle, but will miss further matches due to his anti-jab beliefs. A completely avoidable situation, and not one you want your star forward involved in.

At full strength Manly are a team that can challenge for top 4 footy - as seen by their 4-2 start to the season. The only question is can they be healthy long enough to get there?

9. Cronulla Sharks- C

A perfectly average grade for a perfectly average team.

The Sharks have lost 5 matches against good teams and won 5 matches against bad teams. The only team they've lost to that was below them on the ladder are the Dragons, who are only 2 points and 2 spots behind them. This team is the epitome of .500 play.

Don't tell that to Sione Katoa however. The 22-year old is flying with 10 tries in 10 games - and probably would've been a lock for a New Zealand debut if tests played this year. A return to Cronulla has also brought back the promise in Jesse Ramien, while Blayke Brailey and Briton Nikora are showing no signs of second year syndrome. Josh Dugan has been a reliable utility option, while Braden Hamlin-Uele has emerged as a key member of the forward pack

Of course, it hasn't been without disappointments. The biggest would be Bronson Xerri returning a positive result for performance enhancing drugs, which could see the youngster handed a 2-year ban. Matt Moylan has also dealt with disappointment - another injury plagued season as he creeps towards his 30th birthday. Andrew Fifta and Aaron Woods both seem on a downward trajectory, and Billy Magoulias hasn't been the game winner he was touted as after Newtown's heroics last year.

The Sharkies are definitely capable of playing finals football- whether or not they will is up to them.