NRL Odds: Cleary Worried About Nines
January 7th, 2015 by TJ DilferThe Dick Smith NRL Auckland Nines, or the Auckland Nines to you and me, have a tendency to divide opinion. Fans seem to like them – plus punters like the chance to see which sides are likely to make their NRL odds look long in the early season – and it’s a format of the game that we wouldn’t mind seeing get bigger and spreading to all parts of the globe as an ambassador for Rugby League (which might be massive here in Australia, but doesn’t get nearly the same audiences in other countries). But there are coaches who see the Nines as an unnecessary interruption to their pre-season preparation, and who aren’t at all keen to risk their players in the competition at all.
One of those coaches who take a dim view of the Auckland nines is Panthers boss Ivan Cleary. Cleary’s primary concern is for the well-being of his players, and his key players especially, and, in fairness, the Panthers did come away from last year’s Auckland Nines with three players on the injury roster. The strength of the side that Penrith field in the Nines could well be a bone of contention between Cleary and his colleagues and the NRL organisation, who will be keen to see a high-quality Nines competition. Here’s Cleary in his own words: ‘yes, I am concerned about more injuries. We’ve done our own research – because we haven’t got any back from the NRL – and based on last year we have found the game is 35 per cent faster. It’s played on a cricket oval, which is prepared for cricket, so it’s rock hard. It’s a very fast, very hard surface. It’s two weeks earlier this year. Last year, it was five weeks after the New Year break. This year, it’s three weeks after. Last year some rep players played, but I’m not sure how many will this year. We certainly feel like three weeks isn’t enough time for ours. We’re not going to risk rep players. The players who have played in the Four Nations, just through sheer lack of time, won’t be playing. There are some players who have done enough training, but again we just don’t think they’re suited to that style of game. We won’t be putting those guys out there.’
So maybe don’t expect to see too strong a showing from the Panthers at the Auckland Nines, which were won by the Cowboys last time out. How you think the tournament reflects on those NRL odds at the end of the link is down to you, of course…
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