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As discussed last week, in this spot at the very same time last year TFF predicted that Penrith would indeed three-peat. They were so magisterial last year, so hardened, so assured, I said the only thing that could beat them was hubris. Bingo. For so it proved.
Though hubris was indeed a factor throughout the season, how could it not be when they are such an extraordinary football team – most particularly in the last quarter of the grand final, when the Panthers, even with Jarome Luai off injured, ran down the Broncos’ 16 point advantage to win the game.
Which begs the next obvious question. Given the three-peat this year, what chance “four-on-the floor” next year?
I think very little.
For not only will they inevitably be dealing with more hubris than ever in 2024, but they will also be up against history.
Winning four rugby league premierships in a row hasn’t been done since the days of the St George Dragons in the 1960s, and for good reason.
These days, with the salary cap, the competition is rigged against any team so dominating as Penrith players obviously become premium targets and the superstars who remain command higher salaries still – leaving little left for the rest. And beyond that, you can believe that the Broncos will be an even better team next year for the bitterness of their experience this time.
In sum. You heard it here first. Broncos to win in 2024. Penrith to drift … a little.
Take a look at yourself in the mirrored sunnies
There has been some commentary this week about Broncos fullback Reece Walsh’s underwhelming match. (I actually thought some of his attacks in the second half were stunning, but appear to be in the minority because most commentary has him down for putting in a stinker.)
Reece Walsh with his oversized Pit Viper sunglasses before the grand final.Credit: Photos: Nine
My colleague Andrew Webster floated an interesting theory as to the cause.
“There’s a growing focus,” he wrote, “on the oversized mirrored sunglasses fullback Reece Walsh was wearing as he stepped off the Broncos team bus then swaggered through the dressing-room two hours before the game.
“The kids – and a couple of boilermakers – inform me the sunnies are indeed Pit Vipers, valued at about $79. Several former players reckon they set Walsh up to fail; a sure sign, they reckon, that he’d overstepped the line from self-confidence into arrogance.”
Plus ca change.
As I have oft told the story before, the iconic All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick told me he knew the Wallabies would go badly in the 1995 World Cup from the moment he was watching on television when they got off the bus for their opening match, against the Springboks in Cape Town.
When I asked him what he meant, he said, “Oh, you know, the sunnies … the attitude.”
Hubris, for short.
Crowds a French revelation
Meantime, here in France, who, you ask, is the breakout star of the Rugby World Cup so far?
No question: it is the French crowds. Loud, good-humoured, enthusiastic they are turning up to every match in force, devouring every game, warmly welcoming international visitors of all stripes and really helping to establish a superb atmosphere. They come gaily attired, they sing with gusto they applaud fine play and are never the remotest problem for security.
Australian fans at the Stade de France in Paris for the Wallabies’ win over Georgia.Credit: Getty
As to organisation, my only quibble so far is crowd control. Leaving the stadium in Lyon after the Australia-Wales game, it took no less than 40 minutes as security would only let patrons leave in waves, not all at once. No doubt this was so we didn’t all rush the trams in a pressing and dangerous manner, but the result was that at least 10,000 of us were tightly pressed against each other at the gates, which was dangerous in itself. The local French patrons – who frequent the same stadiums for soccer matches – were very annoyed. Even with full houses, it was never like that for soccer, so why for rugby? The answer, I’m told, is extra security provided for something with such global grandeur as a World Cup, but it might have been overkill. We are rugby people. We only hurt each other on the field, never on the street. And by and large other people don’t want to hurt us.
Tim Horan was voted best player at the 1999 World Cup.Credit: AP
Horan gives Wallabies fans hope
You’ll be pleased to hear that the 80-Test Wallaby warrior who was voted best player of the 1999 World Cup, Tim Horan – who is now a commentator for Stan Sport – agrees with me that Portugal is capable of beating Fiji on Sunday (Monday 6am AEDT). It is significant because if it happens the Wallabies could sneak into the quarter-finals after all, in hugely undeserved fashion.
Tim also had some interesting views on Eddie Jones’ tenure. The former Wallaby centre’s broad theme was that Eddie had completely failed at this World Cup, and had been outcoached, particularly in the Fiji game. But, if Eddie doesn’t go to coach Japan, and does want to stay on, Horan thinks he should survive.
“Let’s just let the emotion get out of this place in the next two or three weeks,” Horan told me. “But the important thing is, Eddie still has the confidence of the players. I’ve hardly ever gone into the Wallaby dressing room in the last 10 years, but I went in after the Wales game to commiserate, and I went in after the Portugal game to present a gift to James Slipper for his record 21st World Cup game, and it will probably surprise you to hear how close the players are with Eddie Jones.”
It does surprise me. And I have heard it from another high source. My full interview with Horan will be published in the Sun Herald and online Sunday. So we’ll see. In the meantime, CARN Portugal!
What They Said
Ivan Cleary, in a jocular mood after the big win, gees up those north of the Tweed: “Yeah, Queenslanders, they, like, fail at the end a lot of the time. We knew that they’d falter.”
Nathan and Ivan Cleary with the Provan-Summons trophy on Sunday night.Credit: Getty
Coach Cleary on his son’s extraordinary grand final performance, credits his wife Rebecca, Nathan’s mother: “I actually said to him yesterday, if I’d married someone else he would have been a pretty shit player. I’ve got to thank his mum for everything he’s got. Certainly not from me. Yeah, so proud of him. You know what, he owes me though. I’ve driven him to that many things. I’ve made lunches for him and all this stuff. And he’s now actually making my life easy. So I love you Nat.”
Collingwood’s Bobby Hill on winning the Norm Smith Medal: “To be honest I was watching Cyril Rioli’s grand final highlights. So, there you go. Cyril, thank you, and my teammates as well for backing me in, to kick me the ball and let me do my thing.”
Brisbane Lions coach Chris Fagan: “I think the team that won today probably is the team that should’ve won … having said that, we had our chances. When you lose by four points, all those little things matter.”
Collingwood’s American star Mason Cox: “It’s pretty wild, to be honest. Insane to think the risk of coming over here to play a sport I’d never heard of in a country I’d never been to. A lot of hard work and everything that’s gone into it. It’s amazing to experience the ultimate.”
Ange Postecoglou ahead of his Tottenham side playing Liverpool, the team he used to barrack for: “I had a couple of mates went the [Manchester] United way and I went with Liverpool to make it interesting. Like any kid, I had the posters up on my wall and Liverpool was my team. But you grow up and things change. Look, I used to love Happy Days back then but I don’t have posters of The Fonz on my wall now. It’s just the way life is.”
After Postecoglou’s team beat Liverpool, Henry Winkler – aka The Fonz – tweeted a video message for him:“Big Ange, hello from LA, California. Congratulations on your win today. Henry Winkler here – aka The Fonz – so if I signed a poster for you right now, would you put it back up on your wall? That is the question. Fair dinkum, aaaaay.”
Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire after the AFL grand final:“I was like the boy in 1977 again except this time we won.”
Eddie Jones after the Wallabies’ win over Portugal: “We only had one objective this week and that was to be alive and we are still alive. I’m not going to spend too much time worrying about the result [of Portugal v Fiji]. We’ve had our go at the World Cup. We are sitting where we are. If it happens that we get another chance, so be it. If it doesn’t, we’ve only got to look at ourselves.”
Eddie, on being booed when he’s on the stadium big screen: “At least they know who I am, I suppose.” There’s that. I am not actually sure what the booing is about. At each match, the majority of the crowds are French, so it is not obvious just what they have against him.
Adam Goodes on the Voice: “I’m Adam Goodes, and I’m voting yes.”
Manchester United’s Erik ten Hag channelling picking and sticking after another rough loss: “We are in a very difficult period but we come out together, we fight together, we stick together – and that is me, the directors, the team. This is not us. We know we will do better.” Erik? Whatever you do, don’t wipe out the veterans and then have five captains in six matches. It won’t work. Don’t ask me how I know, I just do.
Team of the week
Nathan Cleary. Put in one of the all-time great grand final performances to completely blitz a Broncos side that held a 16-point lead over the Panthers with just 20 minutes to go.
Collingwood. AFL premiers over the Brisbane Lions by the hairs of their chinny-chin-chin.
Brisbane. Lost two grand finals by a combined total of just six points.
Rory McIlroy celebrated Team Europe’s victory in the Ryder Cup.Credit: Getty
Australian cricket team. Take on India on Sunday in their World Cup opener, somewhere or other.
Socceroos. First time playing at Wembley, they take on England next Friday night.
Europe. Won the Ryder Cup.
Barry Ross. RIP. Rex “Moose” Mossop’s long-time sidekick on rugby league TV coverage in the 1970s and ’80s passed away this week. He was also a great supporter of the Men of League and Family of League Foundations that help former players.
Rachin Ravindra. Man of the match for New Zealand in the opening game of cricket’s World Cup. His name is a portmanteau of the first names of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar.
Simone Biles. Bounced back from her rough 2021 and just performed a Yurchenko double pike that will now be known as The Biles II as there is already a vault move called The Biles.
Watch all the action from Rugby World Cup 2023 on the Home of Rugby, Stan Sport. Every match streaming ad-free, live and in 4K UHD with replays, mini matches and highlights available on demand.
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