Does Sonny Bill still have that big hitting ability that was a trademark of his play during his time at the Bulldogs? Photo / Getty Images
Justis Kamu looks at the standout issues in the NRL from the past week.
1. SBW has plenty to prove
With news that Sonny Bill Williams is making the move back to the great game, league fans worldwide will no doubt be amped for his return to the code that made
him. More importantly for SBW, it's an opportunity to show that he still has the goods to ply his trade in the toughest competition in the world.
Super Rugby doesn't compare to the physical toil and the endurance needed to survive a 26 week grind in the NRL, add to that a further three games if you make the Grand Final showdown.
He may have won a title in his rookie season but the 2004 Bulldogs side was stacked with the best of the best at the time - Willie Mason, Steve Price, Jonathan Thurston, Tony Grimaldi, Hazem El Masri, and Andrew Ryan. He won't have that kind of help at the Roosters, who are struggling this season to string together wins with a 52-14 defeat on the weekend highlighting their poor season.
Five years would have passed since his 2008 mid-season flee to France, but has that been enough time for the Bulldogs fans (who worshipped him at the time) to forgive his selfish act?
Does he still have that big hitting ability that was a trademark of his play during his time at the Bulldogs?
His union highlights are littered with attacking plays and offloads, both of which were established in league - but it's his shoulder-charges that had him feared by players and fans alike. He will also come up against players who weren't around during his time but now run the show - Sam Burgess, Sam Kasiano, Ben Matulino, Dave Taylor, Tony Williams and even James Tamou will be great personal matchups for the All Black.
If SBW's move to Roosters goes ahead, 2013 shapes up to be a huge year for the code and will go to some way appeasing plenty of Bulldogs and Kiwis fans who felt short-changed by his departure.
2. Luck's retirement eased by Taylor's development
The impending departure of Warriors hardman Micheal Luck had a few of the Warriors faithful sitting nervous at the prospect of not having a noted defender policing the ruck area.
Luck has been the gatekeeper for the Warriors tryline since his arrival to the club in 2005 with his 'body on the line' play winning plenty of plaudits from both fans and teammates.
However the emergence of Elijah Taylor as the Warriors new tackling machine eased fears of Luck's retirement leaving a hole in the defensive end of the side.
Taylor has performed with distinction in the lock position racking up 559 tackles after 16 rounds (14 games, two byes) in the competition - 40 tackles per game.
Even more pleasing for the Warriors fans is that the former Junior Warriors captain brings more variety to the attacking end of the team unlike Luck who lacks an attacking dimension to his game.
On attack, Taylor has been a useful link between the forwards and backs and this is prove to be more than a handy asset for a team who relies heavily on big forwards to dominate the middle.
3. Cleary bemoans golden point refereeing
It's a case of sour grapes for former Warriors coach Ivan Cleary after blasting referees for failing to blow the whistle with the Panthers and Eels locked at 18 all in golden point.
It was a dodgy Jarryd Hayne play-the-ball during golden point which had Cleary fuming after the NSW winger lost the ball to which players stood around and the refs allowed the Eels to play on.
Eels halfback Chris Sandow went on to kick the winning field to pip the Panthers 19-18 but had the turnover been given after Hayne's fumble, it may have been a different outcome altogether. Cleary hasn't had much luck with golden point winning just one golden point match from four games during his stint at the Warriors with a 17-16 win against the Sydney Roosters in 2009.
Despite both refs making a blunder on the weekend, the golden point extra time is an exciting concept that the NRL needs to stick with. It has fans on the edge of their seats and more importantly there's a winner at the end of the match. Plus fans and players are left feeling numb after a draw, how does one take joy in a tie?
4. Bulldogs show title credentials in North Queensland
Des Hasler's Bulldogs made a clear statement on Sunday afternoon in their convincing 20-4 win over Craig Bellamy's Melbourne Storm in front of 12,000 spectators in Mackay.
Any doubts that the Doggies were not serious contenders this season were deflated after handing the Storm their third loss of the season in the four tries to one victory.
Former Warrior Krisnan Inu continued his improving form with another eye-catching contribution, scoring a brace of tries and kicking two goals. The victory will be remembered for the Ben Barba inspired Josh Morris try after the former fielded the ball behind his in-goal and skipped past for defenders before his centre finished the length of the field try. Barba has been the standout fullback of this year's competition - no easy feat when considering that Billy Slater has performed consistently and Greg Inglis has dazzled in his new role at Souths.
Unfortunately for the diminutive number one, he will have to wait for higher honours in the game with Slater, Inglis and even Matty Bowen ahead of him in the pecking order for both country and state.
5. Your comments
Kiwi in Perth:First things first, playing Origin does not mean you have to play for Australia. It's state not international, so I have no idea were all this is coming from.
- Once a player elects to play for New South Wales or Queensland it rules one out from New Zealand selection. This rule has long been established and works similar to union whereby appearing for New Zealand A or Australia A means a player has to stick with the All Blacks or Wallabies.
UilamOsa: If you have a high quality, high performing, test team (with the players that we have now - this should be a reality) then State of Origin will be put back in its place as the spectacle that it is and not have the esteem that it does now. If the Kiwis won with the consistency that the All Blacks did, now that they have an established high quality squad, then and only then can we question whether or not players like Tamou took Origin over money rather than loyalty.
- Good point. A winning Kiwis team will have players striving for a black jersey. Being a World Cup champions does not have the same ring to it when we lose the annual Four Nations competition and the Anzac test.
Mikey Smith: The way for the Kiwis to do this, and generate a great rivalry, is to bring back the Probables vs. Possibles concept. Young blokes playing in the possibles with every point to prove, and they form combinations along the way, and eventually crack the Kiwis.
- Not feeling the whole probable v possibles match, if it's a trial or exhibition game it wouldn't benefit the players as they could be suspect to injury. If there is an alternative concept for Kiwis it needs to hold the same passion and commitment that is seen in Origin, one that fans in this country will pay to watch.
6. Team of the Week
1. Fullback - Ben Barba (Bulldogs)
2. Wing - Gerard Beale (Broncos)
3. Centre - Timana Tahu (Newcastle)
4. Centre - Krisnan Inu (Bulldogs)
5. Wing - Akuila Uate (Knights)
6. Five-eighth - Josh Reynolds (Bulldogs)
7. Halfback - Peter Wallace (Broncos)
8. Prop - Dan Hunt (Dragons)
9. Hooker - Andrew McCulloch (Broncos)
10. Prop - Aiden Tolman (Bulldogs)
11. Secondrow - Nathan Hindmarsh (Eels)
12. Secondrow - Anthony Watmough (Sea Eagles)
13. Lock - Corey Parker (Broncos)
Coach: Des Hasler (Bulldogs)
The Panthers have beaten the Warriors in their first trip to Auckland in six years.