Top 5 2018 NRL off-season moves

Sutton's luscious mo was my NRL highlight of 2017!

Full disclosure: I'm a Rabbitohs tragic. Actually, I grew up as a North Sydney Bears fan, became an NRL refugee, and then found a new home in South Sydney. 

5. Gagai heads South

Another fantastic Indigenous addition for South Sydney.

If Gagai is anything close to the player he was for Queensland last year, it won't take him long to win over The Burrow. Sure, he didn't come cheap - $2.1 million over four years is what I heard, but neither did GI. Speaking of GI, one of the reasons I think Gagai will prove to be one of the best signings is because of the pressure he can potentially take off of GI's ageing shoulders. (Note: I'm still not happy with how much Souths coughed up to resign GI. I know he's etched his name in as an all-time great, I just think Souths could've used some of that $$$ to bolster the bench.) It can't be easy coming back from niggling knee injuries, but South Sydney faithful are hoping Gagai's creative flair and versatility will help ease GI back into the grind. 

Whether we see Gagai slot in at centre, fullback or on the wing, he's an upgrade in a backline that lacked creative spark last season. I also think he'll work well playing off of Reynolds and Walker. Gagai's first job will be to smash the pitiful two tries he scored for Newcastle last season (cross this off by Round 3!), and then eclipse last season's average running metres of 133 per. What I'm crossing my fingers for is Gagai asserting himself on defense, and finishing the season with more try assists than last season (9). 

4. Teddy goes to the Dark Side

:(

Tedesco upped his average running metres per match from 134 in 2016 to 173 last season for the Tigers. The last time the Roosters had a young gun at fullback - Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 2015 - he went on to average a shade under 230m per. Will Teddy eclipse the 200 mark? What about Roger's 11 tries in 2015? Well, considering the Roosters beat out the Rabbitohs (UGH!) and the Sharks for that champion Storm half-back, who I refuse to add to this list, the early signs are looking positive.

When I write this list next year, I hope that #1 will include Souths stealing Nick Politis away from Bondi. Either Politis and the Roosters' brains trust are smarter than the rest of the league when it comes to fitting talent under the salary cap (the Broncos and Storm might also be exempt), or something fishy is going on. Then again, the Knights singlehandedly freed the Roosters up in the cap department this offseason. 

Pettiness aside, the Roosters have finally filled the hole RTS left and have a player in Tedesco who can star for the foreseeable future. Tedesco's movement with the ball in hand is captivating, and it's clear that playing off the back of a gargantuan pack and savvy halves will do this young gun a world of good. And don't sleep on Tedesco's delicious mix of speed and strength! 

PS. The most depressing thing is that Teddy only just turned 25! 

3. The Panthers get their vet

Gould got his guy.

If you were to dust this deal for prints, you'd probably find Gus Gould's all over it. This team isn't exactly bereft of Premiership winning experience - Tamou and Merrin come to mind - but it's clear that once Moylan asked out Gould and co started targeting a veteran replacement. And once we learned that the Sharks weren't likely to resign Maloney, it was only a matter of working out how this deal would get done. 

Personally, I'm not a Maloney fan. He comes across as a bit of a pest. And if he isn't bending the rules defensively, he's a prime target for opposition runners. He makes up for defensive worries with superb ball handling and last tackle kicking skills, rugby IQ and decision making. Then there's the fact that he's a proven winner. How many other players have appeared in Grand Finals with three consecutive teams? Count 'em: Warriors, Roosters and the Sharks.

What the Panthers are undoubtedly hoping for is that Maloney will have the same calming and reassuring effect on Nathan Cleary as he had on Townsend in Cronulla. (Cleary already looks like an ice-man!) Another positive is that Maloney makes those around him better. This is a daunting prospect for opposition sides as the Panthers are bursting at the seams with hulking forwards and electric backs. 

I might just have to cash in my Blue Mountains heritage chips this season!

2. James is Hunting Dragons

Who'd want to be a referee?

I'm sure some people will downplay what the Dragons added this offseason, but the way I look at it is that this young team, which possesses a lot of raw talent and potential, solidified its leadership group. 

Before The Footy Show was finally laid to rest, last season they had Tommy Raudonikis trudge out, yell and make outlandish predictions. It reminded me a lot of what bland American shows turn to when they lose their best thinkers and writers. One of Tommy's sprays was directed at Ben Hunt, who he believed would finish the season playing for the Broncos' reserve side. 

“I’ll tell you something — this is my prediction — at the end of the season (Hunt) won’t be Broncos halfback. He’ll get dropped before that. He’ll have a fall out with Wayne Bennett. All he’s doing is thinking about all that big money he’s getting and I don’t think he’s worth that money.”

Hunt finished the season filling in - and thriving - as McCullough's replacement at hooker. In fact, Hunt played so well that he earned himself a Kangaroos jersey for the World Cup. As a result, Hunt racked up more running metres and tackles per game than he had in the previous two seasons. Furthermore, he stabilised the Broncos' spine and turned in man-of-the-match performances when it counted the most. 

Meanwhile, Graham helped pull Canterbury back from the abyss and led in effort and grit week in and week out. He may not be the ball playing forward he once was, but he's lost nothing in leadership and determination. (Graham still managed to average 34 tackles and 125m per during what many considered a down season!) Statistics also don't prove Graham's worth. If you watched any Bulldogs games he played in last season (19), you saw that he was often the only bloke chasing run-away opposition players to the in-goal and usually finished games with blood pouring down his blessed face. 

Both these signings are masterstrokes. 

1. Putting NEWCASTLE back on the map

The happiest bloke in Newcastle.

In: Mitchell Pearce, Connor Watson, Aidan Guerra, Kalyn Ponga, Tautau Moga, Herman Ese'ese, Jacob Lillyman, Chris Heighington, Slade Griffin, Brent Naden, Christian Hazard. 

Out: Brendan Elliot, Dane Gagai, Rory Kostjayson, Jarrod Mullen, Josh Starling, Anthony Tupou, Jacob Gagan, Pauli Pauli, Peter Mata'utia, Chanel Mata'utia, Mickey Paea, Sam Mataroa, Joe Wardle, Jaelen Feeney. 

I loathed the Knights growing up in the 90s. They were a dominant outfit that knew its identity. From first grade through to reserve grade, I couldn't imagine the Knights ever falling upon the tough times they have experienced of late. Three consecutive wooden spoons must be a brutal pill for loyal Novocastrians to swallow!

What first jumps out at me from these offseason signings are the Bondi Boys. Guerra, Pearce and Watson have packed their beach bags and will now join SKD in Newcastle. Not only does this camaraderie breed confidence, but it also lays a platform going forward. These are representative players who have tasted NRL and rep success. In fact, between the three of them, they have racked up 430 NRL and 27 Origin caps! They also have a hefty bone to pick - something this Souths fan once relished. 

My sleeper signing of the season is Tattau Moga. If Moga builds on what he turned in for the Broncos last season - he only failed to run for over 100m on two occasions last season - he'll be a force to be reckoned with. I can see him finally filling the boots that Newcastle lost in Joey Leilua.

Then there's the much-hyped Kalyn Ponga. I'm just about ready to fall in love with yet another Queensland-declared fullback. (Lockyer, Wesser, Matty Bowen, Boyd, Slater...) I expect to see Ponga and Turbo Tom (Trbojevic) lock Origin horns for years to come. It starts now! 

ENCORE: How 'bout that new Cowboy!

It's scary to think that McLean will be playing alongside TAU-MA-LO-LO this season.

Thurston and Morgan must be licking their lips! They have their gritty co-captain back, their resident wrecking ball is coming off a fantastic World Cup showing for Tonga, and now one of the Storm's most consistent performers - and biggest bruisers - is heading to North Queensland. This also means that the try scoring machine Coen Hess (12 tries last season) and the half-back born in a prop's body John Asiata would be coming off the bench!

McLean is only 26, and he looks poised to take the next step and don the sky blue for NSW this season. To guarantee a Blues jumper, Jordan just has to keep progressing as he has been over the last three seasons. Last season he smashed his way into the 100m running, 10+ hit-ups and 20+ tackles per match club.

What I want to see is just how long other teams can stop these forwards from smashing through defensive lines and offloading with ease!

I hope your 2018 NRL season is as fruitful as Sutto's mo!*
*Except for Manly & Roosters fans!