Dear Santa...National Rugby League Premiership
By W D Nicolson - December 23, 2015
Follow @NRLTweet
The longest off-season in recent memory is about to hit Christmas - but it's not like nothing has happened... so The NRL Tweet takes a quick look at what your NRL team wants from Santa heading into 2016. The Brisbane Broncos want... a strike centre to replace Justin Hodges. And yep - Santa paid Red Hill a visit a little early with Master Roberts.
The Canberra Raiders want... Ricky Stuart's hand-picked roster to stay healthy. Stuart will be there for a long time but a playoff spot would win over any Canberra fans who still have doubts.
The Canterbury Bulldogs want... Moses Mbye to be the answer at #7... and/or - Josh Reynolds to be the old Josh Reynolds in the #6.
The Cronulla Sharks want... James Maloney and Chad Townsend to transform a gritty grinding team into one who can create points regularly... and for Ben Barba to thrive as a result.
The Gold Coast Titans want... James Roberts back. And maybe a time machine so that the optimism that surrounded the club after 'signing' DCE is still permeating around the Gold Coast.
The Manly Sea Eagles want... their bevy of quality new signings (Dylan Walker, Martin Taupau and Nate Myles) to help the fans forget that they couldn't keep the Foran-DCE partnership together.
The Melbourne Storm want... to be in a position come September to have at least one more crack at a premiership with Smith, Cronk and Slater together and healthy. Oh and Craig Bellamy to stick around as well.
The Newcastle Knights want... to just get off the bottom of the table and for Nathan Brown to realise he's inheriting a roster nowhere near as 'premiership ready' as when he took over the Dragons.
The North Queensland Cowboys want... to have 2015 happen all over again.
The Parramatta Eels want... Jarryd Hayne to come home... and want to play for them.
The Penrith Panthers want... Matt Moylan to be able to be Matt Moylan pre-leg injury again.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs want... Sam Burgess to be worth jettisoning so much established talent to fit him under the cap. (He will be.)
The St George Illawarra Dragons want... their forward pack to stand up like it did in 2015. And for their fans to follow them to all 4 home grounds...
The Sydney Roosters want... RTS and Maloney back. They'll be missed big time but even still, the Chooks won't fall off the playoff map without them.
The Warriors want... the team they now have on paper to be as good in reality. RTS and Issac Luke are stupendous pickups by Jim Doyle... now let's see if Andrew McFadden can hold on to his gig if they start slow.
The Wests Tigers want... the last 4 months or so back like it never happened. The good news is it kind of didn't... because Robbie's still there.
And finally... what does The NRL Tweet want?
For Thursday Night Football to be a hit and the fans embrace it all 18 times it happens in 2016... because it isn't going away like Monday Night Football is. So make the best of it footy fans and you might just like going to the footy at the end of the week...
Merry Christmas everyone.
Let us know your thoughts by commenting below or replying on Twitter.
Subscribe to the NOT The Footy Show Podcast on iTunes
