Today we take a look at the risks associated with signing Stefano Utoikamanu, the disappointing crowd for the NRLW opener -- and then we give the Melbourne Storm the minor premiership.
Read on as we tackle some of the big talking points in this week's Real or Not.
Utoikamanu the final piece in the Bulldogs puzzle
NOT REAL: Stefano Utoikamanu is a front-row forward who is currently under contract with Wests Tigers. The club is very keen to keep him as they work on building a competitive team under coach Benji Marshall and have reportedly offered him a five-year deal worth $4m to stay. Whispers are that Utoikamanu feels he would be worth more on the open market and that he is frustrated by the lack of success at the club.
Reportedly leading the race for his signature are Melbourne Storm and the Bulldogs. Bulldogs coach Cameron Ciraldo suggested he would be a great addition to the club.
"I think we're in a really good position as a club where we've got a lot of good kids coming through and we've also got space for potential guys to come in if they're the right person and right fit for our club," Ciraldo said.
"Stefano is a really good player. He's got a lot of potential and we're monitoring that situation. If he'd like to come here then we'd welcome him with open arms.
"If we do add a guy like Stefano then that's great, but if not, I'm really happy with who we've got here."
The Bulldogs are blatantly light on in the engine room, particularly with Max King out with a wrist injury. They have done alright this season with a pack full of light-footed hard workers, but they are being outmuscled by some of the bigger packs. Utoikamanu has the size and the potential, but paying over $800k a season for a prop who hasn't consistently proven himself is a risky proposition.
Master coach Wayne Bennett subscribed to the theory that you never pay big money for established front-rowers, as you get much more value from the young up-and-comers who are trying to prove their worth. Playing in the front-row is a tough career choice, you want players who are still running through brick walls to establish themselves. Front-rowers who have been hyped and think they are worth more money, have the potential to look after their own physical well-being a little too well.
Utoikamanu could be a great buy, or a great disappointment. Clubs should be wary of how much money they are willing to risk on such a proposition.
Newcastle crowd for NRLW opener disappoints
REAL: We saw some of the biggest names in the NRLW run out on Thursday night as the reigning premier Knights faced the star-studded Roosters in the opening game of the 2024 season. We saw a lot of the same skills, the big hits and the intensity that we had witnessed in Game II of the Women's State of Origin series played at the same venue, what we didn't see was the same crowd.
McDonald Jones Stadium was almost full for the Origin clash and with the home team playing their first game since claiming back-to-back titles last year, on a perfect Thursday night, the crowd of 3,921 could only be described as disappointing. No one was expecting an Origin-sized turn-out, but if any team was going to draw a big home crowd it was going to be Newcastle. They love their footy, their men's team has a bye this weekend, and their women play entertaining and ultimately winning rugby league.
Maybe crowd growth is an incremental thing, which will steadily increase with time. Channel 9 gave up a Thursday night of NRL to showcase the season launch and it will be interesting to see how their ratings compare. It would be a shame if, like we've seen with the Matildas, the fans are only really interested in watching the top-tier representative games and not the club-level battles where these hard-working women develop and fine tune their skills.
Melbourne Storm have the minor premiership in the bag
REAL: With seven rounds to go and Melbourne Storm two wins clear at the top of the NRL ladder, the minor premiership is all but run and won. The way they defeated the Roosters last week left little doubt that they are currently the best team in the competition, and this week they welcome back one of the league's greatest players in Cameron Munster. Yes, one of the most brilliant spines ever assembled is back together to take on the hapless Eels.
After the Eels they play the Dragons, Rabbitohs, Panthers, Dolphins, Cowboys and finish the season against the Broncos.
The clash against the Panthers promises to be their ultimate test, but if Munster clicks back into playing his best, it is hard to see any of the other teams in that run home troubling them. They are playing with a defence that is difficult to crack and an attack that is impossible to contain. Jahrome Hughes is in career-best form and is surrounded by a Craig Bellamy crafted rugby league machine.
Once the finals start, there will be a whole new set of pressures and challenges, so its too early to declare the title theirs, but they have set themselves as the team to beat on the way to adding another J.J. Giltinan Shield to their trophy room.