Wayne has a point about extra time, Barnett the marathon man and stop the expansion explosion

Bar the top two, the NRL competition is wide open with seven rounds to go. Believe it or not, the Raiders were two points off the No.1 seed this time last year.

They managed just two wins from their final seven weeks, with the Roosters storming from 14th to finish seventh and leapfrog the Raiders, despite an eight-point difference.

To be frank, anything can happen here on in. Precedence from the Chooks’ last season gives even the Warriors the slimmest of chances, who botched the freezing conditions in Canberra, as Chanel Harris-Tavita shanked an easy leveller.

King Cleary is back. What other halfback struts back into the game and ices such a contest with a 40-plus metre drop goal? But it wasn’t all perfect. Had the Panthers lost, Cleary was partly to blame – the No.7 was caught lacking pace twice, as Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow skipped right on by him.

The Roosters were outmuscled against the competition frontrunners, who continue to charge out without Cameron Munster – prepped for a return in round 21 to wrap up the minor premiership.

Four points splits teams ranked six through to 13th, with the Broncos now equipped for a finals run blitz. Strengthened by veteran halfback Adam Reynolds, Brisbane are fully stocked with their Origin stars and are prepped as the underdogs.

1. Wayne the wise head?

Following the Dolphins thrilling golden-point loss to Penrith, Wayne Bennett slammed the extra-time concept.

“That’s why I dislike golden point. I’ve never been a fan of it, never will be. No (we will never get rid of it),” Bennett said.

He was referring to a cracking fixture where both sides deserved a point of some sort – just not the golden one.

While a try, penalty conversion or drop goal can win golden point, the reality is all outfits switch into the latter mode after the final regular time whistle.

One poor defensive set or a borderline penalty can flip the result on its head, reflecting wrongly on an otherwise fiercely fought contest.

The entertainment factor of golden point is undoubtedly unmatched, but there are flaws in not awarding a full-time draw.

The high stakes pressure of golden point lifts the playing intensity to a new level. Yet, the officiating can get dicey. Teams rush out from the defensive line much earlier than usual, but due to the cutthroat nature of the concept – one referee call can ruin the game.

By the laws of the book, officiators must penalise the minute details – like when markers are not square or when forwards obstruct the kick. Yet, these areas are often dealt with a greater lenience to keep the spectacle alive.

What is the problem with a draw after 80 minutes? If there wasn’t the assurance of golden point, we may even see a new style of play in the game.

2. Barnett a top bloke

Mitch Barnett’s Origin debut was marvellous. It hasn’t been talked about enough. The interchange forward played 48 minutes and made 30 tackles for zero misses.

Yet it was the technique and aggression that he tackled with. Away from his brutal carries and heavy contact with ball in hand, Barnett chopped the Maroons at the hips. He was playing Jake Trbojevic’s role while the skipper was on the bench.

After big mid-week celebrations, he was back within 48-hours, making a return to the field. As a starting prop, he played 73 minutes. This statistic alone is remarkable. No front-rower in the competition plays those minutes, especially after an Origin hitout.

Barnett charged for 159 metres and made 41 tackles. He also scored a stunning individual try that illustrated his tireless efforts and smart footy brain.

The former Knight noticed a clear mismatch on the short side and stormed from right to left, smashing his way through Joseph Tapine.

After all of that, it was his selflessness in the press conference that capped off a career-best week.

“I didn’t even cross my mind (resting). Where we are at, I consider myself a leader of this club, that was the first thing I wanted to do, back up,” Barnett said.

3. Ricky sticking on, somehow

Somehow, in this world, Canberra are a realistic shot at making the top eight. This year has been an inconsistent nightmare for coach Ricky Stuart.

Sticky inked a four-year extension with the Green Machine, keeping him at the helm until 2029. But in 2024, the new deal has his long-term reputation up in the air.

The Raiders sit in 10th and are two points off the Cowboys who sit in eighth, as Jamal Fogarty looks to kick start their season in round 21.

Josh Papalii and Joseph Tapine provided strong form on Friday night during their home win over the Warriors, but it was far from convincing.

Their season lifeline faces a massive test on Sunday night, coming up against the in-form Rabbitohs. South Sydney on the other hand, must win the matchup to keep a dwindling flame a light.

Canberra botched a first half lead over the Warriors and opened the door for a comeback. They are the worst second half side in the competition.

4. Melbourne monster Roosters

Despite three sin-bins at AAMI park on Saturday night, Melbourne were a class above the Roosters. While it wasn’t a firing tricolours performance, they had all men on deck – the Storm did not.

The Storm are still without Cameron Munster and have a rookie bench. At centre, 21-year-old Jack Howarth is doing a solid job but they are still waiting on Xavier Coates.

Trent Robinson’s loss marks a traditional off period for the Roosters. In customary fashion, the Chooks finish off a season with fire or go down in flames.

Last year it was the former, yet to stay in touch with the top four and receive a second shot in the finals, they must stave off the Sea Eagles.

That prospect will be aired on Saturday night, with Tom ‘Turbo’ Trbojevic to face-off against James Tedesco. Manly put Gold Coast to the sword in round 20 and have the chance to enter the top four.

If the Roosters can conjure a win – they will enjoy a seemingly simple run to round out the season. They have only one top eight team to face post Manly, with the Dolphins in round 22.

5. A coach can’t change Wests

There’s only so much success Benji Marshall can achieve at the Tigers with his current crop of players.

The young coach has inspired Wests to a few positive team wins throughout the year, but the reality is, the Tigers will never be a top four team with a poor roster.

Away from Api Koroisau, Lachlan Galvin and the likes of imposing second-rower Samuela Fainu, the black and orange have nothing in storage.

Marshall will continue to cop plenty of media criticism and it’s hard to see how the Tigers grow a strong squad. Allure is what inks big names, Wests don’t have any.

Despite the big coin Isaiah Papalii was offered, he has opted out of the club. On a salary worth a reported $750,000 a season, Papalii signed a deal with the Panthers – seemingly not happy at the Tigers.

Unfortunately 2024 is another low for Wests and to be truthful, it’s hard to call this season a building block.

Kick – NRL expansion to a 20-team competition

The NRL is an outstanding product. The marketing and promotions that go into rugby league is what makes the game such a strong entertainment package. But before it expands to a 20-team competition, there must be a focus on building up the weak clubs.

The old ‘change is a good thing’ might be true in life, but is it in rugby league? The NRL is our product, why is there a need to expand it to PNG? It might be a selfish token, yet if you want to grow, do it first in Australia.

Set up a club in Perth and do it properly. Don’t pour money into a foreign product. Long time organisations like the Tigers need help with attracting players and locking down youth. Opening new establishments will only blow up this problem.

Watching the NRL post Origin interim was a delight in Round 20. All the big names back across a blockbuster weekend. The 17-team competition works well – the development and addition of Redcliffe has been a seamless success.

Unfortunately, there aren’t more Wayne Bennetts in rugby league. Don’t expect a similar integration for the new clubs dubbed in Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.