As we approach the start of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership finals series, pan66.com looks over some of the big questions surrounding teams ahead of the most important month of the season.
Real glory awaits. Could it be home ground glory for your team, or real heartbreak? Don’t miss your chance to witness unreal Finals action live.
22 Burning Questions for the 2022 finals series
1. How big a loss is Joey Manu to the Roosters’ chances?
With 11 tries, 12 try assists and 145 tackle breaks this year, there is no doubting the centre is a huge loss for the Tricolours. However the Roosters have a pretty handy replacement in Paul Momirovski, who last year played in Penrith's Grand Final victory over the Rabbitohs.
2. Can Nathan Cleary slot back in seamlessly for the Panthers?
Five weeks without competitive action is a long time in the Telstra Premiership. Cleary knows this squad like the back of his hand though and will be keen to pick up where he left off back in Round 20 prior to his suspension.
3. Will a rookie coach win the Premiership?
Cronulla mentor Craig Fitzgibbon and South Sydney counterpart Jason Demetriou are the two first-year head coaches involved in the finals, while Todd Payten from the Cowboys is coaching in the finals for the first time.
Finals Coach Showdown: Fitzgibbon v Payten
4. Can Parramatta continue to be the giant slayers?
They have beaten the Storm and Panthers twice this year and have tended to save their best performances for match-ups against the NRL's big guns.
5. Is it an advantage to qualify directly to the Preliminary Final?
Of the 10 teams who have qualified for the Grand Final over the past five seasons, eight of them have done so after securing direct entry to the preliminary final. So, in a word, yes.
6. Is the minor premiership a precursor to Premiership success?
The top team at the end of the regular season hasn't gone on to win the Premiership since 2018 when the Roosters did so. But just twice in the past five years have the minor premiers failed to make it thorough to the Grand Final.
7. How important is having home field in the finals?
There are plenty of examples of teams getting up for big road wins in the finals in recent years. This season the Panthers have lost only twice at BlueBet Stadium, while the Sharks have just one defeat at PointsBet Stadium in 2022, with both kicking off the finals series at home, making them very tough road trips.
8. Can a team win the Premiership after not making the finals last year?
Here's looking at you, Cowboys, Sharks and Raiders. While Cronulla were ninth last year and Canberra tenth, North Queensland finished one place off the bottom of the ladder in 2021. It would be some turnaround for either of those three sides to clinch this year's title, but we have seen Cinderella-esque runs like that before.
9. Will Nicho Hynes carry his magical form into the finals?
Since Round 19, Hynes has contributed at least one try or try assist in every game for the Sharks. In his first year at Cronulla the 26-year-old also set up more line breaks than any other player in the NRL regular season. He stands to be a key figure for the black, white and blue throughout this year's finals series.
It's Nicho's night
10. How important is finals experience?
Squads like the Panthers, Roosters and Rabbitohs have been there and done it before, while for much of the playing group at clubs like the Sharks and Cowboys, 2022 will be their first taste of finals action. Being able to settle into the contest quickly will be key, and that might come down to experience.
11. Can Lachlan Ilias guide the Rabbitohs to glory in his first finals series?
He is the only rookie No.7 in the finals and has done a great job of leading his team to the post season after appearing in just one NRL game last year. Manly's Daly Cherry-Evans is among the halfbacks who have tasted Premiership glory in their rookie season, doing so back in 2011.
12. When it comes to Grand Finals, do you really have to lose one to win one?
It was the case for the Panthers last year, who bounced back from Grand Final heartbreak 12 months earlier to win it all. Before that the Roosters won the first of their back-to-back titles in 2017 having not played in a decider since 2013.
Match Highlights: Panthers v Rabbitohs
13. What does Will Kennedy’s return mean for the Sharks?
The fullback has become an important part of this Cronulla side since becoming the first-choice No.1 in 2020 and his experience is sure to give them a boost. The Sharks have a useful back-up option if needed, with Lachlan Miller filling in admirably at the back in recent weeks.
14. Will Penrith be able to click after resting players?
Just two players in the Panthers' 17 this week took the field in round 25 as coach Ivan Cleary opted to rest most of his first-choice NRL players. Penrith have enjoyed an incredibly settled side for much of the season, so how quickly his regular 17 gel together again will be fascinating to watch for on Friday night.
15. Will playing fewer top eight teams during the regular season hurt or help the Sharks and Cowboys?
In their 24 regular season games the Sharks played just nine times against sides who finished in the top eight, while the Cowboys only faced 10 play-off sides. Whether that hurts, or helps them, come finals time still remains to be seen.
16. Can you recover from a loss in the qualifying final and still win the Premiership?
Absolutely. Last year Penrith bounced back from a finals week one loss to the Rabbitohs and won the competition, but they'll be hoping to secure a passage straight through to the Preliminary Final this time around.
17. How will Latrell go after being ruled out of last year’s finals series?
The Rabbitohs' star No.1 hasn't played a finals match for South Sydney since moving to them in 2019 and missed last year's run to the Grand Final through suspension. His form will be the determining factor in just how far the Rabbitohs' run extends throughout this year's finals series.
Mitchell the mindblower
18. Will Cameron Munster keep playing fullback... and how much of a loss is Ryan Papenhuyzen?
Munster has excelled since moving into a hybrid fullback/half role in recent weeks. His impact is more important than ever with Melbourne missing their usual No.1 Ryan Papenhuyzen, who in 12 appearances this year had 14 tries, 13 line breaks and nine try assists.
19. Can Chad Townsend lead the inexperienced Cowboys to success?
Townsend is one of the few current North Queensland players with a Premiership ring, and in fact one of the few with any prior finals experience with a lot of fresh faces in Todd Payten's side. His calming influence on the Cowboys will be key.
20. Are the Raiders legitimate contenders if they beat the Storm in week one?
The Raiders are riding a four-game winning streak and have put up some big scores over the past month against sides sitting outside the top eight. If they can ride into Melbourne and topple the Storm at AAMI Park, then they'll certainly have a few teams looking over their shoulder in Week Two of the finals.
Rapana Kris combo on fire
21. Can Mitchell Moses and Dylan Brown guide the Eels home?
They are the only halves pairing in the finals who both sit in the NRL's top 10 for try assists through the regular season. Between them the pair have set up 38 four-pointers this year, and they hold the key to Parramatta ending their Premiership drought, which extends back to 1986 — before either Brown or Moses were born.
22. Can a team win from outside the top four?
It hasn't happened in the NRL era, but prior to 1998 the Bulldogs proved it could be done by winning the 1995 title after finishing the regular season in sixth position. In more recent times the Cowboys and Sharks have both gone on to win after finishing third in 2015 and 2016 respectively. What that means for the Storm, Roosters, Rabbitohs and Raiders this finals series? Well, we'll just have to wait to find out...