NRL: League of ordinary gentlemen

The Warriors' season failed to live up to expectations after Brent Tate sustained an injury. Photo / Getty Images

There was a line from that quaint, very British TV comedy Keeping Up Appearances, starring a pretentious snob called Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet) that rather summed up the year in rugby league.

As her long-suffering husband headed to the loo, Hyacinth sent him off with the admonition: "Try not to make a noise in the bathroom, dear."

Rugby league tried hard not to make a noise in the bathroom in 2009 but, a few sparkling moments aside, unsavoury sounds rather drowned out the sport's year. There has probably never been a season when so many NRL transgressions have stacked up, one after the other, to paint a picture of a group of sportsmen so out of control, in love with their own supposed sanctity and unable to behave themselves.

But more of that later. It wouldn't be fair to start any review of New Zealand league with the (mostly Australian) boofheads of the NRL. Actually, it's not even fair to say that, as there were New Zealanders involved in the 2009 List Of Shame but, by and large, the Warriors and Kiwis had few off-field misdemeanours.

Big year... oh dear

The Warriors' problem was form. Rated third favourites going into the season, they ended up an abysmal 14th. It was a long, slow, inexorable slide into ignominy and management and players alike seemed powerless to stop it.

Incredibly for the club once synonymous with that "razzle-dazzle" phrase beloved of the Australian TV commentators, they had the second-worst attacking record in the NRL, with 377 points. Only the Cronulla Sharks did worse - with 359 points - and they were truly terrible and beset by big off-field problems.

Fien fine... for the Kiwis

Nathan Fien, once heralded as the future after Stacey Jones, was let go early. A disappointed Fien was picked up by Wayne Bennett and the Dragons.

It's understood Warriors coach Ivan Cleary felt Jones and Fien didn't gel together and the Aussie ended up playing for the Vulcans.

He was good enough, though, to start for the minor premiers. Go figure. Fien wasn't first choice but he played well for the Dragons when he got his chance and, with his team-mates, looked a good chance for a title until the Dragons were undone by the Broncos.

Fien also looked good playing for the Kiwis, leading to the question: How come he does well for other teams but not the Warriors? Maybe Cleary was right...?

The 'we can make them ordinary' file

The biggest individual disappointment of a disappointing year was former Broncos winger Denan Kemp.

He came to the Warriors with a terrific record of 19 tries in 24 games for the Broncos. He could run, he could kick, he could link and he could solve the Middle East impasse. Or that's how it seemed.

In the end, he scored one try in 10 games and butchered a number of others. Even his much-heralded goalkicking was average. His confidence went and confidence in him followed, and he basically bought his own way out to return to Brisbane.

Brent Tate... what a state

In the search for reasons for the lack of performance, most eyes settled on comeback halfback Stacey Jones, with the little chap being criticised openly and possibly unfairly as the main reason for the Warriors' woes.

But maybe a bigger factor was the injury in round three to crack outside back Brent Tate. His season-ending injury hurt the Warriors, who did not have adequate depth to replace him and the backline lacked thrust and leadership after that.

Also, many players looked tired after the World Cup. Jerome Ropati, Simon Mannering and Manu Vatuvei (injured much of the time) had poor seasons by their standards and were withdrawn from the Kiwis tour. Only Sam Rapira was excellent.

Captain Mannering

Then there was the strange case of Steve Price and the captaincy. No matter how you look at this business, it seems odd, perhaps the biggest noise in the bathroom the Warriors made all year.

Price is a hero at Mt Smart. He is adored by the Warriors fans. That is so, even though he didn't play much last year due to injuries. There was some strong feeling that he had too much of an eye on State of Origin play.

He had a year to run on his contract and the time was right for a change, the club said.

Maybe, but they managed to upset their leading player. Price tried to be politic about it but his disappointment and hurt shone through, underlined when he spoke to Sydney's Herald-Sun.

Price said it was yet to be seen whether his demotion would help or hinder the club in 2010 but admitted it might take some time for players to adjust to the change: "People ask if I'm going to speak up more or withdraw and I don't know the answer to that," Price, 35, said. "We haven't played a game yet. I don't want to be standing on Simon's toes, but I also don't want him to be exposed to something he can't handle initially.

"The club doesn't want me to stop being the way I am - that would defeat the purpose of them doing what they're trying to do - but they've got to understand that I may not be the way I was. I take a lot of pride in leading the club and I think the captaincy has helped my football. It's all very up in the air and we'll just have to see how we go.

"Simon said to me, 'if you have something to say, I want you to say it'. He said he won't know what to say and he doesn't want me to change who I am, which is good, but it's still going to be different."

So one of the key issues of 2010 will be whether their key forward will play with a chip on his shoulder or whether he will bury it in his professional mien. Most betting is on the latter but one of the rumours surrounding Price's replacement as skipper was that some Warriors players didn't like him; that they resented his 'special treatment'.

If that's the case, why not do a bit of butt-kicking of those players; install Mannering as co-captain with Price for a handover season?

Now all eyes will be on the Warriors and Price and the criticism will fly thick and fast if they don't do well. It seems odd to start a new season carrying such baggage.

Backroom Berties

As part of the review of their horrible season, the Warriors made backroom changes. Tony Iro steps up from under-20s coach to assistant to Cleary. John Ackland swapped with Iro. Dean Bell became recruitment manager instead of the under-20s manager. John Hart moved back to the boardroom. Wayne Scurrah becomes the key management person. Ruben Wiki, Daryl Halligan and Jerry Seuseu are on staff. The Warriors think this now brings them in line with what other NRL clubs do. We'll see.

World Cup... the gig was up

The Kiwis were easily beaten by Australia 38-10 in the Anzac test and were significantly depleted for their end of year tour of the UK and France. Among those missing were Roy Asotasi, Manu Vatuvei, Jeremy Smith, Simon Mannering, Taniela Tuiaki, Sam Rapira, Jerome Ropati, Sika Manu, Zeb Taia and Setaimata Sa.

They started the Four Nations brilliantly with a 20-20 draw with Australia but should have won that match, allowing a late score for the draw. They then smacked France 62-16 but were ordinary in losing to England 20-12 and missed out on a place in the final.

However, there were still promising signs among all this and coach Steven Kearney at least proved his 'ownership' of the team without Wayne Bennett by his side.

ROLL OF HONOUR

* Melbourne confirmed their place as the best team of the modern era with their fourth consecutive grand final appearance and second title in those four years.

* St George won the minor premiership.

* Parramatta and Jarryd Hayne went on a thrilling run of seven victories to get into the top eight and they then beat the minor premiers in the first round, making it to the final after wins over Gold Coast and the Bulldogs.

* The Doggies went from wooden spooners to second but they should have won the minor premiership after they had two points stripped for momentarily fielding a 14th player and then had a video referee decision go against them when they should have beaten the Dragons.

* Hayne won the Dally M Medal ahead of Johnathan Thurston and Jamie Soward.

TOILET ROLL

2009 was a dreadful year for meathead behaviour. The list includes:

* Todd Carney went on a rampage in Goulburn, damaging property, jumping on a car bonnet and damaging the entrance to a Fone Zone store. He received a 12-month suspended jail sentence, was ordered to undertake alcohol counselling and was banned from the local government area for 12 months.

* Brett Stewart was charged with sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl, which he denies, but which resulted in the NRL ad for the season launch being pulled.

* Anthony Watmough was accused by a Sea Eagles sponsor of harassing the daughter of a sponsor at a season launch party.

* Greg Bird was convicted of glassing his girlfriend and sentenced to 16 months in jail with a minimum of eight months before the charges were dismissed and he was found innocent.

* Willie Mason was fined $2000 by the Sydney Roosters after being photographed urinating in a public place.

* Cronulla Sharks player Reni Maitua returned a positive drug sample for clenbuterol.

* Cronulla Sharks captain Paul Gallen was fined $10,000 for using a racial slur against Tongan St George Illawarra forward Mickey Paea. Gallen subsequently apologised and resigned from the club captaincy. Two weeks ago, he was caught by police urinating near the head of a man in Sydney.

* Melbourne Storm players Brett Finch and Cooper Cronk were each fined $5000 for urinating in public.

* Cronulla Sharks player Brett Seymour was fired by his club for another alcohol-related incident, his second such sacking following his dismissal by the Brisbane Broncos in 2006. He was later signed by the Warriors.

* Sydney Roosters coach Brad Fittler was reported in the Townsville Bulletin for drunkenly trying to gain access to the wrong hotel room while wearing only shorts. Fittler consequently fined himself $10,000 and apologised for his behaviour at a televised press conference.

* Sydney Roosters player Nate Myles was suspended for six weeks and dropped from the State of Origin team after defecating in the corridor of a luxury resort hotel while drunk. The club was also fined $50,000 for repeated offences.

* Melbourne Storm player Greg Inglis was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend. He has indicated a 'not guilty' plea will be made.

* Sydney Roosters player Setaimata Sa was charged with assault, resisting arrest, criminal damage and failure to leave a licensed premises after a drunken episode in a Sydney hotel. It cost him a place in the Kiwis for their end of year tour.

* South Sydney player David Fa'alogo punched coach Jason Taylor in a weird, drink-fuelled, provocative altercation at an end-of-season function.

* Cronulla Sharks CEO Tony Zappia left his post after his infamous alleged hitting of a female employee, followed by sexual references. She sustained a facial injury in an incident on August 9 last year, which Zappia had claimed was an accidental punch. When the woman disputed the punch was an accident, Zappia asked if she wanted to spank him.

* Now some Newcastle Knights players are reported to have been caught on police phone taps seeking to purchase or buying drugs from Danny Wicks, the Newcastle player facing eight drugs charges.

Quite a rap sheet. Hello, 2010 ...