Each NRL club’s biggest gamble in 2022

Gambling ads are everywhere on NRL these days.

The NRL clubs have all made decisions through the 2022 season. Let's look back at each team's biggest gamble.

Tigers' biggest gamble in 2022 is to back Luke Brooks in the halves. The club chased Jackson Hastings, who won the Super League Man of Steel in halves, to play lock. With Doueihi injured for the first half of the season, Brooks was bumped to 6. Then with Douerihis fit again, it was Brooks back to 7.

The biggest gamble the Warriors took was staying in Australia during the pandemic and then hoping for some tangible rewards from the NRL once they relocated back to NZ.

The NRL is big on gratitude, but it's not fair to give away home crowds and gate takings for the sake of a gesture of thanks.

The Newcastle Knights failed to win the NRL title. They lost out on Mitchell Pearce, Jake Clifford and Kalyn Ponga. Anthony Milford moved on. The Knights are looking for loose change behind the sofa to see what they can salvage for next year.

The Gold Coast Titans were going to push the team from the fringe of the eight to contenders. Toby Sexton and AJ Brimson were supposed to be the future. Will Smith noped out mid season and by the time the season ended Sexton was behind Tanah Boyd in the halfback stakes. For 2023 they've gambled on an elderly Keiran Foran.

Trent Barrett was sacked as coach of Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs mid season in 2021. Mick Potter took over and the team played better. The Bulldogs are committed to the bet made in the 2021 but knew when to fold. They will hire an assistant coach from Penrith in 2022. The team is playing better now. It is the biggest gamble for each NRL club.

The biggest gamble for each NRL club in 2022 is Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles. The team's last season was a disaster. The captain versus stars rumours, the lack of communication between head office, coaching staff and players, and the massive divide between coach and owner are just a few of the reasons why.

The Dragons gambled on the young kids and experienced players. George Burgess, Aaron Woods, Moses Mbye, Andrew McCullough, Tariq Sims, Josh McGuire, Jack Bird and captain Ben Hunt provided a steadying presence.

The NRL's biggest gamble in 2022 was not enough youngsters and too many old players. The older players were picked when things were tight, while the younger ones didn't.

The Broncos finished in the top four despite a late season fade-out. Adam Reynolds was their biggest signing and biggest question mark. Te Maire Martin's return from retirement was a bonus.

Jamal Fogarty was a necessity for Canberra Raiders. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad was good but not a creator. Xavier Savage has the same creativity as CNK but with more pace and more errors.

Lachlan Ilias has been playing well for South Sydney Rabbitohs since replacing Adam Reynolds. The rookie halfback was benched for the Round 15 match against St George Illawarra. He was back in the seven the next week and played well in finals.

Luke Keary took over at the start of the season at Sydney Roosters. Kearys partner Sam Walker had just come off a stellar debut year leading the team to the finals. Walker shifted back to 7 after Kearyer suffered another concussion mid season. When Kearier was fit he was straight back in the side. The Rooster's performance went from potentially missing the Finals to just missing top 4.

Melbourne Storm are not big gamblers these days.

Melbourne Storm are playing a new system. They invested in Nick Meaney and Xavier Coates. Josh Addo-Carr was let go. David Nofoamuma was loaned for half the season.

Parramatta Eels made it to the finals despite having the same team as last season. Brad Arthur's team beat the Panthers and Raiders. They also beat Cowboys. The team is good enough to make the eight and out the back door in week 1 or 2.

Todd Payten has chosen the wrong halfback for his team in the 2018 season. He chose Tom Dearden over Chad Townsend. Deardan played well for the Cowboys and earned an Origin jersey. Scott Drinkwater played at 6 for them. They went from being the favourites to the top four. That's a win.

Cronulla Sutherland Sharks won the regular season. Nicho Hynes was promoted from bench utility to halfback. Matt Moylan had a vintage season, Will Kennedy and Blayke Brailey made for a dynamic spine. Dale Finucane and Cameron McInnes locked the middle up tight.

Matt Burton, Kurt Capewell, Paul Momirovski, Tyrone May and Liam Martin left Penrith Panthers at the end of 2021. The Panthers are better off without them. Izack Tago, Taylan May, Izak Falls, Soni Luke, Lindsay Smith, Spencer Leniu and Scott Sorensen made their debuts.

The Dolphins haven't been able to attract marquee signings. The team has some good but aged forwards and some outside backs. Some punts paid off and others went bust.

The biggest gambles for your club in 2022 were the biggest bets. In 2023, the smart money is going to the clubs in 20th century.