The Good: NRL Community’s Response to Jai Arrow News
If you want to lose a couple of hours you’ll never get back, go on any NRL forum and read some of the bile fans dish out to players, coaches, journos and each other. It truly is an eye opener in the worst possible way.
But every so often something comes along to remind yourself the haters are in the minority and there are some very decent people involved in this game we all love.
Jai Arrow’s MND diagnosis is, of course, sad, horrific and incredibly emotional. 
You can only imagine what the South Sydney enforcer and his family is going through right now. But from the outpouring of support from clubs, players and fans, it’s clear he won’t be going through this journey alone.
It’s been especially heartening to see supporters lay down their arms and smother Arrow with love. Club or state colours don’t matter at a time like this and that’s been reflected in the online comments from well wishers from all over the rugby league world.
You just watch league fans get around this cause just like they do in ‘Beanie for Brain Cancer’ round. A ‘Try for Jai’ round – where money raised from try celebrations during July would go towards Arrow and MND research – has been mooted and is already gaining tremendous support. The game has done itself proud this past week.
The Bad: Storm Woes Continue, Billy Slater Not Interested in Job
They’re used to be three certainties in life – death, taxes and Melbourne winning NRL games when ahead at half-time. The first two, unfortunately, remain on the list but you can scrub the Storm off it.
They’ve won just five of the nine games they’ve led at the break this year, including an embarrassing second half fade out against the Dogs on Friday night. The club’s record game holder Cam Smith said: “They just imploded…and it’s been a growing trend in their game.
“It started last year although they were still good enough to go all the way to the grand final. But then you have a look at what happened in the grand final and now it’s happening almost every week with Melbourne.”
The Storm are 4-8 after 12 rounds, and even with their three byes to come, need to get a wriggle on if they are to reach the finals for a 16th straight year. Their recent struggles have inevitably led to more talk about Billy Slater eventually taking on the coaching job once Craig Bellamy decides he’s had enough.
But the Maroons boss again dead-batted the question over the weekend, saying he just doesn’t see himself as a full-time coach at this stage in life. “It’s an 11-and-a-half month of the year commitment. You never say never but I am happy with what I’m doing at the moment,” he said.
Watch this space. Things can change quickly in rugby league.
The Ugly: Dragons Heading for First Winless Season in 60 Years?
Betting markets will soon be framed for an outcome than hasn’t been seen in top level rugby league for 60 years. The TAB has confirmed it is set to offer odds on St George Illawarra going through an entire season without a win.
The Dragons are currently 0-11 and face being the first team since Eastern Suburbs in 1966 to lose every game in a single campaign. Former Dragons prop James Graham says fans are fast losing belief the Red V can pull out of their death spiral. 
“I played at the club for two and a half years and have a number of friends at the club and a number of friends who support the club, and they’re just lost,” he said.
“The Dragons fans are so frustrated, they’re so disappointed, and they want answers. This season can’t finish quickly enough.”
Graham gave the Dragons’ forward a pass mark, identifying problem areas in the back-line without naming names. “They were booed off (after the loss to the Warriors on Saturday) but those boos weren’t directed at the team,’ he said. “It was directed at a couple of individuals within that team rather than the team itself.”
We’ll let you guess who he’s talking about.
