In simpler times, you’d be surprised how often the best stories and careers in either rugby code started with a call over ringing out over the loudspeaker: could Matty Johns, Trevor Cogger, Adam Ashley-Cooper get off the hill, ditch (skoll) a schooner and digest a pie please, the bench needs an extra body.

In 2025, a year when Cronulla have noted all and sundry writing off their premiership hopes, never have simpler times seemed so long ago.

The Sharks don’t have Nathan Cleary, Cameron Munster or Reece Walsh. But they do have the most effective interchange bench of the four preliminary finalists.

The numbers fall neatly for both grand final qualifiers. In each contest, the first 20 minutes overwhelmingly favour Brisbane and Melbourne.

Both will come off two weeks’ rest for the preliminary finals, and are among the NRL’s best starters this year. No team comes close to the Storm’s 122 points differential in the first quarter of games, but the Broncos’ 78 is significant.

While Cronulla and Penrith lag out of the blocks though, they thrive once the opening interchanges are wrung – scoring 221 and 214 points respectively between the 20th and 40th minutes.

And in no other quarter are the Sharks and Panthers anywhere near as effective in seizing control of their games.

“That’s our point of difference: our bench guys come on and........

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