The days are slightly shorter. The weather is slightly cooler. People are chatting shit about Cameron Smith again … Rugby League is back. On the eve of the 2021 NRL season, Complex enlisted four of Australian hip-hop’s foremost fans of the greatest game of all to discuss the upcoming 25 rounds, State Of Origin, the finals, and more.
Joining us at this rugby league round table are Triple J Hip-Hop Show host Hau, the country’s most notable Canberra Raiders fan. Pistol Pete & Enzo, the south-west Sydney rap duo who came up playing in the Parramatta Eels juniors comp and are currently working on an EP that blends street talk with rugby league references, and Lisi, a former center who grew up in NSW and now watches Origin from his QLD home.
The following has been edited for clarity and length, but we kept the hottest takes in there for you.
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OK let’s get started with your 2021 NRL Grand Final prediction – which teams make it to the first weekend in October?
Hau: Raiders vs everybody. I don’t care, you can put ‘em all there. Pick a combined team, out of the rest. We’ll be the best. I’m still burning from a couple of years ago, when we were robbed of our Grand Final win. And to the Roosters. Of all teams! I’m still burning, we didn’t make it to the GF last year. We had a pretty good year, but 2021, Covid-free, Raiders vs Everybody.
Pistol Pete: I think Panthers are gonna be back in. And hopefully the Dogs. That’s what I reckon.
Complex: You genuinely believe the Bulldogs are going to make the Grand Final?
Pistol Pete: Yea, fuckin oath.
Enzo: 100% Tigers. With the new boys coming in? Have to, bro, have to. And probably the Storm again. They’re just too good.
Lisi: To be honest with you, I reckon the Rabbitohs are gonna have a good crack at it this year. I’ll go Rabbitohs vs Roosters for the grand final. The oldest teams in the game.
Hau: It’s early but you’ve probably gotta say [Canberra vs] Melbourne. I hate Melbourne, but they’re undeniable. They’re bound to be top four at least. But I hope it is Melbourne, and then we beat Melbourne, and that’ll be it for me. I’ll just hang up my Rugby League boots and never watch again.
Complex: My head is already spinning from these predictions. Lisi could be on the money with Rabbitohs vs Roosters though.
You’ve predicted the Grand Final matchup, who takes the premiership?
Enzo: Gotta say Tigers, 100%. [Looks at Pete] You can’t say Dogs, cos the Dogs, they’re rubbish.
Pistol Pete: Of course Dogs, bro. Dogs. Straight out.
Hau: I’m just gonna pre-empt every question; Canberra Raiders.
Lisi: Rabbitohs. We’ve got the best backline in the game right now. Latrell at the back, on the wings you’ve got Mansour and Johnston, in the centers we’ve got Graham and Gagai; that’s a deadly backline. And then you’ve got the two halves, Adam Reynolds and Cody Walker. I don’t think there’s any other halves in the game right now that have the camaraderie that they have. Cook at hooker, and the forward pack is pretty solid; it’s a young, fresh forward pack. You saw it against the Dragons, they came out guns blazing and they look really nice together. I’m hopeful for 2021.
Complex: The Tigers and the Bulldogs are one thousand percent not winning the premiership. It’s a long season, but the Rabbitohs have all the tools they need to list the Provan-Summons Trophy.
The 2021 Dally M Award Winner
Let’s move on to the biggest series of the year. Who takes out State Of Origin in 2021?
Lisi: Last year was an upset, we were spewing. This year, Game 3 is in Sydney, so hopefully NSW makes the most of it and comes out with the win. Last year I was kicking myself. This year, definitely 100% NSW will win. We’ve got Latrell Mitchell coming back, hopefully Teddy can last all three games. We’re gonna win.
Enzo: Blues, brah. All day.
Hau: [Last year] I was hopeful that NSW was gonna win but you just can never count out Queensland. It hurts just talking about it, man. We haven’t even played it yet. That’s a NSW fan for you man, just like [sighs] ‘ahh… State Of Origin’.
I’m just thankful I lived through an era where we were killin it as well. But long story short, NSW.
Complex: OK, so everyone says NSW to claim Origin. What will the series score be?
Hau: I’ll be happy 2-1, man. I’m not gonna be sitting here like ‘yup, 3-zip’.
Lisi: I reckon 2-1. QLD are pretty good, they pull through sometimes but this year will be different
Pistol Pete: 2-1, they’ll take the decider
Enzo: I don’t reckon they can do the whole three on the Queensland team. 2-1.
We’ve covered the basics; Grand Final, Origin, Dally M. But what about a wildcard prediction? What are you predicting will happen during the 2021 season?
Lisi: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck plays for Toa Samoa this year. Just before he leaves to rugby union. Obviously he’s gonna play for the All Blacks, they’ll pick him up. He’s been playing for New Zealand his whole career so I reckon this year, he’ll play for Toa Samoa. Just give us a chance!
It’d be cool to see, like Tonga did, Fifita, Taumololo, they all left Australia and New Zealand to play for their bloodline. If we saw players like Papalii and Tuivasa-Sheck it’ll make us all proud people. But at the end of the day we still support them you know, they’re the Usos.
Enzo: Sonny Bill’s gonna come back bro, watch. Tigers lad, Tigers.
Hau: I hope Sonny Bill comes back. There’s a lot of regret, I never saw Jonah Lomu play football before he passed. That’s a regret cos I hold him up there as a great representative of the sport, great representative of the community and just a monster when he played. I just regret not seeing him play. So it’d be good to see [Sonny-Bill Williams], go see him play, take the kids. He’s an icon.
Pistol Pete: I already said all the wildcards bro, Bulldogs to win the comp, that’s the biggest wildcard there is.
Hau: A lot of these things, it’s a bit early to call, but I’m excited. We’re coming out of Covid, there’s more certainty and I’m looking forward to the season starting.
The 2021 NRL Season starts Thursday March 11. Rep your team with New Era’s new collection of NRL caps and beanies, available now at New Era Australia.
