The obvious case is the Melbourne Storm players who have controversially been robbed of another potential run at grand final Glory. Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Greg Inglis today return to Melbourne to join their fellow club players in what can best be described as a "dead" season.
Mentally it will be a huge hurdle coming down off a record five origin series victories in a row, with the first series "white wash" for Queensland in over 15 years. The bevy of Storm players will have a tough run of having to get up and play for pride, whilst wondering which players will be sent packing and which players will have to take pay cuts. This will certainly make things a little icy amongst the playing group at the Storm.
Jonathon Thurston, Willie Tonga and Neil Henry return to Townsville where the Cowboys are having a dismal season. Of great concern for Thurston, the Cowboys seem to be playing better when their international star halfback is away on representative duty. Combine that with internal rumblings at the club it makes a long season ahead for the current cellar dwellers.
Champion five eight Darren Lockyer returns to Brisbane with the weight of Brisbane's final chances seem to be resting on his 33 year old shoulders. With a playing roster that reads an average age of 22 the final aspirations really depend on how Lockyer can guide and mentor his young chargers through the rigors of a 26 round competition.
Things aren't much better for David Shillington who will be returning to Canberra amidst what appears to be another failed season for the Raiders.
The season seems a little brighter for young guns Darius Boyd and David "Coal train" Taylor. Boyd's Dragons look set to have another crack at the currently sitting atop the NRL ladder. Taylor's South Sydney are finally living up to their star studded potential, after stringing a few wins in succession are sitting third on the ladder.
One team member who might take a while to come down from his high is Coach Mal Meninga. Meninga took the reins of the QLD side after three consecutive series wins to NSW. The pressure was on Meninga from the start with critics questioning his credentials after a failed coaching stint at his beloved Raiders and a short stint in the English Super League. Not only did Meninga celebrate his 50th Birthday on Wednesday night. He also celebrated becoming the greatest coach in origin history. No other coach has coached for five straight series, and won them all. A remarkable feat that may never be reached again in our lifetime and may yet be extended with Queensland's dominance set to continue.
Often in life we celebrate wonderful highs like the birth of a child, academic success or marriage but soon after we realise the grinds of life continue despite the highs. The scriptures say in Ecclesiastes 3. 1-8:
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.