Crash Tackle: Robert Craddock’s likes and dislikes from Round 4 of the NRL
THERE’S still a game to go, but Robert Craddock wraps up Round 4 of the NRL with 20 things he likes and dislikes, including whistle-happy referees, signs the end is near for the Storm dynasty and Queensland’s most captivating player.
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EACH week, The Courier-Mail’s chief sportswriter Robert Craddock looks at the big talking points coming out of rugby league.
This week Crash talks whistle-happy referees, signs the end is near for the Storm dynasty and he names Queensland’s most captivating player.
LIKES
1. CHERRY ON TOP
SIX months ago Daly Cherry-Evans made the most unfortunate call of his rugby league career.
When the phone rang asking whether he was available for the Prime Ministers XIII game in New Guinea Cherry-Evans said he would not play that game but would be happy to play the World Cup which followed.
Unimpressed with his attitude, Test selectors promptly snubbed him from Cup contention, leaving his representative career on the brink of extinction.
Better news is that he is playing so well for Manly that he is putting the gifted but out of form Michael Morgan under pressure for the Origin team. Morgan must lift to repel the challenge.
2. WORTH THE WAIT
Fans are enjoying Channel Nine’s new rugby league show, 100% Footy, where host James Bracey is joined by the likes of Phil Gould and Paul Gallen.
It does not rate what it deserves because it’s on late on Monday night when most of us are fading. Gallen deserves a wrap but even at Easter I just can’t quite be that generous.
3. KIWI CURSE
It had to happen. The year we all gave up on the Warriors they suddenly morph into a K Mart version of the All Blacks.
We are now tipping they will finish somewhere around fourth this season, prompting us to line up to tip them to win the title next year ... when, of course, they will run 14th.
4. BABY NEWS
“Baby McKinnon coming soon..’’
With those four words on social media, former NRL player Alex McKinnon, who was left a quadriplegic after a tackle in 2014, announced he and wife Teigan were expecting their first baby. Wonderful news.
5. TONGA TIES
HERE’s a first and perhaps a last ... Andrew Fifita getting a wrap from Crash Tackle.
But credit where it’s due. The decisions of Fifita and Tevita Pangai Junior to play for Tonga rather than NSW — sacrificing six figure sums — is the sort of watershed moment international rugby league has been craving. Tevita Pangai Senior should be proud.
6. MILE HIGH CLUB
AND just to give the international game another timely nudge along it was great to hear English players offer to pay their own insurance to get the England-New Zealand showdown at Denver’s Mile High Stadium this year off the ground.
It may not happen but I see the match as an exciting chance to promote the game, even if they are paid a pittance for it.
7. GREAT GREG
SLOWLY but steadily the great Greg Inglis is rising again and that’s a fantastic sign for the Maroons. Inglis has been up against it in his return from a knee reconstruction but is starting to find his feet. Queensland coach Kevin Walters has said Inglis only has to prove he is breathing and has a pulse to be selected. Happy days.
8. FAST FEET
NEWCASTLE’s Kalyn Ponga must be the most captivating Queensland footballer to emerge since Quade Cooper.
I’m not saying the best but the one you simply cannot look from when he is running the ball, so deft is his footwork.
Interesting, both went to Brisbane’s Churchie College.
9. DIAMOND JIM
GORDEN Tallis has often spoken about how much admires the smaller men in the game and right now you have to dip your lid to Panthers playmaker James Maloney.
Even though Maloney’s three-year-old son is impersonating Nathan Cleary — not his dad — in the back yard, Maloney is in fine form and played one of the games of his life against the Cowboys. His effort to kick 22 consecutive goals is also outstanding.
10. TIPPING NIGHTMARE
HERE’S some good news for those of you getting battered around the head in your office tipping competition. You are not alone.
A sports betting company which started a Last Man Standing tipping competition with 50 journalists had to reboot it after two weeks when every one of them was eliminated after being given the basic task of picking one winner each week. And they are dropping like flies in the second version.
DISLIKES
1. WHISTLE HAPPY
THE standoff between NRL coaches and referees is hurting the game. The 33-penalty clash between the Sharks and Storm was nothing short of embarrassing for the NRL. The NRL’s head honchos are determined to make some changes to the way the game is played and it is time for the coaches and players to respond. Like it or not, the rules are the rules.
2. CAPTAIN GRUMPY
WE’ve given Cameron Smith a flower shop full of bouquets over the years but it’s time for a brickbat for his sin-binning against the Sharks.
Yes, the penalty count was spinning out of control but as the national captain he is responsible for setting standards in the game and he continued grumbling. A contemptuous smile as he was leaving the ground was a poor look.
3. VALENTINE’S DAY
CLUBS are reported to be lining up to speak to Queensland flyer Valentine Holmes, said to be not happy at being switched from fullback to wing at the Sharks.
That’s fine but he will prove himself a bigger man if he buckles down and toughs out this little setback rather than think about the pulling the ripcord.
4. BUNNY BOILOVER
CAN’T he just cop it sweet?
South star Sam Burgess was slapped with a grade one dangerous contact charge after he appeared to lift his elbow into the chin of Bulldogs centre Josh Morris in the Bunnies Good Friday win. Clearly unimpressed, Burgess took to Twitter to try to dob Cowboys lock Jason Taumalolo in for a similar incident, posting a picture of the Kiwi tearaway with what he thought was a similar position.
5. SALARY CRAP
THERE’S no better time for a sport to air its dirty laundry than when another sport has bigger dramas.
News of cricket’s ball tampering scandal had barely hit the airwaves when the NRL decided to unveil the Manly salary cap affair.
It worked to a point but the payback was that the launch of the women’s competition in Sydney on Tuesday was hijacked by questions about Manly.
6. TOO GOOD
WHEN he was playing the game in the 1970s Manly great Bob Fulton was the most elusive man in football.
All these years later he has retained that title after all attempts by salary cap auditors to get him to sit down and talk about his deals for Manly failed.
Bozo told investigators he did not know how to use Skype when he was overseas which was fair enough ... but how about a simple phone call? Or email? Or Facetime?
7. NO CHERRY ON TOP
Manly got away without losing points in the salary cap scandal and the fines will set them back to a small degree.
Sadly, the Titans cannot say that. They were banking on getting Cherry-Evans and he agreed to come before broke the cap to get him, setting the Titans back years.
8. STORM SHOCK
THEY make fools of us every year but this season it’s surely true — the Melbourne Storm are coming back to the pack.
The Storm couldn’t score a try against the Sharks in what was a penalty-a-thon and they are genuinely lacking options following Cooper Cronk’s departure.
9. ROOSTERS PLUCKED
THERE is something not quite right about the head space of the Sydney Roosters.
With the list they have got they should not be getting beaten 30-6 by anyone, never mind the Warriors. We thought the inclusion of master game manager Cooper Cronk could change things but they just seem to fade out of games they should be dominating.
10. RAIDERS RAIDED
SOMETIMES you wonder how coaches sleep at night.
Canberra coach Ricky Stuart must be feeling 100 years old after his Raiders side following three narrow, heartbreaking losses with a 32-16 flogging at the hands of Manly. The Raiders have been giving cheek for two seasons but are suddenly on the slide again.
Originally published as Crash Tackle: Robert Craddock’s likes and dislikes from Round 4 of the NRL
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