NRL 2020 Sunday match reports: Manly Sea Eagles v Canterbury Bulldogs, Newcastle Knights v Penrith Panthers
Sea Eagles superstar Tommy Trbojevic has laid down the challenge to Roosters ace James Tedesco — and the readers have responded in our quest to find the NRL’s number one No.1. VOTE IN OUR POLL
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Tommy Trbojevic, or James Tedesco?
If you had to take your pick for the NRL’s best fullback right now it would be a split hair between these two.
In the wake of Tedesco’s near perfect performance in the Roosters’ win over Souths on Friday night, Trbojevic on Sunday produced his own five-star effort as Manly humiliated Canterbury 32-6 in the final game of the return round.
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Trbojevic played a hand in five of the seven tries, including scoring two and throwing the last pass for three to help hand the Bulldogs their worst start to a season since 1996.
It moves Manly into sixth place and sets up a mouth-watering showdown against unbeaten Parramatta on Saturday.
“Probably them and Canberra are the form sides of the competition,” Trobjevic said of the Eels.
“It is a real test for us.”
Turbo Boost
At 23, Trbojevic is still a relative baby as far as his NRL career is concerned, which makes it hard to imagine just how good this bloke could become.
After watching every game on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Trbojevic admitted he was excited to go out and showcase his skills under the new six-to-go rule.
Worryingly for his rivals, he concedes it is probably going to make his job even more enjoyable.
“I think it suits a lot of fullbacks,” he said.
“As a fullback you are always in the middle of the field pushing up and supporting.
“If people are more tired it gives you a lot more opportunities.”
The giant fullback got his night started in just the fourth minute when he finished off some terrific lead up work from Moses Suli.
Then midway through the half Tom crossed again coming off a beautiful ball from brother Jake.
He then turned his attention to try assists as he threaded a hole for Brad Parker’s first try, the next try to Jorge Taufua coming off superb long pass while Trbojevic later put Parker over for his double.
Daly Cherry-Evans and Dylan Walker were also terrific directing the team, while the forwards all did their job superbly with Jake, Curtis Sironen and Joel Thompson all standouts.
Poor Dean Pay could only look on in envy.
“The rule changes suit those players,” Pay said, referring to the Trbojevics and the halves in particular.
“They are quality players … all Australian players.
“But the errors that we made were simple mistakes that hurt us. It takes a lot of juice out of you and you find it hard to defend.”
Calling Kieran
It must be painful for Pay sit back and watch.
The effort cannot be questioned but the Dogs just don’t have the experience or playmaking class without Kieran Foran.
Again, Jack Cogger and Lachy Lewis busted their guts but just lacked the spit and polish.
Pay reckons Foran should be back to take on the Dragons on Monday, it can’t come soon enough.
The Bulldogs haven’t started the season with three straight losses since 1996.
They struggled just to make a line break with Nick Meaney on his own in that department until a late consolation try to Jake Averillo.
Asked if he believes he has the talent to keep pace with their rivals, Pay looked almost despondent: “We have to keep working with them.
“They are the guys we have got. We need to be better again next week.”
KNIGHTS 14 V PANTHERS 14
This was coal miner courage at Campbelltown over 90 stunning minutes.
In what Immortal and Knights legend Andrew Johns said was among the most courageous performances in the club’s 32-year history, Newcastle showed true grit to secure a brave 14-all draw against Penrith.
Thanks to a try double to Newcastle rookie Bradman Best and an extraordinary 60-tackle effort from debutant Chris Randall, an injury-ravaged Newcastle fought back from a 14-0 deficit to pinch one competition point after a scoreless 10 minutes of golden point.
Randall was one of three players on debut, with his tackling effort the most by any player in their first game in the NRL era.
It was another fast, exciting and entertaining game to reboot the NRL season.
Newcastle’s opening 20 minutes came directly from hell with injuries to three representative players — Mitchell Pearce, Tim Glasby and Connor Watson — causing multiple reshuffles involving the kids.
Most thought Newcastle would collapse when State of Origin stars Pearce and Glasby went off injured, along with Indigenous All Stars utility Watson. The club’s resolve couldn’t be rocked despite Penrith enjoying 75 percent possession during the first half.
“I cannot remember a more courageous effort,” Johns told The Daily Telegraph.
“They lost two of their most important players and had all those kids on debut. It was an incredible performance.”
At one point, Newcastle repelled five successive sets on their own tryline. It was inspiring stuff.
“Toughness was something we spoke about in the pre-season — If you want to feel good, you’re playing the wrong game, get comfortable with the uncomfortable,” Knights coach Adam O’Brien said.
“I’m super proud. The adversity wasn’t late in the second half. It was form five minutes in. ‘Randy’ (Randall) was out on his feet. He just kept turning up, he will never forget his debut.”
Behind 14-0, Newcastle somehow levelled the scores with 10 minutes remaining through two tries to Best, a late call-up for just his fourth NRL game for Newcastle.
The Panthers really should have nailed the match when ahead by 14 points with five-eighth Matt Burton missing five field goal attempts late.
The Knights sustained a horror blow in just the fifth minute when Pearce came from the field with concussion. He did not return but was cleared of any serious injury. He had to be helped from the field by two trainers.
Randall shifted into hooker with Watson into the halves. Unbelievably though, just two minutes later, Watson badly twisted his right ankle – sustaining possible syndesmosis - tackling runaway Panthers giant, Viliami Kikau.
Watson bravely continued playing for two minutes before being forced off. Like Pearce, Watson did not play again but did reappear on the sideline with an ankle covered in ice.
Another rookie on debut, Brodie Jones, moved into the backrow. Newcastle was playing with just one half, Kurt Mann. And just when it couldn’t get any worse for Newcastle, it somehow did.
Glasby was taken off with concussion after tackling Panther Isaah Yeo. Jacob Saifiti, the replacement, scored on halftime but he too came off early in the second half for an HIA test.
On Nine, former Kangaroo Peter Sterling described the depleted Newcastle bench as a ‘sorry sight.”
After the game, Pearce gave a stirring speech to his team.
“He spoke about them being proud of themselves and that they didn’t wait to become leaders. They dragged each other along,” O’Brien said.
Glasby was cleared though and returned to play in the 32rd minute.
Penrith would feel unfulfilled despite grabbing a draw without halfback Nathan Cleary, suspended for two games for lying to the NRL integrity unit over the now infamous Tik Tok video.
“It was definitely a lost opportunity,” said Panthers coach Ivan Cleary. “I thought we put ourselves in a position to be able to take advantage of our dominance but we just couldn’t seem to land the knockout blow. We just backed off a bit. The Knights were very brave tonight, they were able to keep us at bay.”
Penrith’s second try was an eight-point try when Newcastle winger Edrick Lee appeared to kick out at tryscorer, Penrith’s Kurt Capewell, as he grounded the ball.
O’Brien drafted in three debutants – Randall, Jones and Tex Hoy, who saved a certain first half try with desperate defence.
Rookie Stephen Crichton – described by former Panthers star Luke Lewis as a “gun” – started in place of centre Brent Naden.
“I thought Tex was really dangerous,” O’Brien said.
PENRITH 14 (K Capewell V Kikau tries S Crichton 3 goals) drew NEWCASTLE 14 (B Best 2 J Saifiti tries T Hoy goal) after extra time at Campbelltown Sports Stadium. Referee: Ben Cummins.
Originally published as NRL 2020 Sunday match reports: Manly Sea Eagles v Canterbury Bulldogs, Newcastle Knights v Penrith Panthers