NRL 2023: Sharks hammer Bulldogs in trial, as Cronulla backs lose their cool
Canterbury fans have been brought crashing back to earth after a disappointing showing in the club’s final trial exposed several weaknesses just days out from the season starting.
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Star Canterbury recruit Viliame Kikau’s first outing for the Bulldogs started with a bang before ending early due to a head knock as Cronulla made easy work of Cameron Ciraldo’s new-look side.
A well-drilled Cronulla walked away with a 36-16 victory at Belmore Oval on Sunday night, running in six tries to three with Sharks winger Ronaldo Mulitalo scoring a double.
The disappointing result for the Bulldogs would have sent fans crashing down to earth after being buoyed by the side’s impressive win against Canberra last week. The clash was marred by a number of scuffles, with Cronulla outside backs Sione Katoa and Ronaldo Mulitalo losing their cool on multiple occasions.
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BUBBA’S BIG MOMENT
There are no competition points on offer but that didn’t stop fullback William ‘Bubba’ Kennedy from chasing down Jake Averillo, making a desperate try saving tackle. It’s the kind of effort play that shows Kennedy is finally willing to put his body on the line, having shied away from the contact at stages last season.
SIOSIFA SURGING
Centre Siosifa Talakai was damaging on the left edge, causing Canterbury’s defence headaches. He finished the game with 142 metres, four tackle busts, a line break and a try assist. He could not have done it without his backrower, Teig Wilton, who helped create time and space for Talakai. Wilton also scored two tries.
KIKAU KAPOW
Belmore’s big signing had a big impact early, with powerhouse backrower Viliame Kikau crashing through the Sharks defence to score on his club debut in the second minute. Kikau’s time was short lived, a failed HIA ended his game in the 15th minute, sustained trying to tackle Sione Katoa.
CULT HERO
Despite the scoreboard, Bulldogs fans erupted into raptures and a chant of ‘Reynolds’ when Canterbury’s favourite son Josh Reynolds, in front of his home crowd for the first time since 2017, found the tryline with nine minutes left on the clock.
'Josh Reynolds scores at Belmore"
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) February 19, 2023
📺WATCH: #BulldogsSharks on Ch. 501 or stream via @kayosports: https://t.co/aDpc1vglYG
âœï¸BLOG: https://t.co/WP04IrbkvXpic.twitter.com/QijcFhJg7R
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HAYZEY START
Cameron Ciraldo’s first choice fullback Hayze Perham is a work in progress. He had a shaky start to his Bulldogs career with two back to back errors that looked to knock the 23-year old’s confidence. He wasn’t a factor in attack and made defensive errors. But he wasn’t alone. While Reed Mahoney tried hard from dummy half, the Bulldogs spine clearly needs time to develop.
Unlike their counterparts, Matt Moylan and Nicho Hynes, who gelled perfectly for two try assists each, Matt Burton and Kyle Flanagan struggled to ignite their side’s attack.
NO TPJ
Tevita Pangai Junior’s calf niggle won’t rule him out for round one, and Canterbury need a huge showing from the big money forward. The Bulldogs, like last season, found themselves on the back foot struggling to churn out the post contact metres, behind by over 120 metres in the first half. It’s an area of their game that Pangai Junior must take on and own this season.
It's on down at Belmore!!
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) February 19, 2023
📺WATCH: #BulldogsSharks on Ch. 501 or stream via @kayosports: https://t.co/aDpc1vglYG
âœï¸BLOG: https://t.co/WP04IrbkvXpic.twitter.com/ZjcUXWd0BE
BOILOVER
Tempers were heightened at Belmore and it was Cronulla’s backs that were close to losing their heads. If the Sharks are to go to the next level, the ill-discipline must be controlled. Ronaldo Mulitalo and Sione Katoa lost their cool in a running battle with Jake Averillo. Katoa ran in with a swing and miss as Mulitalo and Averillo went toe-to-toe (video above). The referee had to even warn Hynes to keep his men under control.
Ricky’s fullback woes worsen amid shock Tigers’ onslaught
—Fatima Kdouh
The Wests Tigers look ready to shed the ‘wooden spoon’ tag after Tim Sheens’ troops produced an impressive 36-4 win over Canberra at Belmore Oval.
While it’s too soon to tell if this Tigers side will break the NRL’s longest finals drought, the Concord club showed clear improvements, with the freshly re-signed Adam Doueihi overcoming a bumpy start to steer the Tigers to victory against a Raiders side offering little resistance.
Full likes and dislikes below.
LIKES
TIGERS’ REJUVENATED DEFENCE
Tested early and forced to defend back to back sets on their line, the Tigers got the job done, and confidently. They finished 2022 with the second worst defence but the improvements are clear. Good contact in defence, they put their bodies on the line and even scrambled well with Canberra sitting on their line.
POSITIVE SIGNS FOR DOUEIHI
The five-eighth made two early errors, and even pulled the wrong rein on a last tackle play. But instead of going into his shell, he backed himself to steer the attack. He also showed good anticipation, nailed a 40/20 and set up two tries. The signs for Doueihi, and the Tigers attack, were positive.
LEVI EARNS ROUND ONE SPOT
New recruit Danny Levi played himself into a round one spot. He finished off a brilliant attacking kick from Nick Cotric in the first half and worked hard in defence. Ricky Stuart prefers a two hooker combination, and Levi would be hard done by to find himself under Zac Woolford and Tom Starling in the pecking order.
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RAPANA IN DOUBT
Jordan Rapana’s ill-discipline reared its ugly head, again. He was put on report for a shot on Asu Kepaoa and then sin-binned for making contact with the head of Tigers five-eighth Doueihi.
Skinny in the fullback depth with Xavier Savage injured, Rapana was a fullback option for round one, and is now facing a nervous wait ahead of the charge sheet on Monday. Sebastian Kris earned a pass mark at back but Albert Hopoate was out-paced and struggled under the highball when moved there.
CLUNKY CANBERRA
In worrying signs for Ricky Stuart, his side’s attack was not only clunky but error prone. It made it difficult for the Raiders to capitalise on any good territory. Execution in the red zone was also poor, failing to register a single point after 35 tackles on the Tigers’ line.
STAINES STALLED
When starting winger Ken Maumalo (knee) went off injured, Sheens opted for rising back Junior Tupou on the left over Charlie Staines. Tupou finished with two tries, three linebreaks and 130 metres to Staines’ one try, 81 metres and five tackle busts.
It raises questions about his role in the NRL side, if he isn’t at fullback, or on the wing, is there a role for him in the best 17? Will the ‘Forbes Ferrari’ find himself parked in reserve grade?
SLOW STARTERS
The Tigers want to play an attacking style of football, but couldn’t get to their kick on the last or hold onto the ball early on. Canberra earned easy territory, making difficult for the Tigers’ attack to get going in the first half. Better teams would have made the Tigers pay.
Storm unearth two new unknown stars
—Paul Crawley
The Melbourne Storm have ended their preseason build up with a powerful comeback win over the Warriors.
After a stuttering start, the Storm piled on four tries to one to claim a 24-6 victory over the Warriors who were far from disgraced.
But the match wasn’t without controversy with few Bunker decisions dividing fans of both teams.
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STORM UNEARTH MORE FUTURE STARS
The Storm have a proud history of unearthing relative unknowns and turning them into stars.
Two more names to mark down as potentially huge signings for this year are William Warbrick and Eliesa Katoa.
Warbrick is the former Rugby Sevens player from New Zealand who came across last year but now looks ready to own a regular spot on the wing.
He’s a massive unit who weighs 105kg and stands at 193cm (6ft 3in), and can not only motor but he looks incredibly strong.
Team him up with the towering Xavier Coates on the other wing and that’s a handful for opposing teams.
Meanwhile, another young gun with massive boots to fill is Katoa who takes over the back row spot on the right edge from Felise Kaufusi.
But the former Warrior looks like he’s also ready to take his game to the next level this season, finishing with 11 runs for 103m, the third most of the forwards behind big Nelson Asofa-Solomona who had 14 runs for 120m and Trent Loiero who had 15 runs for 108m. The Warriors’ best was former Dragon Jackson Ford with seven runs for 78m.
MUNSTER NO TRY SPOT ON
The Bunker’s decision to deny Cameron Munster a first half try was spot on.
Munster was ruled to have obstructed Warriors centre Viliami Vailea when he collected a Jahrome Hughes bomb but stepped behind teammate Young Tonumaipea before diving over.
While it was accidental, it was nevertheless a clear obstruction.
How anyone could suggest otherwise is madness.
ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING
They went down fighting but the Warriors should go home with some new found confidence ahead of the new season.
On the back of their first up 48-12 preseason thumping of Wests Tigers, they really turned it up another level against the Storm in the first half before falling away a bit in the second.
But it was still enough to suggest they are heading down the right track.
Coach Andrew Webster has some outstanding young players at his disposal but the biggest thing he has to change is attitude.
DISLIKES
This won’t help the NRL’s hopes to stamping out the growing trend of players taking dives to milk penalties.
While there is no question the pain on the Storm’s Dean Ieremia was genuine after he hurt his leg in a tackle by Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, there is no way it warranted a penalty, let alone being placed on report for a supposed hip drop.
The NRL’s aim to prevent players milking penalties this year is by the Bunker only reacting when it clearly looks a reportable offence.
As Fox League’s Corey Parker explained here: “How is it a hip drop? He is beat on the inside shoulder. Ieremia has got him done for all money. Watene-Zelezniak just doing his best to bring him down and is now put on report.”
SOFT TRY EMBARRASSES STORM
In the history of the Melbourne Storm Craig Bellamy would not have seen too many softer tries scored against his team than Watene-Zelezniak’s runaway effort to open the scoring.
From a scrum settler, DWZ made the Storm defence look second rate, as he exploded past Munster and Nick Meaney to race 50m to score.
Bellamy would have torn shreds off them for that.
BELLAMY’S BIG CALL ON WHO WEARS 1
Meanwhile, Meaney can only do his best but the continued absence of Ryan Papenhuyzen is really hurting the Storm.
And with talk Papenhuyzen could miss the opening eight rounds, Meaney really needs to step up his involvement.
He finished Sunday’s trial with seven runs for 33m.
The other option for Bellamy would be to consider young gun Sua Fa’alogo who starred the previous week against the Roosters with nine runs for 205m, including four tackle busts and a try.
Dragons’ worrying start to 2023 after winless pre-season
—Michael Carayannis
St George Illawarra did little to temper the impending blowtorch they will be under to start the season after being thumped 42-24 in the annual Charity Shield.
Damien Cook starred and St George Illawarra fullback Tyrell Sloan struggled as the Rabbitohs raced to a 26-0 half-time lead in what was the highest scoring Charity Shield match.
Players sweated it out in 36 degree temperatures in front of 8317 people where the Dragons had to wait 49 minutes to score their first try via Moses Mbye out of dummy half.
COOK SIZZLES
Fresh from losing his Kangaroos jersey Cook showed he is still an elite player. The Rabbitohs hooker took full advantage of a flimsy St George Illawarra middle. In an unbroken first half stint, Cook laid on two tries with vision and speed.
Cook plays his best when his team are on the front foot and the Rabbitohs forward pack gave him the space he craved. Cook laid on the opening try by jumping out of dummy half enough to commit St George Illawarra prop Zane Musgrove. Musgrove’s movement opened up a gap for Cam Murray to slice through before Murray laid on a pass to Thomas Burgess to score. Cook’s speed was again on display in the first half when he took the ball from the back of the scrum to jump on the outside of Dragons defenders for Latrell Mitchell to score untouched.
It was more of the same in the second half for Cook whose inside ball to Davvy Moale kept the scoreboard ticking over for the Rabbitohs.
SLOAN SHOCKER
Anthony Griffin was not convinced Sloan was ready to be an NRL fullback last year. Saturday’s showing would have done little to ease his concerns after a first half horror show. Cody Ramsey’s health problems has opened the door for Sloan to be given first crack but he struggled. He kicked off out on the full and fumbled two regulation bombs. Sloan was also caught short in defence when packing down at lock in the scrum for Mitchell’s opening try.
Options are scarce for the Dragons at the back unless they again shift Mbye.
ONE SPOT UP FOR GRABS
The Rabbitohs round one starting start to take on the Sharks is all but locked in. Except for one spot - the left second-rower position. Jai Arrow was a regular fixture on an edge for the Rabbioths last year but South Sydney are keen to push him back into the middle of the field. He started off the bench which allowed Jacob Host to start. Host fumbled the ball twice in the opening half as he continues to make his comeback from a shoulder injury which ended his 2022 season.
LIDDLE SOLID SHOWING
There was little to be encouraged about if you are a Dragons fan. But one positive during the pre-season has been Jacob Liddle’s spark out of dummy half. Despite limited opportunities with the football he backed up his decent performance against St Helens last week with another strong start and scored the final try of the match.
YOUNG HALVES SHINE
Lachlan Ilias continues to grow as an NRL player. He laid on a try and looked at ease directing the team around. Opposite Jayden Sullivan struggled with a hamstring injury in the pre-season but showed some nice speed to score St George Illawarra’s second try.
MBYE IN TROUBLE AND FLIMSY MIDDLE
Mbye will have a nervous wait to see if he will be free to play in their opener after being placed on report.
The Dragons soft underbelly was exposed with four tries occurring thro
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