NRL The Tackle: Paul Crawley’s likes and dislikes from Round 27
It will be interesting to see how Russell Crowe reacts to South Sydney’s disastrous collapse – and The Tackle asks whether a push to get Wayne Bennett continues. Round 27 likes and dislikes.
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Paul Crawley reveals his likes and dislikes from the chaotic final round of the NRL regular season in his column, The Tackle.
OTHER SCAPEGOAT ON SOUTHS’ SCRAPHEAP
It will be interesting to see how Russell Crowe reacts to South Sydney’s disastrous collapse – and will a push continue to get Wayne Bennett back?
You would imagine watching the Rabbitohs’ self-destruction culminating in the crushing 26-12 loss to the arch enemy Roosters would have been a massive thumbs down from The Gladiator.
Demetriou came out after the game and said there will be a full review into what went wrong.
But surely Crowe’s great mate Sam Burgess can’t end up being the only scapegoat in this whole sorry mess.
To go from competition leaders after 11 rounds to completely missing the finals after losing nine of their last 14 games is the biggest fail at any club this season.
I’d go as far as to suggest Jason Demetriou has gone from one of the NRL’s safest coaches to the most under pressure heading into 2024.
I’m not saying he’s in any danger of losing his job at this point.
But it won’t help that Bennett’s contract at the Dolphins finishes at the end of next season.
While Bennett, 73, has shut down any suggestion a third party has already approached him to gauge his interest about a possible Souths return, he also has no plans of retiring at this point.
And because of that it will only lead to the speculation continuing next year if the Rabbitohs don’t start fast, despite Demetriou signing a new three-year contract extension.
Burgess was basically forced out after inside information was leaked that he did not agree with the standards within.
But the fact Burgess has gone does not fix the problem.
You also can’t ignore the decision to let Adam Reynolds walk has proven to be one of the great recruitment blunders of all time.
It only added to the unnecessary pressure on Lachlan Ilias when Demetriou came out recently and said Ilias was “going to be the best halfback the club has had in a long time”.
Now they’ve missed the finals after playing like a side fuelled by panic in the loss to the Roosters.
It didn’t help that their best player Latrell Mitchell was again suspended when the team needed him the most.
While it all can’t all be lumped on Demetriou, at the end of the day the buck stops with the head coach.
Not the assistant who was upset that certain standards weren’t being met.
ROUND 27 LIKES
CRONK’S PRAISE FOR PANTHERS
When Cooper Cronk says the Panthers are on the doorstep of being the greatest team he has ever seen, you take note.
Nobody knows what it takes to make a champion team better than the former Storm and Roosters playmaker.
Cronk played in six winning grand finals and was labelled by Trent Robinson “the greatest thinker to ever play rugby league”.
Which only makes Cronk’s praise after watching the Panthers wrap up another minor premiership more worthy.
“Sometimes you’ve just got to tip your cap to great teams,” Cronk told Fox League following the Panthers’ win over the Cowboys.
“But what they are on the doorstep of. They are a great team already, but if they go on and win this they are in my view the best team that I’ve been around.”
Cronk conceded he never saw Jack Gibson’s champion Parramatta team of the early 1980s, “So I can’t speak for (that)”.
But the way the Panthers so clinically went about pulling the Cowboys apart to lead 26-0 at halftime against a side playing for its season would have had alarm bells ringing among all the finals contenders.
From Nathan Cleary to Stephen Crichton, Dylan Edwards to Isaah Yeo, it was as close to perfection as rugby league gets.
Then you have the next man up mentality epitomised by Luke Somerton who was playing park footy last year but took over the dummy half duties from Mitch Kenny like he’d been there all year.
MOST ACROBATIC DOUBLE EVER?
What about the spectacular double from Dominic Young to claim the Knights’ season try scoring record off Timana Tahu and Akuila Uate.
Young’s two tries in the space of three minutes towards the end of the 32-12 win over the Dragons was the most unbelievable acrobatic display on a football field you will ever see.
It took the Roosters bound Englishman’s season tally to 24, taking him one past Tahu and Uate.
It capped off a performance the Knights will gain great confidence from considering they were playing without three crucial spine members including superstar fullback Kalyn Ponga along with halfback Jackson Hastings and underrated dummy half Phoenix Crossland.
CHEESE ROLLS INTO FORM
After copping it all year for being among the NRL’s dud buys for 2023, Brandon Smith has really hit form heading into the finals.
The former Storm wildcard had another cracking game in the win over Souths, totally outpointing Damien Cook.
Throw in Luke Keary who was again outstanding, while James Tedesco was unbelievable (what a show of strength it was for that try), and young Sam Walker provided some Allan Langer moments of magic that shows he is now playing with the freedom that he didn’t seem to have at the start of the season.
It makes you think that while the Roosters were understandably written off when it looked like their finals dream was over, they have timed their run to perfection to make a statement over the coming weeks.
Billy Smith is another who deserves a rap after another strong game that included brushing past Campbell Graham for a crucial try.
STORM UNEARTH SENSATION
Just when you thought you could not possibly see a more exciting footballer this year than Reece Walsh, out jumps Storm young gun Sua Faalogo in the 32-22 win over the Broncos.
The 20-year-old finished with two tries but the one where he combined with Ryan Papenhuyzen was one of the most spectacular of the season.
His speed, his footwork, his anticipation was Walsh-like.
It’s going to be hard for Craig Bellamy to find a place for Faalogo in his finals squad with Papenhuyzen and Nick Meaney having to fit in, but how do you leave him out on the back of that performance?
Like Craig Bellamy said, it’s a great headache for the Storm to have after playing the entire season without Papenhuyzen.
A special mention for young Tristan Sailor who had a great game for the Broncos.
After all the talk this match had been ruined because of the players who were put in cotton wool ahead of the finals, this ended up being one of the most enjoyable games of the season for sheer entertainment value.
IS IT TIME TO MOVE TURBO?
There is a legitimate argument that Anthony Seibold should make the huge call and move Tom Trbojevic to the centres next year and keep Tolutau Koula as the Sea Eagles’ fullback.
When Turbo is at his best this is not even a debate.
But given his injury struggles in recent years, it could be the sensible move to take some of the workload and pressure off Trbojevic, while allowing Koula the chance to develop in the position he looks best suited to.
Koula finished with 14 runs for 247m including two tries, 18 tackle busts, 4 linebreaks, 3 linebreak assists and 2 try assists.
The try he scored when he ran past young Tigers fullback Jahream Bula outlined his blistering speed, with Bula looking like he was stuck in concrete. And we know how fast Bula is.
DOLPHINS CAP OFF SEASON IN STYLE
It was great to see the Dolphins finish off their debut season with a 34-10 romp over the understrength Warriors.
Former Dragons junior Jack Bostock again showed he’s going to be a player to watch next season, while veteran forward Kenny Bromwich was rewarded for all his efforts with a try on the last play.
It’s unbelievable that in the first year the Dolphins already have the third-most members of any NRL club, behind the Broncos and Rabbitohs.
‘FALCON OF THE YEAR’
Poor Reed Mahoney just can’t take a trick this season.
But at least he will walk away with one award, the Falcon of the year.
The Bulldogs hooker had his head gear cleaned knocked off his head after a charge down in the game against the Titans, wearing a kick from young Thomas Weaver.
He’s lucky it only skinned the top of his head because if it hit a bit lower it would have been good night. Ouch!
ROUND 27 DISLIKES
PANTHERS’ REVENGE ON COCKY COWBOY
Todd Payten certainly didn’t hide his disappointment after the Cowboys’ lacklustre loss to the Panthers.
A fired up Payten basically pointed the finger at every player barring Luciano Leilua for turning up and not having a crack when the season was on the line.
But you can only wonder how much the Panthers were motivated by their round 16 golden point loss after Scott Drinkwater scored the winning try and pointed his finger straight at Dylan Edwards as he raced over.
Edwards had come up with a costly turnover leading up to that play.
Maybe that explained why Stephen Crichton returned serve when he brushed off Drinkwater for the opening try on Saturday night and then pointed at the Cowboys fullback who gave Crichton a wry smile.
Talk about having the last laugh.
IT HAD TO BE A SEND OFF
Canberra’s finals hopes have copped a huge blow with centre Sebastian Kris sensationally sent off in the clash against Cronulla.
Referee Grant Atkins was left with no option but to make the tough call after Kris drove Sharks winger Sione Katoa head first into the turf with a sickening lifting tackle.
While Kris immediately showed concern for Katoa, Andrew Voss said in Fox league commentary: “This is a dangerous tackle. He has landed on the top of his head. Precedent would suggest a send off. I can’t see any other avenue for the referee here.”
Luckily Katoa got to his feet and was not injured.
The Sharks crossed for two tries soon after to secure a 24-6 win and a home final against the Roosters next week.
If Kris is wiped out with a suspension it could open the door for veteran Jarrod Croker to regain his starting spot next week against the Knights in Newcastle in what is his final NRL season.
"I can't see any other avenue for the referee here."
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) September 3, 2023
Sebastian Kris was sent off for this dangerous tackle.
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NRL BOSS’S PRICELESS GAFFE
The look on Dylan Edwards’ face as NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo singled him out during the minor premiership presentation to the Penrith Panthers after the final round win over the Cowboys was absolutely priceless.
The gun fullback looked as confused as the rest of us as Abdo rattled off a list of season statistics the Panthers had amassed including the fact Edwards had compiled 193 assists, which Abdo labelled “phenomenal”.
The problem was there wouldn’t have been a fan in the stand or at home watching on the TV who understood what that meant, while the players appeared equally bewildered.
Edwards 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/tMlRPrhPzu
— Martin Gabor (@MartinJGabor) September 2, 2023
It wasn’t quite up with the infamous foot-in-mouth fumbles from former NRL chief executive Dave Smith a decade ago when he didn’t know that Cameron Smith was the Kangaroos skipper, while the Welsh banker later confused Ben Barba with Benji Marshall with the classic “Benji Barba”.
The other ripper that springs to mind came from former ARL Commission chairman John Grant introducing the Cronulla Hawks and the Manly Seagulls.
Abdo made no apology for what he said when he contacted me on Sunday to explain that he writes his own speech, and it was not put together by one of his staff as I’d initially suggested.
He said the speech was designed to praise the Panthers for their terrific season and how well they play as a team, and the Edwards statistic related his support plays (which is listed on the NRL website) and sums up Edwards’ unsung efforts.
I maintain I was confused after he called it “assists”.
We even asked our own stats guru Aaron Wallace from Fox Sports if he could make sense of the 193 assists for Edwards, for which he replied: “I think he meant tackle busts but I don’t know.”
Which was exactly my point.
WILL MORE HEADS ROLL AT TIGERS?
Wests Tigers can’t continue to bury their heads in the sand when it comes to the club’s leadership.
That’s now back-to-back wooden spoons and the season couldn’t have finished in a worse possible way then getting lapped 54-12 by the Sea Eagles.
You couldn’t blame the fans for holding up banners at Brookvale and protesting to “end the (Justin) Pascoe fiasco”.
But while security forced the banners to be brought down, we all know the rage won’t go away that easily.
Factor in the club hasn’t played finals footy now in over a decade.
It’s also hard to see how the Tigers won’t go into next season as the raging favourites to finish last again.
It was so sad to see Tim Sheens’ wonderful coaching career end on that note.
In the last decade the club has gone from Mick Potter, Jason Taylor, Ivan Cleary, Michael Maguire and Sheens – to leave a rookie in Benji Marshall in charge of what is undoubtedly the toughest job in NRL coaching.
It explains why frustrated fans are entitled to think continually changing the coach is not going to fix the mess.
MORE HUMILIATION FOR DOGS
The Bulldogs capped off a week from hell by once again conceding 30-plus points in the 34-30 final round loss to the Titans.
Yes, the Dogs had a crack to fight back when it looked like they were going to get lapped, with Josh Addo-Carr finishing with a hat trick.
But it was all too little too late, with Kieran Foran also touching down for his first career hat trick for the Titans.
It just summed up what a train wreck of a season this has been for the Bulldogs.
I don’t think there is a more unhappy looking playing group in the comp.
Last year Reed Mahoney played in a grand final. So did Viliame Kikau who was also the Dally M backrower of the year. When Matt Burton left the Panthers he was one of the game’s brightest emerging stars. Addo-Carr is a current Test player.
Unfortunately to a man they all went backwards this season.
You wonder what a bloke like Stephen Crichton might be thinking ahead of his pending move from the Panthers.
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