NRL Tackle: Anthony Seibold’s Broncos excuse doesn’t wash

Our rugby league writers reveal what caught their eye — good and bad — in Round 10 of the NRL, plus check out the Dally M votes from every game and full leaderboard.

Broncos players look dejected during their round 10 NRL match against Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Welcome to The Tackle, where our rugby league writers reveal what caught their eye — good and bad — in Round 10 of the NRL.

ROOSTERS v RAIDERS

Dally M votes: Jack Wighton - 3, Josh Papalii - 2, Kyle Flanagan - 1. Judge: Sam Thaiday

LIKE: Canberra’s courage under adversity. Led by rampaging forward Josh Papalii up front, the Raiders overcame the odds and had heroes all over the park as Ricky Stuart’s side took it to the premiership favourites on their home turf. Papalii finished with a try, ran for 147 metres and made 24 tackles without missing one. Missing seven players, including star hooker Josh Hodgson, Canberra showed they can still be a premiership force without the Englishman.

DISLIKE: The Roosters’ defence. The premiers leaked four tries, including two particularly soft ones to George Williams and Papalii. Coach Trent Robinson wasn’t happy about it and there’s no doubt they are battling to fill the massive void in the middle left by the season-ending injury to lock Victor Radley.

— Dean Ritchie

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Life just got tougher for the Roosters after losing to the Raiders.

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STORM V TITANS

Dally M votes: Nelson Asofa-Solomona - 3, Cameron Smith - 2, Cameron Munster - 1. Judge: Scott Sattler

LIKE: The potent fusion of Melbourne’s two Camerons — Smith and Munster. The Titans tried hard but they simply had no answer to the mastery of Smith’s option-taking and the class of Munster’s backline control. Munster’s double-pump and cut-out ball for Josh Addo-Carr’s try was a play only a handful of players in the NRL can orchestrate. If Munster and Smith stay fit, the Storm can win another premiership.

DISLIKE: Titans coach Justin Holbrook needs time to rebuild the Gold Coast but they can’t keep leaking 40 points per game if they want to one day become a genuine top-eight contender. Across 2019-20, the Titans have conceded 20 points or more on 28 occasions - easily the most of any team. Defence is attitude and the Titans’ tryline efforts against the Storm were sub-standard. In particular, their defence in the middle third is worryingly soft. Until they tighten up in the midfield, the Coast will stay in wooden-spoon territory.

— Peter Badel

Benji is back and the whole competition should take note.

TIGERS V BRONCOS

Dally M votes: Benji Marshall - 3, Harry Grant - 2, Luciano Leilua - 1. Judge: Anthony Minichiello

LIKE: Russell Packer has had a hell of a time over the last two years. He managed just six matches last year, was nearly medically retired due to a knee injury that impacts his ability to train and had a stone cold shocker in his first game of the year against Canberra, managing to give away a key penalty, get sin-binned and earn a two-match suspension in less than 12 minutes of playing time. That’s what made it so pleasing to see Packer have one of the best games of his Tigers career against the Broncos - he ran for 137 metres, his highest single-game total for the joint venture - and his aggression helped bring the more star-studded Brisbane pack to heel. There’s life in this old Tiger yet.

DISLIKE: Anthony Seibold repeatedly mentioned after the match that Brisbane have been hit by injuries, and it’s true they have some key men sidelined, but that is no excuse for the truly dreadful effort they dished up. Payne Haas is still here, so is Tevita Pangai Jr and Anthony Milford and Corey Oates and Joe Ofahengaue — maybe that isn’t enough to win matches, but it should be enough to compete and the Broncos were not competitive outside of the opening five minutes. They have no ability to handle adversity, no compulsion to dig in and defy the storm of criticism that constantly swirls around them. They are the worst team in the club’s history and every time it seems things can’t get any worse they somehow do.

— Nick Campton

The Dragons got out of jail.

DRAGONS V BULLDOGS

Dally M votes: Matt Dufty - 3, Ben Hunt - 2, Raymond Faitala-Mariner - 1. Judge: Mark Geyer.

LIKE: You only have to look at the Broncos to see how some struggling teams respond when facing adversity. But the Bulldogs showed it is possible to stay in the fight if you apply some mental and physical fortitude. Trailing 10-0 after eight minutes in the week they lost their coach, Canterbury could have easily folded and gone down by 50. Instead, they banded together to produce their finest 50 minutes of the season. Skill errors killed them in the end, but whoever coaches them in 2021 knows they’ve got a bunch of players who will not quit.

DISLIKE: This is a game the Dragons should have won by double digits. Instead, it took a last-gasp try to Corey Norman to get them over the line after Marcelo Montoya came up with a cold drop in his own half. The Red V piled on the points against a Manly side that this week downed the ladder-leading Eels. They started well and finished over the top of the Bulldogs, but the middle 40 minutes were poor. Their halves went missing, there was confusion coming out of dummy-half and their attack threatened to return to the dark days of the early rounds. They need to find consistency if they want to be taken seriously.

— Martin Gabor

Kalyn Ponga was in superb form against the Rabbitohs.

RABBITOHS V KNIGHTS

Dally M votes: Kalyn Ponga - 3, Enari Tuala - 2, Bradman Best 1. Judge: Gary Belcher

LIKE: It’s hard not to like Kalyn Ponga when he’s at his brilliant best – it’s just too much fun to watch. The superstar fullback had been well below par over the past month and he admits he was struggling with form, but he turned it on against South Sydney on Saturday night. Not only did he score one of his dazzling tries with silky footwork and blistering speed, he assisted Bradman Best with a delicate grubber kick and then came up with some massive defensive reads in the final five minutes. If the Knights are to challenge for the title in 2020, Ponga needs to remain at his best.

DISLIKE: There was a lot to like in South Sydney’s final 15 minutes, but unfortunately for Rabbitohs fans, there was more to dislike in the first 65. Coach Wayne Bennett would’ve disliked the number of errors, penalties, set restarts and missed tackles his side produced on Saturday night. They made a staggering 16 errors – most of them from silly ball-handling mistakes. If South Sydney want to be playing finals footy this year, they’ve got to clean up their act.

— Michael Blok

Daly Cherry-Evans and Jake Trbojevic were the stars of the show.

SEA EAGLES V EELS

Dally M votes: Jake Trbojevic 3, Daly Cherry-Evans - 2, Regan Campbell-Gillard - 1. Judge: Petero Civoniceva

LIKE: The return to form of Daly Cherry-Evans. By his lofty standards, the Maroons captain has been a bit off in recent weeks. But the Manly No.7 was back to his best on Saturday night. He scored a try and laid on another to help lead his desperate side to a victory against the Eels. Cherry-Evans was critical for trying to do too much in the absence of halves partner Dylan Walker. But he scaled it back and allowed Cade Cust to play his part.

DISLIKE: The effort of the Eels. Coach Brad Arthur summed it up best labelling a couple of Manly’s tries as “soft”. There was no other way to describe it. Their goal-line defence in terms of communication and effort was poor. Their intensity wasn’t there. It was a much different Parramatta side to the one we’ve seen for the first half of the season. The timely reminder though shows that if you’re not willing to put your body in front you’re going to be punished – no matter what the form lines suggest.

— Michael Carayannis

Shaun Johnson destroyed his former club.

WARRIORS V SHARKS

Dally M votes: Aaron Woods 3, Sione Katoa 2, Blayke Brailey 1. Judge: Tony Puletua

LIKE: Ever since Cooper Cronk had a crack at Shaun Johnson for “firing blanks”, the Cronulla playmaker has done all in his power to put the Sharks back in this premiership race.

Johnson produced another starring performance against his former club the Warriors in Gosford in the thumping 46-10 victory. Johnson scored his first try of the season, laid a couple more including a length of the field effort that Sione Katoa finished off in spectacular style, while the sharp shooting five-eighth also landed seven goals. The win moved the Sharks to 10 competition points, equal with Wests Tigers, South Sydney and Manly. The Sharks now play their arch rivals St George Illawarra this Saturday with their season well and truly back on track.

DISLIKE: When the Warriors sent Johnson packing at the end of 2018 it was with a message that their former star halfback didn’t consistently live up to price tag. The Warriors said their mentality needed to change and that they would no longer “compromise on culture”.

But was Johnson really the problem, or was there more to it? Because 20 months down the track and the Warriors continue to shoot themselves in the foot at every opportunity.

The Warriors gave up any chance they had of scoring an upset with silly unforced errors and lapses in discipline and concentration continuing to bring them undone.

— Paul Crawley

Nathan Cleary was excellent again for the Panthers.

PANTHERS V COWBOYS

Dally M votes: 3 - James Fischer-Harris 2 - Nathan Cleary 1 - Josh McGuire. Judge: Ben Galea

LIKE: Penrith failed to complete four successive sets late in the game – and when ahead by just six points – but still managed to hang tough and win. As coach Ivan Cleary said: “They refused to lose.” Nathan Cleary scored a try and enjoyed two try assists and seven tackle busts. North Queensland showed plenty of pluck defensively after conceding 42 points in their past two games. It’s always nice to see a Sydney club – particularly from the golden west - leading the NRL halfway through the season.

DISLIKE: Penrith scored three second half tries but probably left another two or three out on the field through being impatient. It was difficult to find a negative about North Queensland. Despite the loss, the Cowboys young side was tenacious and courageous.

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— Dean Ritchie

DALLY M LEADERBOARD

Harry Grant 13

Cameron Smith 12

Clinton Gutherson 12

Jason Taumalolo 11

Shaun Johnson 11

Jack Wighton 10

Benji Marshall 99

Matthew Dufty 9

Nathan Cleary 9

Tom Trbojevic 9

George Williams 8

Apisai Koroisau 7

Cameron Munster 7

James Tedesco 7

Luke Keary 7

Moeaki Fotuaika 7

Ryan Papenhuyzen 7

Ben Hunt 6

Daniel Saifiti 6

David Klemmer 6

Jahrome Hughes 6

Josh Hodgson 6

Mitchell Moses 6

Tohu Harris 6

Victor Radley 6

Aaron Woods 5

Cameron McInnes 5

Daly Cherry-Evans 5

Dane Gagai 5

Josh Papalii 5

Kodi Nikorima 5

Reed Mahoney 5

Will Hopoate 5

Adam Reynolds 4

Angus Crichton 4

Braden Hamlin-Uele 4

Bradman Best 4

Cameron Murray 4

Curtis Sironen 4

Elliott Whitehead 4

James Fisher-Harris 4

Josh McGuire 4

Paul Vaughan 4

Blake Green 3

Brett Morris 3

Cody Walker 3

Corey Thompson 3

Damien Cook 3

David Nofoaluma 3

Dylan Edwards 3

Herman Ese’ese 3

Isaah Yeo 3

Jake Clifford 3

Jake Trbojevic 3

Jarome Luai 3

Jayden Brailey 3

Jesse Bromwich 3

Jesse Ramien 3

Josh Jackson 3

Josh Morris 3

Kalyn Ponga 3

Ken Maumalo 3

Liam Knight 3

Luciano Leilua 3

Maika Sivo 3

Matt Burton 3

Matt Ikuvalu 3

Mitchell Pearce 3

Payne Haas 3

Reagan Campbell-Gillard 3

Ryan Matterson 3

Sione Katoa 3

Siosiua Taukeiaho 3

Tim Glasby 3

Tui Kamikamica 3

Zac Lomax 3

Aaron Woods 2

Anthony Milford 2

Brodie Croft 2

Charlie Staines 2

Dale Finucane 2

Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 2

Enari Tuala 2

Jai Arrow 2

James Tamou 2

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 2

Josh Mansour 2

Junior Paulo 2

Justin Yeo 2

Luke Brooks 2

Michael Jennings 2

Mitchell Barnett 2

Scott Sorensen 2

Tyrone Peachey 2

Valentine Holmes 2

Viliame Kikau 2

Waqa Blake 2

Aiden Tolman 1

Andrew Fifita 1

Ashley Taylor 1

Blayke Brailey 1

Bryce Cartwright 1

Coen Hess 1

Dylan Brown 1

Eliesa Katoa 1

Euan Aitken 1

Jarrod Croker 1

Josh Aloiai 1

Kyle Flanagan 1

Raymond Faitala-Mariner 1

Reece Robson 1

Scott Drinkwater 1

Suliasi Vunivalu 1

Tesi Niu 1

Tex Hoy 1

Wade Graham 1

Xavier Coates 1

Originally published as NRL Tackle: Anthony Seibold’s Broncos excuse doesn’t wash