The Tackle: Why Phil Gould must act now, Peter V’landys speaks out on Payne Haas drama
There’s a new face at the top of the Dally M leaderboard, with Penrith ironman Isaah Yeo knocked off. Plus PAUL CRAWLEY’s weekend likes and dislikes.
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Paul Crawley runs the rule over every game from Round 12 in his LIKES and DISLIKES column.
Plus, scroll down for the latest Dally M voting - and a shock new face at the top of the leaderboard.
DISLIKES
GUS MUST ACT NOW ON NEW DOGS COACH
Phil Gould needs to make a call on who will be the Bulldogs new coach sooner rather than later.
After going down in front of a sellout crowd at Belmore, Dogs fans have every right to be increasingly frustrated.
Surely Gould and the board had a plan in place for who they wanted to replace Trent Barrett before he was sent packing.
Now there is talk the club have gone completely cold on Shane Flanagan, with resentment over the way Flanagan has been actively campaigning over Barrett’s coaching grave.
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Maybe it’s Flanagan who should be careful what he wishes for.
It is not as if there are too many other contenders throwing their hand up for the job.
At least under interim coach Mick Potter, the Bulldogs fought back bravely against the Dragons.
Though it is sad to see the decline of players like Matt Burton and Josh Addo-Carr since they switched from Penrith and Melbourne respectively.
How would any big name players even contemplate making the swap in the future, especially if they don’t know who is coaching?
V’LANDYS HITS OUT AT HAAS
Peter V’landys has broken his silence on the ugly stand-off between Payne Haas and the Brisbane Broncos, declaring “if you sign a contract you should honour it”.
The ARLC chairman also stated that the governing body does have the power not to register a new contract “if there is another contract in place”.
It comes in the wake of those really sad scenes at Suncorp Stadium last Friday night, where angry fans booed the three-time Paul Morgan Medallist every time Haas touched the ball.
V’landys wanted to make it clear that he was not taking sides, but he did not back away when asked for his personal views on the situation that has really angered many in the game.
“A contract is a contract,” V’landys said.
“If either party hasn’t breached any condition of a contract it is valid.
“It is a legal binding document.
“Naturally you can have behind-the-scenes talks, but you don’t play it out in the media. The professional thing to do is if either party is unhappy discuss it.
“But at the end of the day you’ve signed a contract and they should honour the agreement.
“That is what fans look for.
“I have always looked to represent the fans, and the fans would want the contract honoured.”
It’s absolutely ludicrous that despite having a current contract worth $800,000-a-season (that runs until the end of 2024), Haas’s new management is now demanding an immediate release after the Broncos knocked back a request for an immediate upgrade to make Haas the game’s first $1 million prop.
On top of that, Haas also wants a get-out clause that will allow him to walk if the Broncos don’t make the top eight in the first year of any new deal.
Seriously, it is mind-blowing how selfish this all sounds, especially in a team sport.
ARE PANTHERS A PROTECTED SPECIES?
Where was the bunker when Penrith’s Jarome Luai clobbered Scott Drinkwater with a high shot on Friday night?
What would have made it even harder for Cowboys fans to swallow was that Drinkwater was then forced to leave the field for a head injury assessment and Luai got off scot-free.
Not so much as a penalty let alone a sin bin.
It certainly didn’t surprise to see Luai then escape with a $1000 fine when the match review committee hit him with a grade one careless high tackle charge. And I’m not saying you’d want to see Luai rubbed out of Origin 1 for that tackle.
But the point here again is where is the inconsistency surrounding what constitutes a penalty and a sin binning for high contact in the modern game?
We all saw several other tackles over the weekend that were penalised and sin binned, and none looked any worse that Luai’s. But once again one of the big teams gets away with the so-called run of the green.
JOHNSON GOES MIA – AGAIN
One of the great joys watching NRL is seeing Shaun Johnson when he goes out with the intent to show us what he can do when he gets serious about having a go.
But sadly for Warriors fans those games are becoming more and more infrequent.
Johnson put in another forgettable performance in Saturday’s loss to the Knights, finishing with just three runs for nine metres.
It was a game where the Warriors could have really done with some of his attacking spark.
Instead Johnson sat back and virtually refused to take the line on all game.
DES’S REF RAGE BACKFIRES
If Des Hasler’s intentions when picking a fight with the refs last week was to get them on the rebound in Melbourne, it certainly didn’t work.
Manly finished on the wrong side of a 7-6 penalty count while the Storm also got away with a 3-2 advantage on set restarts.
Perhaps this week the Sea Eagles would be better served concentrating on improving their own backyard and finding another way to win without Tom Trbojevic.
AND YET ANOTHER REASON FOR SECOND REF
Still on the match officials down in Melbourne, we don’t expect perfection with play-the-balls but Felise Kaufusi’s effort in the lead up to the Storm’s second try on Thursday night was a complete farce.
Kaufusi was facing the sideline.
What makes it so exasperating is that the bunker can come in on just about anything and everything these days, but they can’t overrule this?
It’s just another example why we need to bring back the second ref to look over the ruck and reduce the reliance on the bunker.
TIGERS ARE LIVING IN DENIAL
You’ve got to give it to Michael Maguire for trying to maintain a positive outlook after another defeat.
But surely it’s going a bit far talking up the Tigers’ finals hope after playing the Rabbitohs back into form.
“We can win every game,” Maguire said. “We’ll roll up every week with the attitude to win every game,”
Seriously, who above them on the table do the Tigers expect to push out of the top eight?
Yes, the Tigers have had a bad run with injuries this year but plenty of teams above them on the ladder _ including the Bunnies _ have had it just as bad.
The thing is, this is Maguire’s fourth season in charge at Tiger Town, and no one will convince me they are a better team now than when Ivan Cleary left.
DUMBEST PLAY OF THE WEEK
It was a dead-heat for dumbest play of the week, but at least the Gold Coast Titans can split it amongst themselves.
What were they thinking putting in a short kick off when they looked to have had the game against the Broncos just about in the bag?
But as if that wasn’t bad enough, watching Esan Marsters get sin binned for the most brain dead professional foul while defending his try line just topped it off.
It’s such a shame because it overshadowed a tremendous captain’s performance from Tino Fa’asuamaleaui who finished with 23 runs for 228m.
That was more than 100m better than both Payne Haas (121m) and Pat Carrigan (122m).
If the Titans end up missing the top eight this year they will look back on moments that cost them against the Broncos and realise they only have themselves to blame.
ROUND 12 DALLY M VOTES
STORM v SEA EAGLES
Judge: Ryan Girdler
3: Cameron Munster (MEL)
2: Nick Meaney (MEL)
1: Kenny Bromwich (MEL)
PANTHERS v COWBOYS
Judge: Steve Roach
3: Dylan Edwards (PEN)
2: Viliame Kikau (PEN)
1: Api Koroisau (PEN)
BRONCOS v TITANS
Judge: Greg Inglis
3: Pat Carrigan (BRI)
2: Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (GCT)
1: Selwyn Cobbo (BRI)
WARRIORS v KNIGHTS
Judge: Ben Creagh
3: David Klemmer (NEW)
2: Tyson Frizell (NEW)
1: Anthony Milford (NEW)
RABBITOHS v TIGERS
Judge: David Shillington
3: Campbell Graham (SOU)
2: Daine Laurie (WST)
1: Cody Walker (SOU)
SHARKS v ROOSTERS
Judge: Nathan Hindmarsh
3: James Tedesco (SYD)
2: Angus Crichton (SYD)
1: Joseph Manu (SYD)
BULLDOGS v DRAGONS
Judge: Chris Heighington
3: Ben Hunt (STI)
2: Zac Lomax (STI)
1: Matt Dufty (CAN)
RAIDERS v EELS
Judge: Andrew Johns
3: Dylan Brown (PAR)
2: Jordan Rapana (CBR)
1: Junior Paulo (PAR)
DALLY M LEADERBOARD AFTER 12 ROUNDS
LIKES
PANTHERS IN LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
They always say you don’t win the grand final in May and it’s a good thing because right now there is not a team in the comp who can go toe-to-toe with the Panthers.
And the performance they put on against the Cowboys was just further proof of how far ahead of the field they currently are.
As brave as the Cowboys were they still got belted 22-0.
So far this year the Panthers have only conceded 128 points, which averages out at 10.66 a game. It’s just phenomenal.
Then you watch them with the ball in hand and they are just so crisp and in sync with everything they do it almost looks effortless.
Yet you know the secret to their success has been all the hours of hard work they put in behind the scenes.
And how good is it seeing a middle forward with the sublime skill yet humble personality of Isaah Yeo leading the way as the unquestionable standout player in our competition at the moment.
TEDDY IGNITES ROOSTERS AHEAD OF ORIGIN
Another terrific captain’s knock came from NSW skipper James Tedesco, who will go into Origin in tremendous form after a stunning effort in the win over the Sharks.
Tedesco was the best on the field by a long way after finishing with 17 carries for 205m including a try, seven tackle busts, two linebreaks, three linebreak assists and two try assists.
The Roosters had a great win over Parramatta at Magic Round, and despite a bit of a setback against the Panthers last week, they are really starting to find their groove.
MUNSTER STEALS THE SHOW
Here’s one for Seinfeld fans. A mate who cheers for Manly suggested watching Cameron Munster in action on Thursday night reminded him of that episode where Jerry pinched the marble rye off the old lady at the bakery.
Munster makes the one-on-one strip look so shamefully easy it should be illegal.
I hate how multiple defenders can gang up in a tackle and then at the last second drop off so an innocent victim can be fleeced.
Yet the rule is the rule and Munster is a freak at it.
Fox Sports Stats show he now has 24 for his career, which is the most on record.
The NSW Blues will want to be on high alert.
BRONCOS THE BEST TO WATCH
Watching Brisbane charge back from 20 points down to beat the Titans was like watching the Broncos back in the glory days.
The Broncos are playing a brand of footy that I reckon is the most fun to watch in the game. And without Adam Reynolds the last two weeks they just haven’t missed a beat.
Just the thrill and the skill is so exciting.
If they keep improving at the rate they are who’s to say they won’t be a serious threat come finals time, especially with the benefit of the upcoming State of Origin campaign behind some of these young guns.
It’s just a shame their tremendous revival is now being hijacked by the Haas contract circus.
JOHNSTON’S RECORD
Alex Johnston never gets brought up in the NSW Origin conversation and it’s a shame.
Though thone ing he can be extremely proud of is that he now owns South Sydney’s all-time try-scoring record.
It was so wonderful seeing him pass Nathan Merritt’s previous record of 146 tries with a hat-trick against the Tigers.
BROWN SHOWS HIS WORTH TO EELS
It’s a good thing Parramatta locked up Dylan Brown earlier this year, at least until the end of 2023.
If the flying five-eighth was on the market now he’d just about be ready to crack the NRL’s $1 million club.
They reckon Brown is on about $800,000 which is a bargain for a 21-year-old with this bloke’s talent.
While he might not have owned the results in the biggest games just yet, get ready for it Parra fans.
He was tremendous in the gutsy 28-20 win over the Raiders, running for 153m including two tries.
This really was up with the best games we’ve seen all season, with the Eels so brave in the second half up against a Raiders’ onslaught.
And while Mitchell Moses’ kicking game was first class, ultimately it was Brown who proved the difference despite playing the majority of the game with a leg injury.
It was Parra’s first back-to-back victory since stringing together three in a row between rounds three and five.
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