NRL Tackle: Round 6 Likes and dislikes, Dally M leaderboard, votes
The NRL has a new Dally M favourite - and he’s triggered yet another revival from the game’s unstoppable machine.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The NRL has a new Dally M favourite - and he’s triggered yet another revival from the game’s unstoppable machine.
Harry Grant has surged into the lead on the Dally M leaderboard after six rounds, a run of form that has pushed the Storm back into the NRL top four.
But he’s not alone in making a move using the game’s new voting rules.
SCROLL DOWN FOR THE LATEST DALLY M VOTING AND LEADERBOARD
ARE THE DOLPHINS BENNETT’S GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT?
Have you ever seen Wayne Bennett as happy as he has looked this year coaching the Dolphins?
It’s unbelievable that a bloke at 73 could be having so much fun doing the same job that he started out in 50 years ago, when he coached his first team at the Queensland Police Academy.
But watching him after the Dolphins scored another boilover against the Cowboys, Bennett couldn’t stop smiling at the media conference as he sat beside his former Souths prop Mark Nicholls like a proud dad.
We’re so used to Bennett giving so little away to the media publicly but right now he just can’t hide the obvious enjoyment he’s getting watching a team almost everyone thought would be the competition’s new easy beats emerge as a genuine top eight contender.
That’s now four wins from six games and remember against the Cowboys they were without Jesse Bromwich, Felise Kaufusi, Sean O’Suillivan, Anthony Milford and Tesi Niu.
For a bloke that’s won seven NRL premierships this could ultimately rate up with Bennett’s greatest coaching achievements.
DISLIKES
HAS HUNT COST GRIFFIN HIS JOB?
Anthony Griffin has had no greater supporter than Ben Hunt.
But has the inspirational Dragons captain just cost his under fire coach his job?
As harsh as it sounds, it will be incredibly tough for Griffin to justify to his bosses why he should stay in charge after going down to the severely understrength Titans.
While the 20-18 scoreline was by no means an embarrassing result on the surface, you need to remember who the Titans were missing _ with three of their most influential players out.
No Kieran Foran, No AJ Brimson. No Sam Verrills.
Yet they still found a way to beat the full strength Dragons.
Hunt said during the week it would set the club back two years if they got rid of Griffin now.
But this was a sad end to what was otherwise a gutsy performance from Hunt.
He was just about the best player on the field until the dying minutes when he fell for a Toby Sexton dummy to let in the match winning try, before turning over possession as the Dragons tried to score a last minute miracle.
It will be interesting to see how the Dragons board responds.
UGLY SCENES AS BRONCOS FANS BOO INJURED STAR
The blow up over the late penalty against Bronco prop Martin Taupau for his sickening collision that left Raiders winger Jordan Rapana with a nasty head wound is just ridiculous.
And it was sad to hear the boos ringing out around Suncorp Stadium as Rapana was carted from the field on a medicab with blood still gushing out of his head.
It’s one thing to be unhappy with a refereeing decision.
But surely you need to show some respect when a player is leaving the field clearly as sick and sorry as Rapana was.
I’d love to see anyone complaining go out and try and clean up a kick and cop the full force of Taupau’s knee in the back of their heads and get up and tell us it wasn’t worthy of a penalty.
Yet in our online poll after the game a staggering 69 per cent of fans out of more than 1500 votes suggested the incident did not warrant a penalty.
What they need to understand is what Broncos legend Corey Parker said in Fox league commentary, that while it was accidental it was careless, and also avoidable.
It has always been the responsibility of the defending player to provide a duty of care to the attacking player.
In this instance Rapana simply had no way of defending himself, and the onus was on Taupau to show more caution, not come thundering in leading with his knees.
I can understand how on-field ref Grant Atkins initially thought it was not a penalty because in the run of play it looked like Rapana may have released the ball to stop the Broncos from getting one last crack.
But the replays clearly showed just how nasty and dangerous it was, and it would have been an embarrassment if the Bunker did not step in.
The NRL match review committee made the right call not charging Taupau. But that doesn’t mean the penalty wasn’t spot on.
HOW DID BURGESS LOW BLOW GO UNPUNISHED?
It might not be the crime of the century but when did it become acceptable behaviour to grab an opposition player’s private parts and for it to go unpunished?
Giant South Sydney prop Tom Burgess should go and buy himself a lottery ticket after an ugly interaction with Canterbury Bulldogs utility Josh Reynolds on Good Friday escaped any sanction from the NRL’s match review committee.
Replays clearly show Reynolds in immediate and obvious discomfort when tackling Burgess, whose outstretched arm appeared to grab at the Bulldogs defender’s shorts.
And regardless of if it was intentional or a complete accident, surely at the very least this incident should have been scrutinised and Burgess should be made to explain exactly what happened.
It’s equally inexcusable that the bunker did not react to the incident during the match.
In a time when the bunker will go back and call out high shots and other indiscretions at the drop of a hat, and often march teams down the field to take action, how did they miss this one?
Yet Reynolds could be seen protesting to the match referee, in the run of play, exactly what he thought had occurred but it was strangely ignored.
In fact, instead of getting any comfort it was Reynolds who was penalised for not being square at marker after he took out his frustration on Damien Cook, who was slammed to the turf in the ensuing tackle.
Rusted-on fans may remember a similar incident back in 2009 when Gold Coast utility Josh Graham accused former Cronulla enforcer Paul Gallen of grabbing him on the testicles.
Graham famously claimed at the time “he grabbed my wheels”.
While that incident was examined by the match review panel, it was determined there was a lack of evidence to charge Gallen.
On this occasion the evidence appeared pretty clear cut.
The NRL is expected to still hit Burgess with a concerning notice act this week, which is basically a warning but nothing more.
But in an age where there is so much focus on NRL player welfare, surely the family jewels deserve better protection.
RADLEY CHEAP SHOT AGAIN EXPOSES DOUBLE STANDARDS
Victor Radley is now 25 and it’s time to grow up.
For too long the Roosters tough guy has walked the tightrope when it comes to the way he likes to play on the edge.
But incidents like the cheap shot on Cameron Munster are not just avoidable, they’re unforgivable.
In the time Radley was in the sin bin the Storm raced in two tries and the Roosters never recovered.
Meanwhile, you’d imagine Felise Kaufusi would have been sitting at home scratching his head how Radley escaped with a $3000 fine, while the Dolphins enforcer is still serving a four-week ban for his tackle on Jackson Hastings.
There was also whiplash to Munster, while Radley appeared to make no attempt to wrap his arms (it was more of a shoulder charge action).
It’s worth noting this was also Radley’s third and subsequent offence as indicated on the NRL match review charge sheet.
We have previously pointed out how fellow Rooster Joseph Suaalii also escaped with a fine for his very similar shot to Kaufusi’s on Warriors fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.
It again makes a mockery of the entire process.
SEIBOLD’S TIME TO PROVE SACKING HASLER WAS RIGHT CALL
Manly owner Scott Penn might live to regret his little pre-season swipe at Des Hasler.
Penn suggested after watching the Sea Eagles’ first trial that it was obvious new coach Anthony Seibold had galvanised the squad after last year’s Rainbow jersey debacle.
Fast forward two months and the Sea Eagles on Saturday night conceded the club’s most first half points against any opposition during the State of Origin era (dating back to 1980) on the way to the Panthers’ 44-12 annihilation.
After taking out the pre-season challenge and then winning their opening two games, the Sea Eagles look to be getting worse by the week.
They lost to Souths (13-12), had a draw against the Knights (32-all) before being humiliated here.
They now take on the inform Storm on Friday night a 4 Pines with pride on the line. We saw how Ricky Stuart’s Raiders responded to the hiding they copped the previous week against the Panthers to fight back and beat the Broncos. Now it’s Seibold’s turn to show Penn’s pre-season declaration was on the money.
WHY WOULD YOU RISK AN INJURED TURBO?
The Sea Eagles also have a massive injury concern hanging over superstar fullback Tom Trbojevic who needed a needle to get back on the field in the second half after struggling with a lower back problem.
It’s hard to fathom why Seibold would risk Turbo regardless of the loss of Reuben Garrick (concussion) and Karl Lawton (shoulder) that left them two players down.
If you owned a Ferrari would you take it out for a drive if you thought there was even the slightest chance the engine would blow up?
LIKES
STORM ISSUE AN OMINOUS WARNING
It’s fair to say the demise of the Melbourne Storm was again premature.
After back-to-back losses against the Bulldogs and Titans, there was understandable concern that what is likely to be Craig Bellamy’s final season as Melbourne head coach could easily turn into a disaster.
But haven’t they responded to Bellamy’s challenge with superstars Cam Munster and Harry Grant leading the charge.
Munster was absolutely brilliant setting up two tries and scoring another while finishing with 16 runs for 175m including 7 tackle busts. Those are amazing stats for any No 6, but especially against an opposition as good as the Roosters.
COULD RAIDERS’ BIG RED CATTLE DOG BE BILLY’S ORIGIN BOLTER?
Wouldn’t you love to see Corey Horsburgh get a crack at State of Origin one day?
The Raiders’ unlikely hero doesn’t exactly fit the image painted of the modern day NRL prototype forward.
But the 25-year-old’s form this season surely puts the big Queenslander from Caboolture in the frame for even a spot on Billy Slater’s bench if a couple of injuries open the door for some new blood.
Up against the might of Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan, it was the Raiders’ big red cattle dog who really stood out with some amazing effort plays that proved such an inspiration in the shock win.
Horsburgh led the way with his kick pressure on Adam Reynolds all night, and that cover tackle to mow down the Broncos halfback was another special play that came through nothing more than desire.
And you had to laugh as Horsburgh walked from the field at halftime with his jumper torn to shreds and a look on his face like a pig in mud.
LATRELL CELEBRATES MILESTONE IN STYLE
That’s what you get when you poke the bear. After all the criticism that followed Latrell Mitchell’s underwhelming performance in the loss to the Storm, the Rabbitohs fullback responded with 3 tries and 7 goals for a personal tally of 26 points in the 50-16 thumping of the Bulldogs.
It made it extra special that it was also Latrell’s 150th NRL milestone match.
The Rabbitohs now take on the Dolphins with Latrell sure to be pumped coming up against his former mentor Wayne Bennett, who always believed the big unit would make it as a No 1 even when most experts thought the so-called gamble was destined to fail.
PANTHERS TRUE PREMIERSHIP FAVOURITES
If there was any debate over who was the team to beat in the race for this year’s title the last two performances by the Panthers have well and truly put that to bed.
As awesome as they were the previous week against the Raiders, they took it up a level to totally humiliate the Sea Eagles.
And while Dylan Edwards’s four tries understandably stole the spotlight, they just had so many stars across the park.
Centres Stephen Crichton and Izack Tago were exceptional cutting the Sea Eagles to shreds on both edges, while the ball-playing of Isaah Yeo and his combination with Nathan Cleary is just exquisite.
Then you’ve got a bloke like Zac Hosking who just gets better with each game.
It’s also worth noting that while the focus was again on how many points they’re scoring (97 in the last two games), they have easily the competition’s best defence, conceding 64 for the season.
More Coverage
Originally published as NRL Tackle: Round 6 Likes and dislikes, Dally M leaderboard, votes
Storm ‘grubbery’ finally comes back to bite
The Melbourne Storm are licking their wounds after another tough grand final loss, but they only have themselves to blame for falling short.
Cleary comment that provoked Panthers towards another title
Ivan Cleary revealed he questioned the desire of his ‘complacent’ Panthers during the season, a moment that stung the players and ultimately sparked their run towards a fourth-straight premiership.