What we learned from the NRL’s weekend trials
BIG names making club debuts and stars trying out new positions. It was a huge weekend of NRL matches and our experts covered every game. This is what we learned as season 2018 fast approaches.
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BIG names making club debuts and stars trying out new positions.
It was a huge weekend of NRL matches and our experts covered every game. This is what we learned as season 2018 fast approaches.
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NASTY NAS: The raging bull graduated from precocious talent to weapon of mass destruction in 39 blistering minutes on the field. Standing at 201cm and 115kg, Asofa-Solomona made the Rhinos pack look inferior in a devastating display that netted 108m (11 runs) and a try.
CRONK WHO?: No disrespect intended but even Cooper Cronk would have been thrilled watching Brodie Croft showcase his wares against Leeds. Croft had a hand in five of the six tries, scored himself, and dished off slick passes beyond that defied age and experience.
PURPLE WALL V. 2018: Incredible defensive effort to hold the Rhinos to four points considering the Storm best 17 barely had two weeks training together to prepare for the World Club Challenge. The wall repelled the Rhinos in a defiant defensive display punctuated by Josh Addo-Carr’s willingness to run about 50m to mow down Rhinos skipper Kallum Watkins despite leading 38-4 with just minutes to play.
— Gilbert Gardiner
STORM HAVE DEPTH: Part of what makes Melbourne great is the culture which holds the entire club together. It makes it easy for replacement players to slot in should injuries arise, and gives the Storm a depth beyond their best 17. Several players on show for the Storm in this trial – most notably prop Tui Kamikamica and centre Justin Olam – would not look out of place in first grade should the need arise.
WARRIORS ARE STILL UNKNOWN: So much of what the Warriors will do this season depends on their spine and all four of their players were held back from this one. Many of the questions surrounding New Zealand’s playmakers – such as the combination between Shaun Johnson and Blake Green, the fitness of Issac Luke and the condition of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck remain unknown quantities.
HANDLING MISTAKES STILL HAUNT MAUMALO: Ken Maumalo carries the ball well out of his own end and he’s as big as a house, but the towering winger has a devil of a time under the high ball. Melbourne targeted the Samoan international time and again and he dropped his bundle more than once. If he does start the season on the left wing he’s a constant target for opposition teams.
— Nick Campton
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SETTLED ON DUFTY: The No.1 has been the No.1 question for the Dragons in the off-season. Following Josh Dugan’s off-season depature, the fullback spot has been thrown wide open. Despite Dufty finishing the year at the back last year – and playing seven games – there were still question marks as he battled out for the spot with Jai Field and Kurt Mann. But following a dominant display against Hull FC – where he ran for 200 metres – Dufty showed enough for the St George junior to start the season at the back. His speed offers another dimension to the Dragons attack.
FORWARDS NEED TO STAND UP: Like their meek exit from the competition last season, there were some worrying signs in the middle of the field on Saturday night. While Hull have already played three competition games, it was the way in which they marched up the field and through the Dragons forward pack which will cause some concern for Dragons coach Paul McGregor. The Dragons were missing their best two defensive players in Jack De Belin and Tyson Frizell but even so they will need to show some more steel against the Rabbitohs in the Charity Shield this week.
HALVES WILL TAKE TIME: There is no question that the Ben Hunt/Gareth Widdop combination is the best halves combination the Dragons have had in decades. However, the continuity is just not there yet. In Hunt’s own words he has to demand more of the ball and steer the team around, to allow Widdop’s running game to flourish. They combined together on the one side of the field a few times, with one leading to a try.
— Michael Carayannis
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MORE QUESTIONS, NO ANSWERS: This was a dog of a game, even for a trial. During the opening 40 minutes, when both teams played close to their best 17, Canberra dropped absolutely everything and the constant penalties from both sides prevented either team from settling into a rhythm. Michael Lichaa was strong from dummy half and looks to be a real weapon for the blue and whites this season, but apart from that none of the big questions around these two sides were settled in any satisfying manner.
JURY STILL OUT ON MBYE AND FORAN: Chief among those questions for Canterbury is the form of Moses Mbye at fullback and marquee recruit Kieran Foran at half. Mbye had little opportunity to inject himself into play and was not tested by Canberra’s kicking game while Foran was solid without dominating. New coach Dean Pay praised Foran’s control of the match, but both players need more time to put their stamp on their new roles.
RAIDERS CAN’T HOOK IN: Ricky Stuart is throwing everything he can at the wall and hoping something sticks as he looks for a dummy half to replace the injured Josh Hodgson. Siliva Havili started the match and played most of the first half and defended well, but his timing was off more than once. Aidan Sezer switched from halfback to hooker for the opening stages of the second half but didn’t look comfortable. Craig Garvey played the final 30 minutes and had the best performance of the three, but was playing with and against second-string players. It remains to be seen just what Stuart will do for Round 1.
— Nick Campton
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MALONEY AND CLEARY LOOK GOOD: Proven winner James Maloney combined beautifully with Nathan Cleary in his maiden 22-minute stint for Penrith. Maloney looked composed and classy in attack and could be the missing ingredient for the Panthers to finally fulfil their title plan. The two-time premiership winning five-eighth delivered a perfect cut-out pass for winger Maika Sivo to score in the first half, while he defended strongly. Nathan Cleary was equally impressive for Penrith, setting up a try and kicking two goals in his 40 minutes on the field. Maloney said his combination with Cleary would “take time”, but he was confident it’s on the right track. He hopes to build the connection further by playing 80 minutes against the Bulldogs at Belmore on Saturday night. “The basics are there and we’ll get a better hit out next week of how we want do everything,” he said. “It would be nice to get a good stint in there before we go into round one. “But there is so much improvement in this side, which is exciting.”
YOUNG GUNS GIVE PANTHERS DEPTH: Penrith were far from perfect, but they had plenty of strong performers. Rising hooker Wayde Egan showcased his potential with a try. The Lithgow-born and bred No.9 also set up a four-pointer to ensure Penrith will have depth around the ruck this season. Winger Maika Sivo snared a double in a strong display, but he is unlikely to crack the Panthers’ backline for round one.
JUDGE ROOSTERS WITH A FULL SIDE: The Roosters were missing a cast of their stars against Penrith, including big-name buys James Tedesco and Cooper Cronk, but they performed admirably. Centre Joseph Manu scored a try and looked imposing with the ball in hand, while former Broncos, Raiders and Eels back Reece Robinson scored a try and kicked one goal in his return to the NRL after two years in rugby union. We’ll receive an accurate reflection on the Roosters when they field their strongest team against Manly on the Central Coast on Saturday.
— Matt Logue
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WORK IN PROGRESS: Shane Flanagan’s new halves combination got off to a rusty start on Saturday night at Southern Cross Group Stadium but did show plenty of promise. Matt Moylan and Chad Towsend showed glimpses of their potential when they combined to put winger Sione Katoa over for a would-be try. Newest recruit Trent Hodkinson was rolled out in the second half and was solid. He put in a deft kick for Edrick Lee to score in the corner. Flanagan’s son, Kyle, also got a run and he too set-up a four pointer. Coach Flanagan had praise for all his playmakers, adding that the depth Cronulla now have in those positions can only be a good thing.
STAR UNEARTHED: Shane Flanagan and SuperCoaches must be salivating after watching Sione Katoa unleash on Saturday night. This kid has all the makings of a future NRL superstar. The Sea Eagles struggled to contain the 20-year-old winger and he looked threatening every time he touched the ball. He also made easy work of defenders, bouncing off and busting through tackles all game.
SKINNY ROTATION: The untimely injury to prop Darcy Lussick leaves Manly low in the top class forward stocks. Lussick could spend a considerable time on the sideline after he went down with an ankle injury in the opening minutes of the clash. In positive signs, Addin Fonua-Blake stepped-up in Lussick’s absence in the first half and his explosive runs caused Cronulla plenty of headaches. He’ll need to carry that form into the opening rounds of the season.
— Fatima Kdouh
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RABBITOHS ARE RELAXED: South Sydney players – and staff for that matter – look at ease. There is a sense of confidence but more importantly the tension which they’ve carried under the intense eye of former coach Michael Maguire is gone. Rookie coach Anthony Seibold is measured in his approach to the game and the Rabbitohs structure will reflect that. They will grind teams out but play a bit more footy than what we’ve seen from them in the past – moving away from the forward dominated style which has been their trademark in recent years.
HOOKER QUESTIONS: Seibold does not want to play two hookers in his top 17. That begs the questions – is it Damien Cook or Robbie Farah who wears the no.9 jersey? Both had very good performances on Saturday night when they split their team at dummy half. Seibold said that no-one else in his top 17 could fill-in at hooker should either go down mid-match, so that may force his hand.
Farah could even start the year at halfback if Adam Reynolds does not recover from an ankle injury in time.
BURGESS BROS LOOK STRONG: Zero handling errors for a Burgess twin on Saturday night. Souths Sydney will be singing hallelujah because the pair have had a horrid time in recent seasons with poor ball handling. Not only that, they looked fitter, with Thomas scoring a try. The pair take up too much of the Rabbitohs salary cap to be playing NSW Cup or spending too much time on the bench. They need to return to their best, and they showed glimpses of that on Saturday night against Wigan.
— Michael Carayannis
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KODI STEPS UP: It was only a trial against a very poor Titans team, but Broncos halfback Kodi Nikorima showed all the right signs. Nikorima was very sharp in a 40-minute stint where he controlled play, kicked well and set up two tries. There will be a lot of pressure on Nikorima to fire this year when he replaces Ben Hunt and he will get a shot of confidence from his first-up performance.
YOUNG TALENT TIME: The Broncos have some very impressive young players that will float into the NRL this season. In his return from a 966-day exile, prop Matt Lodge was excellent for Brisbane, playing big minutes in the front row. On the right edge was Jaydn Su’A, who burst on to the NRL scene in 2016 before having a season to forget last year. David Fifita is another excellent young forward prospect while Jamayne Isaako was impressive at fullback and is firming for a wing berth in Round 1.
TITANIC REALITY CHECK: It was far from their best team but the Gold Coast Titans are staring at a long season. The Titans simply do not have enough NRL quality talent in their squad. They have a decent top 17, but below that their depth is not great. New coach Garth Brennan has to maintain his long-term vision with the Titans and battle through the teething problems.
— Travis Meyn
REYNOLDS RIGHT AT HOME: Josh Reynolds looked like a new man in Cairns on Saturday night, as he led the Tigers to a 30-16 victory over the Cowboys, in his first outing for the club. The former Bulldog and Luke Brooks have quickly struck up a lethal halves combination, but it was Reynolds who truly shone for the Tigers. He set up the first try of the night and also another for Taane Milne in the second half. He was a consistent threat and will only get better with time.
JT IS BACK: Johnathan Thurston was understandably rusty in his first game back in eight months, but in true JT fashion there were still sparks of brilliance. He only played the opening 40 minutes but showed his usual fighting spirit as the Tigers came out firing. He also used his fancy footwork right before halftime to set Coen Hess up for a try. It may take a few more games to get his confidence and match fitness back, but there is no doubt we will see JT at his very best again soon.
NRL GET SERIOUS: The NRL have promised that there will be a crackdown on sloppy play-the-balls in 2018 and this was evident on Saturday night. The Cowboys were penalised five times for the offence, in an error-riddled performance. All teams will have to work to ensure there are no more messy rucks.
— Rikki-Lee Arnold
NRL SUPERCOACH:
Full SuperCoach news section / Cheapie Bible 2018 / Tom Sangster’s team / Copes’ team/ Reigning champ’s team / Wilfred Zee’s team / Top 10 PODs / SuperCoach strategy 101 / Most popular SuperCoach players / Must-haves for 2018 / Pre-season casualty ward / Eels fans are biggest SuperCoach addicts / Former champ’s top 10 mid-rangers / Champion’s Choice: Alex Twal / CTW: Risk vs. reward / HOK: Smith or not? / Your club’s biggest selection issue / SuperCoach study guide: Broncos / Bulldogs / Cowboys / Eels / Knights / Panthers / Roosters / Rabbitohs / Raiders / Sharks / Sea Eagles / Storm / Tigers / Titans / Warriors
Originally published as What we learned from the NRL’s weekend trials
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