Crawley Files highlights the alarming trends and encouraging starts ahead of Round 3 of the NRL

Tim Sheens is protecting his man, but there is no denying the Tigers’ chief playmaker is not taking ownership of his team. Their attack already looks diabolical and that spells real trouble.

The Broncos are unbeaten to start the season. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty

The dust has begun to settle following a frantic opening to the NRL season and some clear patterns are emerging. PAUL CRAWLEY looks at the alarming trends and encouraging starts that threaten to become fact or fiction by the end of round 3.

1. MOSES MUST OWN BIG GAMES

The Mitchell Moses v Daly Cherry-Evans clash could be the making or breaking of Parramatta’s season. As silly as that sounds going into round three, history shows if last year’s grand finalists don’t win against a Sea Eagles side coming off the bye – and who were led superbly by DCE in their opening win over the Bulldogs – then the Eels’ season might be over before it even gets rolling, because the only team that has started the season 0-3 and won the comp in the NRL era was the Cowboys in 2015.

While the Eels have been brave in both losses against the Storm and Sharks, there’s no question they are really missing departed forwards Isaiah Papali’I and Marata Niukore, as well as the injured Shaun Lane and the suspended Ryan Matterson.

This week’s Mitch Moses match-up will make or break the Eels’ season. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty

And in both games Moses has been outshone by the match winners Harry Grant and Cam Munster, and Matt Moylan also got the points against the Nicho Hynes-less Sharks.

It’s not that Moses has been poor but again the million dollar playmaker needs to win the big moment in big matches, and Parra has so far lost two tight ones they might be regretting at the end of the season. Especially when you factor in that the Eels take on the Panthers next week followed by the Roosters.

On the flip side this is also an important test for a Manly team a lot of people think can challenge for the top four this year. Tom Trbojevic should be a lot better after a week off from his first game back where he was solid but really played within himself, while Josh Schuster returns from injury at five-eighth and will be the added X factor.

2. HOW LONG CAN TIGERS CARRY BROOKS?

At the risk of being labelled a bully, we can’t ignore the elephant in the room.

Tim Sheens threw his support behind Luke Brooks during pre-season when he publicly declared “there’s an element of bullying when it comes to him”.

Of course four-time premiership winner Sheens is more than entitled to his view, but to call it bullying is being just a little over protective when you factor in criticism of Brooks comes due to the fact he is on $1 million plus a year, is in his 13th NRL season and yet to play finals footy.

What’s worse, we all watched the Tigers’ diabolical attack against the severely depleted Knights last Sunday, with new skipper Api Koroisau showing obvious frustration, which came on the back of another disappointing loss at Leichhardt against the Titans.

Luke Brooks is struggling. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty

No doubt the problems at the Tigers go much deeper than the No. 7, but what you can’t excuse is that it’s the chief playmaker’s job to take ownership of his team, and to make sure everyone knows their role and execute the plan.

And there’s no way of sugar-coating it, Brooks is just not doing that. The trouble for the Tigers though is if they drop Brooks, who takes over?

Former Bulldog Brandon Wakeham is in NSW Cup and could do a job, but it again highlights why Sheens pulled the wrong rein handing over Jackson Hastings to Newcastle.

And just to emphasise why this game against the Bulldogs is so important, the Tigers following five games are against the Storm, Broncos, Eels, Sea Eagles and Panthers. It would be a rotten look for the Sheens/Benji Marshall rebuild to start 0-8, but right now you wouldn’t bet against it.

Scott 'Boo' Bailey's latest Crawley Files 'toon.

3. BRONCOS NEED TO SMASH RED V HOODOO

If the grand final was played this weekend you’d back the Broncos to win given the way they’ve attacked and defended in back-to-back wins over the Panthers and Cowboys.

With Adam Reynolds running the show, young guns Reece Walsh, Ezra Mam and Herbie Farnworth are playing with freedom, while up front the one-two punch of Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan would hold their own against any of the heavyweight packs.

But while everyone is already looking to the horizon and next week’s Broncos-Dolphins blockbuster, don’t underestimate how big a danger the Dragons pose given they’ve won six of the last seven since 2018, including that shock final round loss last year that put the Broncos’ finals hopes to bed.

The Dragons were impressive coming from behind to beat the Titans, with their big pack winning the battle up front and Ben Hunt typically inspirational, it sets up a cracking showdown here.

THE DRAGONS TRY THAT SHAMED BRONCOS INTO ACTION

WHAT. A. TRY. 🤯

Mathew Feagai, take a bow!

📺 Watch #NRLDragonsBroncos LIVE In 4K on Ch. 502 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/869nwx1QYS
✍️BLOG: https://t.co/w5vH3oNAqa
🔢MATCH CENTRE: https://t.co/4TgpR9gAP0pic.twitter.com/QlHaxdXibO

— Fox League (@FOXNRL) September 3, 2022

4. WHO ARE THE REAL BULLDOGS?

The real deal or one hit wonders? The jury’s out on the Dogs.

They played like strangers first up against the Sea Eagles, and time will tell if they’re as good as what the wounded Storm made them look last week.

But what we can’t underestimate is how they played on Melbourne’s home turf made everyone take notice of what a quality coach Cameron Ciraldo obviously is, because it was Ciraldo’s tactics of shifting the ball and making the Storm’s compressed defence uncomfortable that proved the masterstroke, with the Bulldogs having a field day on the edges.

Still, big questions remain over two crucial spine positions.

As inspirational as new skipper Reed Mahoney has been, and we all know what a talent Matt Burton is, the fullback/halfback conundrum is the major worry for when they’re taking on the top teams at full strength.

We know Hayze Perham is doing his best with Stephen Crichton not arriving until next year, but off-contract Kyle Flanagan remains a week-to-week proposition, especially with the young Karl Oloapu and Josh Reynolds waiting in the wings. Oloapu is as exciting a talent as the Dolphins boom rookie Isaiya Katoa, and would have Flanagan on his toes coming up against the equally under pressure Luke Brooks.

Canterbury halfback Kyle Flanagan. NRL Imagery

5. WAYNE TO KICK KNIGHTS WHEN THEY’RE DOWN

The irony won’t be lost on Wayne Bennett that this is the Dolphins’ first game outside Queensland against a club that has left the only real blemish on Bennett’s remarkable coaching record. Some people would still love to blame Bennett for the apparent mess Newcastle is in even though he walked away back in 2014. Yet nine years down the track the now 73-year-old rides back into town in charge of the NRL’s newest franchise who have taken the game by storm.

And while Kalyn Ponga is out after that sickening concussion, the fact Ponga chose to stick with the Knights over Bennett’s Dolphins is just another interesting sub plot.

At least Ponga won’t have to back up against Bennett’s new hit man Felise Kaufusi who has caused carnage over the opening rounds. But the question Kaufusi and the Dolphins are yet to answer is how long can they keep this up? So far they have shocked us not by their brilliance but their gutsy attitude. Yet the reason the Storm let the likes of Kaufusi and the Bromwich brothers go was in no small part due to the fact they were considered past their best. Can they keep it up, time will tell.

6. WHAT ROOSTERS ARE REALLY MISSING

The sleeping giant waiting to be unleashed. I just don’t know if the Roosters’ wake-up call will arrive in time for this blockbuster against the Rabbitohs.

In round one they didn’t show up against the Dolphins with the necessary respect. Then last round they looked comfortable but still nowhere near their best against a Warriors team that continually shot themselves in the foot.

Souths are a different proposition altogether. Latrell owned them in that fiery finals showdown, and we all know how this rivalry can really play with the Roosters’ hot heads.

So far marquee recruit Brandon Smith has been a passenger, Matt Lodge is injured, while Angus Crichton is a huge loss. It will certainly help having Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Victor Radley back providing they don’t let their emotions get the better of them.

Another issue that can’t be ignored is that despite their star roster the Roosters’ record against the benchmark teams of recent years has been awful. Since 2020 they are 0 of 6 against the Panthers, 1 of 6 against the Storm and 2 of 7 against the Bunnies.

It’s no coincidence what they have been missing has been the barometer Boyd Cordner, Jake Friend and Mitchell Aubusson set every time they ran onto a footy field, providing standards that can’t be measured on a salary cap. It’s time for the new brigade to establish their own standards and it needs to start here.

Originally published as Crawley Files highlights the alarming trends and encouraging starts ahead of Round 3 of the NRL