NRL 2022: Jake Averillo vows to silence critics and lock down Bulldogs’ No.7 spot
Bulldogs halfback Jake Averillo is determined to silence his critics and prove he’s the right man to steer Trent Barrett’s new-look team up the ladder in 2022.
NRL
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A defiant Jake Averillo has vowed to silence his halfback detractors and insists he is the long-term answer in the No.7 jumper at Canterbury.
Coach Trent Barrett has opted to start the season with two five-eighths in the halves, youngster Averillo and Matt Burton.
But as running players, the similarities in their respective games have left the likes of Braith Anasta, who helped the Bulldogs to a title in 2004, and Wests Tigers great Benji Marshall questioning if the Bulldogs are missing out on an organising halfback with Averillo at No.7.
Stream every game of every round of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership Season Live & Ad-Break Free In Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >
Averillo has heard the criticism and is preparing to prove the naysayers wrong, starting against North Queensland on Sunday.
“I think you will be seeing a very different game from me on the weekend,” Averillo said. “I’m going to be getting myself into better positions to make my mark on the game.
“I’ve already looked at my game from my past two trial matches.
“I know I’ve needed a few tweaks … and I have been putting that out on the training paddock already this week. It’s about getting my hands on the ball, playing to my strengths, receiving the ball where I like it and need it to be.
“I think that will get me into the game a bit more and give me confidence.”
Despite having career halfbacks Kyle Flanagan, Brandon Wakeham and Bailey Biondi-Odo as options, Barrett has put his faith in local junior Averillo.
Averillo, who is signed at Belmore until the end of season 2023, is working on his game management skills, not only to repay Barrett but to nail down the halfback spot into the future.
“I think I’m capable,” Averillo said. “I’m only young and I’m learning tough lessons but the main thing is I’m determined to learn from them and that is only going to make me a better player.”
The 21-year old made his debut in the NRL from the bench and was then shifted into the centres. However, Averillo is committed to making a go of it in the Bulldogs’ spine.
Fullback is another option for Averillo beyond this season given new recruit Matt Dufty is only on a one-year deal at Belmore.
“I don’t see myself in the outside backs,” Averillo said. “I’m definitely in the spine. The No.7 is my spot at the moment and I want to make it mine.”
Turning around Canterbury’s attacking woes will help Averillo cement a place in the halves.
Over the past five seasons, Canterbury has had one of the least effective attacks, finishing with the least tries in the competition in 2021, 2019 and 2017 and second least in 2020 and 2018.
The struggle for points continued in the Bulldogs’ 30-6 loss to Cronulla in week two of the trials. However, Averillo believes Canterbury’s new-look side, which will include eight club debutants against the Cowboys, has enough strike power to deliver “20 points a game”.
“If we can cut down the errors and tighten up our discipline and give ourselves a few more opportunities on the tryline, we have a good 20 points in us each game easily, I reckon,” Averillo said.
“We have attacking flare all over the park. We can create something out of nothing.
“If you look at the trial game against the Knights, and it was similar against the Sharks, we scored two runaway tries, and three for the whole game.”
STORM LEGEND BRINGS MEANEY UP TO SPEED FOR PIVOTAL TEST
-Nick Smart
Melbourne Storm back Nick Meaney hopes a crash course from club legend Cooper Cronk this week will help him when he plays in the halves for the first time since high school on Saturday night.
The former Bulldog looms as Storm’s cut-price replacement for suspended superstar Cameron Munster in Melbourne’s Round 1 road clash with the Wests Tigers.
The absence of Munster and the injured Cooper Johns has meant Meaney will play at five-eighth and partner star Jahrome Hughes in the halves.
Normally a fullback, centre or winger, Meaney this week had Cronk, who is a Storm consultant as well as being a Roosters assistant, help bring him to speed.
It caused a furore this time last year when Cronk’s dual roles became public, but both clubs are comfortable with the arrangement.
“I’ve been working on that (my kicking game), I’ve had Cooper Cronk in here this week and even just the other players around me like Hughesy so hopefully I’ll go alright,” Meaney said.
“It was the first time I met him (Cronk) the other day, so it was really good just to get an insight into what he thinks and his approaches to it and his little mindsets when attacking the line.
“So that was really good and helpful for myself.”
Meaney has impressed Storm bosses during his first Melbourne pre-season and his name was thrown up for the No.6 in Round 1 recently.
“During the pre-season it was kind of tough because Paps (Ryan Papenhuyzen) was out with his ankle injury, so I did the majority of the time at fullback,” he said.
“So I sort of got my head around that and tried to nail down that role the best I could.
“And when Coops (Cooper Johns) hurt his shoulder, that’s when the conversation came up about me going back to the halves.
“I’ve probably spent about two weeks there now with the trials, so it was good to get some game time under my belt.
“I’m still adapting to the system here at the Storm and I’ve been lucky enough to play centre and wing in my time in the NRL, so defensively I feel real comfortable defending the line.
“But I’m still learning my combinations with the players around me.”
Asked about the last time he played in the halves, the 24-year-old said: “Officially probably high school, which is six years or so now.
“But playing in the NRL at centre and five-eighth, defensively you have the same sort of role and you’ve got to rely on the inside and outside men to make decisions.
“So it’s now the attack aspect of that role and knowing where to be and who to get it to.”
There is still a question mark on the ankle of Papenhuyzen, and Meaney is expected to revert to fullback should the superstar fail to get up.
“I’m not quite sure (if I’ll go to fullback),” he said. “Paps has gotten through the last two sessions and he’s looking pretty good, but we’ve’ still got training today and the captain’s run to get through so I’m not too sure what might happen.”
Meaney also said he had been preparing this week to take the goal kicking duties given Papenhuyzen’s injury concern. “I think I will be (goal kicking) depending on how Paps’ foot is, so I’ve been practising this week,” he said.
BRING IT ON: CAMPBELL READY TO BE TARGETED BY RIVALS
- Travis Meyn
Titans fullback Jayden Campbell has declared he is ready to be targeted in 2022 as the Gold Coast prepare to kick off their season without Queensland Origin star AJ Brimson.
Brimson is racing the clock to prove his fitness for Sunday’s daunting clash against Parramatta at Commbank Stadium as he attempts to overcome a groin injury.
The Titans five-eighth reported the problem last week, on the back of a gruelling pre-season, and has been on restricted duties in the lead-up to the Eels clash.
If Brimson is ruled out of the season-opener, former Eels utility Will Smith is expected to take his place at five-eighth, in what would be a blow to the Gold Coast heading into a daunting showdown against Parramatta.
“We’re still taking it a bit easy with AJ this week. We’re hoping he will be 100 per cent by Sunday,” Titans coach Justin Holbrook said.
“He’s had his best pre-season in a few years but he tends to pick up a lot of niggling injuries.
“He just picked up some soreness last week so we had the chance to back off on him a bit and ramp it up at the end of the week so he’s right to go. We’re still planning on him being fully fit but I can’t guarantee that.”
Like most of the Titans’ top players, Brimson didn’t get to play a trial game after the Gold Coast’s final hitout against the Warriors was abandoned during Queensland’s recent flood crisis.
Campbell, 22, got 40 minutes of action under his belt against the Broncos a week earlier ahead of his first full season in the NRL.
The son of Dally M legend Preston Campbell, Jayden made his NRL debut last year and played seven games, including the Titans’ heartbreaking finals loss to the Roosters.
He has added 5kg to his slight frame since last year and is now sitting at around 80kg.
Campbell is expecting to be targeted by opposition defences looking to ruffle his feathers, but the custodian isn’t fazed by what’s coming his way in 2022 after being inspired by his pint-sized father.
“I’m expecting it (to be targeted) but I will take every game as it comes,” he said.
“We’re not the biggest blokes but footy is footy. I’ll get out on the field and keep playing. My size doesn’t bother me because I enjoy playing.
“I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself. I just want to keep playing and loving my footy. I’ve never played Parramatta before. It will be a really tough game.”
Campbell chopped off his three-year-old rat’s tail haircut on Wednesday to help the Titans raise money for the flood appeal.
Holbrook has put faith in Campbell firing at fullback this year and said he had no concerns about the youngster stepping up to the plate.
“He’s one of those guys that is a natural rugby league player, there is not a lot of them anymore,” Holbrook said.
“He is an instinctive player that is tough. He is slightly built but he is tough, that’s why I’ve got no issue playing him against big men. He has been used to that his whole career.
“Even when he was training against us last year, he would bring the ball back at 100 miles an hour and we would try to be physical on him and it never worked.
“That’s why I had no doubt throwing him in last year. Now with another pre-season he’s more confident and his combinations with Toby (Sexton) and AJ have been great.
“I’m really confident he will be one of the top fullbacks in the comp and we’re going to need him to be.”
More Coverage
Originally published as NRL 2022: Jake Averillo vows to silence critics and lock down Bulldogs’ No.7 spot
Kiwis call up Penrith young guns as injury crisis cuts deep
Dealing with an unprecedented injury crisis, Kiwi coach Stacey Jones has been forced to name an almost unrecognisable squad for the Pacific Championships including a junior NSW Origin star.
Billy Slater in insane career shift
Storm legend and Queensland coach Billy Slater has taken up a new position that nobody saw coming after the NRL season.