NRL Tackle: All the likes and dislikes from Round 18 of the NRL 2020
Our rugby league writers reveal what caught their eye — good and bad — in Round 18 of the NRL.
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Our rugby league writers reveal what caught their eye — good and bad — in Round 18 of the NRL.
Sharks vs Warriors
Like: The race for top tryscorer honours is heating up after Cronulla winger Sione Katoa scored the opening try against the Warriors on Sunday night to get within two of the top. Katoa had missed last week with a chest injury, but it only took him 12 minutes to find the line when he pounced on a Shaun Johnson kick. The winger was looking for tries all night — he even put in some grubber kicks for himself. Wests Tigers winger David Nofoaluma leads with 17 tries, two ahead of Katoa and Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt.
Dislike: The captain’s challenge has been a breath of fresh air for the NRL but it was frustrating on Sunday night. The Bunker was called upon on numerous occasions after referee Matt Cecchin made a number of on-field blunders. With so many minor decisions being sent for referral, it dramatically slowed the game down and left fans frustrated. The game lost a lot of momentum, and it had a negative effect on the quality of the spectacle.
Fox Sports key stats: Siosifa Talakai had a massive performance, with almost 200m, five tackle busts and 22 tackles without missing one. Johnson set up two more tries — he has 22 in total for the season, easily the most of any player.
- Michael Blok
Storm v Cowboys
Like: The next generation of NRL talent coming through. Melbourne’s monster Tino Fa’asuamaleaui continued to prove why he’s fast becoming the game’s best young forward. Big Tino finished the match with 165 running metres, three tackle breaks and a try. Fa’asuamaleaui played just his 22nd NRL match but looked every bit like a veteran with his tough carries and defence. The Titans will be counting down the minutes until he arrives on the Gold Coast in 2021. Meanwhile, Cowboys young gun Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow looked electric every time he touched the ball. He scored the first try of the match and almost bagged an incredible double. His speed and agility worried Melbourne’s defence at times and will be a huge asset to the Cowboys in future years.
Dislike: The Cowboys’ goal line defence. At times, it looked like a walk in the park for Melbourne to cross the line. Cameron Munster’s first-half try was probably the easiest of his career as he simply strolled through a yawning gap of about 10m right on the tryline. Fa’asuamaleaui and Nelson Asofa-Solomona were able to barge their way over while Josh Addo-Carr used his speed to break out of a tackle and score under the posts. The Cowboys have to address their defence during the off-season to have any hope of a finals berth next year.
Fox Sports key stats: This was Melbourne’s 17th straight win in Queensland and 23 straight wins against a bottom-four opponent. Their last loss to a bottom-four side came in 2015. Cameron Smith set up three tries for just the fifth time in his 426- game career.
- Chris Honnery
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Roosters v Knights
Like: The eyes up footy of Luke Keary. Two games back after a lay-off, Keary showed why he is one of the best halves in the competition. He started a short-side raid for a Daniel Tupou try and in the very next set completed another movement to score one of his own. He finished the match two tries and two try assists. With young halves partner Kyle Flanagan also getting better each week, the Roosters are again building to something special.
Dislike: The difference between the good and bad for the Knights. At their best they can compete with any team but at their worst they don’t even look like a finals team. Their loss ended their slim hopes of a top four finish but now they are battling for finals relevance. Some look just happy enough to return to finals footy but they will be wasting a season if they can’t make something of it. Defensively their attitude has been poor twice in the past three weeks and unless that changes soon they will be embarrassed come finals time.
Fox Sports key stats: Luke Keary in game 150 scored two tries (fifth career double), set up two others and ran for almost 100 metres. This was Newcastle’s seventh loss of the season - second by 30 points (36-6 v Warriors two weeks ago).
- Michael Carayannis
Titans v Broncos
Like: The Titans are one of the most improved teams of 2020 and could have played finals if not for a shortened season. After a slow start to the year on the back of last season’s wooden spoon, the Titans have mounted a late charge and become one of the NRL’s most entertaining outfits. The 95m try finished by Young Tonumaipea will be a contender for try-of-the-year and highlighted the free-flowing footy the Titans are capable of playing. Halfback Jamal Fogarty has been a revelation and Ash Taylor played his best game of the year. The future is bright on the Gold Coast for Justin Holbrook’s Titans.
Dislike: While the Broncos have been better in recent weeks they are still a long way off being a competitive team. The Broncos have now lost nine straight games and have only won one of their past 16 matches. Five-eighth Sean O’Sullivan is completely out of his depth in the NRL and is not helping impressive young halfback Tom Dearden at all. The Broncos are too disjointed in attack and rely on individual brilliance from Kotoni Staggs to create opportunities. The end of the season can’t come quick enough for Brisbane.
Fox Sports key stats: Third straight win for the Titans - first time since the middle of 2017. Seventh time this season the Broncos have been held to single figures, most in a regular season since 1989.
- Travis Meyn
Dragons v Raiders
Like: Josh Papalii’s monster hit on Cameron McInnes. Seriously. Imagine being hit by that? We can only imagine how poor Cameron is feeling today. It did far more than makes us all wince. Ricky Stuart said the Hulk-like hit changed the game. “He always has a turning point,” Stuart said. “A moment in him. All the good players do. We have a few middles there that are saying jump on my back and we will take you forward.” The Dragons were hanging on until Papalli took it upon himself to inspire his team with the bell ringer. Papalli showed the way for young teammates like Hudson Young, who had the best game of his career. Young is one of the NRL’s most improved forwards.
Dislike: Yeah, it was probably the right call but how good would have it been to see Cody Ramsey become the second player this year to score a hat-trick on debut? In a performance that finally gave Dragons fans reason to smile, Ramsey blazed his way onto the scene by scoring two tries in his first match. And it could have been three. Every rugby league fan – maybe even a few Raiders – cheered when the kid from Orange plucked an intercept and began sprinting down the field to score No.3. The party was cancelled when, of all things, a marker who had nothing to do with the play was called off-side. “I thought I had it,” Ramsey said. “It was close … but not close enough obviously.” Still it was a mighty debut. Few players can lay claim to scoring a try with their very first top-grade touch. “It was definitely an honour to finally pull on this jersey,” Ramsey said.
Fox Sports key stats: Canberra’s biggest win and highest score of the season - moving back ahead of the Rabbitohs into fifth position. Hudson Young had a big performance from the bench for the Raiders with 180 metres, five tackle busts, two linebreaks and a try.
- James Phelps
Panthers v Eels
Like: Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards, who is enjoying a resurrection of near Biblical proportions. Outstanding against the Eels, Edwards not only ran for 296m — the most of any player on the field — but also made a game high nine tackle busts. The performance continues a strong year for the Penrith No.1, who in 2019 endured the type of horror run that sees an NRL fullback shifted, first, to the wing, and then reserve grade. Yet despite the drama, and who knows how much head noise, Edwards has fought to not only get back into his one jersey, but also become an integral part of a Panthers side on a run of 13 straight wins.
Dislike: Like a balding RSL Lothario sporting double denim, the Parramatta Eels are certainly struggling to score. Over the past seven weeks, the Slipperies have passed 20 points only once, against the Warriors, and also managed only a penalty goal against big name opponents Penrith (2) and South Sydney (0). The Eels 18 points against Canterbury in Round 12 is also the least of any side playing the Dogs in that time period. While the Eels defended Penrith with all the grit of a guerrilla army, the bigger question now is from where their points will come, especially with rising No.6 Dylan Brown sidelined.
Fox Sports key stats: Penrith is on track to be the first team since St George in 1959 to go through a regular season losing just one match. A Storm loss will give the Panthers their third minor premiership. They won the competition on the other two occasions (1991, 2003). The Eels’ lowest score against Penrith since 1999 (13-0).
- Nick Walshaw
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Bulldogs v Sea Eagles
Like: With only pride to play for, the run home for these two clubs is an opportunity for players to make an early claim for positions in 2021 and two rising stars did exactly that on Friday night. Remarkably, Canterbury couldn’t find a place for Morgan Harper in their outfit and released him to Des Hasler’s Manly mid-season. The centre was on fire again at ANZ Stadium after scoring two tries in his club debut in round 17. Harper scored another try on Friday in a 204 run metre performance, which included six tackle busts and two line breaks - showcasing his explosive power and speed off the mark.
For the Bulldogs, all the talk has been about targeting Penrith’s Matt Burton as an answer to their misfiring halves; even more so now veteran playmaker Kieran Foran is departing the club. But Canterbury could already have their answer in local junior Jake Averillo, who started his first game at NRL level at five-eighth - his preferred position. Averillo showed plenty of promise and set-up Canterbury’s two only tries. “I’m an eyes up player. I like to run the ball, my running game is my strength and I think I can provide a lot more for the team when I’m in the halves,” Averillo said.
Dislike: The official crowd figure was 2151 and even in Covid times that is a disappointing turnout. The diehard faithful that did turn up were hardly treated to a high quality game of football. It’s proof that with the finals make-up close to being settled, the draw for matches with little consequences is going to be an incredibly hard sell for the NRL.
Fox Sports key stats: First time since the early 1980s Manly has won four straight games against the Bulldogs. Canterbury’s seventh straight loss and 16th defeat of the season - their equal second most in club history.
- Fatima Kdouh
Tigers v Rabbitohs
Like: Latrell Mitchell might not have been the kind of fullback many expected, but he’d become a crucial part of the Rabbitohs attack at the time of his season ending injury two weeks ago. Mitchell’s skill with the ball, and particularly his quick hands, had become crucial to South Sydney’s attack and if they’re to go deep in the finals they need Corey Allan to do his best impression of the Test and Origin star. Allan has shown some good signs in his first two matches at the back - he had a number of nice touches in this one, and backed up well to score a try - and he needs to keep it going as Souths gear up for the finals.
Dislike: It’s a tremendous shame Harry Grant’s stint with the Tigers is likely coming to an end. There’s no charity in the top grade, and Grant will end up being a worthy replacement for Cameron Smith should the Storm skipper hang up the boots but with Benji Marshall leaving the club the Tigers the joint venture will have a real lack of star power in 2021. Marshall might be 35, but he’s still the face of the Tigers and there’s nobody ready to fill the void - Luke Brooks is a fine player, but just doesn’t inspire the fans the same way, nor do the likes of Luciano Leilua or David Nofoaluma. Grant will be a good player wherever he goes, but at the Tigers he’d be the biggest name in town.
Fox Sports key stats: At one stage, there were just 23 players on the field with three in the sin bin (Alex Twal and Luke Brooks for the Tigers, Dane Gagai for Souths). The Tigers’ only win against a current top-eight side came against Cronulla in round three.
- Nick Campton
Originally published as NRL Tackle: All the likes and dislikes from Round 18 of the NRL 2020