NRL Early Mail Round 2, 2022: Predicted team changes for upcoming round
KFC SuperCoach teams have been torn apart by news of an injury Shaun Johnson, but there’s welcome news coming out of the Broncos.
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Albert Kelly is set to pip Billy Walters for Brisbane’s No. 6 jersey and the chance to partner star Broncos halfback recruit Adam Reynolds.
Coach Kevin Walters is expected to make the huge decision to pick Kelly ahead of his son Billy as Reynolds’ scrumbase partner for Sunday’s clash against the Bulldogs in Sydney.
Kelly was man-of-the-match in Brisbane’s 11-4 upset win against grand finalists South Sydney at Suncorp Stadium last Friday night.
And Walters is set to reward the experienced playmaker by retaining him in the halves for the Bulldogs game at Accor Stadium.
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Walters could yet retain a spot in Brisbane’s 17 as the bench utility following a strong Broncos debut at five-eighth against the Rabbitohs.
The bench is set for a reshuffle, with Kobe Hetherington also likely to join Walters on interchange for the Bulldogs clash.
Hetherington, whose father Jason is a Canterbury legend, ran strongly with the Broncos top squad after missing last week’s season opener due to Covid.
The Broncos will train at Red Hill on Tuesday, with Kelly expected to spend the majority of the session at five-eighth alongside Reynolds.
The Broncos could be set for a double boost, with first-choice fullback Tesi Niu to be put through his paces before Walters names his round 2 team on Tuesday afternoon.
Niu suffered a hamstring injury in the pre-season, but is nearing full fitness and is in the mix for his first appearance of the year.
One name certain to be added to Brisbane’s line-up is Reynolds, who has completed his Covid isolation and looked a picture of good health at training as he prepares to make his much-awaited Broncos debut in the no.7 jumper.
EELS UTILITY RULED OUT
Marata Niukore’s return to the Eels has been delayed by at least a week because of a calf strain.
Niukore was an option to fill in for the depleted Eels outside backs but he will miss the clash against the Sharks.
He did not play in week one because of a suspension. Nathan Brown is expected to be recalled into the squad.
TIGERS COP UNTIMELY BLOW
The Wests Tigers have suffered an untimely injury blow with winger Ken Maumalo in doubt for Saturday’s clash against Newcastle.
Maumalo didn’t finish Tuesday morning’s session after he appeared to pick up hamstring injury.
The injury is being described as a “tweak” with Maumalo likely to be named on Tuesday, but he is no certainty of taking the field.
The winger was spotted with an ice pack strapped to his right leg after the incident.
Maumalo’s injury is another hit for coach Michael Maguire’s outside back stocks.
The Tigers already have backs Adam Doueihi (ACL), Tommy Talau (ACL) and Asu Kepaoa (ACL, pec) sidelined.
While New recruit and former Knights winger Starford To’a, is one option for Maguire, the coach used train and trial player Junior Pauga on the wing for the remainder of the session. Pauga player two games for the Tigers last season.
Halfback Luke Brooks and forward James Tamou were notable omissions at Tuesday’s training session. The co-captains should be available to take on Newcastle.
THREE SHARKS CLOSE IN ON RETURNS
Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon is bracing for a tough decision on whether to rush all three of his guns back from the casualty ward with Cameron McInnes, Connor Tracey and Jack Williams all under consideration to play this weekend.
While forwards McInnes and Williams (both knee) will need to pass final fitness tests on Thursday, Tracey looked sharp as he trained with the Cronulla NRL squad on Tuesday morning.
Tracey missed round one with a groin issue, but is back in the frame for selection for the Sharks first home game in two years against the Eels at PointsBet Stadium on Saturday night.
The robust utility has developed into a valuable problem-solver for the Sharks over the 12-months with his ability to play wing, centre or in the halves.
WARRIORS CRUEL TRIPLE BLOW
The Warriors have been rocked by news fan favourite Shaun Johnson will miss up to a month with a pectoral strain.
Johnson picked up the injury while playing his first game for the club in three-and-a-half years against the Dragons on the weekend.
Also injured in the clash were young centre Viliami Vailea (MCL, 3-4 weeks) and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (broken thumb, 6-8 weeks).
SIX POPULAR CHEAPIES SET TO MISS OUT
Six popular KFC SuperCoach cheapies are in grave danger of missing round two following a turbulent opening round of NRL:
* Canberra young gun Brad Schneider, owned by 39 per cent, is out after testing positive to Covid.
* Warriors young gun Viliami Vailea, owned by a massive 42 per cent, is out for 3-4 weeks with an MCL knee injury.
* South Sydney’s Blake Taaffe, owned by 19 per cent, is out for at least another week due to an ankle issue.
* Parramatta winger Sean Russell (ribs), owned by 18 per cent, was sent to hospital after a sickening hit and is expected to be ruled out.
* Tolutau Koula, owned by 30 per cent, is set to drop off the Manly bench due to the return of Dylan Walker.
* James Schiller, owned by 33 per cent, could drop out of the Canberra backline with Seb Kris (Covid protocols) due back.
FORWARD RESHUFFLE FOR DRAGONS
Dragons coach Anthony Griffin is expected to name Tariq Sims in his 17-man squad for the match against the Panthers.
Aaron Woods is out for at least a week with a minor hamstring strain.
Sims, recovered from a calf injury, played NSW Cup last weekend to get match fitness.
“He can play on the edge or in the middle,” Griffin said.
George Burgess also played NSW Cup and is expected to be named in the club’s 24-man squad on Tuesday.
FRESH BLOW FOR INJURY-HIT PANTHERS
Penrith’s premiership defence has suffered a massive blow with revelations starting prop Moses Leota will miss up to 10 weeks with a fractured shoulder.
Leota suffered the injury while making a tackle in the dying stages of last Thursday night’s season-opening win against Manly.
The club confirmed Leota suffered a ‘glenoid fracture’, which can often require surgery, however News Corp understands Leota won’t need to go under the knife.
“The affected area is the shoulder socket component of the scapula, which means the 26-year-old will commence a rehabilitation program and be sidelined for 8-10 weeks,” the Panthers said in a statement on Monday afternoon.
The starting prop was a notable omission from Monday morning’s training session but was later spotted in the club’s gym wearing a sling.
Back-rower Scott Sorensen said the loss of Leota is a hit to Penrith’s engine room.
While fellow prop James Fisher-Harris earns all the public accolades, the presence of the softly spoken Leota has a similar impact to that of the New Zealand international.
“His [nickname is ‘The Tank’, that explains how important he is for us,” Sorensen said of Leota.
“He’s explosive, powerful and a massive part of our pack.”
Bench forward Spencer Leniu trained in the starting side in the final stages of Penrith’s training run and is the man most likely to replace Leota in coach Ivan Cleary’s 13 to take on the Dragons.
Other options are rising forwards Lindsay Smith and Eddie Blacker.
New recruit and forward Chris Smith was 18th man against the Sea Eagles but mostly trained on an edge on Monday morning.
“There’s always the next up mentality, whoever comes in will grab the jersey with both hands,” Sorensen said.
Nathan Cleary trained in a red medical bib as the halfback ran plays with both the first and second-string sides. Cleary is still two weeks away from making a return from shoulder surgery.
Boom forward Mavrik Geyer trained to the side of the main group and completed running drills, while sporting a heavily strapped left elbow.
STORM v RABBITOHS
Thursday, 8.05pm, AAMI Park, Melbourne
Storm: Melbourne look set for a host of changes for the blockbuster clash with South Sydney.
Cameron Munster returns from suspension in place of Nick Meaney in the halves.
Meaney will shift to the wing in place of George Jennings (knee, season), where he’ll likely continue to goal-kick ahead of Ryan Papenhuyzen for the time being.
Harry Grant returns from suspension, he’ll start at hooker and likely go the distance with Brandon Smith (hand) set to miss a few weeks.
Christian Welch (Achilles) will miss the remainder of the season, with Jesse Bromwich (Covid protocols) to return to the starting team in his place at prop.
Trent Loiero was charged with a cannonball tackle, but can escape with a fine with an early guilty plea.
Chris Lewis returns from suspension and should take up a spot on the bench, while Marion Seve will also come into contention as he bids to return from an ankle injury.
Injuries in the pack should see KFC SuperCoach cheapie Josh King again start at lock, with cheapie Alec Macdonald to play from the bench.
Rabbitohs: Blake Taaffe is out for 3-4 weeks. Latrell Mitchell returns from suspension at fullback, with Alex Johnston returning to the wing and Josh Mansour dropping out of the team.
Mitchell will take over the goal-kicking duties from Jaxson Paulo.
Taaffe was set to drop to the bench with Mitchell’s return, but Siliva Havilii will now retain the interchange role.
DRAGONS v PANTHERS
Friday, 6pm, Netstrata Jubilee Stadium, Sydney
Dragons: Origin forward Tariq Sims is expected to be named in the 17-man squad after playing NSW Cup last week.
Aaron Woods (hamstring) is out for at least a week, while George Burgess will be somewhere in the 24-man line-up.
Panthers: Moses Leota is set to miss an extended period due to a shoulder injury sustained in the win over the Sea Eagles.
Demoted to NSW Cup last weekend, Matt Eisenhuth likely gains a recall, with either he or Spencer Leniu starting at prop.
Nathan Cleary is still expected to be a few weeks away from a return.
ROOSTERS v SEA EAGLES
Friday, 8.05pm, SCG, Sydney
Roosters: Billy Smith and Victor Radley both must pass concussion protocols to face the Sea Eagles, which will be made tougher by the six day turnaround between games.
If Smith misses, Paul Momirovski would likely push to centre, with Kevin Naiqama coming onto the wing, while Joseph Suaalii is also nearing a return from injury and would come into consideration if deemed fit.
If Radley misses, Trent Robinson may opt to shift Connor Watson into the ballplaying lock role, with Ben Marschke deputising at hooker.
Alternatively, Egan Butcher may be a straight swap as starting lock.
Sea Eagles: Manly came out of the Round 1 loss to Penrith relatively unscathed.
Kawl Lawton will need to pass concussion protocols to face the Roosters, he’ll be aided by the eight day turnaround in his bid to play.
Dylan Walker is nearing a return and would replace Tolutau Koula as the bench utility.
TITANS v WARRIORS
Saturday, 3pm, Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast
Titans: AJ Brimson is expected to return to the side at five-eighth after missing the opener due to groin soreness.
He’d replace Will Smith who would move to the bench, pushing Tanah Boyd out of the team.
There hasn’t been much clarification on the extent of Corey Thompson’s hand injury, but if again unavailable it’d see Greg Marzhew starting on the wing.
KFC SuperCoaches would have been relieved to see both David Fifita and Beau Fermor play the full 80 in Round 1.
Warriors: A few changes are anticipated at the Warriors with Reece Walsh and Matt Lodge returning from suspension, while Shaun Johnson (pec), Viliami Vailea (knee) and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (broken thumb) are all out.
With Walsh returning at fullback, Chanel Harris-Tavita could move into the halves for Johnson.
The likes of Jesse Arthars and Edward Kosi are in line for spots in the outside backs.
SHARKS v EELS
Saturday, 5.30pm, Pointsbet Stadium, Sydney
Sharks: Recruit Cameron McInnes could make his Cronulla debut after a pre-season injury setback. Connor Tracey missed Round 1 with a groin niggle. He’ll push for a return at centre, which would see Ronaldo Mulitalo move to the wing, and Matt Ikuvalu drop out of the side.
Eels: Hat-trick hero Sean Russell is expected to miss a period with suspected broken ribs, although we’re still awaiting confirmation of the results.
Tom Opacic scored four tries in the Eels’ 34-6 NSW Cup win over the Dragons at the weekend and is the frontrunner for an NRL call-up. The former Cowboy could come into the centres, with Waqa Blake shifting out onto the wing to replace Russell.
Opacic played the first 16 rounds of last season before being rocked by the tragic passing of his brother. With his 64 games of NRL experience, he would be the logical choice to slot into Parramatta’s backline.
If coach Brad Arthur wants to limit the reshuffle, rookie Fijian outside back Solomone Naiduki is an option for a like-for-like replacement.
Marata Niukore returns from suspension and will come onto the bench.
COWBOYS v RAIDERS
Saturday, 7.35pm, QCB Stadium, Townsville
Cowboys: Jake Granville was placed on report for dangerous contact, with any possible charges to be released on Monday.
Rueben Cotter was withdrawn from the squad due to hamstring tightness, provided he gets the all clear he’d return to the side to face the Raiders.
Raiders: The absence of Brad Schneider (Covid) could open the door for Sam Williams at halfback.
Josh Hodgson received good news on his concerning knee injury, he’s expected to miss just a few weeks of action.
This will see Tom Starling start at hooker, with Matt Frawley likely to come onto the bench as cover having spent time in the pre-season training at number nine.
Seb Kris (Covid protocols) will come into contention for selection. He’s a strong chance of replacing James Schiller at centre.
Josh Papalii passed a game day HIA test, while Semi Valemei failed his and will need to pass relevant protocols to take his part in the clash.
KNIGHTS v TIGERS
Sunday, 4.05pm, McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
Knights: Daniel Saifiti is a chance to return from a leg injury, but the club aren’t expected to rush him back, especially after a stunning Round 1 upset over the Roosters.
Brodie Jones is aiming to return from a quad niggle, but again caution is expected which may see him given another week to recover.
Tigers: The Tigers are facing a hooking dilemma should Jake Simpkin miss this week’s clash with the Knights, however, Michael Maguire stated after the game it was just a ‘stinger’.
It’d be a relief as the club are already missing rake Jacob Liddle. If unavailable, Tyrone Peachey would be favoured to start at nine.
James Tamou returns from suspension in the starting team, with Alex Seyfarth likely the man to make way.
Ken Maumalo is in doubt with a hamstring issue.
BULLDOGS v BRONCOS
Sunday, 6.15pm, Accor Stadium, Sydney
Bulldogs: It’ll be a tough wait for Trent Barrett, with Chris Patolo, Jeremy Marshall-King, Braidon Burns and Brent Naden all needing to pass concussion protocols having failed HIAs in the gutsy win over the Cowboys.
Tevita Pangai Jnr was a crucial late withdrawal from the clash due to hamstring tightness.
The extent is believed to be minor, but the club may take a cautious approach to his return due to his history with the injury.
If available, he’d start on the edge with Corey Waddell dropping back to the bench.
Broncos: Adam Reynolds (Covid protocol) is expected to make his long-awaited club debut in place of Albert Kelly.
Kobe Hetherington (Covid protocol) is also available for selection. I’m expecting him to start at lock, with Patrick Carrigan moving to prop and Keenan Palasia to the bench.
Promising rookie Brendan Piakura returns from suspension and is likely to make his way onto the bench.
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Originally published as NRL Early Mail Round 2, 2022: Predicted team changes for upcoming round
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