The Tackle: James Tedesco, Tom Trbojevic, Nathan Cleary show class during Magic Round
They were supposed to be a real premiership threat, yet after a rough five weeks, Gold Coast are among the also-rans. Our writers wrap R10, plus full DALLY M VOTES.
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Our rugby league writers reveal what caught their eye — good and bad — in Round 10 of the NRL, plus check out the Dally M votes from every game and full leaderboard.
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TIGERS v KNIGHTS
Dally M points
Judge: Ryan Girdler
3 Adam Doueihi (WST)
2 Luke Brooks (WST)
1 Luciano Leilua (WST)
Like: There was plenty of criticism of Michael Maguire’s decision to shift Adam Doueihi out of the halves in favour of Moses Mbye. But the coach was vindicated and should be applauded for making the change. Not only did Mbye produce his best performance in recent memory, it was also Luke Brooks’ best game of the year. Doueihi also had an impact in the centres. The balance of the side certainly looked better with the shake-up. But like anything with the Tigers – the trio have to show it was not a flash in the pan.
Dislike: Newcastle need to find a way to get Jake Clifford to the club ASAP. The Cowboys half isn’t due to arrive at the club until next year but the Knights need him now. The Knights were without Mitchell Pearce and Kalyn Ponga – their two best attacking players – and it showed. Blake Green was sidelined, too, although he was struggling before his injury. The halves partnership of Kurt Mann and Phoenix Crossland just can’t get the job done in terms of putting the team in good positions to score points and build pressure.
Fox Sports key stats: Luke Brooks ran for 167 metres - the second most of his career (178 v Dragons in 2019). Knights’ sixth loss of the season - fourth by 18 points or more.
- Michael Carayannis
SEA EAGLES v BRONCOS
Dally M points
Judge: Andrew Johns
3 Tom Trbojevic (MAN)
2 Jake Trbojevic (MAN)
1 Daly Cherry-Evans (MAN)
Like: Tom Trbojevic is now the No.1 player in the NRL. That is a reasonable assessment to make following his latest masterclass against the Broncos. At 194cm and 102kg, Trbojevic is a terrifying fusion of speed, power and grace and he tormented the Broncos with his tackle-busting power, pace off the mark and ability to link with supports, both on the edges and in midfield. If Trbojevic stays fit, the 24-year-old will dominate the NRL for 10 years. Queensland fans will also be excited by the superb form of Daly Cherry-Evans, who had the ball on a string.
Dislike: While the Broncos were stitched up by the NRL’s crackdown on foul play, their inconsistency and mental fade-outs remain huge problems. The Broncos have solved their halfback headache with the signing of Adam Reynolds but they could do well to find a matchwinning winger. Corey Oates was totally outclassed by Jason Saab’s pace and the loss of Xavier Coates to the Storm next season will leave Brisbane without some X-factor on the flanks. Coach Kevin Walters must continue his recruitment drive.
Fox Sports key stats: Jason Saab scored his third double in his past five games. He has scored in six straight games for a total of 10 tries. Brisbane’s second biggest loss at Suncorp (59-0 v Roosters in round 4 last season). Only the fourth time they have conceded 50 points there.
- Peter Badel
BULLDOGS v RAIDERS
Dally M points
Judge: Wendell Sailor
3 Caleb Aekins (CBR)
2 Corey Harawira-Naera (CBR)
1 George Williams (CBR)
Like: With Canberra chasing points, they were laid on by perhaps the most unlikeliest of players in fullback Caleb Aekins. Aekins helped salvage Canberra’s season. The ex-Panther recorded his first win as a Raider by laying on two tries, two line break assists and running for a team high 145 metres. When Canberra were down it was left to Aekins to deliver. And
he did with two beautiful passes to lay on tries to respective centres. The first was to Curtis Scott and the next a near replica on the other side of the field to Seb Kris. Two huge plays which largely went unnoticed but prove how much Aekins is developing as he gets to spend some genuine time at fullback because of the injury to Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.
Dislike: The Bulldogs don’t know what to do in certain stages of matches. Well, if they do know they don’t execute it properly. It comes down their halves. Coach Trent Barrett axed Kyle Flanagan in the lead up the game but they could have done with his kicking game. When Canberra were reduced to just 11, Canterbury halfback Jake Averillo put in a cross-field kick which produced a seven tackle set. It was a huge moment in the game and one where the Bulldogs were desperate for a repeat set. A result there and they would have closed out the game.
Fox Sports key stats: Josh Papalii became just the sixth Raiders player to be sent off in the NRL Era (1998-2021). Nick Cotric was sent off in round 17 last season. Second straight season the Bulldogs have started 1-9. They had done so just three times prior to 2020.
- Michael Carayannis
SHARKS v RABBITOHS
Dally M points
Judge: James Smith
3 Benji Marshall (SOU)
2 William Kennedy (CRO)
1 Damien Cook (SOU)
Like: Your attention please, don’t let the wily old fox fool you. For weeks now, Souths coach Wayne Bennett has been banging on about his side’s apparent poor performances. Yes, there was a 44-point loss to Melbourne in there but Souths have won eight from 10 games this season and sit fourth. Souths are positioning themselves beautifully for a late charge and have a host of champions to return, including Latrell Mitchell. The Rabbitohs aren’t destroying teams, granted, but grand finals aren’t won in May and Bennett knows that. It happened again on Saturday. Souths were unconvincing but regrouped and came home strongly to post a 10-point win over Cronulla. “I wasn’t impressed,” Bennett stressed again. Don’t let Benny pull the wool – they are a champion side building their grand final charge brick by brick.
Dislike: Yes, they had a dig and, yes, they reduced a 20-point deficit to just two points but, in reality, Cronulla lost, again. The Sharks were certainly brave – and perhaps a few calls went against them – but this was still their eighth defeat in 10 games. Cronulla sit 14th only ahead of Brisbane (on percentages) and Canterbury. The Sharks are delusional if they genuinely think new coach Craig Fitzgibbon will walk in and fix this mess. Cronulla only has a 76-point negative for the season, which does show the team is having a dig. While meritorious, simply having a crack each week isn’t good enough when you’re getting rolled each week. Andrew Fifita returned to the NRL against Souths and was strong but his future at the club remains clouded.
Fox Sports key stats: Benji Marshall set up multiple tries for the 73rd time in his career - first since round 19 last season. Six straight losses for the Sharks - first time since losing 10 straight in 2014-15.
- Dean Ritchie
ROOSTERS v COWBOYS
Dally M points
Judge: Wally Lewis
3 James Tedesco (SYD)
2 Daniel Tupou (SYD)
1 Victor Radley (SYD)
Like: James Tedesco still deserves to be the NSW No.1 despite the stunning comeback of Manly’s Tom Trbojevic and Melbourne’s Ryan Papenhuyzen. Tedesco was back to his brilliant best against the Cowboys, running for 171m, setting up two tries and registering four line-break assists in a matchwinning performance. Trbojevic has been in a sensational patch of form for the Sea Eagles, nearly single-handedly rescuing Manly’s season since returning from a hamstring injury. Papenhuyzen is also on a meteoric rise at the Storm after winning last year’s Clive Churchill Medal and is putting heat on Tedesco. But “Teddy” is still the king and deserves to retain his favoured No. 1 jersey for Origin I at the MCG on June 9.
Dislike: NRL coaches need to form a united opinion on the way forward for high-contact incidents. The Magic Round weekend was overshadowed by the NRL’s controversial crackdown on high-contact which saw mass penalties and sin-binnings. Opinion was divided across the game and even with the head coaches. Roosters mentor Trent Robinson backed the decision to focus on eliminating high tackles. However his rival, North Queensland’s Todd Payten, said the game should “go back to the way it was”. If the coaches can’t get on the same page then what hope does the NRL have of fixing the problem?
Fox Sports key stats: Daniel Tupou scored the 20th try double of his career - his first against the Cowboys since 2014. Cowboys’ sixth loss of the season is their fourth by 14 points or more.
- Travis Meyn
WARRIORS v EELS
Dally M points
Judge: Corey Parker
3 Mitchell Moses (PAR)
2 Reed Mahoney (PAR)
1 Reagan Campbell-Gillard (PAR)
Like: Mitch Moses, you’re the man. Moses had another stunning game, setting up two tries, saving another and kicking well in his side’s strong win. This bloke has – under the guidance of halves coach and Immortal Andrew Johns – started to dominate and excel at an elite level over a sustained period. He is taking the right options at the right times. Parramatta has not
won a premiership since Peter Sterling was Eels halfback. Many have promised glory days, no-one has delivered. Moses now has the artillery and confidence to be that man. Throw in a big, mean forward pack – led by Junior and Reagan Campbell-Gillard – and the Eels are starting to look like the side that could give this title one hell of a shake. Parra fans have been let down before. But this year is different. You finally have a number 7 capable of taking your team all the way.
Dislike: The Warriors have this horrible habit of imploding during short periods of a game. And it’s been happening for years. They fight back but the damage has been done. Sure, New Zealand gave Parramatta a shake but too many errors early cruelled their chances. In just their first set, they threw the ball over the sideline. It seems those horrid periods happen more against the top sides who score what Warriors coach Nathan Brown describes as “clumps of tries.” Those early dramas generally ensure New Zealand are fatigued last with the inevitable result – defeat. The Warriors are moving ahead – they can post points - but find it difficult to defend their way out of trouble through their own errors.
Fox Sports key stats: Eels start 9-1 for just the third time in club history and first time since 1977. Sixth loss of the season for the Warriors who have won just two games since round three.
- Dean Ritchie
STORM v DRAGONS
Dally M points
Judge: Sam Thaiday
3 Nicho Hynes (MEL)
2 Josh Addo-Carr (MEL)
1 Jahrome Hughes (MEL)
Like: Seeing young Victorian flyer Dean Ieremia getting mobbed by his teammates after scoring his first NRL try seconds after coming on as 18th man for Josh Addo-Carr, who copped a suspected hip-drop tackle. The 18th man rule has been a great innovation and gives the chance for fringe players like Samoan-born, Victorian-raised Ieremia to get a crack in the top grade and he provided a great moment for the Storm club with his first touch. Ieremia can thank utility Nicho Hynes and left centre Justin Olam for the four-pointer after they produced some great lead-up work to send the winger crashing over.
Dislike: Tyrell Fuimaono throwing away any chance the Dragons had of beating the undermanned Storm who looked ripe for the picking. People can whinge all they like about the crackdown on high shots, but Fuimaono got what he deserved for his hit on Ryan Papenhuyzen and, the fact tackles like this probably would have escaped an on-field sanction not so long ago, is a blight on where the game was at. As if the crackdown wasn’t warning enough, Fuimaono also watched his teammate, Josh McGuire, go the sin bin for high contact minutes before his tackle on the Storm fullback, so the message clearly didn’t sink in and he decided to clock Papenhuyzen long after he passed the ball. An absolute coach killer of a play from Fuimaono.
- Russell Jackson
TITANS v PANTHERS
Dally M points
Judge: Ben Hannant
3 Nathan Cleary (PEN)
2 James Fisher-Harris (PEN)
1 Steven Crichton (PEN)
Like: The Panthers keep on breaking records. Nathan Cleary smashed the individual KFC SuperCoach scoring record, racking up an incredible 246 points on the back of three tries, three try assists and three linebreaks. That’s well ahead of the previous mark of 203 set by Cody Walker in round 20 last year. James Tedesco (199), Ryan Papenhuyzen (197) and Tom Trbojevic (194) round out the all-time top five. Cleary reached 900 career points in just 109 games, making him the fastest player to reach the mark since Mat Rogers in the 2000 season. Cleary was denied his first Dally M medal last year in a stunning upset, but if he continues this form he should run away with the game’s highest individual award.
Dislike: Herman Ese’ese’s brain snap in the dying minutes of the first half. The Gold Coast forward was sent off in the 38th minute for a careless high tackle on Penrith winger Brian To’o, reducing the Titans to just 12 men. It was an unnecessary shot in any round of the year but completely nonsensical on a weekend the NRL had come down hard on contact to the head. It left the already struggling Titans defence with one last man to stop the top-of-the-table Panthers - who piled on 48 points. The Gold Coast were already without their big man David Fifita and losing another one during the match was not what the Titans needed.
- Chris Honnery
DALLY M LEADERBOARD
19: Nathan Cleary
15: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
14: James Fisher-Harris
13: Latrell Mitchell
12: Ryan Papenhuyzen, Tom Trbojevic.
11: Adam Doueihi
10: Benji Marshall, James Tedesco, Reed Mahoney
Originally published as The Tackle: James Tedesco, Tom Trbojevic, Nathan Cleary show class during Magic Round
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