Monday Bunker: Kalyn Ponga surges as Anthony Milford fails to step up
WHILE a $3 million splurge could prove a bargain for one club, another side needs their money man to earn his keep. Our experts analyse all the Round 1 NRL action.
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UPSETS, comebacks, golden point thrillers and dominant victories — Round 1 of the 2018 NRL season had it all.
With the opening weekend of the competition now done and dusted, our team of rugby league writers analyse the NRL’s talking points in the first edition of the Monday Bunker. The Monday Bunker show will be live streamed on our website and Facebook from 12.30pm (AEDT).
If you have any questions for them, leave them in the comments section below.
MILLION-DOLLAR MAN NEEDS TO EARN HIS KEEP
DRAGONS 34 BRONCOS 12 : Lodge struggles as Broncos belted
ANALYSIS: Five things we learned from Dragons-Broncos clash
$6M MAN: Hunt repays faith in Dragons debut v old club
More money, more problems. If $1 million Broncos pivot Anthony Milford wants a Johnathan Thurston-like salary, he needs to start performing like him. Now comes the ultimate acid test for Milford — a showdown with Cowboys champion Thurston in the Queensland derby this Friday night at Suncorp.
Milford’s performance against the Dragons was awful. On a ratings scale out of 10, it was a two. Brisbane have made Milford the highest-paid player in their 30-year history and with that financial reward comes searing expectation. Milford can no longer rely on intermittent moments of individual magic. He must now own the Broncos and steer the team through the journey of an 80-minute performance. Just like Thurston at the Cowboys. And Cameron Smith at Melbourne.
Granted, he played behind a beaten pack at Kogarah, but Milford was still guilty of some unforced errors and his last-play options lacked maturity. One grubber kick went sailing past the dead-ball line and thudded into the advertising boards. If he does that against Thurston this week, the Broncos will be 0-2.
— Peter Badel
KNIGHTS’ $3M SPLURGE WILL PROVE A BARGAIN
KNIGHTS 19 SEA EAGLES 18: Pearce the hero for Newcastle
COACH’S REACTION: Trent Barrett proud of Manly in defeat
There was a story many years ago about how Parramatta turned down the chance to sign a schoolboy from Penrith because the asking price was $30,000.
At the time the Eels were coming off four premierships in the 1980s and thought it was ridiculous money to be paying a kid.
That kid’s name was Brad Fittler.
Over time, I reckon Newcastle’s decision to fork out a reported $3 million over four years for Kalyn Ponga will prove a bargain.
While we already knew about the talent the young bloke had, the blinding speed and that electric sidestep, what Ponga also showed on Friday night is that he has the toughness and courage to back it up.
You wouldn’t have expected anything less from Manly than to go out and test the 19-year-old and from the very first kick Brian Kelly didn’t miss.
But as Nathan Brown proudly pointed out after the game, Ponga showed that he is made of the right stuff with the way he bounced back.
“To get straight back after copping a knock and want the ball (to score the first try) and save a try (on Akuila Uate) and kick three from three (conversions) … we can all say he has done a pretty fair job for us,” Brown said.
No doubt Ponga is going to have some rough days ahead but Knights fans have every reason to be feeling excited about this bloke.
— Paul Crawley
DEPTH A BOOST FOR CLUB, HEADACHE FOR COACH
COWBOYS 20 SHARKS 14: JT reaches 300 not out in style
ANALYSIS: Five things we learned from Cowboys-Sharks
North Queensland coach Paul Green could be faced with some selection headaches ahead of this Friday’s derby clash with the Broncos.
The Cowboys kicked off their season on a positive note last week, overcoming Cronulla 20-14 in Johnathan Thurston’s 300th game in Townsville.
The did so without two of their big-name stars in Michael Morgan (abdominal strain) and Lachlan Coote (hamstring), but Te Maire Martin and Ben Hampton deputised well for the pair.
Hampton displayed an impressive running game from fullback while Martin did well to overcome a bombed try and an intercept pass to put in a solid performance, with the young half looking slick alongside Thurston.
However, both Morgan and Coote are racing the clock to prove their fitness for this week’s highly-anticipated showdown with Brisbane, meaning Green may have to drop either Martin or Hampton.
Hampton took on the bench utility role for the Cowboys last year and is the most likely of the pair to stay in the 17, which means Martin could go from starting half to Intrust Super Cup in the space of a week.
Both players did enough to prove their worth and this selection dilemma just shows how strong the Cowboys’ depth is in 2018.
Green said he will “pick the team that I think is the best chance of winning the game each week”.
— Rikki-Lee Arnold
BIG MEN MUST AIM UP FOR RUFFLED ROOSTERS
WESTS TIGERS 10 ROOSTERS 8: Marshall leads way in shock triumph
It’s only round one, but the pressure is already on the Roosters’ forward pack to perform to their potential.
Trent Robinson’s big men were outmuscled by the Tigers in Saturday’s shock loss.
Starting props Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Sio Siua Taukeiaho proved no match for Wests recruits Russell Packer and Ben Matulino.
Dylan Napa came off the bench and did his best to fire the Roosters, but the Tigers’ unheralded forwards were too good.
If prized signings Cooper Cronk and James Tedesco are to play their best football this season, they need the pack to set a strong platform.
The Roosters’ main weakness last year was a lack of grunt from their big men, especially when it mattered most in the finals, so it can’t happen again in 2018.
The signature of former wrecking ball Frank Paul-Nu’uausala is now vitally important. Big Frank didn’t play any football in the opening round to build his fitness, but don’t be surprised if he is selected for Friday’s clash against archrivals Canterbury at Allianz Stadium.
The Bulldogs possess a big pack led by Aaron Woods and David Klemmer, so the Roosters’ forwards must aim up for the boys from Bondi to claim victory.
— Matt Logue
WARRIORS TAKE A BIG STEP FORWARD, BUT IS IT FOR REAL?
RABBITOHS 20 WARRIORS 32: RTS winds back clock with star showing
Are you brave enough to do it?
Can you give in to temptation?
Do you have the chutzpah, the stones, and the sheer nerve to throw yourself in front of the speeding train and tell the world “Yes, I believe in the New Zealand Warriors!”?
If you’re anything like me you’ve given in and been burned many times in the past, but it must be said that the Warriors looked as good as they have in a while in their win over Souths.
Shaun Johnson was running the ball and looked great doing it. Blake Green did all the Blake Green things we know he brings to the table. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck looked great at fullback, particularly in defence, which has been an area he’s struggled in over the last two seasons.
The forwards were also strong — James Gavet led the way in terms of yardage and the backrow pairing of Tohu Harris and Isaiah Papali’i looks to be a winner. Papali’i in particular looked right at home in his first start in first grade and may allow the club to keep Simon Mannering at lock when the former skipper returns.
Issac Luke also looked sharp, running well out of dummy half and threatening the line on numerous occasions.
The Warriors have another chance to convert some sceptics this weekend against the Titans, a team they’ve dominated even during their darkest days.
But there will still be plenty of people who doubt them, and it’s difficult for even the most ardent Kiwi to be all in after being burned so many times in the past.
So, are you brave enough to do it?
— Nick Campton
MUNSTER THE MAN TO STEER STORM INTO FUTURE
BULLDOGS 18 STORM 36: Magic Melbourne show why they're No. 1
Cameron Munster is on the verge of something special — provided he settles down away from the field.
Munster was easily the difference for a Melbourne side that disposed of a willing Canterbury team on Saturday night.
He shifted from five-eighth to fullback for the injured Billy Slater and starred — laying on three tries with Storm coach Craig Bellamy lauding Munster, describing him as a “very, very talented player.”
Talent-wise there is no question Munster is the man to lead the post Slater, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk era at the Storm. But there have been some concerns for his enjoyment of a good time off the field.
His opposing No. 1 Moses Mbye also shone in his new role. The Bulldogs attack looked slicker than it has in previous years but with new combinations they are going to take some time to swing into gear. But Mbye and new half Kieran Foran showed some positive signs.
— Michael Carayannis
ENERGETIC PANTHERS SHOW FUTURE MAY BE BRIGHT AFTER ALL
PANTHERS V EELS: Doubters silenced as mountain of trouble disappears
NEARLY 30 minutes into round one, trailing 14-0, it appeared Penrith’s destructive preseason had boiled over onto the paddock.
Matt Moylan, Bryce Cartwright and Leilani Latu were supposed to be men at the forefront of restoring the Panthers back to their glory days, instead all three had departed the club that gave them their start in the NRL.
Fast-forward to the end of their local derby against Western Sydney rivals Parramatta, and concerns of capitulation have been erased.
Playing with immense energy, the fit and firing Panthers overcame the early deficit to run out 24-14 winners in their season opener.
Anthony Griffin’s troops started 2017 as competition favourites and were belted by the Dragons seven tries to two.
Without the weight of expectation to begin the new year, the new halves pairing of James Maloney and Nathan Cleary led the side to an uplifting performance that showed enough to suggest the mountain men will be competitive this season.
Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Viliame Kikau, Corey Harawira-Naera and returning veteran Sam McKendry were outstanding off the bench, adding plenty of punch to the side’s go-forward through the middle third.
While we’re only one week into the season, fans have plenty of reason to believe there’s promising things ahead in 2018.
— Tim Williams
DECISION TIME ON BRYCE
TITANS V RAIDERS: James, Taylor spark Titanic turnaround
THE Titans pulled off a great escape in beating Canberra but they have been left with a dilemma — what is Bryce Cartwright’s best position?
Cartwright struggled at lock in his debut game for the Gold Coast, missing a game-high seven tackles.
The high-profile Panthers recruit was poor defensively and did not pick the right times to try trick shots and flick passes.
Brennan wants to play Cartwright in a roving lock role where he can act as a linkman for halves Kane Elgey and Ash Taylor.
However the defensive responsibilities at lock are taxing and he has not shown he is up to the task.
“It was up and down,” Brennan said of Cartwright’s performance.
“He did some good things but also some things I prefer he wouldn’t do.
“He’s going to be better for the run.
“He’s a handful. He’s just got to learn when to pull the trigger.”
Cartwright has always been a flamboyant player, but it is the little parts of the game where he needs to find consistency.
The lock role is not beyond him, however he may best be served playing on an edge until he improves his tackling technique and attitude.
— Travis Meyn