Monday Bunker: State of Origin argument hits NRL again

Our rugby league writers analyse the NRL’s big talking points, including the return of a familiar problem and why two young guns can’t help Penrith push on.

• Monday Buzz: South Sydney’s lies set poor example

• Crash Tackle: Queensland fans losing Origin battle

With Round 12 of the competition done and dusted, our team of rugby league writers analyse the NRL’s talking points in the Monday Bunker.

YOUNG GUNS CAN’T HELP PANTHERS PUSH ON

Panthers v Sea Eagles: Read the full match report

Brent Naden made his debut for the Panthers against Manly. Picture: Getty Images

Penrith recorded a much-needed win against Manly, but coach Ivan Cleary is set to lose two youngsters who have helped his side bounce back.

Ravaged by injury, Cleary required special dispensation to play centre Brent Naden and hooker Mitch Kenny from outside of his top 30 roster.

Naden made his debut on Thursday night, while Kenny stepped in two weeks ago against the Eels.

Kenny, in particular, has been impressive in both performances. On Thursday night he played the full 80 minutes and made almost 60 tackles.

But both Kenny and Naden are only on part-time contracts and with Brian To’o recently securing the final spot in Penrith’s top 30, the pair won’t be allowed to play in round 13 because hooker Wayde Egan (shoulder) and outside backs Malakai Watene-Zelezniak (rib) and Brayden McGrady (knee) are all likely to be available for selection after overcoming their respective injuries.

“We’ve only got (Kenny) in through an exemption the last couple of weeks so, bit of an anomaly in the system we have at the moment that a kid like that won’t be able to keep playing,” Cleary revealed after Penrith’s win.

“We’ll see how that one pans out but at least he’s shown he’s certainly more than capable. I look forward to him getting plenty more games in the future.”

The Panthers will have to move on Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, who has been granted permission to find another club, before June 30 to promote either Kenny or Naden into the top 30.

— Fatima Kdouh

ORIGIN ISSUE REARS ITS HEAD AGAIN

Eels v Rabbitohs: Read the full match report

Rabbitohs players look dejected after conceding a try to the Eels. Picture: Getty Images

We have the same argument every year. Yet every year we have the same argument.

As much as everyone is looking forward to Wednesday night’s opening State of Origin, the impact on the regular NRL season at this time every year is horrendous.

While most agree there is no perfect solution, for years plenty of people have been calling for a halt to the regular season during the Origin period but because of TV commitments it is unlikely to ever happen.

So here we go again.

Wayne Bennett said after South Sydney’s 26-14 loss to Parramatta on Friday night that the next problem for his team — who had four Origin players missing against an Eels side with no Origin representatives — will be determining if the Origin stars can back up in this Friday night’s top four clash against Newcastle, just two days after the series opener in Brisbane.

As Bennett explained: “This is the last time we have to play without our Origin players but the issue now is who we rest, when we rest them and how often we back them up. This is going to go on for the next six weeks.”

Asked if he would have to definitely rest players, Bennett added: “I think I will have to. What, is Damien (Cook) going to have to play 80 minutes of Origin and come and back up two days later and play 80 minutes for us?

“That is not going to be feasible to think he can keep doing that for the next six weeks.

“The jury is out at the moment. I will just have to see how they play, what the games are like, what type of mental and physical state they are in when they come back.

“It hasn’t been the first time I have coached teams that were at the top of the competition going into Origin and by the time we came back out of it we were in fourth or fifth position.”

While Souths aren’t the only club impacted, that still doesn’t make it right.

This coming round Canberra, who are heavily impacted by Origin, also take on Wests Tigers on Friday night, while Melbourne travels to New Zealand to play the Warriors on Saturday.

Why the NRL would schedule the Storm to play the Warriors in New Zealand three days after Origin is anyone’s guess.

The Warriors and the Eels are the only clubs without Origin players this year.

Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson even said last year when there was the big outcry over the Denver Test that the NRL season could be reduced with a period set aside for Origin, and a bigger focus on more end-of-season Tests.

It was a good idea.

But instead, all that happens is that we go round and round in circles.

So we get a round of rugby league that we just had and what’s the use of complaining, because you just know nothing will change next year.

— Paul Crawley

CRUCIAL WIN KEEPS CANBERRA IN TOUCH

Bulldogs v Raiders: Read the full match report

Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad on the charge for Canberra. Picture: AAP

Canberra’s win over Canterbury was not impressive, it was not especially entertaining and it was not a game that will live long in many memories.

But it was necessary, for Canberra’s top four ambitions and any serious hopes they had of contending for the premiership.

That might seem a strange thing to say after a two-point win over the consensus wooden spooners but that’s where Canberra’s recent run and their injury toll has taken them.

The valiant losses to the Roosters and Rabbitohs don’t mean as much if Canberra don’t win the games they’re supposed to win. The loss to the Cowboys last week was the first time all season the Raiders have genuinely underperformed and allows the ghosts of years past to run them down.

Knowing that, winning without Nick Cotric, Jack Wighton, Jordan Rapana, Joey Leilua, Josh Hodgson and Josh Papalii is crucial, even if the Bulldogs couldn’t beat a drum right now.

This wasn’t a sparkling with either. The Raiders won on the effort of Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, one of the finds of the season, and the remarkable John Bateman, who continued to defy expectations and good sense in his early return from injury.

Some of the cavalry will arrive next week against the Tigers but losing impressive youngsters Corey Horsburgh and Hudson Young is another blow to the Raiders’ depth. They are not out of the woods yet but wins like this help lead them there.

— Nick Campton

COWBOY’S SCARY MESSAGE TO NRL RIVALS

Titans v Cowboys: Read the full match report

Jason Taumalolo was at his barnstorming best for the Cowboys. Picture: AAP

Kyle Feldt and Jordan Kahu are North Queensland’s men of the moment after starring against the Titans but the 6-4 win proved something else much scarier — Jason Taumalolo is back to his freakish best.

With Michael Morgan and Josh McGuire on Origin duty, Matt Scott and Justin O’Neil ruled out with injury and Corey Jensen (HIA) and Gideon Gela-Mosby (shoulder) taken off before half-time, it looked like the depleted Cowboys would finally run out of steam in the second term.

Not Taumalolo.

After a solid first half effort, the Tongan wrecking ball rolled his sleeves up to score the matchwinning try and rack up some eye-watering stats.

204 running metres, 41 tackles, eight tackle busts, one linebreak and a linebreak assist.

Even coach Paul Green was in awe of his monstrous lock, who pulled out an 80min effort to ensure the Cows came home with two points.

— Lachlan Grey