NRL 2021 The Tackle: Likes, Dislikes and player of the year votes from round 25
The Broncos have been crying out for a superstar back - and now they’ve unearthed Brisbane’s answer to Latrell Mitchell.
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Our rugby league writers reveal what caught their eye — good and bad — in Round 25 of the NRL and wrap up the player of the year voting.
Raiders v Roosters
Like: Craig Bellamy will most likely be named Dally M coach of the year, and it would be a thoroughly deserved achievement. But no-one could argue if Trent Robinson claimed the award after one of the best coaching performances of his career. He has had to deal with an unprecedented injury list but has somehow turned the drama into positives. Drew Hutchison had played 13 games in four seasons but he’s been a standout in 2021. His calming presence in the halves has allowed Sam Walker to flourish, although Robinson will have a headache when he names his starting playmakers on Tuesday. Hutchison finished Thursday’s game with three try assists, while makeshift centre Adam Keighran bagged a hat-trick as Robinson again extracted the best out of a bad situation.
Dislike: It’s fitting that the Raiders missed out on the finals, because a top-eight finish would have papered over the cracks of what’s been a disastrous season. Off-field issues led to matchday mediocrity, and while they showed glimpses of recovery, they saved their worst performance for the game that mattered most. Their senior forwards can hold their heads high, but the halves were terrible and the outside backs looked lost at sea in defence and under the high ball. Jack Wighton only had four runs and it’s indicative of his underwhelming output this year. He needs a proper halfback to come in next year who can set up 25 tries which would allow him to strip everything back and just run the footy.
Fox Sports key stats: The Roosters won both games against the Raiders this season - just the sixth time in NRL Era they have done so. They have made the grand final on all five previous occasions (2019, 2010, 2004, 2003, 2002).
Player of the year: 3 Drew Hutchison 2 James Tedesco 1 Adam Keighran
— Martin Gabor
Sharks v Storm
Like: Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen is back to his best right in time for the NRL finals. Papenhuyzen blew the Sharks away with three tries, 204m and 14 tackle busts in his best performance in four months.
The Storm have been clunky over the past month and fell short of a record 20 straight wins when they lost to Parramatta last weekend. But coach Craig Bellamy has been focused on priming his team for the upcoming finals series and it will not be a surprise to see Melbourne firing on all cylinders when the big games roll around. They haven’t been at their best but you would be silly to write off the defending premiers in their quest for back-to-back titles.
Dislike: This season was a potentially wasted opportunity for Cronulla. The Sharks were a club in crisis early in the year as they bungled the sacking of coach John Morris. Caretaker coach Josh Hannay inherited a team that would go on to win only two of their opening 10 games and looked destined for a bottom four finish. But the Sharks showed great resilience to get their season back on track and have unearthed some excellent prospects. Fullback William Kennedy is a star on the rise, winger Sione Katoa is one of the game’s best finishers and prop Toby Rudolf keeps getting better. If the Sharks weren’t such a rabble earlier in the year they may have been able to put together a decent campaign and be a red-hot finals contender.
Fox Sports key stats: The Sharks finish the regular season with just one win from 10 games against the top seven sides. Fourth minor Premiership for Storm since 2016.
Player of the year: 3 Ryan Papenhuyzen 2 Harry Grant 1 Toby Rudolf
— Travis Meyn
Eels v Penrith
Like: Fox League nailed its pre-game promo that focused on Brian To’o and how he’s universally loved. The Panthers winger is one of the nicest guys in the NRL, and it’s fitting that good things keep coming his way in 2021. He made his Origin debut earlier in the year, he’s scored more tries this season than ever before and he’s on track to help Penrith go one better than they did in 2020. The fact he’s on the field is a minor miracle after he suffered a serious ankle injury in Round 19 that required surgery. But he’s been brilliant since coming back, finishing Friday’s derby with 205 running metres and the first hat-trick of his career.
Dislike: Blake Ferguson remains one of the most enjoyable players to watch in rugby league because you never quite know what’s going to happen next. But a play on Friday highlighted an issue all teams are going to face in the finals. Burning a captain’s challenge because of pride could be the difference between victory and elimination. Fergo wouldn’t have known if Stephen Crichton had a foot in the air when he fielded a kick-off, but the Eels veteran decided to challenge anyway to save his blushes and a penalty from halfway. It turns out the linesman, who was a metre away, got the call right. The challenge is a great rule but it must be used wisely in the big games. You don’t want to burn one early and then stew on a bad call all off-season because you couldn’t challenge it when it mattered.
Fox Sports key stats: Panthers secure second position on the ladder for the third time in their history. They missed the grand final on the other two occasions (1989, 2010). Nathan Cleary became the first Penrith player to score 200 points in a season three times.
Player of the year: 3 Brian To’o 2 Jarome Luai 1 Api Koroisau
— Martin Gabor
Broncos v Knights
Like: The Broncos possess a lethal centre strikeforce in young guns Selwyn Cobbo and Herbie Farnworth. If Kotoni Staggs moves to five-eighth next season, Cobbo shapes as the perfect Plan B at right centre. The 19-year-old is a 100kg monster who moves like Latrell Mitchell and had the size to muzzle Knights rival Bradman Best in defence. Cobbo and Farnworth ran for a combined 328 metres as they carved up the Knights on the fringes. And in Tesi Niu, the Broncos have a fullback of promise who will relish linking with Adam Reynolds next season. The Broncos are top-eight material in 2022.
Dislike: For the second straight year, the Knights look like finals fodder. If they were going to threaten in the finals, they had to bury the lowly Broncos. But for 65 minutes, the Knights were dominated by Brisbane. If David Klemmer (rib) fails to back up next week, Newcastle won’t have the forward grunt to last too long in September. Five-eighth Jake Clifford threw a poor intercept for Cobbo’s 80-metre try and he needs to improve his execution in the finals opener against the Eels.
Fox Sports key stats: First time since 2018 that Anthony Milford has finished a game with three try assists. Newcastle’s -143 differential is the second worst of any team all time to qualify for a finals series (Canberra -170 in 2002).
Player of the year: 3 Anthony Milford, 2 Selwyn Cobbo, 1 Herbie Farnworth
— Peter Badel
Cowboys v Sea Eagles
Like: Manly strike weapon Tom Trbojevic refuses to relent. For passages in his side’s triumph over the Cowboys he went quiet, as North Queensland did a good job in keeping him at bay in the opening 40 minutes. But that was never going to last. Trbojevic burst into the clear with three minutes left in the first half, putting his brother Jake over. He followed it up the next set with a try of his own, before going on a remarkable charge in the final 10 minutes of the game. In the end he finished with three tries, 246 running metres, 14 tackle busts, four line breaks, two line break assists and two try assists. Should Trbojevic continue like this, perhaps not even the Storm can contain Manly.
Dislike: All season North Queensland coach Todd Payten has spoken of a resilience problem. Whenever something went against his side, 17 heads would drop and they would forfeit any momentum they fought for. It is a message Payten was repeated from round one to round 25, with no results to show for it. The Cowboys were in the fight against Manly until the final 10 minutes. Payten said post-game the Cowboys “gave up” in that period, and he flagged changes were afoot ahead of pre-season. He said he would be doing things differently, focusing less on solidifying team structures and attacking shapes and more about instilling a hardened resolve within his troops.
Fox Sports key stats: Fifth hat-trick of the season for Tom Trbojevic, which is the equal third most all time, and the most by any player since Ray Preston did so six times and Les Brennan five in 1954. Manly are the first team since Brisbane in 1995 to finish in the top-five without beating any of the other four teams in the season.
Player of the year: 3 Tom Trbojevic 2 Daly Cherry-Evans 1 Reuben Garrick
— Nick Wright
Rabbitohs v Dragons
Like: Jason Demetriou would be rubbing his hands together after watching young guns Blake Taaffe, Lachlan Ilias and Peter Mamouzelos play together for the first time in the NRL. The trio, secured long-term by the Rabbitohs, gave the 2022 coach a promising glimpse of the future. Taaffe at fullback was composed and calm. Ilias played with confidence and spark at halfback. Mamouzelos showed he is a tough warrior and tackling machine. At the other end of the spectrum Benji Marshall is like a fine wine. His kicking game was a class above. If Wayne Bennett needs him to start again in this finals series then the veteran won’t let him down. The Dragons have unearthed a gem in Tyrell Sloan who showed once again he can be the long-term fullback.
Dislike: The last thing the Dragons needed to end their dire season was uncertainty over the future of Origin forward Tariq Sims and another looming suspension for Josh McGuire. Sims, who was taken to hospital with a lacerated lip, is no certainty to see out his contract in 2022. McGuire is facing five weeks on the sidelines to start 2022 after two careless high tackle charges. Careless. It sums up the Dragons final two months of the season after the infamous BBQ-gate saga derailed their campaign. Anthony Griffin has been let down by too many of his senior players and McGuire is amongst them. A strong start to next season is vital for the Dragons to restore credibility but McGuire won’t be there to lead the charge.
Fox Sports key stats: Seven straight wins for Souths over the Dragons - their longest streak against them since the 1920s. Eight losses to finish the season for the Dragons - their longest losing streak as a joint venture, and their worst since losing eight straight as St George in 1926.
Player of the year: 3 Benji Marshall 2 Peter Mamouzelos 1 Jaydn Su’A
— Joel Gould
Titans v Warriors
Like: The razzle-dazzle footy of the Titans could cause a headache or two for the top eight this year. There are the well-structured sides such as Melbourne and Penrith which are favourites to go all the way in this finals series but don’t discount the Titans if they play their brand of exciting, ad-lib football. Yes, it may have been against the Warriors, who barely fired a shot, but the Gold Coast’s 44-0 win on Sunday proved they had plenty of potential to score. Jayden Campbell’s first- half try epitomised the ad-lib style of footy which could cause an upset when the Titans play the Roosters on Saturday. The young fullback, playing in just his sixth NRL game, continued his scintillating form with 222 running metres and eight tackle busts.
Dislike: The hot-headed moments from the Warriors which left 12 men playing against 10 at one stage. Three Warriors and one Titan were sent from the field following two separate incidents that marred the Sunday afternoon contest. Jazz Tevaga, Matt Lodge and Kane Evans were sent to the New Zealand change rooms for a 10-minute spell, while Jarrod Wallace was sin-binned for the Titans. Lodge’s one-finger salute to the home crowd as he walked from the field was a bad look for a Warriors side that has sacrificed so much for the game over the past two years. Even Warriors coach Nathan Brown was forced to lament his side’s behaviour after the match, labelling it as “unacceptable”.
Fox Sports key stats: This was the Titans’ 10th win of the season. They qualify for their first finals series since 2016 with the worst losing percentage of any team in history (58.3).
Player of the year: 3 Jayden Campbell 2 David Fifita 1 Beau Fermor
— Chris Honnery
Tigers v Bulldogs
Like: They were once considered the entertainers, and the Bulldogs showed they can still dazzle when the shackles have been released. Against the listless Tigers, they moved the ball with plenty of enterprise and took advantage through guys like Nick Meaney and Jake Averillo, who both bagged doubles. Jack Hetherington saved his best performance for the final game as he made the most of a rare opportunity on the edge. He scored the first try of his career and did his damage through powerful carries rather than illegal tackles. It would have been nice to see this earlier in the year, but it’s the sort of game that can build confidence for a club that will say hello to a number of quality players next season.
Dislike: Fans and broadcasters want games locked in so they can book tickets and organise travel to matches. But surely this is the game that forces a rethink. Covid means world sport is fluid, and in a round when top-eight positions were still up for grabs, the final game of the regular season should have been one that mattered to the make-up of the competition. Bulldogs fans won’t care, but make sure you’re nice to your mates who barrack for the Tigers. They’ll spend the next few months stewing on one of the most woeful efforts of the year, and right now it seems there’s very little for them to get excited about in 2022.
Fox Sports key stats: Three straight losses to finish the season for the Tigers. They conceded 118 points in those three games. The Tigers were held to nil for the first time since 2019.
Player of the year: 3 Nick Meaney 2 Jack Hetherington 1 Jake Averillo
— Martin Gabor
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: TURBO TAKES TOP PRIZE
When Dally M Medal voting went behind closed doors in Round 12, our expert writers picked up the slack for the remainder of the season — and we now have a winner.
After fighting it out with Cody Walker and Nathan Cleary for much of the race to the finals, Sea Eagles superstar Tom Trbojevic has come out on top after yet another man of the match performance in Manly’s win over North Queensland.
Matty Johns: Storm’s 25-minute window to dethrone Panthers
A 25-minute window will be crucial to Melbourne’s success, while the Panthers must be wary of a new Storm tactic. Matty Johns reveals where the grand final will be won and lost.
Eels’ secret $10m bid to sign Craig Bellamy revealed
Before securing Jason Ryles as their new head coach, Parramatta offered Storm coach Craig Bellamy an NRL record $10 million contract to replace Brad Arthur and save the strife-torn Eels.