NRL 2023 Round 2 highlights: Cameron Ciraldo claims first win as Bulldogs shock Storm
Melbourne Storm have been handed their first defeat of the season - and copped a withering spray from coach Craig Bellamy as a result. See all the talking points from Round 2.
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Storm coach Craig Bellamy was scathing of his team’s lack of effort in a hefty second round loss to the Bulldogs and let his players know in no uncertain terms after the defeat with a dressing room blast.
A medial ligament injury to big-man Nelson Asofa-Solomona compounded issues in injury-hit Melbourne with Bellamy unsure whether he’ll get any troops back in time for next week’s trip to the Gold Coast.
Winger Xavier Coates is the most likely but Cameron Munster won’t be back and Bellamy refused to acknowledge the huge injury crisis his club is enduring as any excuse to the 26-12 loss at AAMI Park
“We’d like to have all our players available but at the end of the day we just want the players we do have to get on the field to do their best,” a dejected Bellamy said after his team’s biggest loss at home since 2020.
“If we‘re lacking some skills, some finesse, we’re lacking some speed, some size, whatever we’ll put up with that but you know, we just lacked effort.
“Sometimes you’re not going to win in those situations, but you know, we should have been a lot better than what we were.
“We got what we deserved. We’ve got a whole heap of work to do and a whole heap of adjusting our mindset.”
Bellamy said the return of any players wouldn’t make a difference unless his team, which produced a gritty opening round win over Parramatta, showed “a bit of pride in our footy”
“And a bit of pride in what we are supposed to be about as a footy team,” he said.
“When someone else misses out, someone else gets a chance and we want those guys coming to take that chance, not sitting back hoping the other guys do their job for them.
“We need to have a bit of a look at what we are doing and go from there.”
CIRALDO ERA OFF AND RUNNING AS DOGS SHOCK STORM
The real-life Matt Burton was always going to be more difficult to handle than the ball-flinging machine Melbourne Storm named after him in preparation for a bomb barrage at AAMI Park.
But the big-boot of Burton was just one of an array of Bulldogs’ weapons as frenzied ball-movement combined with adventure and speed to end a seven-game losing streak against the Storm in a rampant 26-12 victory away from home.
Melbourne missed a massive 31 tackles in the opening half which became a theme of the embarrassing night as the fleet feet of the Bulldogs backline, including fullback Hayze Perham and winger Jacob Kiraz, created bust after bust in a massive first win for new Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo.
A late rally in the second half from Melbourne created a frenzied final few minutes but only helped the home team avoid the sort of blowout they are used to inflicting on their much-improved opponents.
No one was beaten by more than the Bulldogs in Round 1, a result which left a few questions for a team bolstered by significant off-season signings.
But even Storm coach Craig Bellamy thought they were better than the score line suggested and his men found that out the hard way as three first-half tries, including one to former Storm flyer Josh Addo-Carr, who was booed every time he touched the ball, presented a blitzkrieg the undermanned home team failed to handle.
The win didn’t surprise first-year coach Ciraldo who said his men learned from their first up defeat but produced exactly what he hoped for as the visitors came with an all-in game plan and executed.
“I don’t think we threw caution to the wind, I thought we played a style of footy that we‘ve been training for all preseason and we’ve got good players with some strike and we’ve got very skillful players and that’s the way we’re going to play,” he said of the attacking effort.
“We‘re not going to play conservative, we’re going to play to our strengths and play a real Bulldog style of footy and I thought that came out at different times tonight.”
Bulldogs hooker Reed Mahoney was a standout in a game dominated by the visitors, who came with an all-in game plan and executed.
“We want to play every play, play to win,” Bulldog’s flyer Addo Carr said.
“Keep backing our defence, backing our efforts, really playing for each other.”
Storm was a man down for 10 minutes close to halftime, when Young Tonumaipea was sin-binned for tackling Jake Averillo off the ball after a midfield break from Perham opened the Melbourne defence.
The visitors took advantage, scoring twice in that 10 minutes to create a gap Melbourne found too hard to close.
Minus the main injured playmaker Cameron Munster can cause to any defensive line, Jarhome Hughes and Harry Grant weren’t able to conjure the magic needed for Storm to break the Bulldogs.
Up the other end Melbourne was being cracked open at will and Storm’s night was made worse by a knee injury to big-man Nelson Asofa-Solomona, which ended his night early.
Bulldogs back-rower Viliame Kikau was also sin-binned for the final four minutes and put on report for tripping.
A NICE KIRAZ
Jacob Kiraz was the subject of a contentious HIA decision in the opening round which opened Pandora’s box about the use of the independent doctor.
But having been cleared of any issues, the Canterbury flyer continued the form he showed with Lebanon at the World Cup last year with a massive running game of 213 metres as he made Storm’s second-string backline look just that.
Kiraz scored twice including a brilliant solo effort just after halftime as his star continued to rise.
FORTRESS NO LONGER
Melbourne’s loss was its third in a row at AAMI Park, and fourth in five games dating back to last season.
Once unbeatable at their home ground, the defeat was also Storm’s biggest in Melbourne since they lost 22-6 to Canberra in Round 3, 2020.
Storm didn’t score its first try until 50 minutes into the game and their 12-point haul was their lowest at home since that same night against the Raiders.
SUAALII COULD BE IN TROUBLE FOR LATE HIT
– Matt Encarnacion
Sydney Roosters star Joseph Suaalii could be in doubt for next week’s blockbuster clash against arch rivals South Sydney after being put on report for a late shot against the Warriors.
Suaalii was cited for a late hit into the back of Warriors fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad midway through the first half of their clash at Allianz Stadium.
“It’s not on. You can’t hit a man once he’s let go of the ball and once he’s relaxed, and Joseph Suaalii hit him under the ribs, in the back,” former Kangaroos star Greg Alexander said on Fox Sports.
“He could be in some trouble with that one. We try and protect our playmakers from forwards doing that when they drift across the field. Once they let go of the ball, you can’t hit them.
“Suaalii put a shot on well after he let go of the ball so there could be a charge for Joseph to answer.”
The Roosters shook off the controversial moment to secure a 20-12 victory as a playmaking masterclass from Sam Walker overcame the plucky Warriors.
Walker crossed in the 57th minute to give the Roosters what would prove an insurmountable lead despite Addin Fonua-Blake answering for the Warriors five minutes later.
Boom recruit Brandon Smith suffered a rib/back issue and only managed 27 minutes in another headache for Trent Robinson’s side.
The Roosters face the Rabbitohs next week in what will be their first meeting since their infamous qualifying final last year that included seven sin bins.
Is Sua'ali'i in trouble for this hit?
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) March 11, 2023
📺WATCH: #NRLRoostersWarriors on Ch. 502 or stream via @kayosportshttps://t.co/KU6O1WswuO âœï¸BLOG: https://t.co/xkiiyvLhLf
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That’s an automatic sin bin if a forward did it to a playmaker. Suaalii should be off #NRLRoostersWarriors
— Martin Gabor (@MartinJGabor) March 11, 2023
GUTHO BEMOANS GAME-CHANGING HIA CALL
Martin Gabor
Eels skipper Clint Gutherson says it was “disappointing” to come off for an HIA with his side in complete control against Cronulla, but acknowledges those are the rules players have to get used to after his side went down 30-26 at home.
The Eels got off to a flying start on Friday night and raced out to a 10-0 inside the opening six minutes, but momentum swung to the visitors when Gutherson was forced from the field following a heavy shot from Jesse Ramien.
The veteran fullback stayed down for a few seconds which was enough for the independent doctor in the bunker to take him off for showing category two signs of concussion.
The Sharks scored twice in the 15 minutes he was off and the Eels struggled to recapture the attacking brilliance they’d shown in the opening exchanges when Gutherson was marshalling the troops from the back.
The role of the independent doctor was a major talking point in round one, but Eels coach Brad Arthur says his side must learn to adapt better with key players off the field.
“It’s part of the game. We just have to deal with it and we have to deal with it better,” he said.
“Whether he’s out there or not, he obviously helps with our defensive structures, but some of the tries that they scored throughout the whole period of the game were soft. They didn’t have to work too hard for a lot of them.”
Gutherson was cleared to return after passing the tests in the sheds and wasn’t overly thrilled when the referee told him he had to go off.
“(It was) disappointing because you obviously don’t want to go off. I wasn’t concussed or anything like that. It’s disappointing, but it’s the way the game is. That’s the rule,” he said.
“You don’t want to come off, but it’s out of our control.”
The loss leaves the Eels 0-2 and staring down the barrel of a brutal stretch that sees them play Manly, the Panthers and Roosters in the coming weeks.
It’s the ultimate test for a team adjusting to new combinations, but Gutherson says it’s way too early for anyone to start panicking.
“It’s going to be tough so we’ve got to dig deep and work hard for those next three weeks,” he said.
“We’ve just got to take it a week at a time now. We’ve got a short turnaround into Manly and we just have to believe in what we’re doing and that what we’re doing will work. It’s a long, long season so we don’t need to start stressing now.”
BROKEN EELS STARING DOWN BARREL OF 0-5 START
– Martin Gabor
They were 80 minutes away from ending the longest premiership drought in the NRL last year, but the Eels are now facing a potential 0-5 start to the season after losing to Cronulla with some brutal matches on the horizon.
The 30-26 loss at home on Friday night is a nightmare result for a Parramatta side that heads north to take on Manly next week before a grand final rematch and then a showdown at Allianz Stadium against the Roosters.
They will start outsiders in all three of those games with last year’s dream run a distant memory after blowing golden opportunities against weakened opposition in both of their games to start the season.
“It’s not ideal, but it’s a good challenge for us,” Brad Arthur said.
“The last few seasons, we’ve started the season really well so it’s a good challenge. We’ll learn a bit about our group.”
Mitch Moses had the crowd on its feet when he dummied to score late in the first half and then trimmed the margin to four points when he backed up a J’maine Hopgood break, but it was an otherwise quiet night for him and halves partner Dylan Brown.
It’s impossible to pin the losses on his contract negotiations but surely a resolution one way or the other would allow everyone to focus entirely on footy and not have to deal with constant media speculation.
The halfback is clearly trying his hardest and showed that when he chased down Ronaldo Mulitalo in open pastures, but even that effort counted for nothing as Will Kennedy strolled over one play later to complete his hat-trick to ruin Moses’ 200th NRL game and Junior Paulo’s 150th for the Eels.
“Milestones are very important so we’re disappointed for Mitch and Junior,” Arthur said.
“But it doesn’t matter if it’s a milestone or not. Every game is important.”
PENRITH WIN COMES AT A COST
Jarome Luai says next week’s bye is a “blessing in disguise” as he and halves partner Nathan Cleary prepare to go in for scans to have their respective foot injuries assessed.
Cleary limped off just before halftime and didn’t take the shot at goal to convert Izack Tago’s telling try after he was caught awkwardly while trying to make a tackle on Alex Johnston.
He was given the green light to resume and seemed fine in the second half, while it was later revealed that Luai was also dealing with a foot injury after emerging from the sheds in a moon boot following the 16-10 win over the Rabbitohs.
“I just got trodden on. Jaeman Salmon did it. 2-0 for him,” Luai laughed after the game.
“Nah, I can’t remember who did it. It’s just blown up a bit, but we’ve got the week off so it’ll be sweet.
“I think it happened in the first half. It’s a blessing in disguise (we have the bye).”
The extra week off could be crucial for Cleary, who would love redemption after he was sent off in the corresponding clash at CommBank Stadium against the Eels in 2022.
“It’s fine. I just got it caught in an awkward position just before halftime. It felt a little bit weird for a little while but then I finished the game and it feels good now,” he said, revealing teammate Brian To’o was the one who pinned him.
“Bizza’s big arse fell on my ankle. It’s sweet.”
NO CRACKS IN THE WINDSHIELD: PANTHERS’ WARNING TO DOUBTERS
Ivan Cleary must have stocked up on Selleys All Clear because there were no cracks in the windscreen as the premiers bounced back from a shock loss last week to send an ominous message to their doubters on a controversial night out west that saw a fan kicked out for allegedly racially abusing Latrell Mitchell.
Mitchell suggested during the week that there were a few chinks in Penrith’s armour after they were beaten by the Broncos, but he shouldn’t have poked the bear as the Panthers outclassed South Sydney 16-10.
The two-time defending premiers made the Rabbitohs look second rate for 70 minutes as they invited their rivals into the lion’s den and feasted on a team that was heralded as title contenders just five days ago.
This was Penrith’s tenth win from their past 11 games against Souths, with opposition players unlikely to question their aura again after the most dominant performance by any team this season.
The Panthers played like this was a finals match, and on this form it wouldn’t surprise if they were popping champagne in October after they made headlines for spraying players a week ago.
NATHAN IN THE CLEARY
Panthers fans can rest easy after there were major fears that superstar halfback Nathan Cleary had suffered an ankle injury in the first half.
The playmaker appeared to hurt his left foot when teammate Brian To’o slid into him as the pair combined to drag down Alex Johnston with 80 seconds left in the first half.
Medial/high ankle sprain mechanism for Nathan Cleary, currently getting strapped up to attempt a return in the 2nd half. Minimal concerns if damage isolated to medial ankle ligaments - high ankle sprain more limiting with function/performance pic.twitter.com/il92Z6p0q5
— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) March 9, 2023
Cleary was hobbled and didn’t take the shot at goal after Izack Tago scored on the stroke of halftime, with Stephen Crichton stepping in to slot the conversion to make it 10-0 at the break.
Penrith’s medical staff worked on Cleary’s foot during the break, with a club official sending a message “he’s fine” when asked how serious the injury is.
UGLY SCENES
There was more drama at halftime with a fans ejected from BlueBet Stadium for allegedly racially abusing Mitchell as he headed up the tunnel.
The incident is sure to attract the attention of the integrity unit who will need to investigate what was said.
It was a brave performance from Mitchell who battled through a knee injury last week and finished with a team-high six tackle busts on Thursday.
Souths couldn’t replicate what they did against Cronulla, with their first try coming off a dubious pass from Michael Chee Kam as Johnston scored his first try at the venue before Isaiah Tass scored a stunning solo try at the death.
CENTRE COURT
It took 40 minutes for the teams to register the first line break of the night, but the wait was worth it as Jarome Luai pounced on a loose ball to set up Izack Tago for a special try on the stroke of halftime.
It was fitting that Luke Garner was the man who popped the offload given he’d already had two tries disallowed – one courtesy of a piece of defensive brilliance by Mitchell, while the other should have been awarded.
Tago’s try came 36 minutes after centre partner Stephen Crichton had opened the scoring for the third-straight game when he finished off some enterprising play which included a couple of passes from the props and a long spiral from Kenny.
Should this one have at least gone to the bunker?
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) March 9, 2023
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THANKS DOC
The very vocal minority of people against the independent doctor better start rethinking their stance after the person in the bunker spotted a couple of dicey situations and brought off players to check on their health.
The role of the independent doctor was questioned by a few coaches in round one but Thursday night showed just how valuable it is to have someone in the bunker taking advantage of plenty of camera angles to support club doctors who may have missed something.
Mitch Kenny collided awkwardly with Tom Burgess while making a tackle and was ordered from the field for an HIA after showing category two signs.
He returned 15 minutes later, while teammate Soni Luke was also assessed and then later cleared as the pair continued their exciting partnership.
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