The NRL Tackle: Parramatta Eels enforcer Kelma Tuilagi should have been sent off for reckless tackle, Manly thrive without Tom Trbojevic
Tom Trbojevic will return for Manly in the coming weeks and it begs the question – what happens to young gun Lehi Hopoate? All that and more in The Tackle.
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Kelma Tuilagi is making waves while a Hopoate is thriving at Manly. Here are FATIMA KDOUH’s likes and dislikes from round 15 of the NRL.
LIKES
NO TURBO, NO WORRIES
All the talk will be about Manly’s gutsy win with only one man left on the bench against St George Illawarra on Sunday, but it should be about boom fullback Lehi Hopoate.
Especially with the return of superstar Tom Trbojevic from a hamstring injury scheduled for round 18.
Coach Anthony Seibold has been coy about whether he plans to move Trbojevic from fullback into the centres when he returns, in a bid to prolong his injury-prone NRL career.
That decision is surely becoming clearer on the back of Hopoate’s emergence.
Yes, the wily fullback has only just played three games of NRL but again showed against the Dragons he belongs on the big stage.
Hopoate finished with a game-high 168 metres, seven tackle busts and two linebreaks, a try assist and a four-pointer himself.
The youngster will have one more game in the No.1 jumper, against the Rabbitohs, before Trbojevic returns.
It does leave Seibold with a selection headache in the outside backs and one of either Tommy Talau, Tolu Koula, or Reuben Garrick on the chopping block.
But it’s a move that allows Seibold to have Hopoate on the field learning off the player he could succeed long-term, all the while prolonging Trbojevic’s Manly career.
BENJI BOUNCES BACK
There was a lot to like about Wests Tigers tough 18-10 win against the Titans, from the attitude of both Benji Marshall and skipper Api Koroisau to the young guns on display.
After nine-straight losses no side or coach was under more pressure than Marshall, whose methods and lack of experience have been under the spotlight.
For weeks Marshall, to his credit, has been publicly scathing of his players for the lack of discipline and effort.
Finally, his players responded with a gritty performance that would give long suffering Tigers fans some heart, and hope for the future.
Marshall made an eyebrow raising move to name one of game’s best hooker Api Koroisau in the halves with rookie Lachlan Galvin now out with a hand injury.
It was a big call that paid off in kind for Marshall and the Tigers. Koroisau was not only the most influential player on the field, he set-up the match winning try to Fonua Pole in the 76th minute.
Koroisau was so good on Saturday some even suggested he had just played himself into a Blues jumper from an unfamiliar position.
With the game on the line in the dying stages Marshall had the nous to move Koroisau back to dummy half, allowing rookie playmaker Heath Mason to take the field in the halves.
Mason wasn’t the only future talent Marshall blooded, young prop Jordan Miller showed plenty of promise in his first ever game.
Stefano Utoikamanu, who has put contract talks on hold and apparently wants out, was immense making 179 metres and seven tackle busts.
With Jarome Luai and Sunia Turuva arriving in 2025, it’s obvious Marshall has the right ingredients in his roster to pick the Tigers up from the canvas.
The key for Marshall is to ensure the club can keep the likes of Utoikamanu, Galvin and the other crop of rising youngsters at Concord.
FA’ALOGO FLYING
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy doesn’t actually have a selection headache when it comes to Sua Fa’alogo because it’s now blatantly obvious the rising fullback must be in the Storm’s top 17.
Even when star no. 1 Ryan Papenhuyzen in round 16.
Fa’alogo scored two tries, and made five tackle busts, in Melbourne’s win against the Warriors with his skill and x-factor on full display.
There are questions over Fa’alogo’s versatility if he reverts to the bench when Papenhuyzen returns. But Fa’alogo cannot only play on the wing if needed but there is a school of thought in Melbourne that playing in the middle, or even at dummy half, is not beyond the talented youngster.
IMMORTAL PRAISE
League Immortal Andrew Johns has urged NSW coach Michael Maguire to do everything in his power to get prodigious Dolphins playmaker Isaiya Katoa to pledge his allegiance to the Blues.
The Tackle agrees, it should be a priority to lock in Katoa, who is also eligible for New Zealand.
“Can we get his number? Let’s get to the bottom of it asap,” Johns said on Channel 9.
“Isaiya Katoa, everything, off the ball, the way he plays, the way he defends … he is an absolute gun, wow. He is going to be a 300 game player. He is going to be a representative player. He is an unbelievable talent.”
The Dolphins have clawed their way into the top four after 15 rounds and Katoa’s composure and kicking game, which is developed way beyond his 20-years of age, has been a massive reason for the fledgling side’s success in 2024.
If Katoa manages to help guide the Dolphins to a finals berth, the youngster must be in the thick of Origin conversations for 2025. Especially if Maguire’s plan is to take the NSW Blues into the future. Katoa must be part of those plans.
RISING RABBITOHS
The Rabbitohs have now won-three straight games, after taking down the Broncos on Friday night, and look like the competitive outfit everyone expected them to be in 2024. Fullback Latrell Mitchell is firing, Cody Walker is looking dangerous and inspirational skipper Cameron Murray is back on the field.
Realistically, South Sydney might have just left their resurgence a little too late and can now only afford to drop three games for the rest of the season if they are to be in the finals equation.
But that doesn’t mean the Rabbitohs, and even Parramatta, won’t have an impact on the top eight. Both clubs have the talent to be a thorn in the side of current top eight teams they will face on the run home, including front runners the Roosters, Penrith and Storm in the back end of the season.
DISLIKES
Parramatta’s Kelmi Tuilagi should have been sent off for his ugly spear tackle on Sydney Roosters enforcer Lindsay Collins on Saturday night.
Instead, referee Chris Butler and video review official Kasey Badger decided the dangerous tackle only warranted 10 minutes in the sin bin.
Thankfully, the match review committee made the right call on Sunday morning to whack Tuilagi with a hefty ban. He is now facing up to five weeks on the sideline but will miss four weeks with an early plea after being charged with a grade three dangerous throw.
It begs the question, if the tackle was dangerous enough to warrant such a big ban then why didn’t the match officials react in kind during the game?
Was it because Collins bounced straight up after the tackle? The absence of injury, or intent and malice, can’t be the yardstick for a spear tackle.
We’ve witnessed the devastation that can be caused when a player is dumped during a tackle through former Knights player Alex McKinnon.
There can be no room for spear or dumping tackles in the game, because even accidents can lead to devastating consequences.
Let’s be clear, no one is suggesting there was any malice or intent from Tuilagi to hurt Collins.
But it makes less sense that Tuilagi only got 10 minutes in the bin given only last week Warriors playmaker Chanel Harris-Tavita was handed the same punishment for throwing a ball at Chad Townsend’s head.
Or that in the same game on Saturday, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves also spent 10 minutes in the sin bin for a tackle that ultimately only drew a $3,000 fine.
Another example of the on-field punishment not fitting the crime.
The same can be said for Brisbane’s Jordan Riki, who was sin-binned for taking out South Sydney skipper Cameron Murray off the ball with a hit that appeared to be a shoulder charge.
Even coach Kevin Walters admitted Riki was ‘lucky to stay on the field’.
Walters was right, Riki was lucky to stay on considering he is now facing two weeks for the unsavoury incident.
Again, 10 minutes in the bin looks far too little of a punishment when Latrell Mitchell was sent for the same amount of time for running in as a melee ensued after Riki’s cheap shot.
There was plenty of furore when Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii was sent off for an ugly hit on Reece Walsh in Origin I after just seven minutes, that the decision ruined the spectacle.
Given Tuilagi’s spear tackle came after just four minutes, you can’t help but wonder whether the desire to preserve the spectacle on Saturday played a part in the reluctance to send off Tuilagi entirely.
MILKING TREND
In 2022, the NRL put players on notice for milking penalties, it’s time that diving and simulation is in the cross hairs of the NRL again.
Gamesmanship will also be a part of rugby league, but rewarding players for laying down or milking for penalties can’t be allowed to happen.
Joey Manu’s face when he was penalised for a ‘high shot’ on Kelma Tuilagi said it all. So did the response from every NRL fan. It took one replay for the hit to show that Manu was nowhere near Tuilagi’s head, even though Tuilagi’s head makes a whiplash motion when Manu makes contact.
At that point, the bunker should have intervened to reserve the penalty to the Roosters. It should be standard that when a player is clearly trying to gain an advantage by feigning injury, they get penalised.
And, while the match review committee is giving Kelma Tuilagi four weeks for his shocking tackle, the NRL should also hit him with a fine for bringing the game into disrepute with his theatrics.
Milking scourge is out of control in rugby league as players feign being felled by crusher tackles, hip drops and, in Tuilagi’s case, high shots. Players need to be sent a strong message that it’s an ugly look for the game and fans have had enough.
If the bunker can intervene to penalise an illegal tackle that was missed by the on-field referee then the video official must be able to intervene when a player is milking a penalty. We know how much players hate being hit in the hip pocket so why not hand out fines to really ensure milking and simulation is not incentivised.
Let’s leave the diving and simulation to the round ball game.
RADLEY NOT BLUE
Watching Victor Radley’s recent form for the Sydney Roosters should sting every single NSW Blues fan. There is always talk about what it takes to be an Origin player and Radley fits that mould with his toughness and tenacity.
But eligibility rules mean Victor will never play for NSW after he pledged his international allegiance to England, where his father is from.
Eligibility rules have always been a touchy subject but that’s not a good enough reason not to put them under the microscope.
If players want to shun Australia to play for their parent’s country of birth then that should not disqualify them from representing the state they were born and raised in.
Even mastercoach Wayne Bennett thinks there is merit in the change.
TAHS BLOW IT
Super Rugby crowds are dwindling in New Zealand as the Warriors sell out every home game this year.
All Blacks legend Dan Carter was one of the 24,500 people to pack out Go Media Stadium in Auckland.
And he sat there watching the Warriors as Super Rugby officials caved to the rugby league wave in New Zealand by moving a semi-final clash between the Hurricanes and Chiefs forward so the two codes did not go head to head.
It’s quite the submission by the once all conquering Super Rugby in New Zealand.
But rather than hammer another nail into rugby coffin’s on Saturday night, the Warriors up and down from cost them a win against Melbourne.
The Warriors are down to 12th on the ladder, and still very much in the finals race. But the harsh reality for the Warriors is that the groundswell of support is on the back of their 2023 success. They can ill afford to miss the finals in 2024 if they are to really strike a blow against their cross code rivals.
BUMBLING BRONCOS
The Origin period is always tough for Brisbane but there should be alarm bells ringing in Red Hill.
Don’t worry about winning the title from outside of the top four, the Broncos now find themselves in a battle to stay in touch with the top eight.
After three-straight losses, the Broncos need to get back to the winners circle and in a big way given general Adam Reynolds isn’t back until round 22. The Broncos have the bye but have to get through games against Warriors, Panthers, Dragons, Knights and Bulldogs without Reynolds.
Star fullback Reece Walsh (concussion) wasn’t available for the side’s 22-12 loss to the Rabbitohs, and the likes of Payne Haas, Corey Oates, Brendan Piakura and Jesse Arthurs have been out with injury at different stages.
The difference between the Broncos and the likes of Penrith and Melbourne is that those sides have been able to adequately cover injuries to key players including Nathan Cleary and Cameron Munster.
The biggest on-field issue for Brisbane right now is the lack of discipline and mounting error count. Kevin Walters is unlikely to pull the trigger on rookie halfback Coby Black despite Jock Madden’s struggles in recent weeks.
Brisbane fans will be hoping Madden can rediscover the form that helped him sink Manly in Magic Round with a field goal. Brisbane needs to get their act together otherwise Reynolds will return to a side fighting for a top eight berth rather than one making a genuine title charge.
RUCK CONFUSION
Most losing sides will say they rub of the green didn’t go their way in the officiating stakes but the Warriors can feel hard done by after this miss from referee Gerard Sutton in the loss to Melbourne.
Earlier in the game, Warriors winger Marcelo Montoya was sin-binned for a professional foul on Jahrome Hughes, who took a quick tap but was tackled by Montoya while he was in an offside position.
But a similar instance in the game went without the same scrutiny when Storm hooker Harry Grant found himself not square at marker as Wayde Egan takes a quick tap. Grant fails to get back onside before tackling Egan. The Warriors earned a set restart for the indiscretion rather than the attention it probably deserved given it looked more like a professional foul than anything else.
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