NRL Lowdown: How is your team faring after Round 16
WHO starred, who struggled and who’s lurking on the edge? Find out how your team is faring in the Round 16 edition of the NRL Lowdown.
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WHO starred, who struggled, who’s on the fringe, who’s on the outer, who passed and who failed?
Get the very best analysis from our team of experts in the Round 16 edition of the NRL Lowdown.
STORM
HOW THEY FARED
Missing a host of Origin stars, Storm had the game in the bag against the Roosters but the wheels fell off with seven minutes to go. Cam Munster did his chances of an Origin call up no harm, setting up two tries in the 25-24 extra-time loss.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Josh Addo-Carr was electric with two tries, while Curtis Scott continues to make the most of his chances with Will Chambers (concussion) and Cheyse Blair (ankle) injured. Felise Kaufusi and Dale Finucane cracked in at the coalface.
Brandon Smith and Mark Nicholls had minimal impact from limited game time, while Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Tohu Harris played only bit part roles.
INJURY WARD
Cameron Smith (rested, Round 19), Cooper Cronk (rested, Round 19), Billy Slater (rested, Round 19), Will Chambers (concussion, Round 19) Christian Welch (ACL, Season), Jordan McLean (Fractured cheekbone, Round 20), Cheyse Blair (Ankle, Round 18), Nate Myles (Elbow, Indefinite)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
Lock in Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Billy Slater for Friday night’s blockbuster against Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium. Chambers must pass concussion protocols to play. Jordan McLean and Blair tracking towards a return in Round 18.
REPORT CARD
B: Huge outs but should never have let the game slip when leading 24-12 with 11 minutes on the clock.
— Gilbert Gardiner
ROOSTERS
HOW THEY FARED
A full-strength Roosters outfit against a Storm side missing Billy Slater, Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk. What could go wrong, right? Whether the Roosters were a bit off on Saturday night or if they simply underestimated an inexperienced opposition is anyone’s guess. At one stage in the second half the score was 20-6 in Melbourne’s favour before the Roosters finally turned on their form and sent the match into golden point. They scraped home with a 25-24 win.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Mitchell Pearce ... Both star and struggler in the one match. The NSW star had an ordinary first half as the Storm pulled away from the Roosters but managed to stop the rot as the clock wound down. Not only did Pearce orchestrate two of the tries that got the Tricolours back on track but he hit the matchwinning field goal in golden point.
INJURY WARD
Boyd Cordner (calf, TBC), Jayden Nikorima (hamstring, round 17), Daniel Tupou (groin, round 16), Jake Friend (concussion, round 16), Kane Evans (lower leg, indefinite).
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
While Boyd Cordner looks set to be available for Origin III, he’s unlikely to feature for the Roosters until 20 with the club’s second bye coming in Round 19 after the Suncorp Stadium decider. Nat Butcher and Zane Tetevano have won bench spots through injury and Origin but none have made huge cases to keep their spots let alone start. The Roosters are strong but players on the first grade fringe aren’t doing much to make the coaches sit up and take notice.
REPORT CARD
B: The Roosters sit second on the ladder and closed the gap on top place Melbourne but again we saw the frailties of the would-be premiers. The Roosters, when they are good, look really good. But they can also struggle badly and we saw both sides of that coin on Saturday night. Do the Roosters have a shot at the 2017 title? Sure. But they need to find consistency rather than reverting to the kind of poor form we saw in the first half at Adelaide Oval.
— David Campbell
BRONCOS
HOW THEY FARED
The Broncos battled their way to a 30-20 victory over the Raiders in cold Canberra conditions.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Benji Marshall and Ben Hunt combined well in the halves to hand Brisbane the win while Matt Gillett was superb for his club in backing up from Origin. Kodi Nikorima started at halfback but had a quiet opening 30 minutes, prompting coach Wayne Bennett to bench him and bring Hunt on.
INJURY WARD
Anthony Milford (Shoulder, Round 21), Darius Boyd (Hand, Round 20-22)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
The Broncos team seems set for now, with Anthony Milford and Darius Boyd still in the casualty ward. Korbin Sims could return to the side for Friday’s clash with the Storm.
REPORT CARD
A-: The Broncos did well to recover from a lacklustre first half and to claim the win without two of their main stars in Boyd and Milford. Hunt and Marshall really stamped their authority in the halves, which could see Nikorima benched next week.
— Rikki-Lee Arnold
SEA EAGLES
HOW THEY FARED
Manly produced their best performance of the season to down Cronulla 35-18 at Southern Cross Group Stadium.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Daly Cherry-Evans has been getting the headlines but Martin Taupau is just as responsible for the Sea Eagles success this season. The fiery Kiwi has been one of the best middle forwards in the competition and dominated the vaunted Cronulla pack on Sunday afternoon.
It was a strong team performance from the Sea Eagles and difficult to call out anyone for underperforming, but it’s worth remembering just how bad the Sharks were with their handling in the opening quarter. It seems unlikely Manly would be gifted attacking opportunities like that with any regularity.
INJURY WARD
Jorge Taufua (ACL, Season)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
The Sea Eagles Under 20s side went down 34-30 to the high-flying Sharks with five-eighth Tom Wright and fullback Luke Polselli both putting in eye-catching displays.
REPORT CARD
A: Manly moved into the top four and earned a dominant win over another premiership contender away from home. Can’t ask for anything more than that.
— Nick Campton
SHARKS
HOW THEY FARED
Cronulla’s worst habits came back to bite them and they were embarrassed 35-18 by Manly at home.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Wade Graham had some fine touches, scoring a try and setting up another, but the Sharks best player was Luke Lewis. His 80-metre intercept try was the greatest moment of the season and perhaps the decade. Angus Crichton might seem like the man right now, but call me when he’s running the length of the field at 33 after playing for 15 years.
A lot of Cronulla players had days to forget but none more so than James Maloney. He did set up tries for Wade Graham and Sosaia Feki but his ill discipline has become a serious problem and he made a couple of preventable errors.
INJURY WARD
Jayden Brailey (Jaw, TBC), James Segeyaro (Broken arm, Round 19), Tony Williams (ACL, Season)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
Newtown went down 18-12 to the struggling Wests Tigers in NSW Cup in a disappointing defeat but debutant Bessie Aufaga-Toomaga had a fine first outing, scoring a try. The biggest Jets news of the weekend came with the departure of 2012 premiership captain Daniel Mortimer, who will leave the Sharks to link with English club Leigh.
REPORT CARD
D: The Sharks have been making errors and giving away penalties at a questionable rate all year. In this match, it came back to get them in a bad way. If Cronulla are serious about going back to back, they need to clean things up before the finals.
— Nick Campton
DRAGONS
HOW THEY FARED
The Dragons were far from perfect, but they managed to pull off one of the biggest comebacks this season to stun Newcastle. The Saints were woeful in the first half against the Knights, conceding 28 first half points. Fortunately for the Saints, they responded on the back of one almighty halftime spray from coach Paul McGregor.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Fullback Josh Dugan was impressive for the Dragons backing up from Origin. Dugan ran for a game-high 255 metres, while he also scored a try. Five-eighth and captain Gareth Widdop steered the Saints around the park, while veteran winger Jason Nightingale was the star with a hat-trick. In stark contrast, the Dragons struggled to perform across the park in the first half.
INJURY WARD
Yaw Kiti Glymin (Shoulder, Indefinite), Drew Hutchison (ACL, Season), Levi Dodd (Knee, Season), Euan Aitken (Hamstring, Indefinite), Siliva Havili (Pectoral, Season), Shaun Nona (Cheekbone, Indefinite), Jack De Belin (Suspension, Round 17)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
Young gun Drew Hutchison is back running and working overtime in a bid to return to the field. Hutchison hasn’t played this season, but he would provide the Dragons with invaluable depth for their run to the finals.
REPORT CARD
B: The Dragons may have beaten Newcastle, but their scratchy performance is proof they still have some way to go to be legitimate contenders. McGregor’s men possess enough strike to compete, but they are still a rung below the likes of Melbourne, Brisbane and the Roosters in the race for the 2017 title.
— Matt Logue
COWBOYS
HOW THEY FARED
North Queensland scored an epic victory over Penrith with a sideline Ethan Lowe conversion in the dying moments securing a 14-12.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Coen Hess and Jason Taumalolo were both tremendous. The powerful duo ran for over 200 metres each and showed why they’ll form the foundation of this North Queensland side now that Johnathan Thurston is out. Michael Morgan was also strong backing up for Origin, setting up both of the Cowboys tries.
Kyle Laybutt is a talented young footballer but he had a couple of growing pains in this one. It’s difficult to be too critical given it was just his second NRL game but the Cowboys need him to be better if they’re to secure a spot in the finals. Laybutt took some poor options and was a little rushed in his play.
INJURY WARD
Johnathan Thurston (Shoulder, season), Josh Chudleigh (ACL, Season), Matt Scott (ACL, Season), Patrick Kaufusi (Foot, Season)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
The Blackhawks destroyed Tweed Heads 50-8 with Jonathan Reuben scoring four tries. The former Raiders lower-grader has been in excellent form all year and is the competition’s leading scorer with 23 tries.
REPORT CARD
A: Losing Thurston might end the Cowboys’ premiership chances but they won’t take it lying down. There’s still a lot of talent in this group and they’ll be tough to beat whenever they take the field.
— Nick Campton
PANTHERS
HOW THEY FARED
The Cowboys snatched victory at the death against the Panthers with a last gasp effort from Kyle Felt to score in the corner and steal a 14-12 win in Townsville.
Penrith looked good in the opening 40 minutes and did well defensively to keep North Queensland scoreless. But the second half was a different story and they were starved of possession and when they did have the ball, they failed to complete - just 56 per cent.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Young halfback Cleary was commendable and looked to have sealed the win when he took on the line and beat the Cowboys’ defence to score.
We all know how good Matt Moylan can be but the fullback turned five-eighth went missing when his side needed him to step up. If the Panthers are any chance of finals footy, Moylan needs to take control in the tight matches.
INJURY WARD
Isaah Yeo (ankle, indefinite), Peter Wallace (groin, Round 17-18), Bryce Cartwright (knee, indefinite).
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
In the NSW Cup, the Panthers earned a 22-19 win over the Warriors in New Zealand. The home side lead 18-6 after 55 minutes but a try to winger Mason Cerruto completed the come from behind win for the Panthers.
Peter Wallace could make his return from a groin injury, with the hooker scheduled to return as early as round 17
REPORT CARD
C: After bouncing back to make it four wins in a row, the Panthers’ ill discipline cost them dearly against the Cowboys. If they are to claw their way into a finals spot it is an area of their game they have to work on. They notched up 13 errors, those kinds of numbers making winning footy games very hard.
— Fatima Kdouh
WARRIORS
HOW THEY FARED
The Warriors ground out a 21-14 win over the Bulldogs in Auckland to keep in touch with the top eight.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Shaun Johnson did not display any of the attacking spark fans crave but he was controlled with his kicking game and helped keep the Bulldogs pinned down their own end. Johnson is capable of being that kind of player, but he’s also capable of a lot more. Nathaniel Roache was also strong in an extended stint at dummy half following an injury to Issac Luke.
The Warriors still have great improvement in them as a team, but they’ve done what they always do in the Origin rounds and made up some serious ground on the rest of the competition. If they can continue to get better a finals spot is not beyond them.
INJURY WARD
Matt Allwood (Ribs, Indefinite), Manu Vatuvei (Hamstring, Indefinite), Kieran Foran (Quad, Round 17).
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
Mason Lino has been one of the dominant players in lower grade football for some time and was typically influential for the Warriors 22-19 NSW Cup defeat to Penrith. Lino scored a try, kicked three goals and a field goal in a game the Warriors had in the bag before a late try to Panthers flyer Mason Cerruto.
REPORT CARD
B: Stephen Kearney has turned the Warriors into a grinding, forward-based team and while that’s not as entertaining as the free-flowing footballing insanity of past years, its probably more reliable. They have the talent to make the finals.
— Nick Campton
RAIDERS
HOW THEY FARED
Another week, another tight loss for the Canberra Raiders. The Green Machine blew a narrow halftime lead to eventually fall to a heavily understrength Brisbane Broncos 30-20 in the nation’s capital.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Josh Papalii showed no signs of fatigue following Origin II, playing the full 80 minutes and proving a constant terror on the Raiders left edge.
Blake Austin had one of his best games of the season in attack, although tensions appeared to surface when he bombed a certain try for BJ Leilua.
Unfortunately, it’s his battles in the defensive line along with halves partner Aiden Sezer that is proving detrimental to the side. The pair were at fault in some way or another in almost every Brisbane try, a theme appearing to reoccur on a weekly basis.
INJURY WARD
Dunamis Lui (ACL, Season)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
Failure to close out tight matches appears to be a trait embroiling the entire club at present, with the Mounties and NYC teams blowing halftime leads to eventually fall to losses.
Despite the struggles up top, very few players are knocking the door down in lower grades to push for inclusions in the NRL side.
REPORT CARD
D: Canberra continue to falter in pressure situations, with the latest failure handing the club their third straight loss.
After being heavy contenders for premiership favouritism earlier in the year, Ricky Stuart’s men now find their dwindling season on life support.
With nine rounds to play — mostly against top eight sides — Canberra now face must-win clashes for the remainder of the season in order to keep their finals aspirations alive.
— Tim Williams
BULLDOGS
HOW THEY FARED
Not great again. While some had hoped the return of Josh Reynolds may spark something again in the Bulldogs, they were flat and outplayed by the Warriors, who were missing Kieran Foran, and went down 21-14.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
The Origin reps struggled to find energy, appearing zapped after last Wednesday night’s big game. Josh Jackson’s sin-binning just before half-time proved costly too, holding down Shaun Johnson too long and fatigue could have been a factor. Will Hopoate had a strong running game at the back, edging up towards the 200m mark and getting the ball away with several offloads.
INJURY WARD
Nil
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
Brett Morris should return next week after missing the Warriors’ match following Origin. The reserve grade side notched another win and the likes of second rowers Renouf To’omaga and Rhyse Martin continue to impress and could push for bench selection if the first grade side’s woes continue.
REPORT CARD
C: Lifting when the heat comes on just isn’t enough and the Bulldogs continue to lack any attacking firepower. It’s hard to see a resurrection in their season from this point and though this week’s opponent the Eels may not seem world beaters at the moment, it’s still going to be a tough one for Canterbury based on current form. Statistically there wasn’t much between them and the Warriors, yet they failed again to come away with the win and with no major injuries and playing pretty much at full strength, that’s a concern.
— Fiona Bollen
TITANS
HOW THEY FARED
The Titans snapped a four-match losing streak in beating the woeful Wests Tigers 26-14 at Campbelltown on Friday night.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Jarryd Hayne found some form with a second half double while Konrad Hurrell also scored a brace of tries. Nathan Peats made 50 tackles backing up from Origin II.
Anthony Don failed to finish the game due to a groin injury and Jamal Fogarty had a quiet NRL debut at five-eighth.
INJURY WARD
Kane Elgey (sternum, Round 16), Tyrone Roberts (shoulder, Round 16), Joe Greenwood (concussion, Indefinite), Ashley Taylor (concussion, Round 16), Pat Politoni (ankle, Indefinite), Ryan James (knee, Round 16), Anthony Don (leg, Round 16), Karl Lawton (shoulder, Indefinite), Agnatius Paasi (shoulder, Indefinite), Chris Grevsmuhl (shoulder, Indefinite),
Ryan Simpkins (ACL, Season), Daniel Sarginson (shoulder, Indefinite).
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
Tyrone Roberts was a late scratching with a shoulder injury and will come into contention for Friday’s game against the Dragons at Cbus Super Stadium. The Titans cannot expect too many other changes to the team.
REPORT CARD
C: It is hard to read too much into a game against the Tigers but the Titans did enough to get a much-needed win. They are still long shots to make the finals but a strong win against the Dragons could change that.
— Travis Meyn
KNIGHTS
HOW THEY FARED
Another week, another loss. Only this one hurt more than most. The Knights played arguably their best 30 minutes of footy in two seasons to lead the Dragons 28-10 at halftime, only to capitulate under the mental pressure in the second 40. This team doesn’t get too many opportunities to bank two competitions points. They blew it big time here.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Nathan Ross has been yearning for a crack at fullback for two seasons now and is likely to remain there for the rest of the after his first half hat-trick gave the Knights their big halftime advantage. Dane Gagai backed up from his brilliant Origin performance to again be a threat in the centres.
Daniel Saifiti and Mitch Barnett worked hard all game as did skipper Sione Mata’utia. Unfortunately for coach Nathan Brown, the inexperience in the halves was a killer in second half.
INJURY WARD
David Bhana (Knee, Season), Rory Kostjasyn (Throat, Indefinite), Jarrod Mullen (Drugs ban, Season), Dylan Phythian (ACL, Season), Jack Stockwell (Shoulder, Indefinite).
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
Could this be the week former captain Trent Hodkinson returns from the wilderness for Sunday’s bottom of the ladder clash with Wests Tigers? Brown is understood to at least be considering reinstating the former Blues halfback. One player who should be back is backrower Jamie Buhrer after an extended injury lay-off due to a broken ankle.
REPORT CARD
D: Looking like world-beaters for 30 minutes is just not good enough to get the job done in the NRL. Missed a huge opportunity to put a bit of a gap between themselves and the bottom-placed Tigers.
— Barry Toohey
WESTS TIGERS
HOW THEY FARED
After taking the lead into the break, the Tigers went down 26-14 to the Tigers in front of a small crowd at Campbelltown Stadium.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Fill-in fullback Kevin Naiqama helped set-up a try but made a couple of crucial errors, which included a drop ball and a wayward pass over the sideline.
Again, the edges let them down defensively and at this stage Ivan Cleary doesn’t look to have the answer for how to seal the leak.
Up front, the forwards played with intent especially through the middle.
Halfback Luke Brooks continues to struggle with his kicking game and his inability to help his side build pressure on the back of his boot is only making the task of winning even harder.
INJURY WARD
Matt Ballin (knee, indefinite), Jamal Idris (ACL, season), Chris Lawrence (knee, indefinite), Josh Aloiai (knee, indefinite), Tim Grant (suspension, Round 17)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
In the Holden Cup, the Tigers went down to the Titans 28-14. In the reserves halfback Jack Littlejohn helped inspire his side to an 18-12 win over Newtown, breaking a five-game losing streak at Henson Park. Nathan Milone continued his try scoring by bagging another four-pointer on the weekend. Fullback Watson Heleta and forward Jack Williams also crossed for tries.
REPORT CARD
C: After seven straight losses, a defeat to fellow cellar dwellers the Knights this weekend would be pretty much rock bottom for the Tigers.
— Fatima Kdouh
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