NRL Lowdown Round 25: Who’s on the cusp and who’s on the block?
WHO’S hot, who’s not, who’s on the cusp and who’s on the block? Get all the latest team info in the Round 25 edition of the NRL Lowdown.
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WHO’S hot, who’s not, who’s on the cusp and who’s on the block?
Get all the latest team news in the Round 25 edition of the NRL Lowdown.
South Sydney Rabbitohs
Who’s hot: Rabbitohs centre John Olive scored a try in the Bears 18-16 defeat to Wyong and the Kingsgrove product is regarded as one of the most promising juniors at the club. Still only 18, Olive made his first grade debut earlier this season and is the youngest player to see NRL action this year. Olive has been heavily courted by rival clubs and will have his eye on securing a consistent first grade spot next season.
Who’s not: Considering they were coming off one of their best performances in months, the laziness and lack of hustle in the Rabbitohs loss to the Bulldogs was downright alarming. Whenever there was a 50/50 contest, either in contact or regarding a loose ball, the Bulldogs invariably came out on top. For the Sam Perrett try shortly before halftime, the apathy of Kirisome Auva’a and Greg Inglis in getting to Trent Hodkinson’s charged down field goal attempt was not acceptable for a team with top four ambitions.
Brisbane Broncos
Who’s hot: Bustling prop Keegan Hipgrave played the best game of his Under 20s career in the Broncos 24-16 win over the Roosters. Hipgrave, who still has another two years of eligibility in the Under 20s, ran for 223 metres from 21 carries, broke seven tackles, scored a try and made a line break against the big Roosters pack and seemingly secured a place in the Brisbane starting line up for the finals.
Who’s not: It seems nitpicky to pull up anything from the Broncos 12-10 loss to the Roosters — Brisbane’s defensive resolve was highly impressive and the game truly could have gone either way — but Wayne Bennett will expect more yardage out of his front rowers in the weeks to come. Since the injury to Josh McGuire, Adam Blair and Sam Thaiday have performed well upfront but they failed to really gain the metres required against the Roosters. Time and again the Broncos relied on alternate means to gain good field position and the result was a team that was on the back foot more often than not.
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Manly Sea Eagles
Who’s hot: Matt Ballin’s injury leaves a hole in the middle of the field for the Sea Eagles but they’ve got a ready made replacement in Jayden Hodges. Hodges, who has played nine first grade matches for Manly since joining the club in 2014, scored two tries in NSW Cup over the weekend and stepped in for Ballin in the semi finals last season. Geoff Toovey may be forced to play a utility on the bench as Hodges will be unlikely to play 80 minutes, but Hodges can definitely do the job for the Sea Eagles for the rest of the season.
Who’s not: Manly are now in the unenviable position of relying on other results to make the top eight after they went down 20-16 to Parramatta. The much vaunted Sea Eagles attack failed to fire with a combination of adverse conditions, poor concentration and subpar execution contributing to a forgettable day for Manly. Despite the Eels porous defence, the Sea Eagles sole try in the second half came from James Hasson kicking through a Parramatta error — considering the fire power at the Sea Eagles disposal such a meagre output is rather underwhelming.
Sydney Roosters
Who’s hot: Jackson Hastings showed against Brisbane that he’s ready to make the transition into NRL football, Tyler Cornish is set to become the Roosters new backup half. The younger brother of Raiders halfback Mitch, Cornish has impressed smart judges with his form for Wyong Roos this season after a strong Under 20s career. While Cornish can struggle for consistency at times, in recent weeks the Roos have experienced a run of strong form that has seen them come into contention for the minor premiership and their rise is due in no small part to the improvement of Cornish.
Who’s not: A ten-match winning streak capped by a win over a premiership contender while missing your best front rower and halfback is pretty hard to top and despite the injuries to Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Mitchell Pearce the Roosters are still firmly positioned as title favourites. Waerea-Hargreaves is out for the season but in former Kiwi Test prop Suiaia Matagi and the currently injured Sam Moa, Trent Robinson still has a pair of excellent front rowers at his disposal.
Parramatta Eels
Who’s hot: Bustling prop forward Alex Twal has been one of the Eels best in a difficult Under 20s season with the prop froward impressing with his workrate and mobility in the middle of the field. Parramatta have endured poor form, injury troubles and inconsistency throughout the season but the personal form of Twal has never wavered and he was duly rewarded with the captaincy in the Eels 18-16 loss to Manly over the weekend.
Who’s not: The Eels played some very poor attacking football against the Sea Eagles and got more than their fair share of luck, but they played tough, they played hard and it was near impossible to begrudge them their victory. While the Eels have still had more bad days than good in 2015, they’ve shown that they won’t lie down even when they have nothing to play for but pride.
Cronulla Sharks
Who’s hot: Lanky outside back Josh Addo-Carr has been shuffled all over the backline this season for the Cronulla Under 20s but no matter where he’s lined up his athleticism and speed has impressed smart judges around the shire. Blessed with an easy gait and deceptive strength, Addo-Carr ran for an impressive 259 metres from just 13 caries against the Tigers over the weekend and ran in two tries. Addo-Carr will likely push for a first grade spot in 2016, but it remains to be seen which position will be his focus in the future.
Who’s not: Cronulla’s success has been built on the strength of their forward pack and their direct style of play reaped dividends against the Tigers. However, the Martin Taupau try midway through the second half will give Shane Flanagan a small cause for concern. Considering the importance the Sharks place on winning collisions and dominating in the middle and the size of the forward packs Cronulla will take on in the finals they’ll need to keep the steely resolve they’ve shown in the forwards for most of the season.
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Newcastle Knights
Who’s hot: Utility back Jaelen Feeney’s year was thrown into turmoil by a broken leg in a trial match at the beginning of the season but he’s rebounded well in recent weeks at halfback for the Knights NSW Cup side. Feeney scored two tries in the Knights 40-26 win over Newtown and was named man of the match after showing his attacking ability with a variety of clever passes and incisive runs.
Who’s not: The Knights played their finest match of the season on Monday night against the Storm. For seemingly the first time in months the Novocastrians stuck to their game plan, maintained their line speed for the full 80 minutes and were able to maintain pressure following an excellent performance from Tyrone Roberts. In truth, Newcastle didn’t have a bad player in the 20-6 victory but it does beg the question — where has this level of commitment been for the last 20 weeks?
Canterbury Bulldogs
Who’s hot: The latest big man to come off the Bulldogs big man production line is Danny Fualolo and the 20-year old has impressed for the Bulldogs NSW Cup side this season. At 183cm, Fualolo is not uncommonly tall but he’s a compact and powerful unit who regularly scatters defenders with damaging charges. The Cabramatta junior has played three top grade matches for the Dogs this season and may come into contention for a spot on the bench following the injury to Tim Browne.
Who’s not: Browne’s injury opens a spot on the Bulldogs bench and it might help Des Hasler continue to avoid an issue that has been hanging over his shoulder for much of the season — what to do about Josh Reynolds, Moses Mbye and Trent Hodkinson? The injury to Michael Lichaa seemed to open a door for Reynolds to slot in at hooker but given the form of Damian Cook against the Rabbitohs it seems as though Reynolds, who is likely to be included for this weekend, may be eased in off the bench.
Melbourne Storm
Who’s hot: Melbourne seem to have settled on their backline combination for the rest of the season but Richie Kennar will surely push for a regular first grade spot in 2016. Kennar, one of three Victorian juniors to play first grade for the Storm, has shown the benefits of playing in the NRL in his subsequent stint with the Sunshine Coast Falcons and looks a vastly improved player since the start of the season.
Who’s not: Just as the Storm look like they were ready for a finals run, they throw up an effort like last night’s 20-6 loss against Newcastle. Not for the first time this season, Melbourne had the possession and field position to get the job done but were undone by uncharacteristic errors from one of their big guns — in this case, Will Chambers. Chambers had a difficult period post-Origin and struggled mightily last night. He was at fault for the Tariq Sims try, failed to find an open Matt Duffie on several occasions and failed to produce any substantial attacking threat.
North Queensland Cowboys
Who’s hot: We try to have some variety in the NRL Lowdown, but the form of Kalyn Ponga simply cannot be ignored. Despite only coming into the Cowboys under-20s team a few weeks ago, Ponga has immediately stamped himself as one of the elite prospects in the game and he turned it on again in North Queensland’s 24-10 over the Warriors. Ponga ran for 327 metres, made five line breaks, scored a try and broke an incredible 22 tackles in an excellent all-round display.
Who’s not: The injury to Michael Morgan throws the Cowboys halves into a little bit of disarray and the man who looks likely to replace the Queensland Origin debutant is Rob Lui. While Lui has played some good footy this season for the Townsville Blackhawks, his defence and decision making have been his major downfalls in the NRL and it heaps the pressure on Lachlan Coote to act as the secondary playmaker alongside Johnathan Thurston.
Wests Tigers
Who’s hot: With the Tigers struggling for forward intensity they could do worse than to throw dynamic front rower Junior Tatola into the fray. Tatola was one of the Tigers best in their 46-20 Under 20s win over Cronulla over the weekend, running for over 200 metres with ball in hand and rumbling over for a try. The big unit has the size and strength to make a mark in the NRL and given the Tigers lack of depth upfront that chance might come sooner rather than later.
Who’s not: Speaking of Tigers props, Keith Galloway had a day to forget against the Sharks. Galloway has enjoyed an uneven season thus far and it was his loose offload that killed the Tigers comeback when it was snatched up by Valentine Holmes and returned for a four pointer. Considering the lack of experience around the club, Jason Taylor will undoubtedly expect more from such a senior player.
New Zealand Warriors
Who’s hot: Andrew McFadden has made it abundantly clear that he doesn’t want to play Siliva Havili but the reasoning behind such a decision continues to puzzle. In his last match in New Zealand before joining St George Illawarra, Havili scored a double in the Warriors 22-10 NSW Cup defeat to Penrith. Quick off the mark and sharp with the ball, Havili will be a solid back up for Mitch Rein at the Dragons next season.
Who’s not: On the whole, Solomone Kata has enjoyed a good rookie season but recently the rigours of a full season in the top grade and the grind of the NRL has definitely worn him down. Kata has struggled mightily in defence the last few weeks and was ripped apart against the Cowboys. Down on confidence and out of from, the end of the season can’t come quickly enough for the Tongan international.
Gold Coast Titans
Who’s hot: It’s been a big few weeks for the Roberts family. First, Tyrone Roberts signed with the Titans, then his cousin, who is also named Tyronne Roberts, scored three tries for their Under 20s side in a big win over the Raiders. In a development that will confuse footy fans everywhere, Tyronne Roberts-Davis has come through the ranks at the Gold Coast and has impressed on the wing for the Titans in the lower grades. More of an athlete than his Newcastle counterpart, Roberts-Davis has been likened to yet another cousin, Titans flyer James Roberts.
Who’s not: Agnatius Paasi has shown flashes of potential in his first full season of first grade and has the power to make an impact in the middle of the field. However, due to the lack of depth in the Titans forwards Neil Henry has been forced to use Paasi as an edge backrower and his lack of mobility has been exposed several times. Against the Raiders on Sunday Paasi was badly out of position and allowed Sam Williams to run through a gap you could have driven a truck through.
St George Illawarra Dragons
Who’s hot: The Dragons sprung the biggest upset of the Under 20s season against the Panthers last weekend as they won 28-16 over the ladder leaders, thanks in no small part to the form of centre Reubun Garlick. Garrick ran fro 237 metres and always looked like the Dragons best attacking weapon as he barrelled into the Penrith defenders will no regard for self preservation. The Dragons have now established a three-point lead over 16th placed South Sydney and a win this weekend will see them avoid the wooden spoon.
Who’s not: Benji Marshall still offers a lot to the Dragons, even though he’s been superseded by Gareth Widdop as the Dragons most important playmaker, but a tendency to overplay his hand could wreck the Dragons chances of going on a run deep into the finals. Marshall had some nice touches against the Panthers but his predilection towards loose cut out passes and bad errors outweighed his positive contributions.
Canberra Raiders
Who’s hot: Joey Leilua is almost certain to be suspended for his second shoulder charge in as many matches, which could open the door for a return to first grade for Brenko Lee. Lee, who started the year in the Under 20s but has moved up to NSW Cup, has been in excellent form in recent weeks and scored a double in the Mulga’s 54-18 win over the Tigers over the weekend. The Queenslander reportedly asked for a release earlier this season in an attempt to join Canterbury but was 18th man for the Raiders two weeks ago and another taste of first grade might convince him to stay in the national capital.
Who’s not: Ricky Stuart made excuses for his team’s dismal display against the Titans, pointing out the heartbreaking manner of the loss to Manly and it certainly appeared that a long season of close defeats has finally taken it’s toll on the Green Machine. However, the defensive application and offensive stupidity were difficult to watch as the Raiders failed to ever truly put up a fight against the Titans. With the notable exception of skipper Jarrod Croker and hardworking forwards Paul Vaughan and Jarrod Kennedy, to a man the Raiders failed to apply themselves. The edge defence on the right hand side was like something out of a horror movie as Sisa Waqa and Joey Leilua were murdered by Titans duo Nene Macdonald and Kalifa Fai Fai Loa.
Penrith Panthers
Who’s hot: Waqa Blake is a player of tremendous promise, but the best thing that could have happened to him at this point of the season was some time in reserve grade. Blake was low on confidence after a number of poor displays in the top grade but thrived in the somewhat more relaxed environment of the NSW Cup, scoring two tries in the Panthers 22-10 win over the Warriors. Blake may not be seen again in first grade this season but the short term pain will undoubtedly result in a long term gain for the young Fijian.
Who’s not: Lewis Brown is a tough and smart player, but he didn’t have his best day against the Dragons. Outside of a magical flick pass to David Simmons, Brown struggled out in the centres and on several occasions killed the Panthers attacking momentum with errors or poor decisions. More suited to the backrow, it is only the Panthers tremendous injury toll that has resulted in Brown shifting wider.
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