NRL Magic Round Day 3: Every major talking points, result recapped
Parramatta’s shock Magic Round loss to Gold Coast halted their run towards the top eight - and exposed a number of frailties in last year’s grand finalists.
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Magic Round is over for another year, producing a memorable weekend of NRL in Brisbane.
Sunday was full of talking points which culminated in Gold Coast’s shock win over Parramatta in which Mitch Moses was concussed.
The Roosters-Cowboys match was full of tension as two players nearly came to blows, while Wests Tigers heaped more pressure on St George Illawarra and coach Anthony Griffin.
Recap every big talking point from the third day of Magic Round below.
EELS CONCUSSION DISASTER ON MAGIC NIGHT FOR TITANS
Brent Read
Parramatta’s loss to Gold Coast in the final game of Magic Round is set to be compounded by the absence of Mitchell Moses for their next match against Canberra after he suffered an ugly head knock on Sunday night at Suncorp Stadium.
Moses and the Eels fell behind early in the first half against the Gold Coast and were always playing from behind as the Titans prevailed and moved into a logjam with six other sides on the NRL ladder on 12 points.
The Eels, meanwhile, find themselves four points out of the top eight and facing at least a week without their talismanic halfback, who was left on the turf after attempting to tackle teenage Titans fullback Keano Kini late in the second half.
Moses was ruled out of the game with a category one head knock, meaning he faces a mandatory 11-day period on the sidelines. That will rule him out of the game against the Raiders in the nation’s capital, stripping the Eels of their chief playmaker and likely meaning a call-up for Jake Arthur.
“I think they said it was a cat one,” Eels coach Brad Arthur said.
“He is fine now but obviously yeah, he wasn’t good. We need to get all the advice from our docs but at the end of the day the rules are 11 days.
“He will go through the process and they will make a decision on what is best for Mitchell.”
Watch out Freddie, Queensland is coming
Maroons coach Billy Slater would have been doing cartwheels on Sunday as the Titans victory completed the quadrella for Queensland side’s over Magic Round.
The opening game of State of Origin is less than four weeks away and the Queensland sides are warming to their task at the right time of year.
They have been outstanding over the past three days at Suncorp Stadium. North Queensland and the Dolphins were probably the pick of the bunch given they took down two of the competition heavyweights, but there was plenty to like about the way the Broncos and Titans performed as well.
The Titans have been as good as anyone over the past fortnight. They travelled to Manly last week and beat the Sea Eagles. They then backed that up on Sunday night as they took care of the Eels, bolting to a 10-4 lead through the smarts of Kieran Foran and going on with the job.
“It is positive,” Tino Fa’asuamaleaui said.
“I guess it is exciting for Queensland when the Origin comes round.”
Magnificent Brown
Dylan Brown was in a beaten side but he produced arguably the most impressive performance of Magic Round as he showcased the running game that has become his trademark.
Brown ran for just shy of 200 metres, busted five tackles and had two try assists as he did everything in his power to drag his side back into the game.
The New Zealand international has been hit-and-miss at times this year but he has always been at his best when he puts the ball under his arm and takes on the line.
Sunday night was another reminder of that as Brown almost single handedly got Parramatta over the line.
“He chased the game hard, stepped up, ran,” Arthur said.
“That is two weeks in a row he has been like that. He did a really good job. He was there trying to win the game for us.”
Hooking conundrum
Josh Hodgson will return to the nation’s capital next weekend to take on his former club having played a peripheral role in the Eels
When the game was on the line in the second half, it was noticeable that Hodgson was stationed on the interchange bench watching from the sidelines.
The English No. 9 had been heavily involved from a defensive standpoint – he made 25 tackles – but he had only one run for five metres to his name.
Hodgson has conceded his form hasn’t been where he wants it to be over the opening 10 weeks of the season. Brendan Hands, who was on the field for the final 15 minutes, is putting immense pressure on Hodgson to keep his place in the side.
Perhaps a return to Canberra will bring out the best in the former Raiders star.
Foran flying
Kieran Foran finished the Gold Coast’s win over Manly a week ago with a pronounced limp. His right knee was heavily strapped and every step brought with it a shot of pain.
Foran, however, continues to prove that he is one of the toughest players in the game. After Parramatta conceded an early try, it was Foran who inspired the fightback.
In the ninth minute, his burgeoning combination with David Fifita hit pay dirt yet again when he backed up on the inside and the big back rower, with opposition players draped all over him, came up with an offload.
Then, three minutes later Foran did it all himself as he threw a dummy and slicer through some pours Parramatta defence.
He could have had a hat-trick but winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira went himself when the easier option would have been to pass to his five-eighth.
Foran has been one of the most astute buys of the season though the opening 10 rounds.
“He has been a big part of the team we want to be,” Titans coach Justin Holbrook said.
“There are a lot of conversations with myself and him around are you going to be right. You have to back a bloke who has that much character and desire.”
‘I’LL CRACK HIM’: ROOSTERS ENFORCER EXPLODES
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves threatened to bash a Cowboy but North Queensland’s defence refused to crack as the Roosters were humbled 20-6 in another Magic Round upset.
Facing the prospect of falling to last on the ladder, North Queensland stunned the title heavyweights in the penultimate game of the Suncorp Stadium extravaganza on Sunday afternoon.
This was the type of performance the Cowboys became known for last year during their fairytale run to the preliminary finals – but had not been seen in 2023.
North Queensland dealt best in testing conditions on the back of a torrential downpour, tackling the Roosters out of the contest in a desperate performance to keep their season alive.
For the hot-and-cold Roosters it was another missed opportunity and raised questions about their premiership credentials.
Waerea-Hargreaves was on a rampage after being collected on the chin by Cowboys prop Jamayne Taunoa-Brown.
The contact in the 28th minute went unnoticed by referee Ashley Klein, prompting “JWH” to refuse to play the ball as he awaited intervention from the Bunker.
Klein’s microphone then picked up the Roosters hit-man, one of the NRL’s most feared enforcers, threatening his Cowboys rival.
“Let me crack you, G,” Waerea-Hargreaves said.
He then said to Klein: “I’m happy to crack him, bro.”
Waerea-Hargreaves was on the edge for the remainder of the game but couldn’t spark a Roosters revival, with Angus Crichton scoring a consolation try in the final minute to avoid a total embarrassment.
"I'm happy to crack him, bro!" 👀
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) May 7, 2023
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is the last person you'd want to be cracked by! 😅
📺 Watch #NRLRoostersCowboys on ch.502 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/AatFxsM0NY
âœï¸ BLOG: https://t.co/jgFMYh7zSP
🔢 MATCH CENTRE: https://t.co/gzzFeZzcqTpic.twitter.com/WiV5THXOJI
HAIL LASHES MAGIC ROUND
Suncorp Stadium has been pelted with rain and hail in the lead up to the Roosters-Cowboys clash.
The hail backed off before heavy rain lashed the ground as the game kicked off before the sky dried up five minutes into the contest.
Rooster coach Trent Robinson is braving the wild weather on the bench after a malfunction with the communication technology forced him to the sideline.
GAME ON! Let's go @nthqldcowboys and @sydneyroosters BIG SE QLD DOWNPOUR (and some hail!). #NRLMagicRoundpic.twitter.com/uEu4vEyltu
— Professor Dr Megan Davis (@mdavisqlder) May 7, 2023
‘WE WERE JUST DUMB TODAY’
DRAGONS coach Anthony Griffin conceded his club’s fifth straight loss was “heartbreaking” after a performance which skipper Ben Hunt labelled as “dumb”.
The conjecture surrounding Griffin’s position now goes into over-drive.
The Tigers 18-16 win against St George Illawarra almost felt like an exchanging of the wooden spoon baton. For so much of this year the scrutiny had been on the Tigers who were winless until last week.
Now the focus will squarely rest on Griffin and his short-term future. Hunt was scathing.
“We were just was dumb,” Hunt told Fox League. “Some of the things we did...it’s not NRL standard. Silly penalties, and then we got a good ball set, we dropped it or went out on tackle two or three... you just can’t do that.”
“I thought we had it to be honest. They scrambled really hard right at the death of the game.”
COACHING SEARCH
The Dragons are likely to have a new coach for 2024 but just how long they persist with Griffin remains to be seen. A desire to land their next mentor before they make a final decision on Griffin is why there has been little movement in recent weeks. But their horror stretch of form may force the Dragons into a snap decision.
Jason Ryles remains the front-runner while the likes of Ben Hornby, Dean Young and Shane Flanagan will be all considered if Ryles officially rules himself out. The ex-Dragons prop has yet to formally distance himself from the role.
St George Illawarra have been quietly researching potential coaches but are yet to formally interview any candidate.
The Dragons headed to the Gold Coast on Sunday night and will stay in Queensland ahead of their next game against the Cowboys. Hunt’s 300th game next week could also be Griffin’s last if the board elect to pull the trigger.
“It’s about keeping going,” Griffin said. “We can take that attitude and become defeatists. Stare it in the face and keep going. We could have had three or four wins in the last five weeks. The only thing is going to change is chasing it.”
When asked if the side needed a change of coach immediately Griffin replied; “Not at all. I don’t think so.”
The two-point loss against the Tigers follows a recent trend for St George Illawarra. They scored an equal amount of tries with goal-kicking the difference. It now means they have lost their past five games by a combined 13 points.
“It’s heartbreaking for everyone,” Griffin said. “You’re losing by two. You can change a few of those situations in the game you’re not trying to score a try with 30 seconds to go.
“There is a knife-edge in it. We could be sitting here being in a whole different position.”
TATOLA ON THE VIDEO THAT MADE HIM BREAK DOWN IN THE SHEDS
By Brent Read
Not long before he ripped into the fearsome Melbourne forward pack at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night, Tevita Tatola was in the South Sydney dressing room in tears.
Tatola had endured a challenging week after his father Tevita Senior passed away in sudden circumstances only days before Magic Round and his emotions simmered to the surface as he prepared for the Rabbitohs to take centre stage in Brisbane.
Tatola had been given the chance to take the weekend off by coach Jason Demetriou to deal with his grief. He spoke to his family and decided his father – the man who got him into rugby league and drove him around on weekends – would have wanted him to play.
So he did. Tatola, wearing a black armband and his father’s name on strapping tape on his wrist, pulled himself together and tore into the Storm as South Sydney stamped their premiership credentials.
“It was a bit hard actually,” Tatola said.
“Before warm-up I got a bit emotional. I was watching a video back of my dad and I broke down in the sheds. I just wanted to watch it.
“I just wanted to get out there and get the job done. That was the main thing. I talked to my family, my brothers and that. I was umming and ahhing about playing. They helped me to make my decision.
“They said dad would have wanted you to play – just go out there and do your thing. That gave me confidence as well.
“JD (Demetriou) also messaged me during the week and said if you don’t want me to play, it is 100 per cent up to you.
“I messaged him straight away and said my dad would want me to play, I am 100 per cent in.”
Tatola’s father had battled health issues for years. He had suffered from diabetes which meant he was required to undergo regular dialysis. Still, his passing came as a shock.
“This was a bit unexpected,” Tatola said.
“He went to dialysis in the morning, had his normal session and was all good. He went to the toilet and just collapsed.
“The doctors took him straight to emergency. They brought him back for a little bit and he crashed again. They tried everything they could.
“None of us could say goodbye to him, which is a bit hard.”
Demetriou confirmed he had given Tatloa the opportunity to take the night off.
“I spoke to him earlier in the week about whether he wanted to play or not,” Demetriou said.
“But he wanted to make his dad proud, and he did. The players were awesome the way they supported him.
“It’s one of those things where you can’t pressure a player to play or not to play. It had to be a decision that came from him, and I supported him 100 per cent either way.
“Not only did he make his dad proud, he also gave a bit of light to his family who are doing it tough.”
Tatola will play the rest of this season in honour of his father. Same for the next one and every season after that. Without him, he wouldn’t be where he is today.
“My old man, he was the one who got us into footy and took us literally everywhere to play footy,” Tatola said.
“He was the man that put me in and all my brothers as well. I know he would be watching and he would want me to play. He was definitely out there with me.”
DEMETRIOU DEMANDS MORE FROM ON-FIRE BUNNIES
By Michael Carayannis
South Sydney have conceded the second least amount of points of any side in the competition but coach Jason Demetriou has asked for more from his team.
The Rabbitohs receive plenty of accolades for what they do with the football with their attacking brilliance easily identifiable.
But their defensive efforts this season is what has helped them to five consecutive wins and could push them into premiership heavyweights.
While their attack continues to flow, Demetriou said the biggest improvement in the side will come defensively.
“It’s been a process we’ve been implementing for two years,” Demetriou said. “Not having changes in our squad, trust and believing. If we keep having a defensive mindset we are a tough team to beat.”
The Rabbitohs conceded just a try in each half.
“We need to tighten our discipline up,” Demetriou said. “A lot of pressure on our D in the first half.
“It’s not anything that’s changed. It’s the ability to play with the people you’re comfortable with week in week out. Trust and combination just grows. That’s been the biggest change. Stability in your team.”
Melbourne boss Craig Bellamy echoed Demetriou’s sentiments. The Storm beat the Rabbitohs 18-10 just five weeks ago.
“Souths have been playing great the last two or three weeks,” Bellamy said. “What we came up with wasn’t going to be good enough. I thought one thing they improved on was their defence. It was really strong. We didn’t test them as much as we would’ve liked. We know how they can attack.”
South Sydney captain Cameron Murray pinpointed discipline to his biggest need for improvement.
“Off the back of tonight, a few errors letting them out on their end,” Murray said. “Coach said putting pressure on our defence. We were resilient and weathered the storm well. I don’t think we’ve put a perfect 80 minutes together yet. We will do some video and re-watch the game and improve on.”
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