NRL Tackle: Likes and dislikes from Round 4
Adam Doueihi was a shining light but his halves partner failed to follow — plus check out the Dally M votes from every game and full leaderboard.
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Our NRL experts run the rule over Round 4, delivering their likes and dislikes of every game.
SEA EAGLES v PANTHERS
DALLY M VOTES
3 Nathan Cleary, 2 Viliame Kikau, 1 Jarome Luai. Judge: Darren Lockyer
Like: Penrith’s urgency. Even with the match wrapped up, the Panthers refused to put the cue in the rack and kept assaulting Manly’s tryline right to the death. It’s easy to lose focus in lopsided games but Penrith refused to yield. Superstar halfback Nathan Cleary put on another masterclass, showcasing his pinpoint kicking game setting up a try to Kurt Capewell with two deft kicks in the lead-up. Cleary’s halves partner Jarome Luai set-up four tries, together they helped cement Penrith as outright premiership favourites.
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Dislike: The Sea Eagles are sapped of any resilience and confidence. It’s a side that looks like it is out of answers and with no real solutions to help dig themselves out of a 0-4 start. Five-eighth Kieran Foran insisted his side know what they are doing wrong and are working at it at training but can’t translate those efforts on game day. Tom Trbojevic (hamstring), Jorge Taufua (Achilles) and Haumole Olakau’atu could all be available for selection this week.
Fox Sports key stats:Manly has won just one of its past 13 games (v Bulldogs in round 18). Half of their losses have been by more than 20 points. Viliame Kikau scored the third try double of his career - and his second in three weeks.
- Fatima Kdouh
BULLDOGS v RABBITOHS
DALLY M VOTES
3 Cody Walker, 2 Damien Cook, 1 Josh Mansour. Judge: Mark Geyer
Like: South Sydney’s left edge has attracted plenty of plaudits this season but their most spectacular weapon is still Damien Cook and Cody Walker attacking through the middle of the field. Their combination is the kind of deadly weapon that can change a game in an instant and if Latrell Mitchell manages to add himself to the mix as a runner a little more regularly it could get even better.
Dislike: Walker was in supreme touch against Canterbury but he let himself down when he saw red a couple of times and showed some needless lapses of discipline. Lashing out at Nick Meaney and Corey Waddell wasn’t just ill-considered, it was totally unnecessary and as a result Walker will miss the match against the Broncos this week. Souths shouldn’t have too much trouble handling Brisbane without him, but that’s not the point. Walker is too talented and too important to South Sydney’s premiership chances to get involved in such antics.
Fox Sports key stats: The Bulldogs’ 16 points scored through four games is the fewest by any team since Glebe in 1928. Cody Walker scored two tries - the seventh time in his career he has crossed multiple times.
- Nick Campton
STORM v BRONCOS
DALLY M VOTES
3 Ryan Papenhuyzen, 2 Tom Eisenhuth, 1 Justin Olam. Judge: Andrew Johns
Like: How could you not go past the remarkable four-try performance by Melbourne Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen? The Storm speedster walked into AAMI Park on Good Friday as a star. He left it as a superstar, having now officially entered a new dimension after a display that had statisticians reaching for the record books. He scored four tries in 11 minutes, and converted all of them, His total of 24 points was the most by a single player in a half of football since 1980. He finished with 26 for the match. Is it enough to put pressure on Roosters star James Tedesco for the No.1 NSW Blues Origin jersey? The gap is closing, particularly if he can add a few more displays like that.
Dislike:Broncos coach Kevin Walters continues to appear confused about his first choice halfback. After insisting all week Brodie Croft would start against the Storm, Walters instead went with Tom Dearden, whose performance he later rated as “OK, just like the rest of us.” He said Dearden had earned the opportunity, but it will be interesting to see whether he remains with this set up in the coming weeks. Surely the selection musical chairs has to end soon to give the Broncos some continuity.
Fox Sports key stats: Ryan Papenhuyzen scored 24 first half points - the most by any player in the State of Origin Era (1980-2021). Brett Kimmorley was the previous record holder with 22 for the Sharks in Round 22, 2002. The Broncos have won just two of their past 22 games - both wins came against the Bulldogs.
- Nick Smart
SHARKS v COWBOYS
DALLY M VOTES
3 Chad Townsend, 2 William Kennedy, 1 Toby Rudolf. Judge: Wally Lewis
Like: They’re not quite the apex predators that claimed the 2016 premiership, but this is a version of the Sharks that even people from outside the Shire can get around.
John Morris has done more than enough to warrant a contract extension, and other coaches can learn a thing or two from a man who is able to get the best out of his players, no matter what happens around them. The Sharks played with no one on the bench for 40 minutes in round three and never complained. Instead, they knuckled down, with middle forwards churning out huge minutes two weeks in a row after they lost another two outside backs on Saturday. Players gladly put their hand up to play out of position because it meant they could represent a club that genuinely means the world to them.
Dislike: The Cowboys played without passion, showed no steel in defence and looked clueless in attack, often throwing it to speedster Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow in the hope that he could conjure something out of nothing. This was supposed to be a team that could challenge for the finals under a coach in Todd Payten who worked miracles at the Warriors last year. Instead, they are firming each week to claim the wooden spoon. It doesn’t get much worse than that. You get the feeling things are only going to get worse before they get better up north. And that’s concerning given how low they are already.
Fox Sports key stats: William Kennedy scored two tries and set up two more in a dominant performance from the Cronulla fullback. The first time since 2002 the Cowboys have started a season 0-4.
- Martin Gabor
TITANS v RAIDERS
DALLY M VOTES
3 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2 Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, 1 Josh Papalii’i. Judge: Ben Hannant
Like: It wasn’t the most fluent performances with the footy for the Raiders but it was two try-saving efforts which can be their benchmark for desperation for the rest of the season. Noted Titans tryscorer Anthony Don looked certain to score twice in the first half which would have left the Raiders trailing only for the Titans winger to be denied. The first was a lunging play by Jack Wighton who desperately lunged to stop Don from scoring. The other was from Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.
Dislike: The use of David Fifita. The Titans plan was obvious – try and shift as much to their left as possible and get Fifita the ball. The only problem was they struggled to get him into a good ball situation. The shift and hope caught Fifita flat-footed a number of times and allowed the Raiders defence to aim up easily. The one time he received the ball with a little bit of space, the Raiders defence retreated and he managed a classy off-load which led to the Titans only try.
Fox Sports key stats: Canberra fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad ran for 260 metres (his third highest tally), busted eight tackles and made two offloads. The Titans’ lowest score since round 24, 2019 (lost 38-4 v Knights).
- Michael Carayannis
KNIGHTS v DRAGONS
DALLY M VOTES
Corey Norman 3, Tariq Sims 2, Daniel Saifiti 1. Judge: Gary Belcher
Like: When Anthony Griffin coached Penrith the thing that really stood out about the Panthers was their attitude in defence - and it was often best displayed in line speed but especially a serious intent to really whack the opposition. And while the season right now is only four rounds old we can already see the difference ‘Hook’ is making at St George Illawarra. The Dragons match against Newcastle last year was when then acting coach Dean Young said at the time that his team wouldn’t have beaten Dapto. Yet pretty much the same team has now won three from four to start the season. And on Sunday, while the Knights had massive injury issues, the Dragons were also without a huge chunk of their salary cap with Ben Hunt, Jack Bird, Cameron McInnes and of course Jack de Belin all missing. But what wasn’t missing was a steely belief that they are not in the competition this year to simply make up the numbers.
Dislike: When your luck is out your luck is out. And poor Mitchell Pearce’s year from hell copped another massive setback on Sunday after suffering a suspected pectoral tear. It could sideline him for anything between four week and several “months” with scans yet to determine the full extent of the damage. But it just continued a rotten year for the Newcastle No 7 who was earlier stripped of the Knights captaincy after a texting scandal, while last round he had his 300th match celebrations spoiled wen his team suffered a shock loss to Wests Tigers.
Fox Sports key stat: To come.
- Paul Crawley
ROOSTERS V WARRIORS
DALLY M VOTES
James Tedesco 3, Angus Crichton 2, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 1. Judge: Steve Menzies
Like: Victor the Inflictor is back. After nine months out with an ACL injury, Roosters hit man Victor Radley made a solid if not spectacular return to the NRL against the Warriors. The lock understandably struggled with the pace of the game at times and was worked over by the Warriors’ pack, but he will be much better for the run. The Roosters have endured a horrendous injury run of late but Radley’s return is hopefully the beginning of replenishing their troops. Give Radley another month of football under his belt and he will again be a potent force and a vital component of the Chooks.
Dislike: Throughout their history, the Warriors have drifted in and out of games. And so it was again at the SCG. The Kiwis started with plenty of intent and led 12-4 before fading from view leading into the halftime break. The Roosters swept to a 16-12 advantage at the main break and kept their foot on the throat of the Warriors from that point on. The Warriors failed to score another point after the 23rd minute in what is a worrying sign for coach Nathan Brown.
Fox Sports key stats: The Warriors’ biggest loss and most points conceded since round 10 last season. The Chooks made eight linebreaks to two and ran for over 400m more. Brett Morris scored the 37th double of his career to stay atop the tryscorers’ list this season.
— Adam Lucius
TIGERS V EELS
DALLY M VOTES
Reed Mahoney 3, Mitch Moses 2, Isaiah Papali’i 1. Judge: Brett Kimmorley
Like: Rugby league has been starved of bumper crowds for the best part of a year, but footy-starved fans are starting to stream back in and it’s making the product all the more enjoyable.
There’s something about watching rugby league in the early weeks of autumn when the weather gods decide to turn it on.
The sold-out signs were up in Newcastle on Sunday as their beloved Knights went down to the Dragons, and a season-record 29,056 piled through the gates at Stadium Australia, providing an atmosphere we’ve missed for far too long.
The Tigers flags were flowing like lawns on Australia Day before the game as they cheered on their team, while the blue and gold army was out in full force to watch their team make it four wins in a row to open the season.
Dislike: It must be frustrating being a Wests Tigers fan. This was a chance to claim their biggest scalp since knocking off the Storm twice and the Roosters in the early rounds of 2018.
And for a couple of moments, it looked like they were about to pull of a monumental comeback when they raced in two quick tries to pull within a conversion.
They moved the ball from side to side and did so at pace as they challenged one of the competition’s best defences.
So where was that enterprising play in the first 60 minutes? This is a team that oozes talent but holds it in far too often. They aren’t going to grind out wins, especially against the big guns.
Adam Doueihi was a shining light but halves partner Luke Brooks fell flat, again. He barely took the line on, and when he did, it led to points. He needs to take ownership of this team, otherwise the speculation about his future will intensify.
DALLY M ROUND 4 LEADERBOARD
Reed Mahoney 8
Latrell Mitchell 7
Ryan Papenhuyzen 7
Tino Fa’asuamaleaui 7
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 7
James Tedesco 6
Brett Morris 6
Ben Hunt 5
Cody Walker 5
Daniel Saifiti 5
David Fifita 5
Kodi Nikorima 5
Nathan Cleary 5
William Kennedy5
Viliame Kikau 4
Hudson Young 4
Jarome Luai 4
Damien Cook 4
Bradman Best 3
Cameron Munster 3
Chad Townshend 3
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad3
Clint Gutherson 3
Corey Norman 3
Jamayne Isaako 3
James Fisher-Harris 3
Josephe Tapine 3
Josh Papali’i 3
Junior Paulo 3
Zac Lomax 3
Adam Doueihi 3
Angus Crichton 2
Brian To’o 2
Christian Welch 2
David Klemmer 2
George Williams 2
Jayden Brailey 2
Lindsay Collins 2
Luke Brooks 2
Maika Sivo 2
Matt Burton 2
Matthew Moylan 2
Mitch Moses 2
Nathan Brown 2
Tariq Sims 2
Tom Eisenhuth 2
Valentine Holmes 2
Addin Fonua-Blake 2
Xavier Coates 2
Adam Elliott 1
Alexander Brimson 1
Anthony Milford1
Ashley Taylor 1
Benji Marshall 1
Daine Laurie 1
Daniel Alvaro 1
Dylan Edwards 1
Isaiah Papali’i 1
Jack Bird 1
Jordan Rapana 1
Josh Hodgson 1
Josh Mansour 1
Justin Olam 1
Marata Niukore 1
Mark Nicholls 1
Paul Vaughan 1
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 1
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