The Agenda: Dolphins do bye round right, Mitchell Pearce wants NRL swansong

The Dolphins, on a Magic Round high, have used their bye round to travel - but they won’t be on a plane to Bali. This is the NRL Agenda.

Mitchell Pearce has been released from the Knights. NRL Imagery

The Wests Tigers’ pursuit of Mitchell Pearce has taken an unexpected turn, development contracted players to throw a spanner in round 11 team selections and the Dolphins do bye round right.

Here are some of the major talking points ahead of this weekend’s NRL action.

BYE ROUND DONE RIGHT

Dolphins players will be travelling thousands of kilometres during their bye week… but they won’t make it all the way to Bali, unlike a number of Newcastle players that used the time off for a short island break.

The Dolphins on the other hand go into the bye on the back of an impressive win against Cronulla and have every reason to celebrate… but instead will head to the Northern Territory to help develop the game in the region.

Superstar fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Edrick Lee, Herman Ese’ese, Mason Teague, Kurt Donoghoe and Jack Bostock made the trip north within hours of Saturday’s win.

The players will hold skills clinics for local children and visit remote and Indigenous communities in conjunction with major partner Tamboran Resources.

The Knights copped heat last week for rubber stamping the mid-season Bali trip, especially since the international jet setting came after a heavy loss to Parramatta.

The Dolphins will used their bye round to visit remote Indigenous communities. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty

NRL PODCAST: BELLAMY’S COACHING DOMINOES

A call on Craig Bellamy’s coaching future at Melbourne is imminent and could come as soon as this week. Speaking on Monday’s podcast Paul Crawley said Bellamy would want to restore the Storm’s roster to its glory days before he gives up the clipboard.

The loss of Felise Kaufusi, Brandon Smith, Jesse and Kenny Bromwich has put a dent in the Storm’s once impenetrable armour.

Waiting eagerly for Bellamy to make his final call is current Roosters assistant coach Jason Ryles and of course, the Dragons.

The Storm can’t have former club legend Billy Slater, for now, so Ryles is on top of their wish list. The assistant is also a red hot favourite to take over from Anthony Griffin at the Dragons.

But if Bellamy does give up head coaching, the Dragons will have to go back to the drawing board with the likes of Dean Young, Ben Hornby and Shane Flanagan.

MARKET MOVER: MITCHELL PEARCE

Mitchell Pearce politely declined an offer in March to join the Wests Tigers this season but the Catalans Dragons playmaker is not done with the NRL just yet.

Mitchell, 34, is open to a swansong season in the NRL and has not closed the door on joining the Tigers, or any other suitor from season 2024.

The Tigers only have one playmaker on the books for next year, Adam Doueihi, who is currently out with an ACL injury. Luke Brooks and Brandon Wakeham are unsigned beyond this season.

“I’m still open,” the former Roosters premiership winner told SEN.

“I’ll wait and see what happens. The Tigers thing came up. I declined on that, and I was really grateful. It was nice respect from the Tigers but I’m committed here.

“We’ll wait and see what happens next year.

“I still feel like I have got some footy in me there though.”

Mitchell Pearce wants to return to the NRL. Picture: NRL

SELECTION CALL: YOUNGSTERS DILEMMA

Round 11 means rising stars sitting in development lists can now be named in the NRL side without needing special dispensation.

It puts the likes of Manly hooker and development player Gordon Chan Kum Tong in the spotlight.

The Sea Eagles are struggling at the moment and regular dummy half Lachlan Croker far from his best.

It might be time for coach Anthony Seibold to look to the future and give Chan Kum Tong a run, starting against the Cronulla Sharks this weekend.

Chan Kum Tong’s explosiveness from the dummy half gives Manly another dimension in attack, relieving halfback Daly Cherry-Evans from the sole responsibility to ignite and create opportunities.

Rather than throw Chan Kum Tong into the deep end, Seibold can bring the youngster in on the bench with Karl Lawton at no.9.

Struggling Sea Eagles should roll the dice with Gordon Chan Kum Tong.

UNDER PRESSURE: DRAGONS

The Dragons have no answers on and off the field, and now go into round 11 as wooden spoon favourites with the punters after going down to the Wests Tigers on the weekend.

Sportsbet have installed the Red V as $2.10 favourites, overtaking the Tigers ($2.60) for most losses in 2023.

Saturday’s match against North Queensland is a litmus test for the entire club.

Another loss will leave all involved with nowhere to hide - from the coach Anthony Griffin, the players and increasingly, the club’s administration.

A ‘dumb’ team that’s ‘not to NRL standard’ (in the words of Ben Hunt) and head scratching decisions from the front office have left frustrated fans are questioning the club’s direction as a whole.

Does this current roster and front office have the answers?

DALLY M LEADERBOARD AND ROUND 10 POINTS

The Dragons have been installed as wooden spoon favourites after the weekend.

JWH V SPENCER LENIU

Roosters big man Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Penrith’s Spencer Leniu are not known for taking a backward step.

It sets a tantalising battle between the veteran enforcer and the young buck Leniu that is coming to take his spot in the Tricolours pack next season.

Waerea-Hargreaves red-lined in the Roosters’ loss to the Cowboys, threatening to ‘crack’ Jamayne Taunoa-Brown in a fiery reaction to a high shot.

The passionate forward is likely to take that aggression into Friday’s clash ready to put Leniu is his place and establish his place at the top of the pecking order in Bondi, especially if Waerea-Hargreaves goes one more year.

SUPERCOACH: REECE WALSH

A tough draw and huge break-even made Reece Walsh the most sold player in round 10, and how does he respond? With a 93-point performance against the Sea Eagles. A score the 17,000 SuperCoaches who sold him missed out on.

Brisbane have a tough month ahead with games against Melbourne, Penrith, the Warriors and Cronulla.

But the Storm and the Warriors have a tendency to give away plenty of points to opposition fullbacks.

And with the Maroons likely to go with Newcastle’s Kalyn Ponga at fullback and St George Illawarra’s Ben Hunt at no.14, Walsh could be an extra number in round 14.