The Tackle: Reece Walsh shows Broncos what they are missing with match-winning performance for Warriors
Brad Fittler’s likely to have five, Paul Green at least three. And it’s no wonder considering the No.1 dominance last weekend. Our writers wrap Round 11, plus full DALLY M VOTES.
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Our rugby league writers reveal what caught their eye — good and bad — in Round 11 of the NRL, plus check out the Dally M votes from every game and full leaderboard.
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Cowboys vs Knights
Dally M points
Judge: Brett Kimmorley
3 Jason Taumalolo (NQL)
2 Scott Drinkwater (NQL)
1 Kyle Feldt (NQL)
Like: Aside from the final 15 minutes of the opening half, the Cowboys seemed in control for much of the contest. And plenty of that came from the performance of their wingers. Murray Taulagi and Kyle Feldt were both emphatic on their respective flanks, busting 23 tackles and making nine linebreaks between them. For the 22-year-old Taulagi, it was his first hat-trick in the NRL, demonstrating a mixture of class, footwork and positional awareness to make those tries happen. For the veteran Feldt, it was a performance that should have him firmly on Queensland coach Paul Green’s radar ahead of State of Origin selections. While there were no trademark four-pointers for the 29-year-old to brag about, his 234 running metres, 11 tackle breaks and five linebreaks proved pivotal in coming out of North Queensland’s own end – particularly during a crucial passage when they were down by at least one man.
Dislike: While the NRL’s ambition to crack down on head high contact has a desirable long term impact, there is no denying its influence on the game in the past two rounds has been profound. Both Jason Taumalolo and Lachlan Burr found themselves in the sin bin at the same time, and from the skipper’s send off the Cowboys lead was quickly eradicated. Up 16-6 at the time, the Knights were quick to capitalise, and they did so again when Burr was given his marching orders. To go into the sheds at 16-all despite such a commanding start would have been disappointing for the side, and things soon became worse when Newcastle crossed soon after the resumption. While North Queensland were able to close out a win, it has become clear the NRL and its officials will not stray from the new regimen. It will now be up to teams to either adapt on the run, or perish in their charge to finals football.
Fox Sports key stats: Cowboys’ fifth win of the season - moving them at least temporarily into the top eight. Knights seventh loss in past nine games - five by double figures.
- Nick Wright
Warriors vs Tigers
Dally M points
Judge: Ben Ikin
3 Reece Walsh (NZL)
2 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (NZL)
1 Tohu Harris (NZL)
Like: There’s no truth Kevin Walters rang Kayo on Friday night and asked if he could reduce his NRL package from eight games to seven a week to avoid Warriors matches. Still, it must be a constant dagger in his side to watch brilliant youngster Reece Walsh tear it up for the Kiwis, knowing he was once in the Broncos’ backyard. How could they not spot his genius?
Benefiting from Roger Tuivasa-Sheck’s generosity in handing him the fullback role, Walsh set up three tries and scored one to torch the erratic Tigers. Just as importantly, he also shut down two try-scoring opportunities with gutsy defensive efforts. Just five games into his NRL career, the 18-year-old is already must-see viewing for fans who love their footy fast and furious.
Dislike: Wests Tigers haven’t won three games straight since 2018 and you have to go back almost a decade to find a four-match winning streak. As any Tigers fans will tell you through gritted teeth, inconsistency is firmly implanted in the club’s DNA. The split personalities were all on show in this game. After jumping out to an early 10-0 lead, the “bad” Tigers conceded the next 18 points to go to the break eight down. Then the “good” Tigers returned, recovering to regain the lead just after the hour mark before being overrun. A 10th straight year without finals footy appears a near certainty unless there’s some dramatic transformation.
Fox Sports key stats: Reece Walsh scored a try and set up three others - he has three tries and six assists in his first five games. Warriors break a two-game losing streak for their fifth win of the season
- Adam Lucius
Sharks vs Dragons
Dally M points
Judge: Steve Menzies
3 William Kennedy (CRO)
2 Ben Hunt (STI)
1 Paul Vaughan (STI)
Like: Jack Bird cut a devastated figure, slumped back in the corner of the Dragons’ dressing room after a crushing 13-12 golden point loss. The centre, who has been plagued with injury, couldn’t contain his emotions on Friday night. Winning means everything to Bird and his tears, while heartbreaking, should hearten Dragons fans. The Dragons were a shell of a team last season. Devoid of passion and soul. Bird’s tears are the strongest indication yet that under new coach Anthony Griffin, there is a renewed fire in the belly of Dragons players. And while the Dragons may not have scorched the Sharks at Kogarah, the sixth placed St George Illawarra have continued to defy expectation of them in season 2021. Griffin’s next man up mentality will again be tested next week with Paul Vaughan, Poasa Faamausili and Josh Kerr are all on report and Cody Ramsey, Jaiyden Hunt and Max Feagai failing HIAs.
Dislike: “It’s the sinbin effect, it psychs teams out.” That was Fox League Braith Anasta’s assessment of Cronulla’s inability to capitalise on Vaughan’s binning in the first half. But the Sharks aren’t the only team that has struggled to make the most of the reduced number of defenders in the opposition line since the NRL’s head and neck crackdown. In Cronulla’s case, rather than playing the numbers game and a set play, that would have easily created an overlap, the Sharks deviated from that plan and went looking for holes in the Dragons defence that weren’t there.
Fox Sports key stats: Sharks snap a six-game losing streak with their third win of the season - all three at Kogarah. Dragons have won just one of their past six games.
- Fatima Kdouh
Titans vs Bulldogs
Dally M points
Judge: Mark Geyer
3 AJ Brimson (GCT)
2 Moeaki Fotuaika (GCT)
1 Luke Thompson (CAN)
Like: AJ Brimson must surely be the favourite for the Queensland No. 1 jersey for the State of Origin series-opener. Brimson produced his best game of the year, running for 207m and scoring a double to sink the Bulldogs. Even if Kalyn Ponga overcomes a groin injury in time, the Newcastle fullback is going to be underdone heading into an Origin game. Brimson has been working his way back from a foot injury and has hit his straps at the right time for Queensland. He is a tough player to handle and could slice up the Blues through the midfield.
Dislike: The NRL has to get tough on players that stay down and try to milk penalties so rugby league doesn’t turn into soccer. A trend has emerged of players laying on the ground waiting for The Bunker to intervene because they know they will receive a penalty if there has been any sort of high-contact. It is slowing down the game. The NRL needs to penalise players for faking injuries from minimal contact. If the tackle wasn’t bad enough for the on-field referee to see it, then it should be play-on unless The Bunker spots something malicious.
Fox Sports key stats: AJ Brimson scored the sixth double of his career - he has won all six games. Twenty points is the Bulldogs highest score this season.
- Travis Meyn
Roosters vs Broncos
Dally M points
Judge: Luke Lewis
3 Albert Kelly (BRI)
2 Matt Lodge (BRI)
1 Tevita Pangai Jr (BRI)
Like: Fairytale returns for some of Brisbane’s players. Three discards who have made their way back to the NRL in Albert Kelly, David Mead and Dale Copley. While Mead had a taste of first grade earlier this year, he returned to the line-up and scored a treble. Copley played his first game for the Broncos since 2015 and had a horrid injury run in the pre-season. The biggest play came from Kelly though. He kicked out on the full with his first attempt but rebounded to produce a man of the match performance in his first game in the NRL in seven years. His 40/20 was classy and he overshadowed many of his bigger name rivals.
Dislike: The ill-discipline by Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves set the tone for a poor night for the home side. There was a brain dead moment by the Roosters veteran who was penalised for taking Matt Lodge out after his opposite prop some how found himself kicking on the last. The innocuous grubber did not cause any problem for Roosters fullback James Tedesco but Waerea-Hargreaves held Lodge back. The ensuing set led to a Copley try. The moment started a poor run of discipline for the Roosters.
Fox Sports key stats: David Mead scored just the third hat-trick of his career - and his first since 2011. Second hat-trick v Roosters. Victor Radley was the first player sin binned twice in a match since Cameron Munster in the 2018 grand final.
- Michael Carayannis
Raiders vs Storm
Dally M points
Judge: Greg Alexander
3 Nicho Hynes (MEL)
2 Brandon Smith (MEL)
1 Nelson Asofa-Solomona (MEL)
Like: Of all the players who stood up in the absence of the galaxy of stars in this match, none shined more than Melbourne understudy Nicho Hynes. A game-high 182 metres, 11 tackle busts, try assists, and five goals, all without his more experienced teammates, proved his recent purple patch is no fluke. Enjoy him while you can, Storm fans, as the off-contract talent, stuck behind Ryan Papenhuyzen, said post-game that all he’s waiting on is an offer from a rival club to give him a starting job he deserves.
Dislike: What’s happened to the vaunted Raiders forward pack? Once the cornerstone that Ricky Stuart’s aggressive, successful game plan was built on, the green machine appeared anything but, with not one big man cracking the 100-metre mark. And on the flip side, the Raiders were on the wrong end of a 32-15 missed tackle count. The worst culprits were among the forwards, including captain Elliott Whitehead (seven), Tom Starling (six), Corey Harawira-Naera and Ryan Sutton (four each).
Fox Sports key stats: Raiders’ second biggest loss and second most points conceded this season (35-10 v Eels). Brandon Smith finished the match with three try assists - he has never had more than one
- Matt Encarnacion
Rabbitohs vs Panthers
Dally M points
Judge: Darren Lockyer
3 Matt Burton (PEN)
2 Nathan Cleary (PEN)
1 Isaah Yeo (PEN)
Like: At the start of the season there has a huge push from Matt Burton’s management and the Bulldogs to get him out of the final year of his contract at Penrith. Those close to him believed he was ready to take the next step in his career as a NRL starting player and Burton didn’t look like he was going to get a shot at Penrith this year. But the way he has managed to put all that controversy behind him and shine in the unfamiliar role of playing in the centres, is just a credit to his obvious maturity and exceptional talent. It’s hard to believe Burton is still only 21 but his size, skill, speed and ability to seize a moment make him a star not just of the future, but the now.
Dislikes: Damien Cook might be considered by most as an Origin certainty, but he certainly didn’t do himself any favours with his performance in Dubbo. Going head-to-head with his main contender for the NSW No 9 jumper, Api Koroisau, Cook looked nothing like the confident and dangerous running dummy half he can be. In fact, he didn’t have a single run for the entire game, while his dummy half service was nowhere near what it should be.
Meanwhile, Koroisau just goes about his business with a minimum of fuss, while his connection with Nathan Cleary is effortless.
Fox Sports key stats: The Panthers are the first team sinec Manly in 1995 to start a season with 11 straight wins. Their +280 points differential is the best of all time after 11 games.
- Paul Crawley
Eels vs Sea Eagles
Dally M points
Judge: Wendell Sailor
3 Tom Trbojevic (MAN)
2 Jake Trbojevic (MAN)
1 Reuben Garrick (MAN)
Like:Josh Schuster is a terrific makeshift backrower, but it’s clear he belongs in the halves.
Filling in for the injured Kieran Foran, the Sea Eagles youngster played straight and direct to keep Parramatta’s edges guessing, paving the way for Tom Trbojevic and the outside backs to run amok. His size makes him a threat when he decides to run, but he then has the option to play out the back because he’s blessed with slick hands and a terrific understanding of numbers. Des Hasler will have some tough decisions to make in the coming weeks when Foran and Curtis Sironen return from injury, but it’s clear Schuster has to be in the starting side.
Dislike: It played no part in the final result but surely we can’t have a repeat of the halftime incident in which Reuben Garrick sprayed a conversion because someone decided to sound the siren just as he approached the kicking tee. It clearly put the Manly winger off and he hooked his attempt to the left, leaving Andrew Voss in disbelief as Garrick’s hot streak with the boot came to an abrupt halt. The cheeky ploy came off as lighthearted gamesmanship given the nature of the scoreline, but imagine if the kick had cost Manly the game.
Fox Sports key stats:Manly fullback Tom Trbojevic ran for more than 300m, scored a try and had several assists. The Sea Eagles have won five from six since their talisman returned.
- Martin Gabor
DALLY M LEADERBOARD
21: Nathan Cleary
17: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
15: Tom Trbojevic
14: James Fisher-Harris
13: Latrell Mitchell
12: William Kennedy, Ryan Papenhuyzen
Luai legacy: Star hopes brother, son build own Penrith dynasty
Jarome Luai cleaned out his locker at Penrith for the last time, but the four-time premiership winner says his name will live on at the club through his brother and son when they build their own dynasties at the foot of the mountains.
Broncos backflip: Madge pulls pin on Walters roster move
Michael Maguire has made his first big call as Broncos coach, pulling the handbrake on a Kevin Walters-era roster cleanout.