The Tackle: Is axe threat Michael Maguire’s best motivational tool for bumbling Broncos?
If attitude is Michael Maguire’s biggest challenge at Red Hill then nothing will send a bigger rocket up the playing group than the coach’s axe. THE TACKLE.
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Fatima Kdouh reveals her likes and dislikes from Round 12 of the NRL competition, calling for crusher tackle crackdown following a shocking incident in the Penrith-Newcastle game.
ROUND 12 DISLIKES
REDHILL RUMBLINGS
If attitude is Michael Maguire’s biggest challenge at Red Hill then nothing will send a bigger rocket up the playing group than the coach’s axe.
The Broncos have been accused of lacking desire and motivation, and there is no greater motivator than a timely reminder that no one’s spot in the side is safe.
Maguire has two worthy options this week when naming his side to take on Manly in rookie hooker Blake Mozer and boom prop Ben Te Kura, who can provide some impact off the bench.
Mozer’s injection leaves Maguire with a decision to make over incumbent hookers Billy Walters and Cory Paix but the coach is building to the future as much as he is towards September.
Te Kura, who played three NRL games last year, is averaging over 100 metres per game for Souths Logan and has scored five tries in eight games this year.
He also has the ability to inject some fresh legs into the prop rotation of Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan, who have tirelessly carried the under-performing Broncos.
The other option is to elevate Corey Jensen to prop and shift Carrigan back to lock as a running forward, tapping into his ball-playing in a link-role through the middle.
Maguire has been loyal to the side which has now slumped to five losses from six games but with a finals berth on the line all bets should be off.
Broncos fans are in despair at the moment so a glimpse into the future through Red Hill’s most promising prospects could ease fears that the club is in crisis mode.
CRUSHER CRACKDOWN
It’s the tackle not one wants to see in the game but players don’t seem to be getting the message.
Penrith’s Liam Henry became the 14th player this season to be charged by the match review committee for his ugly looking crusher tackle on Newcastle’s Fletcher Sharpe on Saturday night.
Henry is facing a two-three week ban.
While some crusher-type tackles are unavoidable, like incidental head high contact, there have been too many example of defenders using the full force of their bodies, in a dropping motion, to put force on a player’s head, neck or spine.
Canterbury’s Jacob Preston is currently serving a four week ban for a crusher, while Lachlan Hubner (two-week ban) and Emre Guler (three-week ban) also copped suspension for the dangerous tackle this season.
The NRL hates the perception of a crackdown but if there is one tackle that should be high on the game’s agenda it should be the crusher given its propensity to cause serious, even life changing, injury.
The NRL has warned coaches and players of their responsibilities when it comes to head-high contact on a number of occasions this year already.
It might be time for a similar memo reminding players of their duty of care – something that is thrown out the window when it comes to the crusher tackle.
The game has all but stamped out the spear tackle.
The crusher tackle should be treated with the same contempt.
ROOSTERS’ DCE DILEMMA
The Roosters want Manly halfback Daly Cherry-Evans in the chook pen but is his signature worth the risk of young guns flying the coop?
It’s the question Roosters fans could not help but ponder on social media in the wake of the side’s spirited win against a full-strength Cronulla outfit.
Trent Robinson didn’t want to talk about Cherry-Evans, who’s Bondi arrival now seems imminent, on Saturday night but the coach won’t be able to silence the chatter around local junior Hugo Savala and the club’s promising crop of young halves.
Savala’s emergence in the halves has been impressive, none more so than against the Sharks, where he confidently outplayed his opposite halfback in Nicho Hynes, scoring a try and setting up three others.
Robinson insists Savala is part of the Roosters’ future plans but his management have indicated they would explore other loan options if Cherry-Evans joined the club.
When you consider Savala becomes a free agent in just over five months, those loan options are likely to turn into serious offers to defect to a rival outfit.
Sandon Smith, like Savala, is off-contract from November 1 and is a product of the club’s Central Coast academy.
But he is now likely to exit the club at the end of the season as a result of the halves squeeze created by Cherry-Evans’ arrival.
There’s the argument that a player of Cherry-Evans’ calibre would also help nurture the development of the likes of Savala and Sam Walker, who is set to return from an ACL injury in Round 15.
But there’s also a case to be made that his arrival will have the opposite effect.
It not only blocks Savala’s path to a regular starting spot in the halves alongside Walker but the chance to keep building on his NRL experience if he is squeezed out of the side.
Immortal Andrew Johns, arguably the best halfback to ever play the game, sounded a serious warning over signing Cherry-Evans.
“The way they are playing Hugo Savala, Sandom Smith and you have Sam Walker coming back … do they want to buy DCE?,” Johns said on Channel 9.
“They have Toby Rodwell in the juniors, shooting the lights out in the juniors.
“The question has got to be, do you want to spend upwards of $1 million dollars on DCE for two years.
“You’ve got these young blokes. They won’t stay.
“Hugo Savala and Sandon Smith, they are NRL players, they don’t want to go to NSW Cup for two years.
“Sam Walker is there, I don’t see Walker and DCE being a good partnership.
“DCE is a right side player … Walker is a right side player, he’s instinctive … DCE is similar … you need a steady hand. I think Sam Walker and Savala will really go well (together).”
It’s a similar story for the Dolphins. They too are in for Cherry-Evans but already have Isaiya Katoa, who is making real progress in the no.7 jumper raising a similar question.
Too many cooks can spoil the broth.
The Roosters have had success after landing the shiny new signing, the recruitment of Sonny Bill Williams and Cooper Cronk led to three premierships.
But the Roosters are a different club, one that is trying to nurture its talent from within.
Losing Savala would be a huge blow to the Rooster’ efforts to develop players after making serious investments into nurturing the club’s pathways in recent years.
MAHONEY MADNESS
Just when fiery Bulldogs hooker Reed Mahoney appeared to turn a corner his discipline was back under the spotlight.
Mahoney took exception to a big shot on halfback Toby Sexton by Dolphins hooker Kurt Donoghoe, running in to spark a melee.
He was lucky not to have been sinbinned given the referee Todd Smith had already penalised Donoghoe for the tackle.
Smith reminded Mahoney that he had “no more chances”.
It appears Mahoney’s chances at Belmore are also running out.
There is speculation Mahoney will lose his spot in the starting side to Bailey Hayward when the Bulldogs take on his former side Parramatta after this weekend’s bye in Round 14.
Injuries, suspension and now Origin duty have decimated the ladder leading Bulldogs and the side needed Mahoney’s experience more than ever in Thursday night’s loss against the Dolphins.
The headlines after the weekend should have been about his leadership not his uncertain future.
Mahoney has always played with his heart but until his firebrand nature is more of an asset than a risk of being a liability, the rumours surrounding his Bulldogs future won’t be going away.
RONALDO ROLLS THE DICE
Ronaldo Mulitalo took his on-field antics to another level on Saturday night thanks to a brain explosion that has only stretched coach Craig Fitzgibbon’s outside stocks even further.
Already without Sione Katoa (shoulder) and Sam Stonestreet (knee), Fitzgibbon will be now be missing Mulitalo for Cronulla’s next clash against the Warriors in Round 14.
Mulitalo was hit with a one-week ban for flooring Roosters star Mark Nawaqanitawase on Saturday night.
Fitgibbon was reluctant to suggest Mulitalo needed to clean up his act last week but that might quickly change.
But the Sharks coach has a bigger problem than reigning in Mulitalo, his outfit was completely out-enthused by an undermanned Roosters side.
For a side that only one week ago had made a huge statement with an impressive win against premiership favourites Melbourne, the loss to the Roosters will only damage the club’s already shaky title credentials.
ROUND 12 LIKES
BABY ROOSTERS
Between the never ending contract headlines and off-field sagas it’s easy to forget the pure joy that can be rugby league.
Rookie Roosters Xavier Va’a and Benaiah Ioelu reminded fans of exactly when the two debutants shared a hilarious post match moment.
Va’a, who hails from Toowoomba, sent a small army of family and friends - and even coach Trent Robinson - into a frenzy when he crashed over to score only 45 seconds into his NRL debut on Saturday night against Cronulla.
“You can make your whole career and never get one of those,” Robinson said after the game.
“He had a great front-rower’s carry and scored a fullback’s try.”
Filled with confidence, Va’a then made sure to call for the ball, wanting to take the first hit-up from the back fence after a kick-off.
But the ball sailed over Va’a head in a moment he would sooner rather forget.
But his teammate Ieolu had other ideas.
The boom rake was seen, in hysterics, poking fun at Va’a at full-time over the kick-off gaffe.
But Xavier wasn’t the only reason for the Va’a family to celebrate on Saturday night at Industree Group Stadium in Gosford. Just hours before Xavier’s debut, his younger brother De La Salle, made a return to the football field via NSW Cup.
De La Salle, who debuted in 2024, has endured a harrowing recovery from open lung surgery in recent months after a tackle during a trial game left the 19-year old with a bruised lung that led to a serious infection.
The dream of playing in NRL alongside each other is now back on track for the front-row brothers.
Robinson hasn’t hesitated to put his faith in pathway products like Va’a, Ieolu, Salesi Foketi, Blake Steep and Robert Toia in 2025.
Given Robinson’s roster rebuild and the coach’s willingness to blood the club’s most promising rookies, the dream of the Va’a brothers might come to fruition sooner rather than later.
EELS HONOUR PAULO
Parramatta have a 32 per cent win rate without halfback Mitchell Moses.
But not even that unflattering stat could stop the Eels from earning a win for veteran Junior Paulo in his 250th NRL game on Friday night.
Jason Ryles was already low on troops with Moses and Zac Lomax on Origin duty, and lost centre Will Penisini to concussion in the opening minute against the Sea Eagles.
The coach thrust debutant Joash Papli’i into the game and he instantly impressed, scoring a try and setting up another.
The highly-touted recruit from the Bulldogs has been forced to bide his time but proved his worth as a backline utility. Papalii came through as fullback but is capable across the backline, and even at hooker.
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