The Tackle: Andrew Johns anoints Isaiya Katoa a potential best-ever, can the ‘All Broncs’ galvanise for Michael Maguire?
One of the game’s greatest No.7s has declared Dolphins half Isaiya Katoa as a potential best-ever player in the position. Plus how Brisbane’s all black kit sent the NRL world into a frenzy and more in THE TACKLE.
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Superstar Dolphins halfback Isaiya Katoa was in complete control of his game as he dismantled the Dragons on Friday night.
A prodigy in his teen years, the 21-year-old is quickly living up to his immense potential.
But Immortal Andrew Johns, who is widely considered the best halfback to ever play the game, believes Katoa will one day surpass all those that have come before him in the No.7 jumper.
“He has no weakness in his game and at 21, what he is doing now, we could be looking at one that goes past all of us... all the halfbacks,” Johns said on Channel 9.
“He’s got everything. I watch him so closely but the other night he had a presence about him, defensively he is whacking blokes. There are no weaknesses.”
The Dolphins take on a Cowboys team on Saturday night without their Origin stars before facing the Knights and South Sydney.
While Katoa might be destined for greatness one day, for now he is doubt focused on helping the Dolphins to their first finals series.
Was ‘All Broncs’ revival down to Madge’s axe gamble?
The ‘All Broncs’ were all power and all intent on Saturday night.
Not only did Brisbane look like the famed “All Blacks”, the Broncos went into beast mode in their black kit – which was a collaboration with the Black Dog Institute to help raise mental health awareness.
Club greats, and pundits alike, have spent the last two months questioning whether Michael Maguire’s men had enough pride in the burgundy and gold jumper that has been worn by some of the greatest ever to lace on the boots.
But it took a fresh look at Suncorp Stadium to spark the Broncos, and their season, back to life.
The black kit was like a clean slate almost, a chance to set aside the pressure, and the weight, that comes with donning a Broncos jersey week in, week out.
The Broncos also showed they can galvanise for a good cause and for skipper Adam Reynolds’ 300th NRL game.
But star forward Pat Carrigan put it bluntly after disposing of the Titans, declaring it should not have taken Reynolds’ milestone to produce such a dominant performance.
Carrigan is right.
Playing for a powerhouse club, in one of the NRL’s most famous jerseys should be motivation enough.
But if Carrigan and his teammates do need a reason to keep turning up every week, then there is none bigger than coach Maguire.
It’s the only way to silence the chatter that players are unhappy under the coach.
Under pressure, Maguire made a huge call to axe Selwyn Cobbo in favour of Josiah Karapani, who scored two tries on the wing.
Maguire sent a strong message, that not even a superstar is safe.
But it also triggered the right response.
Others like backrower Brendan Piakura, who’s spot in the side has not been a guarantee in 2025, played his best game of his career so far – that was the assessment of Maroons coach Billy Slater.
The impact of livewire fullback Reece Walsh also can’t be understated. He can be rocks and diamonds but when he shines, like he did on the weekend, the Broncos look like a premiership threat.
His energy and creativity, and combination with five-eighth Ezra Mam, makes Brisbane a scary proposition.
The key for Maguire now is to keep his talented side from getting too far ahead of themselves after a single, but important, win.
And to keep complacency away from Red Hill.
The willingness of Maguire to wield the selection axe should help the coach do exactly that.
O’BRIEN BACK-PEDALS
There are few fan bases as loyal and as invested as the Newcastle Knights faithful.
So the booing would have felt like a sucker punch to the players as they left the field 16-0 down at halftime.
Enough so that it sparked Newcastle back into the contest and to a 26-22 victory over Manly.
Nothing in Adam O’Brien’s halftime rev up could have come close in eliciting a similar response.
In the heat of the moment, O’Brien labelled the booing fans uneducated on the game but the coach has since apologised for his comments.
It was the right thing to do.
The Knights are the heartbeat of the Newcastle community, and there is a power in that.
Playing for a bigger purpose, like the region and its people, can give Newcastle a genuine edge. It did so for the Panthers, who have wholeheartedly embraced the Penrith community over the last six years, which was driven by coach Ivan Cleary.
The booing might dent egos but on Thursday night it kept Newcastle honest, and reminded players they are as accountable to fans as they are to O’Brien.
HASLER’S BLOWTORCH
Titans management gave the under pressure Des Hasler a license to turn the blowtorch away from his future and squarely onto the players by declaring his job as coach is safe.
“The players turn the club around,” Hasler said in the wake of the Titans 44-14 loss to Brisbane.
“So, it’s not a question like that. It’s not about that. It’s not about turning anything around.”
Players need to take responsibility but so does Hasler. After all, the coach is one who will pay the biggest price, with his job, if the Titans can’t lift themselves off the bottom of the ladder.
Across the board, the Titans were off the mark on Saturday night. How much of that is solely on the players?
As Fox League analyst Cooper Cronk put it, it’s up to Hasler to “inspire that group before a ball is even kicked off to represent the badge and the jersey.”
It doesn’t get any easier for Hasler this week when the Titans take on a Manly outfit that is likely to include both Tom Trbojevic and Daly Cherry-Evans, if he misses out on Origin selection.”
DRAGONS FAIL TO FIRE
Shane Flanagan conceded to having no immediate answers as to why his side produced such a dismal performance against the Dolphins.
But very vocal, and passionate, Dragons fans are calling for Flanagan to make changes ahead of Thursday’s big clash against fierce rivals Cronulla, who will be looking to bounce back after a loss to the Warriors.
Wily fullback Ben Rumble, who has been playing on the wing in NSW Cup, has been in try-scoring form bagging 13 tries from nine games. Rumble alongside Sione Finau and Tyrell Sloan will come into contention this week for the injured Christian Tuipulotu and Valentine Holmes, who is on Origin duty.
While reserve grade five-eighth Jonah Glover and halfback Lachlan Ilias are options in the halves after first-choice pairing Lyhkan King-Togia and Kyle Flanagan failed to spark the attack in the Dragons’ 56-6 loss to the Dolphins.
But Flanagan would know the Dragons have issues that can’t be fixed simply with a selection shake-up.
The Dragons inability to show any resilience on the back of errors has been a problem all season.
Not a single player in Flanagan’s pack managed more than 100 metres, again highlighting how much the Dragons are missing genuine enforcers in the forwards.
LIKES
UP THE WAHS
Warriors halfback Luke Metcalf has rightly owned the spotlight in recent weeks but halves partner Chanel Harris-Tavita has not gone unnoticed.
Harris-Tavita’s form has somewhat been overshadowed by how well Metcalf is playing but the five-eighth was at his running best scoring two tries in Saturday’s 40-10 win over Cronulla.
The same Harris-Tavita that needed a year-long sabbatical in 2023 to rediscover his love for the game.
But under coach Andrew Webster, Harris-Tavita is one of the form five-eighths of the competition. Webster is doing an incredible job of getting the best out of every player in his side.
Rookie rake Sam Healey, the son of Sharks great Mitch Healey, was a late inclusion for Wayde Egan but was in no way overawed by the occasion.
Even the loss of hard man Mitch Barnett (ACL) for the season was not enough to derail the Warriors.
Webster’s young pack, boasting Demitric Vaimauga, Leka Halasima and Jacob Laban, only gets better with each game.
No doubt also driven by the presence of inspirational enforcer James Fisher-Harris, who set the tone and standards at Penrith.
Webster and Fisher-Harris are the exactly the one-two punch combination needed for the Warriors to finally jag the club’s first ever title.
What can't he do?! 🤯#NRLRaidersSouthspic.twitter.com/EuUFZsiLQj
— NRL (@NRL) June 8, 2025
BIG PAPA TEARS
Ricky Stuart’s tears were flowing as freely as Josh Papalii’s locks on Sunday afternoon.
The Canberra coach broke down in tears as Papalii nailed a conversion after scoring two tries against South Sydney in the prop’s milestone match.
Papalii became the most capped Raider after running out for his 319th-game for the green machine at GIO Stadium.
It almost did not go to script with the Rabbitohs jumping to an early lead, doing a good job of trying to spoil the occasion.
But the Raiders finished with a wet sail putting on 30 unanswered points in the second half, in a fitting performance to honour the veteran forward. The emotional afternoon was soured with a knee injury to rookie of the year contender Savelio Tamale.
The Raiders have the bye in Round 15 but Stuart has options in Michael Asomua and son Jed as replacements for Tamale if he is ruled out long-term.
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Originally published as The Tackle: Andrew Johns anoints Isaiya Katoa a potential best-ever, can the ‘All Broncs’ galvanise for Michael Maguire?
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