The Tackle: Dean Ritchie reveals his likes and dislikes from Round 6 of the NRL season
Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo must shift his $3.3 million star recruit Stephen Crichton before another season of Belmore promise slips away.
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Somehow North Queensland lost their Round 6 encounter to Parramatta but instead of being devastated, two of their stars posed for happy snaps with the opposition.
Over at Canterbury, the resurgent Bulldogs continue to leave their $3.3 million star away from the action.
DEAN RITCHIE reveals his likes and dislikes from Round 6 of the NRL season.
DISLIKES
CIRALDO’S CRUCIAL CRICHTON CALL
Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo must shift his $3.3 million star recruit, before another season of Belmore promise slips away.
Stephen Crichton, on an annual contract worth $800,000, isn’t seeing enough ball on the Bulldogs’ right-hand side.
He had 13 runs for 113 metres against Melbourne on Friday night.
Crichton desperately needs more involvement and would be far more potent from fullback.
Connor Tracey did a grand job from fullback against the Storm – 17 runs for 126m, three tackle busts and a linebreak assist – but Crichton is the club’s gun, a player who must get the ball more.
It would be incredibly tough on Blake Taaffe, who has performed admirably at fullback and only missed the Melbourne game after he was concussed from the high shot that resulted in the Sydney Roosters’ Dominic Young being sent off and suspended.
Crichton and the ever-improving Bronson Xerri are the Bulldogs’ best centre options, but even NRL great Cameron Smith questioned last month: “Stephen Crichton, I just wonder whether he really wants to be playing in the centres in this football team or whether he wants to wear the No. 1.”
Canberra legend Laurie Daley also said: “They’ve got to find a way to get more out of Stephen Crichton so therefore you might have to look at pushing him back to fullback to get him more involved in the game. You can’t have him sitting out there not getting any ball at all.”
Ciraldo will, on Tuesday, pick his side to play Newcastle this weekend. Canterbury are 2-4 but could easily have had four wins. Day by day, week by week, you can feel the Bulldogs are building under Ciraldo.
EELS DISALLOWED TRY DEBUNKED
Bunker interference robbed Parramatta of a try.
Eels hooker Joey Lussick scored what was a legitimate four-pointer after Cowboys winger Kyle Feldt knocked back a North Queensland dropout into the waiting arms of the Eels’ No.9, who dived over to score.
But the bunker intervened and found Lussick was inside the 10m, when Scott Drinkwater took the drop out.
Replays showed Lussick to be on the 10m line. Seriously? Talk about nitpicking.
I wish the bunker would get out of our lives.
COWBOYS’ CRINGEWORTHY SELFIE A BAD LOOK
I am all for sportsmanship at full-time but losing players smiling and posing for selfies? Really?
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing when Cowboys players Kulikefu Finefeuiaki and Jason Taumalolo posed up with Eels pair Will Penisini and Joe Ofahengaue for an on-field selfie after full-time.
I don’t mind the Eels players being all smiles — they won. But if I was a Cowboys fan, I’d like to see the players show a tad more hurt.
Yes, I understand all four have Tongan links but this is club footy.
Remember when players who lost were gutted?
I remember Steve Roach once saying: “If we lost I’d be kicking stones for a week.”
Imagine Blocker posing for a selfie after losing a game they should have won?
These two Cowboys aren’t the only NRL players smiling after a loss at full-time – they all seem to do it these days.
Winning or losing doesn’t seem to matter – it’s smiles all round.
WALSH ONE HIT AWAY FROM ANOTHER SIDELINE STINT
Dolphins star Anthony Milford should have been banished to the sin bin for his off-the-ball dog shot on Brisbane’s Reece Walsh.
He blindsided Walsh and knocked the brilliant fullback off his feet.
Walsh shouldn’t be treated like a koala, but the game must protect its stars from cheap shots.
Penrith’s Taylan May inexplicably avoided sanction — either on the field or by the match review committee — for the head clash that broke Walsh’s cheekbone in Round 3, a decision the NRL admitted was wrong.
In Walsh’s return game, in which he was wearing a protective headgear, Milford somehow stayed on the field but was later charged by the NRL match review committee and is facing a two-to-three-game suspension.
Referee Adam Gee asked on field: “What happened here?”
Commentating on Channel 9, former Test player Paul Vautin said: “That was totally unnecessary from Milford — it’s a brain explosion. He didn’t have to. I’m surprised he didn’t get binned.”
Walsh completed 10 runs for 147 run metres. Milford knew instantly on-field he had committed a foul.
ROOSTERS’ EXODUS FEARS LAID BARE
How do you replace 753 run metres a game? That’s the dilemma confronting the Sydney Roosters in the next year.
The Roosters’ back three were magnificent against Newcastle.
Replacement fullback Joey Manu ran for a staggering 326 metres, Daniel Tupou for 232 and Joseph Suaalii for 195, mostly coming out of their own end.
Three big bodies doing some heavy carries and collision work – one, two, three, relentlessly.
Remember in the old days when wingers were small and unused?
Manu and Suaalii are leaving after this season for rugby union while Tupou’s wonderful career is winding down. They will leave deep chasms in the Roosters side.
“It’s the trifecta all the time – Manu, Suaalii and Tupou,” Fox League commentator Michael Ennis said during the game. “They are rolling through Newcastle.”
Perhaps cheekily, former Test forward Mark Geyer said on social media: “Put ‘Teddy’ (James Tedesco) to 5/8, Manu to 1.”
BELLAMY SLAMS WALKOUT ‘LIE’
Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy bristled when asked whether he had prematurely left the coaching box and missed Shawn Blore’s matchwinning try on Friday night.
While the question drew a wry smile from Storm captain Harry Grant, who was sitting next to Bellamy at the post-match media conference, Bellamy was clearly dirty at the accusation.
Bellamy had been blowing up during the game when Canterbury posted three successive tries. Fox League cameras caught Bellamy leaving the box but the veteran coach insisted he returned and saw the final try.
“I don’t know who’s telling that little lie, I was in the coach’s box,” Bellamy said.
“I might have walked up the back and come back again, but I didn’t go out of the coach’s box until probably about 25 minutes after the game, I would imagine.
“All the coaches sat up there and we had a bit of a chat about it and whatever, but I can assure you I never went out of the coach’s box.”
Like Canberra’s Ricky Stuart on the sidelines, I absolutely love Bellamy’s passion and antics during a game.
HIP DROP ACADEMY AWARD
Is the hip drop the new crusher? It seems players are staying down and feigning injury for a hip drop, as they did previously for a crusher tackle. If you don’t stay down, you often don’t get the penalty.
We saw a borderline hip-drop tackle on Thursday night when Newcastle’s Jacob Saifiti tackled Sydney Roosters hooker Brandon Smith, who winced and didn’t land on his feet.
Guess what?
Smith didn’t stay down and play went on. If he acted injured, there would have been a penalty.
We all hate players faking injuries for advantage but why wouldn’t you if you know a penalty is coming? The NRL match review committee ultimately cleared Saifiti.
LIKES
REAL GRUDGE MATCH AWAITS
Let the animosity flow.
They are locked in a legal stoush off field and will now go head-to-head on the field.
Manly will play former coach Des Hasler in what should be a juicy affair at Robina this coming Saturday. Hasler is seeking compensation after being terminated as Manly coach in 2022.
He won two premierships at Brookvale but has twice left the club as coach under unfortunate circumstances.
The game was circled pre-season to be a beauty but Gold Coast’s horrid form means Manly should start as comfortable favourites.
But if Hasler wants just one big win this season, it would be against his former club.
The legal matter is yet to be resolved.
JOHNSON TURNS BACK THE CLOCK
Shaun Johnson, give us one more season. Please.
The Warriors halfback was simply brilliant in Saturday’s epic 22-all draw against Manly with the club and player surely looking for a 2025 swan song.
Johnson, 33, comes off contract after this season and is considered a year-by-year proposition.
The Warriors have re-signed Luke Metcalf and also have halves Te Maire Martin and Chanel Harris-Tavita to safeguard for the day Johnson does retire.
But let’s hope that isn’t for another 18 months.
Johnson’s game management – and a sizzling solo 40-metre try against Manly – showed he is ready for another season. And never underestimate Johnson’s marketability in New Zealand.
He’s playing like that Dally M Medal snub from last season is still fresh in his mind.
Johnson’s individual battle with Manly’s Daly Cherry-Evans was remarkable with both veteran playmakers producing unbelievable contributions.
NEW ZEALAND NEEDS ANOTHER TEAM
Six straight sellouts and it’s time for the Christchurch Bears.
I have been a fierce critic of the Warriors over many years for continued underachievement, but they have now successfully secured mass interest in rugby league throughout New Zealand.
Four successive sellout crowds in Auckland and two more in Christchurch this year have proven conclusively that New Zealand is ready for a second NRL franchise.
The scenes against Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday were amazing with the crowd heaving, roaring, singing and cheering – worrying signs for Kiwi rugby union.
Heading deep into the union-mad south island could be deemed a gamble for rugby league but any more of a risk than Perth or PNG?
A mate of mine keeps saying: “I have family and friends in Christchurch and all they talk about is rugby league.”
The Bears must come back so the solution is simple – Christchurch Bears.
Anyone got a spare $750? Asking for a mate
— Ryan Papenhuyzen (@ryanpapenhuyzen) April 13, 2024
NOT-SO-CHEAP LAUGHS FOR PAPENHUYZEN
Good to see rugby league hasn’t totally lost its sense of humour.
Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen was fined $750 by the NRL match review committee after being charged with dangerous contract on Bulldog winger Josh Addo-Carr.
A cheeky Papenhuyzen took to X to ask: “Anyone got a spare $750? Asking for a mate.”
Originally published as The Tackle: Dean Ritchie reveals his likes and dislikes from Round 6 of the NRL season
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