NRL round 18 Queensland team of the week: Broncos, Cowboys, Dolphins, Titans
Billy Slater has a ready-made Maroons halfback when the union of Daly Cherry-Evans and Cameron Munster is broken up by injury or the retirement of Cherry-Evans.
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The longer Daly Cherry-Evans plays for Queensland the more the skills of Tom Dearden are hard-baking in the oven behind him.
Dearden, 22, who has played one State of Origin game, has been chosen at five-eighth in our weekly All Star team from Queensland’s four NRL clubs after another silky display in the Cowboys 74-0 decimation of the woeful Wests Tigers in Townsville.
Dearden was a crest-fallen figure in desperate need of a cuddle when he left the Broncos in April 2021 after a harrowing two years when the club was at rock bottom.
It’s hard to believe the crestfallen figure who headed north with chewed down finger nails was the same player who tortured the Tigers with brilliant footwork and great short and long passes.
His game is bristling with precision and the splash of derring-do that comes from trusting the men outside him – and himself.
Dearden is now a major success story at the Cowboys with is running, passing and tackling game in good order and looking Origin ready whenever Queensland need him.
Decent halves are hard to find and he shapes a key man when the union of Daly Cherry-Evans and Cameron Munster is broken up by injury or the retirement of Cherry-Evans.
The rampaging Cowboys earnt seven spots in the team this week with the Broncos snaring four for beating the Dolphins who, like the Titans who were beaten by the Raiders, got just a sole player in the team.
Cowboys New Zealand import Griffin Neame makes his first appearance in the squad after a 200-metre-running game against the Tigers.
Earlier in the season Neame could barely breathe after a throat injury that saw him lose four kilograms and go on a liquid diet for two weeks.
He even returned to New Zealand to spend time with his parents but has returned in fine fettle to be part of the Cowboys mid-season surge.
With three tries in a performance coach Kevin Walters dubbed his finest for the Broncos, Selwyn Cobbo was an obvious choice on the wing beside centre Herbie Farnworth who has been one of the competition’s unsung stars this season.
In a performance typical of his consistency in his final season at the Broncos before joining the Dolphins next year, Farnworth rattled up 135 running metres, two first half tries, seven tackle busts and two line breaks.
His tackle-fighting ability is reminiscent of the Broncos exceptional foundation centre Chris Johns who resisted tacklers as if they were trying to steal his wallet.
Farnworth earnt rich praise on Fox Sports with Cooper Cronk labelling him “a huge improver.’’
EVERY QLD TEAM’S BURNING ISSUES
- Travis Meyn and Peter Badel
The NRL season is heating up and Queensland’s four clubs are right in the finals hunt.
With 10 rounds to go before the finals, the Broncos (3rd), Titans (9th), Cowboys (10th) and Dolphins (11th) are all within contention for the play-offs.
But the soap opera is far from over and there are still plenty of twists and turns left in the 2023 NRL premiership season.
This is how Queensland’s clubs are looking in the run to September and what their biggest challenges are set to be.
BRISBANE BRONCOS
Third – 24 points, 11-5, 1 bye
LATE-SEASON SLIDE
It was around this time last year the Broncos fell in a heap. They were fourth after 19 rounds and flying to the finals, only to suffer a shocking collapse, losing five of their final six games as their defence fell apart. They ultimately missed the finals by just one win. Broncos coach Kevin Walters will be determined to avoid a repeat this season.
REECE LIGHTNING
Will the Reece Walsh saga and injuries derail the Broncos? Brisbane have had a dream run for the first four months with injuries but the loss of Kurt Capewell, Jordan Riki and Tom Flegler – the latter two for six to eight weeks – will hurt. Walsh is serving a three-match ban for abusing a referee and it will be interesting to see how the fullback returns from his time on the sidelines.
BEAUTIFUL BYES
Brisbane have done a superb job to be in the top four having only used one bye. When the heat is on in the final 10 weeks, the Broncos will enjoy two byes and those easy four points should be enough to not only clinch a finals berth, but a top-four spot. And history shows if you make the top four, you have a massive chance of taking out the title.
PREDICTED FINISH: 4th
The Broncos have done the hard yards and while they have some tricky away games against the Cowboys and Raiders, if Brisbane maintain the rage, they are genuine premiership contenders.
GOLD COAST TITANS
Ninth – 20 points, 7-7, 3 byes
THE HOLBROOK FACTOR
The Titans brutally sacked coach Justin Holbrook last week following three-and-a-half mediocre seasons that yielded a 37.8 per cent winning record. The team responded immediately with a gusty 18-12 win against the Broncos to hand interim coach Jim Lenihan a first-up win. It remains to be seen how big a factor Holbrook’s sacking will have once the initial emotion wears off.
BRITTLE BRIMSON
There is no doubt the Titans are a more dynamic team with AJ Brimson at fullback – but can he stay on the park for the rest of the season? Brimson has battled multiple hamstring injuries this year and is now set to receive an Origin recall to replace suspended Queensland fullback Reece Walsh. If he goes down again, the Titans’ finals hopes will probably go with him.
DAUNTING DRAW
The Titans’ ladder position has been somewhat inflated by the fact they’ve already had three byes. They now go 11 straight rounds without a break and face finals contenders nearly every week, including current top eight teams Canberra, Parramatta, the Warriors, Cronulla, Penrith and Melbourne. Losses to the Dragons, Dolphins, Cowboys, Knights and Bulldogs earlier in the year could come back to bite them.
PREDICTED FINISH: 12th
The Titans will rue surrendering a stack of leads early in the season as their tough run to the finals comes back to haunt them and they spend another year spectating in September as they wait for the arrival of new coach Des Hasler.
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Tenth – 18 points, 8-8, 1 bye
MAROONS SPRINGBOARD
State of Origin ruins some clubs. It has been the best thing to happen to the Cowboys. After a shocking early-season start, North Queensland have found their mojo on the back of several of their stars returning to the Origin team. Jeremiah Nanai, Valentine Holmes and Reuben Cotter have lifted since going into Camp Maroon and Queensland’s series win has bolstered their confidence.
THE MAGICAL DRINK
If Scott Drinkwater maintains his form, the Cowboys can win the premiership. The fullback is on fire and his recent games against the Storm, Penrith and Rabbitohs have been as lethal as anything any rival fullback has produced. In Drinkwater, the Cowboys have a backfield weapon who can rip teams apart.
FLYING FINISH
North Queensland have a handy run home. Crucially, they have two byes up their sleeve, plus some very winnable games against the Tigers, Manly, Titans and Dolphins. Their poor start will likely cost them a top-four berth, but they should do enough to make the playoffs.
PREDICTED FINISH: 8th
At one point, the Cowboys were second last and teams rarely recover from there. But the Cowboys have genuine matchwinners and if they continue their surge, they should sneak in the top eight. From there, they have the weapons to be dark horses.
DOLPHINS
Eleventh – 18 points, 7-8, 2 byes
DIVING DOLPHINS
After a flying start to their first year in the NRL, the Dolphins have drowned in recent weeks. Three straight convincing losses – 30-8 to the Warriors, 58-18 to the Sea Eagles and 48-20 to the Eels – have seen the Dolphins fall out of the top eight. Can Wayne Bennett turn the Dolphins around and get their steely defence back? If not, they can start planning for 2024 now.
DEPTH TEST
The Dolphins were always going to struggle once injuries and suspensions started to kick in – and they’ve had their fair share. But Bennett has got close to his best 17 back for Saturday night’s Battle of Brisbane against the Broncos, with only Tom Gilbert, Jarrod Wallace, Anthony Milford and Brenko Lee unavailable. The Dolphins need to fix their discipline and hope for some luck on the injury front.
HALF YOUR LUCK
Bennett has found himself in a tricky position now when it comes to picking his best team and has shifted in-form fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to centre to try and get everyone on the park. ‘The Hammer’ has been a revelation at fullback and Bennett is taking a punt by moving his most potent attacking weapon to fix up the Dolphins’ leaky defence. He must also decide if Sean O’Sullivan and young gun Isaiya Katoa are his best halves combination, with Kodi Nikorima and Milford showing some promising form.
PREDICTED FINISH: 11th
The Dolphins don’t have the worst run home with a bye up their sleeves and will fancy themselves in games against the Titans, Bulldogs, Knights, Roosters and Tigers. But it’s going to take a big effort to sneak into a congested top eight.
Originally published as NRL round 18 Queensland team of the week: Broncos, Cowboys, Dolphins, Titans
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