Bryce Cartwright feels like dummy but becomes hero
BRYCE Cartwright, for the briefest moment, thought Semi Radradra had everything. Had him, the tackle ... and the game. He didn’t, of course.
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BRYCE Cartwright, for the briefest moment, thought Semi Radradra had everything. Had him, the tackle ... and the game.
He didn’t, of course.
Instead, Cartwright barging over out wide with exactly zero seconds showing on the clock, to “gift” Penrith a Sunday afternoon thriller.
Yet speaking last night, the 21-year-old forward — a fella Andrew Johns wants picked in this year’s NSW Origin side — revealed how, within a portion of that extended blink it took to touch down, he actually thought he’d blown it.
Explaining how, having twice fooled Radradra with dummies earlier, he chose to do it again. On the last play of the game. Feigning a pass to winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak before going himself.
Only one problem. “He read it,’’ Cartwright grinned of the powerhouse Fijian. “Came in on me.
“I’d got him a few times with the dummy but not that one. I probably should’ve passed to Dal.”
Well, no.
Because, still Cartwright got himself across the white stripe.
Finishing an incredible matchwinning play that, starting with a cross-field kick from Jamie Soward, was then caught by airborne centre Waqa Blake who, after returning to Earth, promptly tipped it out the back to Cartwright.
Who then threw that dummy. And scored anyway.
All up, finishing with two tries and a third disallowed by the NRL bunker.
Speaking afterwards, Panthers coach Anthony Griffin praised the efforts of his young backrower, particularly in defence, after what he labelled a “slow” start to 2016.
It was a statement the player himself agreed with.
“Oh, 100 per cent. I definitely haven’t been consistent,’’ Cartwright said.
“There were even patches in my game today I can improve so much on.
“I need to cut out a few silly errors.
“My defence, too, is something I’m trying to improve. At times it’s been pretty average and against Parramatta I made some bad misses, too.
“So it’s going to take time to get to my best. That’s what I’m working at each week.”
And as for Johns, who on The Sunday Footy Show went through the Blues side he would most like to see — including a bench with Cartwright joining Dave Klemmer, James Tamou and Wade Graham?
“It’s hard not to let something like that go to your head,’’ the young Panther conceded.
“But I just have to keep doing my best for the team. I want to be more consistent week-to-week.
“Improve over the 80 minutes of a game, not make any silly errors. It’s definitely a goal.”
A goal for this year?
“I’m not too sure if I’m ready. I’m just going to try to do my best each week, be as consistent as I can. I’d definitely love to play.
“I was lucky enough to go away as 18th man for the City side last year and it would be awesome to play in that game. I just want to keep playing good footy for this team and fingers crossed it happens.”
Originally published as Bryce Cartwright feels like dummy but becomes hero
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