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All the SuperCoach studs and duds from Brisbane Broncos vs. Penrith Panthers

Nathan Cleary was given a 10 minute early mark, but the damage was well and truly done with 14 per cent of SuperCoaches pulling off the loop this week. See all the SuperCoach winners and losers from Thursday night footy.

Matthew ElkertonMatthew Elkerton
@m_elkerton
8 min read
March 21, 2024 - 11:43PM
News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom
Sunia Turuva and Jordan Riki will front up in Thursday night’s grand final replay. Picture: Adam Head
Sunia Turuva and Jordan Riki will front up in Thursday night’s grand final replay. Picture: Adam Head

The Broncos, and more than 23,000 SuperCoaches, will be sweating on the fitness of Reece Walsh after a horror head clash in the opening five minutes exposed a serious flaw in their squad against Penrith.

Nathan Cleary put on a SuperCoach masterclass after he dissected the Panthers in a sublime 70-minute showing, but it was the image of Walsh with a closed left eye that will strike true fear in the heart of Broncos fans.

The Broncos lacked any spark with the ball in hand, but more so struggled to find answers without it as the Panthers ran roughshod in the first half to set up a 34-12 win at Bluebet Stadium.

With Adam Reynolds and Payne Haas already ruled out with injury, the loss of Walsh shone a glaring spotlight on the lack of leadership among Kevvie’s Kids.

Cleary was the star of the show, racking up three try assists and a having hand in another, a line break and three line break assists to go with a personal haul of 119 SuperCoach points before updates.

It has given the more than 17 per cent who captained him a perfect start to the week, while another 14 per cent who gave him the vice-captaincy will now be heading for the loop station.

Brian To’o (113 SC points) also cracked the ton thanks to two tries in almost as many minutes in the second half, while Izack Tago (105 SC points) had a field day up against Brendan Piakura on the right edge when Walsh’s injury forced a backline reshuffle.

Check out all of our SuperCoach winners and losers below.

Nathan Cleary proved just why he is the most bankable man in SuperCoach. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
Nathan Cleary proved just why he is the most bankable man in SuperCoach. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

STUDS

1. Nathan Cleary: 117 points - What more is there to say. The game’s greatest player just sent a timely reminder that he is still on top.

2. Brian To’o: 113 points - Flyin Brian was obviously assisted by a double in the second half, but there is still 58 points in base stats in this effort. Beast.

3. Izack Tago: 105 points - He has had back-to-back weeks of marking up against a backrower out wide and he has taken full advantage.

4. Pat Carrigan: 64 points - He is a warrior. While Carrigan misses his breakeven for the week, you really don’t own him to make cash. You own him for consistent scores.

5. Liam Henry: 52 - Came into the game with a -3 breakeven and more than eclipsed his predicted 32 points. Henry has made his more than 20,000 owners rather happy.

DUDS

1. Reece Walsh: 1 point - This one is self-explanatory. The Broncos were desperate to get him back out there after the head clash, his owners even more so. Big cash loser.

2. Taylan May: 33 points - The Panthers centre has really threatened to have a blockbuster performance, but his halves keep going the other way. Also missed 15 minutes for a HIA late in the game.

3. Ezra Mam: 41 points - It’s not a terrible output, but had it not been for two line break assists when the match was well and truly gone, it was a lacklustre effort. He is the chief playmaker with Reynolds out and he needs to act like it.

4. Jock Madden: 22 points - Only 139 players took the punt on the young half when he replaced Reynolds on the teamsheet. Those 139 will be packing it up and starting again next round.

5. Scott Sorenson: 28 points - While he is not very SuperCoach relevant this year with less than 1000 owners, Sorenson missed his BE by a long way and will come down in cash. One to watch in future weeks.

Check out below to see how the action unfolded on Thursday night.

70TH MIN: ICEMAN ICED WITH 10 TO GO

Have no fear Panthers fans, Ivan is just parking the Ferrari with some fuel left for next week.

Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo have both been given an early mark after a sublime performance in the grand final rematch.

Cleary finished his night with three try assists and a hand in another, a line break and three line break assists to go with a personal haul of 119 SuperCoach points before updates.

Daine Laurie is on the field in his first time back in a Panthers jersey since leaving the Tigers in the off-season.

Meanwhile Xavier Willison gave a glimpse of his raw potential making a half break down the right edge in what was almost a try-scoring opportunity for the Broncos.

Sound the alarm, the giant can play football.

60TH MINUTE: THERE IS FIGHT IN THESE KIDS YET

It might look like men against boys out there tonight but at least these plucky kids have some fight.

Back-to-back tries have shown there is still life in the Broncos yet.

Selwyn Cobbo, playing in the backfield in place of the injured Walsh, has inspired the Broncos to their first try of the night.

Cobbo swooped on a Panthers grubber to take off 60 metres up field in a moment that will only draw more comparisons to the great Greg Inglis.

He then backed up that effort to throw the last pass to set up flashy young winger Deine Mariner in the corner.

Mam set up the second with a suspect ball to put extremely popular SuperCoach mid-ranger Piakura down the sideline for a line break before Piakura found Jesse Arthars for the try.

This one might be too far gone with 20 minutes to go, at 34-12 to the Panthers, but at least the future continues to look bright at Red Hill.

Meanwhile popular SuperCoach CTW option Taylan May, who is owned by almost 45 per cent of players, has gone off for a late HIA. Don’t expect to see him back this game.

May stuck on 25 points on a relatively quiet night, but with a BE of 11 will still make a bit of cash going into Round 4.

52ND MINUTE: TO’O DOUBLE HEAPS MISERY ON BRONCOS

The Broncos thought they had the answer to a rampaging Panthers.

They swapped their healthy centre to the other side, and pushed Jordan Riki out into the centres on the right.

The plugs the wide gap on the left, right?

It has just encouraged Penrith to go the other direction with Cleary, Luai and the headgear heroes Taylan May and Brian To’o to start tearing apart their edge of the defence.

Flyin’ Brian hadn’t scored a try this season before tonight, he now has two in two minutes as the Panthers kick clear to a 34-2 lead.

This is getting into dangerous territory for a Broncos side devoid of leadership.

SuperCoach Alert: We have two centurions already with Cleary and To’o cracking triple figures with a quarter of the game left to go.

45TH MINUTE: BRONCOS FINALLY MAKE WALSH CALL

It’s finally official. Walsh is done for the night.

Reece Walsh sports an ugly shiner on the sidelines after a horror head clash in the NRL grand final rematch. Picture: Matt Encarnacion
Reece Walsh sports an ugly shiner on the sidelines after a horror head clash in the NRL grand final rematch. Picture: Matt Encarnacion

The star fullback was a sorry sight stripping down in the dressing sheds in Penrith as right out the front door, the Panthers continued their march.

Cleary is pulling all of the right strings in this match, but his support cast have been just as important including Dylan Edwards, Isaah Yeo and of course Izack Tago.

Marty Tapau has also been put on report following a bunker investigation into a lifted knee off the kick-off.

Matt Eisenhuth can probably count himself lucky old Marty’s knees don’t quite lift as far as they used to. That came close to somewhere the sun doesn’t shine.

30TH MINUTE: WALSH BACK UP THE TUNNEL

Someone reach out to your fellow Reece Walsh owners and give them a hug.

This just in from our man at the ground Mick Carayannis.

“Reece Walsh is not expected to return after suffering an eye injury.

Walsh tried to undergo a fitness test on the sidelines but was unable to see the football being passed to him by a Broncos official.

The ball landed behind him.

A Broncos medico immediately gestured that Walsh was done for the night.”

The enigmatic Bronco, who’s absence from this first half has eclipsed Cleary’s perfection for the story of the game, made it to the sideline before turning around and going back up the race.

The fullback is apparently struggling with blurred vision after he was involved in a horror head clash early.

For those playing at home, the man who he clashed heads with, Taylan May, has not left the field and instead has been laying out rivals left and right.

His running battle with Kotoni Staggs looks really personal.

25TH MINUTE: WALSH ALERT, IS THIS JUST DEJA’VU

Reece Walsh has been passed by the HIA process.

He will be back on the field, when they eventually get this gash under control.

Meanwhile the Panthers are making a mockery of this Broncos defence.

It has the same feeling as last week when Izack Tago bullied a backrower playing out of position in the centres.

This time it is poor Brendan Piakura, who is crying out for Walsh to get back on the field and Cobbo to get back on his outside.

The Panthers have punched in two quick tries, thanks to ultimate grand final tryscorer Mitch Kenny bouncing across the stripe.

Was that a double movement? Gerry says no and the Panthers are out to a 14-point lead.

15TH MINUTE: THE ICEMAN STRIKES FIRST

Nathan Cleary has landed the first major blow of the grand final rematch pulling the strings on a slick try for Tino Turuva.

The Panthers superstar then backed up his try assist with a crisp line break through the Broncos defence.

Broncos beware. He is warming up.

Cleary has now shot up to 35 points to lead this game on SuperCoach.

The Panthers have gone ahead 4-2 at the foot of the mountains as the tempers have begun to flair up.

Meanwhile Walsh remains off the field with the Broncos opting to use an interchange to keep him on the bench.

The superstar fullback was badly cut open in the May incident, meaning doctors have not been able to perform a proper head injury assessment on him.

If Walsh is ruled out, this could spell danger signs for the already-busted Broncos.

4TH MINUTE: WALSH OFF, MAY REPORT AFTER HEAD CLASH

The Broncos have been dealt a huge injury blow early in the grand final replay with Reece Walsh gone for a HIA after a shocking head clash.

Walsh will be off the field for 15 minutes regardless, but I am not sure he will pass that test.

Xavier Willison is on the field - that’s a bloody big fullback.

Taylan May has also been wildly put on report for the head clash with the Broncos opting to take the two points from the penalty.

That was an accident, surely. I can’t see May copping any time off field, but one to watch post game.

Also while we’re at it, so much for being a school night. The fans have come out in droves. Check out the vision from Penrith below.

LATE MAIL: This just in, there’s nothing to report

Well, that makes things easy.

Ivan Cleary has steered clear of giving Soni Luke a late call-up to his NRL squad, instead opting to stick with Daine Laurie on the bench.

The Panthers remain unchanged 1-17 with likely the story of the night SuperCoach-wise being the involvement of popular cheapie Liam Henry off the bench in the absence of firebrand James Fisher-Harris.

On the Broncos side of the ledger, the confirmation of Payne Haas being ruled out via injury which came through last night thanks to Pete Badel.

Off-season recruit Fletcher Baker moves into the starting side and Xavier Willison adds some sizeable punch to the Broncos bench.

If you caught any of the All Stars clash last month, you know we are in for a treat. The big man is very mobile and has the hands of a slips fielder. Put him on the watch list.

It’s price rise round, so let’s get cracking.

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Originally published as All the SuperCoach studs and duds from Brisbane Broncos vs. Penrith Panthers

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/nrl/nrl-live-scores-and-supercoach-analysis-from-brisbane-broncos-vs-penrith-panthers/news-story/da18dace00b4283b0b15d24502bf41f4