NRL Tackle: Storm star Nicho Hynes has played himself into calculations for bargain buy of 2022

He’s filled in magnificently for one of the game’s best and now this Storm star could well be hot property for 2022. Our writers wrap Round 9, plus full DALLY M VOTES.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MAY 07: Isaah Yeo of the Panthers is tackled during the round nine NRL match between the Penrith Panthers and the Cronulla Sharks at BlueBet Stadium on May 07, 2021, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Our rugby league writers reveal what caught their eye — good and bad — in Round 8 of the NRL, plus check out the Dally M votes from every game and full leaderboard.

RABBITOHS V STORM

Like: South Sydney now needing to beat rugby league’s greatest ever hoodoo to win the premiership. As the NRL number crunchers will tell you, no team has ever conceded 50 points in a season and still gone on to win it all on Grand Final day. Which makes this game either that moment the Bunnies season officially ended – or they created history. Certainly coach Wayne Bennett has some work to do if it’s going to be the later. Understanding that while his side was missing a host of big names – including Latrell Mitchell, Adam Reynolds and Cam Murray - the bigger issue was those missing tackles as, against Storm, Souths looked in all sorts defensively. All up, the Bunnies missed a whopping 35 tackles, some of them embarrassingly so. Undoubtedly, it is the new question mark hanging over Bennett in his final season at Redfern.

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Dislike: Nicho Hynes not being a regular NRL starter. Truly, this Umina Bunnies product deserves more. Yet given this isn’t going to happen any time soon, obviously, in a Storm side boasting Cam Munster and Ryan Papenhyzen, who wants to have a crack at saying they snapped up the Bargain Buy of 2022? At 24, Hynes is still younger than Cody Walker when he finally made his name in first grade. Unsurprisingly, the Storm are keen to keep the Coastie, who is signed only until the end of the year as a utility, but understand they are going to have competition for his signature. Certainly there is no shortage of clubs whose fortunes would rise with Hynes as a starter in their NRL side.

Fox Sports key stats: Josh Addo-Carr becomes the first player in history to score six tries against the Rabbitohs and the first to score six in a game since Jack Troy for Newtown in 1950. No team has ever won the grand final after conceding 50 points or more that season.

- Nick Walshaw

Dally M votes:

Judge: Matt Geyer

3Josh Addo-Carr (MEL)

2 Harry Grant (MEL)

1Justin Olam (MEL)

Isaah Yeo has had a brilliant start to the season for the Panthers.

PANTHERS V SHARKS

Like: NSW have a host of contenders for the starting lock jersey but Penrith’s Isaah Yeo should be leading the pack. With Blues mainstay Jake Trbojevic struggling for form, Dale Finucane just back from injury and Cam Murray currently sidelined, Yeo is the standout candidate. The Roosters’ Victor Radley is a popular choice due his toughness and ball-playing nous but Yeo is just as capable out of first receiver and far better in yardage - he averages 114 metres per game (the most of any NSW eligible lock) to Radley’s 64. Radley would not be out of place in a blue jersey, but the pride of Dubbo should be in the lead right now.

Dislike: It’s impossible not to feel sympathy for interim Sharks coach Josh Hannay, who has been saddled with an impossible job since he took over for John Morris. The former Cowboy is doing his best to lead Cronulla through a difficult period, and he’s undoubtedly doing all he can to turn things around in a season that has rapidly spiralled beyond their control. Hannay has a sharp football mind and is one of the game’s good guys, and they don’t teach you how to complain when you grow up in Moranbah, but he’s on a hiding to nothing with a team that is struggling for confidence and, undoubtedly, many players who are worrying about their long-term future.

Fox Sports key stats: Five straight losses for the Sharks - they have been outscored 88-14 in their past two games. Panthers winger Brian To’o becomes the first player on record to make it five straight games cracking 220 metres per game.

- Nick Campton

Dally M votes:

Judge: Wendell Sailor

3 Nathan Cleary (PEN)

2 Kurt Capewell (PEN)

1 James Fisher-Harris (PEN)

Isaah Yeo is right in the frame for Origin. Picture: Robb Cox - NRL Photos

EELS V ROOSTERS

Like: There are plenty of teams in the NRL who could learn a lot from the courage under fire we are seeing from Trent Robinson’s Roosters at the moment. While their season might be slipping away, they are certainly not losing any respect. After going in against Parramatta with eight of the top squad unavailable, they then had to contend with losing star lock Victor Radley to concussion in the first half. Yet they somehow still managed to give the in-form Eels a massive fright in what was one of the gutsiest performances we’ve seen in years. Across the park they just continually finding ways to make the most out of what is undoubtedly a rotten predicament and it speaks volumes of the wonderful culture that drives this tremendously inspirational football team.

Dislike: When are these match officials going to realise consistency is the key when dishing out punishment. Marata Niukore’s shoulder charge on James Tedesco was at least worthy of a sin bin and Dylan Brown should have been sent straight from the field for his shocking knees in the back on Drew Hutchison. Yet the Eels’ five-eighth wasn’t so much as penalised, with the incident not placed on report until 20 minutes after the event. This also occurred when the match was in the balance just before halftime with the Eels leading 18-10. The Roosters ended up getting a penalty goal out of it but they should have started the second half playing against 11 men, and with the 18th man in Joseph Suaalii brought into play. How the officials haven’t learnt in the wake of the Anzac Day blow up that resulted from soft punishment in respect to the sin-binning of Dragons winger Jordan Pereira instead of a send off for another sickening shoulder charge on Tedesco is mind boggling.

Fox Sports key stats: Parramatta was awarded six set restarts to the Roosters one. The Eels had 63 per cent possession and 102 tackles to 25 in the opposition half and 63 tackles to 8 in the attacking 20.

- Paul Crawley

Dally M votes:

Judge: Darren Lockyer

3 Junior Paulo (PAR)

2 Ryan Matterson (PAR)

1 James Tedesco (SYD)

Niukore’s hit on Tedesco and Brown’s hit on Hutchison.

RAIDERS V KNIGHTS

Like: The transformation of Kalyn Ponga this year. He has evolved into a much more consistent and tougher player. He was battered in the opening half, put his body on the line attacking balls and defensively but looked hurt. He shrugged that off in the second half to inspire his side to victory with a man of the match performance. Real step up in class.

Dislike: Everything that the Raiders did in the second half. They totally disintegrated. It’s not through lack of effort but they just lacked direction and polish to finish out the game. They are in a massive hole. While the season is salvageable, they need to find their spark and need it quickly.

Fox Sports key stats: Raiders’ fifth straight loss, the first time in the same season since 2014. Newcastle snap a two-game losing streak, scoring just their second win since round two.

- Michael Carayannis

Dally M votes:

Judge: Scott Sattler

3 Kalyn Ponga (NEW)

2 Jayden Brailey (NEW)

1 George Williams (CBR)

Suspected minor MCL injury for Joseph Tapine, reportedly could have returned to the game but Raiders opted for caution. Video matches concern with tackler landing on outside of R lower leg causing knee to collapse in. Hoping minor sprain, most result in a 1-3 week return to play pic.twitter.com/bIB0WxIKsY

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) May 9, 2021

TIGERS V TITANS

Like: No one doubts David Fifita’s standing as one of the most damaging ball runners in the competition - his form this year is ample proof. But the most expensive signing of the summer showed why he was worth the big bucks when he was one of three Titans players, including Tanah Boyd and AJ Brimson, to send a flying David Nofoaluma crashing into the Campbelltown Stadium fence with some desperate cover defence in the clutch on Saturday night. Coach Justin Holbrook called it the biggest play of the game, and that’s what you expect from a guy you’re paying well over $1 million a season. For the record, he had a game-high five offloads, team-high eight tackle breaks, and a try assist to boot.

Dislike: The form of the Wests Tigers halves couldn’t be heading more opposite in direction. Five-eighth Adam Doueihi has not only emerged as arguably the most improved player in the competition, but the Tigers’ go-to playmaker and the sort of cornerstone you can build a club on. In contrast, halfback Luke Brooks has seemingly gone the other way, coming up empty on a number of last-tackle options that must be driving Tigers fans up the wall. No club has been more patient with a halfback in recent years, but, after coach Michael Maguire called out his senior players following what he called an embarrassing start in their eight-point loss to Gold Coast, this might be the line in the sand for the once prodigious talent.

Fox Sports key stats: Titans snap a three-game losing streak with their first win outside of Queensland this season. Eight straight losses at home for the Tigers, extending their worst ever streak.

- Matt Encarnacion

Dally M votes:

3 Alexander Brimson (GCT)

2 Tannah Boyd (GCT)

1 Adam Doueihi (WST)

Adam Doueihi has been a surprise packet. Picture: Robb Cox - NRL Photos

COWBOYS V BRONCOS

Like: The performances of Kyle Feldt, Valentine Holmes and Jake Clifford. The Newcastle-bound Clifford has been axed several times in recent years but the 23-year-old Cowboys half produced one of the finest performances of his burgeoning NRL career. Clifford has a monster boot, some silky touches and all he needs now is the confidence to back himself in the big league. Holmes has been criticised as a fullback but he stepped up as an No.1 with his matchwinning field goal. And Feldt is the Cowboys’ Mr Consistency. He has been superb for several seasons and his remarkable try, touching down sight-unseen, was one of the greatest finishes in NRL history. He must play Origin this season.

Dislike: The season-ending knee injury to Pat Carrigan. The Broncos lock gives his heart and soul every week and Brisbane will miss the no-fuss workrate that Carrigan provides. Self-belief, or a lack of it, is killing the Broncos. They were arguably the better team but when the game was on the line, leading 18-12, muscle memory got the better of the Broncos and choked them. There is no doubt the Broncos are improving under Kevin Walters. They now need to develop a winning habit.

Fox Sports key stats: The 47th time in his career Jason Taumalolo has cracked 200 run metres - he also scored the match equalling try and made 30 tackles. The Broncos have lost 14 straight games away from Suncorp Stadium.

- Peter Badel

Dally M votes:

Judge: R Masters

3 Jason Taumalolo (NQL)

2 Xavier Coates (BRI)

1 Kyle Feldt (NQL)

Reports of a suspected ACL injury for Pat Carrigan, video not great (only 1 angle). Tackler comes down on back/outside of knee (cause knee to collapse in), other than non-contact direction change a common mechanism for ACL injury. View blocked but possible hint of tibial shift. pic.twitter.com/UDz9iqJA8x

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) May 8, 2021

SEA EAGLES V WARRIORS

Like: On a day Manly was celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Sea Eagles’ premiership winning team that beat the Warriors in the 2011 grand final, Tommy ‘Turbo” Trbojevic turned on one of the great individual performances ever seen at Brookvale Oval.

And with the Prince of Brookvale, Brett Stewart, in attendance, Trbojevic again raised his hand in the debate about Manly’s best-ever No. 1 by producing a phenomenal effort in his 100th NRL game. He finished with 191m and also notched two tries, four try assists, five line breaks and 11 tackle busts. Of course, the great Graham Eadie and Stewart would probably split the votes at this point. But while Trbojevic’s career is still so young at just 24, you get the feeling only time, or more injury, stands in his way as his career continues to soar to new heights.

Dislikes: It’s a great shame that we had to wait 54 minutes for boom Warriors youngster Reece Walsh to hit the field. With Chanel Harris-Tavita making his return from injury, Nathan Brown shuffled the starting line up to have him partnering Kodi Nikorima in the halves, at the expense of the former Bronco.

But once Walsh came on the teenager was electric and largely responsible for the energy that brought his team back to life. Yes, there are questions over his defence, but the way Tom Trbojevic played on Sunday not many players would have been able to contain him, so let’s not judge Walsh too harshly. Brown is going to have to find a way to get this kid more game time when they take on Parramatta on Sunday in Magic Round at Suncorp Stadium.

- Paul Crawley

Dally M votes:

Judge: Greg Alexander

3 Tom Trbojevic (MAN)

2 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (NZL)

1 Daly Cherry-Evans (MAN)

DRAGONS V BULLDOGS

Likes: St George Illawarra coach Anthony Griffin has never been scared to give young talent a shot. And they invariably reward him. Hook introduced 20-year old winger Mat Feagai and teenage utility Junior Amone to the NRL on Sunday and they didn’t disappoint. Feagai, whose equally talented twin brother Max played on the other wing, scored a try before the hour was up on his debut and Amone grabbed the last of the Dragons’ six four-pointers.

The reaction and obvious delight of their teammates to both tries said a lot about the rookies’ standing at the club and the belief senior players have in them. Feagai left the field late with a leg injury but expect to see plenty more of him — and the exciting Amone — in the years to come.

Dislikes: Kyle Flanagan is at his third club in as many years and is yet to find a home at any of them. The Bulldogs No.7 was hooked by coach Trent Barrett at halftime and cut a despondent figure on the bench. He eventually made it back on the field as an injury replacement but his confidence was shot. Barrett was a premier playmaker during his playing career and you would have backed him to get the best out of the former Cronulla and Roosters half. But the Dogs boss is clearly frustrated by Flanagan’s lack of impact, particularly his last play options. It will be intriguing to see how things play out from here.

- Adam Lucius

Dally M votes:

3 Ben Hunt (STG)

2 Matt Dufty (STG)

1 Paul Vaughan (STG)

FULL DALLY M LEADERBOARD

16: Nathan Cleary

15: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

13: Latrell Mitchell

12: James Fisher-Harris, Ryan Papenhuyzen

9: Tom Trbojevic, David Fifita

8: Reed Mahoney, Adam Doueihi, Ben Hunt

Originally published as NRL Tackle: Storm star Nicho Hynes has played himself into calculations for bargain buy of 2022