The Tackle: Mitch Moses provides grim injury update; Kalyn Ponga deserves a pay rise
Look away Eels fans, skipper Mitchell Moses has revealed his initial return date from a foot injury is set to be pushed back. FATIMA KDOUH reveals her likes and dislikes from Round 2.
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Look away Eels fans, skipper Mitchell Moses has given a less than positive update on the foot injury that was set to keep him out until Round 6.
Speaking for before Sunday’s loss to three-time wooden spooners the Tigers, Moses said he could still be up to six weeks from returning to the field. That would put his return date in Round 9 against Cronulla.
“It’s taking its time. It doesn’t get much blood flow down there,” Moses said on Channel 9.
“It’s taking its time at the moment. It’s a bit frustrating.
“It is what it is. I can’t control that. I can only control what I’m doing for the boys, helping out at training.
“I’m not too sure, hopefully it’s another five or six weeks ... hopefully I’m back sooner rather than later.”
Moses is struggling with stress reaction in the same foot he fractured last year and had required surgically with a screw.
Jason Ryles needs the general back ASAP.
Both Dylan Brown and Ronald Volkman struggled to wrestle the game back on Sunday, and the Eels sorely missed Moses’ organisation and game management.
NRL ROUND 2 DISLIKES
TROUBLE IN TOWNSVILLE
If there was a market for the first NRL coach to be sacked this year, Todd Payten would be the short-priced favourite.
Two poor performances to start the season, conceding 78 points against Manly and Cronulla, has done the Cowboys coach no favours.
They have also raised the volume on the rumblings that trouble is brewing in Townsville and not for the first time under Payten’s tenure.
Next up for the Cowboys are the Broncos in the Queensland derby and on Friday night more than state bragging rights are at stake.
Fox League expert Cooper Cronk believes Payten’s days at the Cowboys are numbered.
“I don’t think they can have another big score put against them,” the four-time premiership winner said on Saturday.
“I don’t know if Todd Payten can survive a couple more big scores.”
In the next two months, the Cowboys also face the Raiders and reigning premiers the Panther twice but Payten has a bigger problem than a tough draw.
He could not spark a response from his players against Cronulla after axing star Maroons forward Jeremiah Nanai.
That is not a good sign. Neither is the fact the Cowboys have offered little in attack and been listless in defence.
Players need to take accountability but ultimately the buck stops with Payten.
As he struggles, Broncos coach Michael Maguire has his own issues.
He was reluctant to admit that the hype surrounding his side after it disposed of the Roosters in round 1 had gone to the players’ heads.
The danger for Maguire is that his very capable outfit seemingly took lightly a Raiders side without Joe Tapine and Xavier Savage.
Led by a resurgent Corey Horsburgh and Josh Papali’i, the Raiders rolled the Broncos through the middle, where Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan were no match.
Star Broncos fullback Reece Walsh also had an error-riddled night to forget.
Maguire said he was “learning” more about his players each week. The biggest lesson he will take out of the Raiders loss is that Brisbane’s “rock star” mentality still lingers.
Maguire will no doubt tackle the issue head on this week before facing a Cowboys side that looks like easybeats.
UNCROWDED HOUSE
The crowd of 12,080 fans for Penrith’s first “home” game of the season against the Sydney Roosters at CommBank Stadium last Friday night must be a concern for the Panthers.
The lack of home-ground advantage could be costly in their quest for five straight premierships.
Maybe it was the perceived mismatch against the Roosters that kept the crowd away.
While the small turnout wasn’t to blame for the Panthers’ poor performance, their past four title runs have been fuelled by a packed-out BlueBet Stadium, which has been an intimidating place to visit.
Now their spiritual home will be unavailable for the next two seasons while it has a major upgrade. CommBank is just 30 minutes away and the best alternative ground.
The Panthers’ next home game is against North Queensland in round 5 at 6pm on a Friday, which could again struggle to draw a crowd.
FLANNO’S ILIAS CALL
Dragons coach Shane Flanagan is trying to build up the confidence of halfback Lachlan Ilias after it took a hit when he was dropped to reserve grade then fractured a leg last year while at South Sydney.
Now Flanagan has a massive call to make before his side’s next clash against the Melbourne Storm, which has the best halves pairing in the NRL.
Does he crush Ilias’s confidence by axing him or does he stick with the No.7?
When the Dragons were up by 12 points against the Rabbitohs, Flanagan needed a game manager and someone to take control but Ilias struggled to do the job.
From that position, the Dragons arguably would have taken home the two points if veteran halfback Ben Hunt had still been steering the side around the park.
In the heat of the moment after the match, Flanagan fired a shot at Ilias when he was asked if his halfback was where he needed to be in such a pivotal position.
It’s easy to understand Flanagan’s frustrations.
The last-tackle options that fall on the halves were poor and Ilias, who did the kicking, came up with the wrong options.
As disappointed as Flanagan might be, he has to stick by Ilias – at least in the short term.
He has options in rookies Jonah Glover and Lykhan King-Togia but throwing either in against the Storm would be a gamble.
CRUSHER MISSED
South Sydney’s Lachlan Hubner received a grade two crusher tackle charge on Sunday and faces a two-match ban for the ugly tackle on Clint Gutherson.
The bigger question is why there was no response from referee Ashley Klein or bunker official Kasey Badger.
At a minimum, the crusher tackle deserved a penalty.
If officials wanted to maintain consistency, Hubner should have been in the sin bin in the same way Canterbury’s Kurt Mann was marched in round 14 last year for a very similar tackle. At the time, Mann’s tackle was described as the worst kind in the game.
The Hubner tackle was bad enough to warrant a review by Badger and to rule on it retrospectively.
We don’t want players milking but had Gutherson stayed down he would rightly have earned a penalty.
Gutherson wasn’t injured but should not play a part in determining whether Hubner should have been immediately cited and punished.
NRL ROUND 2 LIKES
BECAUSE, HE’S WORTH IT
Can we start the bidding at $2m, ladies and gentlemen …
After forking out $1.3m a season for Dylan Brown, the Newcastle Knights should break the bank again to retain Kalyn Ponga beyond 2027.
Ponga is so dominant it’s hard to see them being competitive without the superstar fullback.
As debate rages over whether Brown is worth the cash that’s been thrown on the table by Newcastle, Ponga’s worth to the Knights can’t be questioned.
Ponga will be in demand and the final figure of his new contract will be astronomical. He is worth every cent of $2m a season.
Speculation about Ponga being unsettled at the Knights won’t go away. Asked about the rumours after the Dolphins win, Ponga said: “How did I play? How did I look out there? I look happy, don’t I?”
He will get to prove just how happy he is at the Knights by agreeing to a contract extension, which Newcastle is no doubt already putting together.
CRITICS SILENCED
Luke Metcalf couldn’t help himself but who would blame him?
After he scored a try in the 79th minute and steered the Warriors to an upset win over Manly, he pressed his finger to his lips with a “shooshing” gesture meant for his critics.
Those critics were convinced after his performance in Las Vegas that Metcalf, who is normally a running five-eighth, did not have what it took to replace Shaun Johnson in the No.7 jumper and steer the Warriors around the park.
Metcalf silenced his detractors with his best effort at halfback. He set up two tries, had two linebreaks assists and nailed six from six goals.
TALISMAN TUPOU
There’s been so much talk about all the experience the Roosters have lost but not enough about the man who didn’t get away, Daniel Tupou.
The veteran winger was linked with a move to the Super League last year before agreeing to a one-year extension until the end of 2026. Trent Robinson would be glad that he did.
Without his experience and effort on Friday night against four-time premiers the Panthers, the Roosters might not have pulled off one of the biggest upsets in years.
Not many players would have spoiled a Brian To’o diving try in the corner. Six points in front at the death and under immense pressure, Tupou kept his cool to produce a cover tackle on To’o for the ages.
Robinson’s recruitment and retention choices – Brandon Smith, Terell May and Sitili Tupouniua – have been under the microscope lately.
One call he has nailed is the signing of rugby convert Mark Nawaqanitawase.
Big, powerful and competent on both sides of the ball, Nawaqanitawase has all the makings of an NRL superstar.
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Originally published as The Tackle: Mitch Moses provides grim injury update; Kalyn Ponga deserves a pay rise
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