The Tackle: Dean Ritchie reveals his likes and dislikes from Round 5 of the NRL season
Sam McIntyre’s heavy collision with Mo Fotuaika in the opening stages of their game proves DEAN RITCHIE is right about the danger of long kick-offs. Likes and dislikes from round 5 in The Tackle.
From inconsistency over send-offs, Latrell Mitchell letting down South Sydney and a frustrating dropout trend emerging, to Adam Reynolds’ tears, Xavier Coates’ magic and Jackson Hastings’ refusal to be silenced, this is what caught DEAN RITCHIE’S eye in Round 5 of the NRL season.
DISLIKES
SEND-OFF INCONSISTENCY ANGER
Albeit an obvious send off, fans on social media went into meltdown over Dom Young’s dismissal for a different reason on Friday night.
Fans were quick to ask why Young was marched but Penrith’s Jarome Luai remained on the field for a high shot on Parramatta’s Bailey Simonsson in round 2.
“So Luai can use a swinging arm, send Bailey straight from the field and it’s only a penalty?” one posted. “Dom Young does the same thing and it’s a send-off. Luai absolutely nailed Bailey with a swinging arm. What’s the difference?”
Another wrote: “I’m still frustrated by the Simonsson situation.”
And this: “If only Young played for Penrith, all would have been okay.”
The decision to dismiss Young was correct, as was the decision with Luai, who was hit with a high-tackle charge but only incurred a fine.
SICKENING COLLISION THAT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED
I hate to say I told you so, but … I told you so.
My suggestion that the NRL should review long kick-offs due to concussion possibilities through heavy collision was met with derision last week.
Guess what happened on Sunday? Yep, that’s right ….
North Queensland’s Sam McIntyre was taken from the field for an immediate HIA assessment after a heavy collision with Gold Coast’s Mo Fotuaika from the kick-off.
There were three Cowboys defenders trying to nail Fotuaika, who had come off the back fence.
McIntyre was caught in the middle and rebounded backwards.
Despite being in possession, Fotuaika was also taken for an HIA.
“He (McInytre) was a sitting duck – he can’t move. He has teammates either side of him,” said Fox League commentator Greg Alexander. “No one bends down to make a tackle from the kick-off. No one.”
Lead caller Andrew Voss added: “Big bodies at collision.”
‘DOCK HIS PAY’: LATRELL LETS DOWN SOUTHS AGAIN
Fifteen matches on the sidelines – South Sydney’s patience with Latrell Mitchell is becoming threadbare.
The club, and those close to him, have staunchly stood by their star player through a series of misdemeanours – but that loyalty is fast evaporating.
But they’re now fast saying “we’ve had enough” after his latest three-game suspension incurred against the Warriors on Saturday.
Mitchell will have been banned for 15 games since joining Souths in 2020.
In that time, he has been charged nine times for a variety of offences, including high tackle, striking, lashing out with the feet, late contact, reckless high tackle, attacking an opponent’s head and dropping the knees.
Maybe Souths should start docking his pay.
Mitchell seems blind to what’s going on around him.
Is he aware his coach Jason Demetriou could be just 80 minutes from being sacked?
Does he realise his team is running last and desperately need him?
Is he too consumed with his own self-importance?
Mitchell was placed on report twice against the Warriors, for a forearm on Shaun Johnson and a dangerous throw on Tohu Harris.
The NRL charged Mitchell with grade-two dangerous contact and he will now miss three crucial games against Cronulla, Melbourne and Penrith.
He is the highest-paid player in South Sydney’s history, earning around $1.2 million a year, yet these were careless actions from a frustrated player.
By the time Mitchell returns, Demetriou may have already cleared out his desk.
This is the time the club needs their big gun and this is what Mitchell does.
What about the pressure now on young Jye Gray, who is expected to be thrust into the Souths side as a replacement for Mitchell?
The Rabbitohs have won five from their past 20 games – victories against Wests Tigers, St George Illawarra, Gold Coast, Canterbury and New Zealand.
During these turbulent times at Redfern, when the club needed rock-solid stability, Mitchell has sworn repeatedly during a radio interview, praised his own efforts in scoring his 100th try in a losing side, been sin-binned for a knee on James Tedesco, charged and fined for a hit on Josh Addo-Carr and now the dual drama against the Warriors.
After up-ending Harris, Fox League commentator Greg Alexander said: “Why do it? Why would you do that?“
And on the Johnson elbow, Alexander said: “It’s little more than a forearm, it’s almost like a swinging elbow. Latrell’s lucky he’s not sitting in the bin for 10 minutes.
“I really don’t know what goes through Latrell’s mind on occasions, threw an elbow out on Shaun Johnson and it was blatant.”
Demetriou described both acts as “just stupid” and demanded Mitchell has “got to be better.”
To be fair, Mitchell isn’t solely to blame for Souths’ last-place position.
The Rabbitohs have:
^ Completed at 59 per cent – the worst since 2015.
^ Conceded 162 points in five games – the third most in the club’s history after five games.
^ Scored just 72 points this year – the fewest since 2008.
^ Conceded 30 points or more nine times in 18 games since round 12 last year.
^ Skipper Cam Murray is averaging just 72 metres a game this year – his fewest since debuting in 2017.
Murray looks exhausted at having to carry Souths physically and emotionally.
KNOCK-ON DEBACLE
I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing at Brookie.
The try to Manly’s Tolu Koula just before halftime was a deadset debacle.
Manly winger Tommy Talau clearly dropped an intercept with Koula picking up the loose ball and running 90 metres to score.
Technically, the ball from Talau’s hands may have gone backwards, marginally, but it was a knock every single day of the week.
That’s how it is these days, you drop the ball then it’s a knock-on. We see it a dozen times each round.
Referee Todd Smith awarded the try which was later confirmed by the bunker’s Grant Atkins.
“It was outrageous,” said Fox Sports commentator Corey Parker. “I don’t know how Todd Smith let that play on. It was quite incredible.
“We see it forever and a day. The moment it is touched the ball goes straight down, they say it’s a knock on.”
Fox colleague Cooper Cronk added: “It looked like it was a knock on with Talau but when you actually look at it, it does say it comes back. It was one of those contentious ones.”
“That’s a knock-on,” former Penrith premiership player Luke Lewis says on ABC Sport.
“It’s pretty bad. Nine times out of 10 when you do that it’s a [knock-on].”
It may have been a knock back but there will be plenty of similar drop balls ruled forward.
UGLY DROPOUT TREND CATCHING ON
Players who refuse to catch either a kick-off or dropout on the full frustrated me.
Grown men trying to trap the ball with their legs rather than catching it.
Wests Tigers forward Fonua Pole did it on Saturday night.
A Dolphins’ dropout went long and straight to Pole, who declined to catch it.
Yes, there is an argument that the player is being cautious and Pole isn’t the only player doing it.
But surely by the time you reach the NRL, a player has the ability and confidence to catch a football.
POMMELLED: UK STARS’ HORROR WEEKEND
The poor old Poms copped a hammering this weekend.
Dewsbury-born Roosters star Dom Young was sent off for a high shot on Canterbury’s Blake Taaffe.
Teammate Victor Radley – who has chosen to represent England – was then sin-binned, albeit the decision was poor.
Bradford-born Wests Tigers forward John Bateman was concussed against the Dolphins on Saturday night.
And Lancashire-born Dolphins champion Herbie Farnworth was taken from the field with a serious shoulder injury that will sideline him for a month.
LIKES
COATES’ “CLASSIC AFL” MARK
Collingwood head of football strategy, innovation and list management Justin Leppitsch has described Xavier Coates’ stunner against Brisbane as “classic AFL.”
Coates scored another remarkable try by leaping high into the Melbourne sky – AFL style – to score from a Jahrome Hughes cross-field bomb.
“The way Xavier protected the ball drop zone, using his hips to eliminate his opponent, is a classic AFL training method. I have enjoyed watching the skill growth of the kickers and catchers in the NRL over the last 10 years,” said Leppitsch, a three-time premiership winner and All Australian representative.
“It’s amazing how we all borrow skills from other sports. In the past rugby league players were chest first into these contests. Our head coach at Collingwood (Craig McRae) worked at the Storm for years developing their skills in this space.
“We are always borrowing methods from other sports. In my time I have borrowed techniques from League, NFL, soccer, NFL, tennis, gymnastics, basketball, even ice hockey.”
REYNO’S TEARS IN BRONCOS’ SALVATION MISSION
Vision of Adam Reynolds in tears at halftime after suffering a hamstring injury on Thursday night was soul-stirring.
How could Reynolds still be so emotionally invested in rugby league after 13 seasons and 278 NRL games?
His manager Steve Gillis says: “Adam is the ultimate professional and craves success, He has enormous belief in this young Broncos outfit and is desperate to avenge the disappointment of last year’s grand final loss.
“It’s important to him that he continues to play a key leadership role for his team over the next couple of seasons.”
HASTINGS TAKES IT TO THE HATERS, AGAIN
I like Jackson Hastings.
He’s a different cat, and can be challenging at times, but we need characters in rugby league.
We can’t all be the same.
Hastings was involved in another skirmish last weekend when he called out a comment from respected Fox League commentator Andrew Voss.
And Hastings, in his NRL return match, sent a not-so-subtle message to the hater on Friday night.
After scoring a try against St George Illawarra, Hastings quickly put fingers in his ears so he couldn’t hear the outside noise.
Sadly, the haters in rugby league are plentiful and vocal. And Hastings has copped plenty over the years.
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