NRL 2022: Kurt Falls now on recruitment radars after impressive debut
First-grade debutant Kurt Falls guided Penrith to an impressive victory on Friday night, and coach Ivan Cleary hinted that Falls and his fellow Origin ‘fill-ins’ could expect more games in 2022.
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Kurt Falls’ dream NRL debut wouldn’t have gone unnoticed by the Panthers’ rivals on Friday night but the off-contract five-eighth is not yet allowing himself to fantasise about his future beyond this season.
Falls was Nathan Cleary’s halves partner during high school but while Cleary has rocketed to superstardom, his old schoolmate has for years toiled away in the lower grades at the foot of the mountains.
Up until mid-2021, he worked as a full-time carpenter to support his young family, all the while keeping one eye on an NRL dream that grew less and less likely by the year.
But with Cleary and Jarome Luai missing Friday’s clash with the Bulldogs through State of Origin duty, 25-year-old Falls was finally rewarded for his patience.
He finished the night with a try assist, a conversion from out wide and some radar-like kicks straight from the playbook of his good mate Nathan Cleary.
It was difficult for Falls to hide his elation after the siren sounded on his first NRL game, a 30-18 win to the Panthers.
“I never lost sight of the dream,” he told News Corp.
“This bunch of blokes is the best group to do it with. They’re so supportive.”
A healthy contingent of the Falls clan was cheering from the stands, which the five-eighth said spurred him on.
“(My family) all made the trip,” he said.
“It was so good to see them all at full time and to embrace all the emotion
“Everyone involved, it’s pretty emotional. Being what you call a late bloomer I guess, everyone’s super proud.”
Welcome to the #NRL, Kurt Falls! ðŸ‘#NRLPanthersBulldogspic.twitter.com/abUb5PwRXt
— NRL (@NRL) June 3, 2022
Falls is stuck behind Cleary, Luai and Sean O’Sullivan in the playmaking stakes at Penrith but is off-contract this season and could prove a handy pick-up for an NRL rival.
The Dolphins are still low on troops for their inaugural season, while the Warriors are down two playmakers with Ash Taylor (retirement) and Chanel Harris-Tavita (hiatus) off the books for 2023.
The Panthers won’t be forced to go into any more games without their Origin stars but a source close to the club told News Corp that coach Ivan Cleary was a good chance to rest players in round 18.
The Panthers will play the Wests Tigers on the Sunday after game three so Falls may have another chance to spruik his wares to rivals before the season is out.
But Panther No. 608 said he had no interest in speculating about the future.
“I’m just looking at next week, that’s the next job,” he said.
“I’m not looking too far into the future. I’m happy just doing my job here. If I get another game, I’ll be stoked.”
SPECIAL MOMENT â¤ï¸ Go into the sheds as an emotional Kurt Falls is presented his debut NRL jersey by Performance Manager Shane Elford. #pantherpridepic.twitter.com/WA3gijVXIG
— Penrith Panthers 🆠(@PenrithPanthers) June 2, 2022
PANTHERS’ BACKUPS CRUISE PAST BULLDOGS
The Penrith Panthers have shrugged off the absence of six Origin stars to defeat the Canterbury Bulldogs 30-18 and send an ominous warning to the competition that even without their biggest names, the reigning champs will get the job done.
Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai, Isaah Yeo, Stephen Crichton, Liam Martin and Brian To’o all watched on from the sidelines as Sean O’Sullivan and debutant Kurt Falls helped the Panthers do what they couldn’t do in their premiership season: compete in the Origin period.
The minor premiership now looks within reach for Penrith and the season is only halfway done; the Panthers are two games clear at the top and they’ve gotten through likely their toughest game of the year in terms of personnel changes.
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It wasn’t all doom and gloom for the Bulldogs, who are continuing to find their rhythm in attack under interim coach Mick Potter.
Ex-Panther Matt Burton gave the local crowd a serious fright in the second half and his combination with Josh Addo-Carr wouldn’t have gone unnoticed by Brad Fittler – the man who snubbed Addo-Carr from the NSW Origin team.
The Bulldogs had more possession in the first half and completed at 90 per cent but still found themselves three tries behind on the scoreboard; just like their superstar teammates have been all year, the second-string Panthers were better at making the most of their chances.
“Apart from our overplaying, I’m quite happy with our attack but we’re just giving the other team too many opportunities,” Potter said post-match.
“We have to build our resilience in our ‘D’ early on. Right at the moment, it’s not acceptable and we need to start better.”
Kurt Falls showed off a radar-like kicking game and alongside the criminally underrated Sean O’Sullivan, booted the Panthers into the field position they needed to open up a handy first-half buffer.
Dylan Edwards and James Fisher-Harris kept the captaincy warm for Yeo and Cleary and predictably, the pair were among the hardest working on and off the ball.
“To captain the Panthers is something special and dear to my heart,” Edwards said.
The star power may have been reduced but there was no shortage of magical moments; recently re-signed winger Taylan May scored one of the most acrobatic tries of his career to date and drew level with Ryan Papenhuyzen at the top of the try-scoring leaderboard.
“I was happy with the week and happy with the game,” Panthers coach Ivan Cleary said post-match.
“The start of the second half, we probably couldn’t build pressure with our last plays, which we’re normally really good at.
“But all in all I was very happy.”
The win posed a question almost too terrifying for the rest of the NRL to even consider: are the 2022 Panthers even calmer and more collected than the side that won the premiership last year?
PENRITH FALLS FOR KURT
Kurt Falls will remember June 3, 2022 for the rest of his life.
Falls partnered Nathan Cleary in the halves during high school but while Cleary has gone on to rugby league superstardom, his old schoolmate has toiled away in the lower grades and worked as a carpenter to pay the bills.
So when Ivan Cleary finally handed him his first grade debut at the ripe old age of 25, Falls was understandably keen to make the most of his chance.
He put up a pinpoint kick to the sideline with his first involvement and minutes later, chipped for his regular NSW Cup teammate Chris Smith, who crashed over to score Penrith’s first.
When he converted the Panthers’ second try from the southern touchline, Falls had well and truly won the local crowd over.
“He was busy, he got out there and had a run straight away, had a kick, got a try assist and kicked a goal all in the space of five minutes,” Cleary said.“ He did a good job defensively as well. He should be happy with himself.”
Falls is no chance to leapfrog Luai or Cleary into the halves and given he’s off contract next year, there’s more than one NRL rival who would do well to make a move.
TOUGH TO BE DUFF
Matt Dufty’s form has been turbulent since he joined the Bulldogs this season and things came to a head before kick-off when interim coach Mick Potter dropped him from the 17.
“Obviously he wasn’t happy about it but he was amongst the team tonight, he was on stand by and he was upbeat,” Potter said.
“He’s a professional. He’s a possibility of bouncing back and being back in the frame.”
Potter named one-time Origin representative Corey Allan at fullback but once play began, Jake Averillo assumed the role.
Dufty is out of contract at the end of the season and could well test the open market, particularly now that the man who lured him to the Bulldogs, Trent Barrett, is no longer the coach.
The pint-sized fullback has already been linked with a move to the Warrington Wolves in the English Super League.
Unless he can impress Wayne Bennett, who has yet to sign an out-and-out fullback at the Dolphins, Dufty’s chances of landing a starting gig at a rival NRL club next year appear remote.
INSIDE PANTHER’S UNORTHODOX JOURNEY TO NRL DEBUT
—Fatima Kdouh
With a boombox in one hand and perky ponytail, Jarome Luai is hard to miss around Blues camp and the five-eighth will be easy to spot again in a packed Bluebet Stadium thanks to a custom made, pink embellished shirt.
But it won’t be just any T-shirt, it is a tribute to Kurt Falls, who will make his NRL debut in Luai’s no. 6 Panthers jersey on Friday night.
Falls’ partner Elise, organised the shirts to celebrate the achievement that many thought would never come for the 25-year old.
Luai made sure Elise had one made in his size.
The playmaker is planning to wear it when he and his six Penrith teammates travel from their Blues base in Coogee to watch a makeshift Panthers outfit take on last-placed Canterbury.
“We break camp around midday Friday so we get to go see the boys play on Friday night out at Penrith,” Luai told The Daily Telegraph.
“My missus is getting me a shirt with his face on it too, she is making sure they save one for me.
“Kurt is awesome. I have gotten to know him well over the past year or so. We are pretty close as a family. His partner knows my partner as well and we spend quite a lot time together.
“He has been one of our best players in reserve grade for the past two years. He’ll wear that six jersey and make me proud on the weekend.
“I can’t wait to see him out there.”
Falls has had an unorthodox journey in reaching an NRL debut and only signed his first ever NRL deal last season as a 24-year old.
Halfback Nathan Cleary played alongside Falls in the halves for St Dominic’s College during their Schoolboy Cup days, where the dynamic duo led the side to a grand final victory in 2014.
While Cleary went on to NRL stardom, making his debut two years later and then premiership glory, Falls struggled to even be selected in any junior representative sides.
“We played together in the school footy team, I am just so stoked for him. He has just chipped away at this dream. He never made any junior representative teams or anything like that,” Cleary said.
“Only two years ago, he was playing Ron Massey Cup for St Mary’s. He’s worked hard at it, he deserves it. I’m happy as for him.
“Some people would have easily given it away and do other things in life. He stuck at it. He believed in himself and knew he had something there.
“It’s a great story. It should inspire other people that probably didn’t make junior representative teams but never gave up.”
Falls will partner Sean O’Sullivan in the halves against the Bulldogs and Luai is predicting the rookie to showcase his ball playing skills on Friday night.
“Before Sully (O’Sullivan), he was the seven in the NSW Cup side. So Sully has come in and freed him up a bit,” Luai said.
“Hopefully we see him run the ball and take the line on and hopefully he can snag a try.
“He has got an awesome running game and I think he has one of the best kicking games in reserve grade as well.
“So hopefully he does what he does in Cup and brings that with him up into first grade and takes that opportunity with both hands.”
With Luai, Cleary, Brian To’o, Stephen Crichton, Isaah Yeo and Liam Martin on Origin duty, Friday night’s clash against the Bulldogs is also a chance for Penrith’s fringe players to stake their claim in a side where positions are tightly held.
Charlie Staines was relegated to 18th man when blockbusting winger To’o returned from a knee injury back in round one. Staines will replace To’o on the edge while Robert Jennings – who is yet to earn an NRL cap this year – has been called in to replace Crichton at centre.
Chris Smith and Matt Eisenhuth will replace backrower Martin and lock Yeo, respectively.
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