NRL Lowdown: How is your team faring after Round 8
WHO starred, who struggled and who’s lurking on the edge? Find out how your team is faring in the Round 8 edition of the NRL Lowdown.
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WHO starred, who struggled, who’s on the fringe, who’s on the outer, who passed and who failed?
Get the very best analysis from our team of experts in the Round 8 edition of the NRL Lowdown.
STORM
HOW THEY FARED
It has been a long time coming but Storm finally put a solid 80 minutes together. The Warriors threatened throughout but Storm did not buckle despite being headed three times in the first hour of play.
Storm lifted late, dominating in the closing stages to put the sword to the Warriors with two quick fire tries.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED
Nelson Asofo-Solomona powered Storm to victory with a try and huge runs to eat into opposition territory. Felise Kaufusi played the entire game and if not for a couple of early handling errors could have come away with the Spirit of Anzac Medal.
Billy Slater is edging closer to his startling best, while Josh Addo-Carr needed only one chance and he made the most of it.
Cameron Munster was solid at five-eighth and will only get better with more game time.
Munster’s return at pivot banished Ryley Jacks to the interchange bench and he could only manage four minutes on the park. Cameron Smith left his usually lethal kicking boots at home, missing gettable shots from either side of the uprights.
INJURY WARD
Tohu Harris (foot, Round 9)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE
Kenny Bromwich was forced out of the side for the birth of his first child. Suspect replacement Joe Stimson will make way for the Kiwi battering ram. Young Tonumaipea and Mark Nicholls remain in the mix. Tohu Harris is close to making his long-awaited return, but Craig Bellamy flagged a need to give the Storm utility a couple of Q-Cup runs in before a recall to first grade.
REPORT CARD
A. Lots to like about this early-season form and especially if ladder-leaders Storm continue playing strong 80mins. The offense is damaging and importantly versatile, while defensively Storm is one of the best in the league.
- Gilber Gardiner
DRAGONS
HOW THEY FARED The Dragons were brave, but narrowly fell to the Rooters in a golden point thriller on Anzac Day.
McGregor’s men suffered injuries to skipper Gareth Widdop (knee) and fullback Josh Dugan (concussion), but found a way to send the match into extra time.
In end, though, the Roosters snuck courtesy of a Mitchell Pearce field goal.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Prop Paul Vaughan showed again why plenty of people are talking him up for an Origin debut. Vaughan ran for 160 metres and made 36 tackles. Fellow Blues candidate Tyson Frizell was also potent, while Josh Dugan displayed courage to return after a head knock and kick a clutch conversion to send the match into golden point.
Kurt Mann did his best to replace Widdop (left knee) at five-eighth, but lacked the game management.
INJURY WARD
Will Matthews (dislocated hip, late season)
Drew Hutchison (knee, season)
Gareth Widdop (knee, indefinite)
Yaw Kiti Glymin (shoulder, late season)
Levi Dodd (knee, Season)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
It will be interesting to see who the Dragons play at five-eighth if Widdop is sidelined for an extended period of time with his knee injury.
Mann did his best, but lacked the game-winning polish.
McGregor may have to opt for Shaun Nona or Jai Field, the young player dubbed the quickest man in the NRL.
REPORT CARD
B. The Dragons have been breathing fire to start 2017, but they face the ultimate test in the coming weeks.
In addition to potentially missing Widdop for an extended period of time, McGregor’s men have a tough draw.
The Dragons face the Storm, Sharks and Warriors in the next three rounds.
- Matt Logue
ROOSTERS
HOW THEY FARED
It was tough, it was bloody, it was tight and it was everything we’ve come to expect from the Anzac Day blockbusters between the Roosters and Dragons. After trailing at half time the Roosters capitalised on an injury-riddled opposition to get ahead before the Dragons sent the match into golden point at the death. Enter much-maligned field goal kicker Mitchell Pearce who sent the ball sailing over the black dot to claim a nail-biting 13-12 win.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED
Boyd Cordner had a massive game which included 19 runs for a huge 196m and two tackle busts. He constantly harassed the Dragons defensively and was probably in line for man of the match honours had Pearce not nailed that golden point field goal.
Conversely, Aidan Guerra, was nowhere to be seen. The Roosters lock missed tackle that led to the Dragons’ opening try and made a paltry seven runs the entire match.
INJURY WARD
Ryan Matterson (ankle, round 12), Nat Butcher (shoulder, indefinite).
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
The NYC Roosters suffered a 35-26 loss to the young Dragons on Anzac Day and with the NRL squad returning to full strength it is hard to say anyone making enough of an impact to warrant consideration for a first grade call-up.
REPORT CARD
B-: The Roosters continued to put those two consecutive losses behind them with an Anzac Day win but it was nowhere near convincing.
The Roosters snatched the golden point win but it could have been a very different result if the Dragons hadn’t been hobbled by injuries. The Roosters move up to third on the ladder with the win but will want to shore up their defence and goal kicking if they want to stay there.
- David Campbell
SHARKS
HOW THEY FARED
Costly loss for the reigning premiers. Put simply, Cronulla should’ve closed this one out. Indeed, given the amount of possession they had in good field position against Gold Coast, the Titans shouldn’t have even been in a position to win this one at the death.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Fullback Valentine Holmes was strong while skipper Paul Gallen, as usual, worked hard in both attack (205m) and defence (38 tackles). Young hooker Jayden Brailey also punched out 80 minutes. Elsewhere, Cronulla certainly had enough ball to win but couldn’t crack the Titans defence — they were tackled 40 times inside the opposition’s 20m zone for only two tries.
INJURY WARD
Daniel Mortimer (Knee, Round 10)
James Segeyaro (Broken arm, Round 14)
Gerard Beale (Hamstring, Round 9)
Jayson Bukuya (Shoulder, Indefinite)
Luke Lewis (Hamstring, Round 9)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
Sharkies were without veteran forward Luke Lewis, rested because of a slight hamstring concern. As a result, Jayson Bukuya started while Sam Tagataese, playing just his second NRL appearance of 2017, came off the bench.
REPORT CARD
B-: While this one will be remembered for the return of marquee Titan Jarryd Hayne, for Cronulla it will be considered a real missed opportunity for two competition points.
— Nick Walshaw
BRONCOS
HOW THEY FARED
The Broncos let yet another game go down to the wire, but managed to come away with the two points in a 25-24 victory over the Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Five-eighth Anthony Milford was the centre of attention on a controversy-filled night but stepped up when Brisbane needed it most to kick the winning field goal. Corey Oates was back to his best with two first half tries while Matt Gillett continued to be one of the Broncos’ best this season.
David Mead had an error-riddled night while celebrating his 150th game.
INJURY WARD
Tom Opacic (Ankle, Round 9)
Mitchell Dodds (Leg, Indefinite)
Benji Marshall (Broken arm, Round 10)
Ben Hunt (Hamstring, Round 12)
Tevita Pangai Jnr (Hand, Round 16)
Jordan Kahu (Groin, Round 9)
Jai Arrow (Broken thumb, Round 12)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
Winger Jordan Kahu (groin) should come back into the side next week, with David Mead likely to move back to the bench.
REPORT CARD
B: While it is good that the Broncos are able to close out these tight matches, they need to get a big win soon to prove they are serious contenders this season. They should have beaten the Rabbitohs by a much bigger margin.
— Rikki-Lee Arnold
COWBOYS
HOW THEY FARED
The Cowboys did enough to win without being anything like spectacular. If anything, a couple of elementary Newcastle errors in the second half handed them the platform to win after the Knights led 12-10 at halftime. The good news is aside from a leg knock to fullback Kalyn Ponga, they didn’t sustain any more injuries. That’s very welcome given three quarters of their spine, plus some depth players, are already sidelined. Scoring points when they get into the opposition danger zone continues to be a major headache, even before Johnathan Thurston was injured.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Kalyn Ponga scored a double in easily his best NRL game so far. He increased his involvement and was happy to go into first receiver at times, although that is easier now Thurston isn’t playing. Scott Bolton also had a huge game upfront, while Ethan Lowe returned to somewhere near his best off the bench.
Coen Hess has been thrown up for Origin but he had his worst NRL game so far with a couple of crucial errors, including one early with the tryline wide open. Five-eighth Michael Morgan had four errors and looks lost in attack, although that’s understandable given Thurston, Jake Granville and Lachlan Coote are out injured.
INJURY WARD
Josh Chudleigh (ACL, Season)
Matt Scott (ACL, Season)
Johnathan Thurston (Calf, Round 9)
Shaun Fensom (Ankle, Indefinite)
Lachlan Coote (Calf, Round 9)
Jake Granville (Broken leg, Round 9)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
Coote is tipped to be a chance to return against Parramatta on Friday night, which would push Ponga back to under-20s despite a man-of-the-match performance against the Knights. However Cowboys coach Paul Green could err on the side of caution after he returned too early last time, and another week off looming for representative football.
REPORT CARD
C+: It was far from convincing at home against a team who had won just once in 26 games beforehand. They will need to lift or Parramatta will make them pay next week. They may have to grind out some wins before some personnel returns.
— Jon Tuxworth
RAIDERS
HOW THEY FARED
Move over Michael Ennis, matchwinner Dylan Walker has taken the mantle as Canberra’s public enemy number one.
Walker found himself in a highly-entertaining verbal tussle with Josh Hodgson, BJ Leilua and the Raiders faithful, to which he came out on top.
After earlier missing what loomed to be the game-winning conversion, the Manly centre’s golden point penalty attempt shaved the upright to give Manly a 20-18 win.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Junior Paulo and Josh Papalii have been brutal this season and continue to lay an outstanding platform for their star outside backs. The latter scored a try that nearly ended Daly Cherry-Evans’ career.
Trent Barrett advised his halves to find the sideline at all times to counteract the Raiders’ back three. The blueprint worked for the majority of the game until Jordan Rapana soared in the 73rd minute to almost clinch the win in spectacular fashion.
The tactic worked, expect many, if not all opposition coaches to use this strategy throughout the season.
INJURY WARD
Kato Ottio (ACL, Round 10), Kurt Baptiste (Achilles, Indefinite), Clay Priest (Shoulder, Round 9-10).
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
The Raiders NYC team scored consecutive victories for the first time this season with a 36-14 win over Manly.
Second-rower and captain Kalani Going impressed in the triumph with a pair of tries.
REPORT CARD
B-: After three-straight wins Canberra were handed somewhat of a reality check by a Manly side who continue to impress against the odds.
Ricky Stuart shouldn’t be too disheartened as his side were again reasonably solid in defence outside of a few poor reads from his centres.
The attack is a little off at the moment as oppositions gradually find methods of taming the unorthodox pointscoring unit, but it will inevitably find its rhythm in coming weeks.
— Tim Williams
SEA EAGLES
HOW THEY FARED
Won a classic. Defeated Canberra during golden point in what was a thriller in the capital.
Manly started outsiders but just kept working away and toppled the Raiders in Canberra — a sterling feat.
The Sea Eagles showed considerable mental fortitude to fend off several Canberra surges during the second half.
Manly went into the game on the back of two straight losses and simply had to win.
They absorbed the pressure and emerged victorious to remain in touch with the competition leaders.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Marty Taupau was at his powerful best for the Sea Eagles. Taupau was devastating in a commanding performance in the middle.
He will certainly give Australia some headaches in the one-off Test in Canberra on May 5.
INJURY WARD
Lloyd Perrett (Sternum, Indefinite)
Billy Bainbridge (Shoulder, Indefinite)
Jarrad Kennedy (Neck, Indefinite)
Darcy Lussick (Elbow, Round 10)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
Manly appeared to end the match without any real injury concerns. There doesn’t seem to a clear path to the NRL for Cameron Cullen but the fiery five-eighth keeps doing all the right things in NSW Cup — he set up a try in Blacktown’s 28-20 loss to the Tigers and always looked likely to split things open.
REPORT CARD
A: A splendid performance. Manly’s Dylan Walker missed two crucial kicks at goal before rebounding to land the matchwinner. He must now be back in State of Origin contention.
Manly have another big game this Friday night when confronting Souths at Allianz Stadium. The Rabbitohs will still be filthy at their unlucky loss to Brisbane last Friday night.
— Dean Ritchie
BULLDOGS
HOW THEY FARED
They lost. A game that on paper, they probably should have won easily, but that’s rugby league. In fact, given the build up there was the ideal script for the Wests Tigers to go out and put on a passionate display to silence all those naysayers and doubters of what kind of spirit in the club. The Bulldogs were on the end of that. They had their chances and certainly could have won the game themselves but some poor choices at key moments instead meant they went down 18-12.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
The Dogs’ outside backs put in a strong display. Josh Morris showed he may not have the speed off the mark he once had but can still match it over distance with the ones when he ran down David Nofoaluma over about 90 metres to stop him just short of the tryline. Brett Morris rand for 170 metres. Kerrod Holland is finding touch after several weeks out injured and he and Marcelo Montoya were the side’s tryscorers. In the forwards David Klemmer nudged the 200-metre mark.
But a couple of brain snaps were costly. Brenko Lee was sin-binned with 12 minutes to go in the game for a professional foul, while Greg Eastwood decided to kick on the third with the game in the balance and Matt Frawley kicked on the first after Canterbury had started a set just 10 metres out from the Tigers’ line. Silly plays that came at a big cost.
INJURY WARD
Asipeli Fine (Lung, Round 9)
Will Hopoate (Fractured cheekbone, Round 9)
Chase Stanley (Knee, Indefinite)
Richie Kennar (Foot, Round 9)
Lachlan Lewis (Shoulder, Round 10)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
Will Hopoate could be a chance to return next weekend which means Montoya will likely head back to NSW Cup. It’s hard to see Des Hasler making any other changes and will most likely continue playing Matt Frawley from the bench.
REPORT CARD
C+: The Bulldogs weren’t terrible, they just couldn’t close it out.
The past month of football has been the most consistent from them in a long time and in retrospect, coming up against the Tigers after the week they’d had was going to make them tough to face as the emotion factor can make a team fall apart or rally.
They won’t dwell on that loss too much but will need to be better under pressure if they’re to be a chance against the Raiders.
— Fiona Bollen
EELS
HOW THEY FARED
After falling to four straight losses, Parramatta have now won their last two games to be sitting on eight competition points.
Brad Arthur’s Eels started the season with a stack of expectation and are now slowly starting to get back to the form they displayed last year.
The win over Penrith wasn’t without fault, with Arthur even labelling some of their second half play “dumb”, and they almost blew it near the end.
But to get home will be a confidence booster heading into Friday night’s clash in Townsville against North Queensland.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Corey Norman, at his best, can be among the best players in the competition.
Norman scored two tries and laid on another for Semi Radradra, while running for 118m and eight tackle busts.
Clint Gutherson continues to fill every hole Arthur throws him in, and in the forwards Tim Mannah, Manu Ma’u and Nathan Brown led the way, while Kaysa Pritchard finished with 48 tackles.
The Eels victory came at a cost with Brad Takairangi suffering a knee injury that kept him out of the second half and is expected to sideline him for up to six weeks.
INJURY WARD
Bevan French (Knee, Round 10)
Matt Woods (Shoulder, Round 13)
Rory O’Brien (Hamstring, Round 10)
Jeff Robson (Calf, Round 10)
Isaac De Gois (Concussion, Indefinite)
Brad Takairangi (Knee, Round 12)
Frank Pritchard (Foot, Round 18)
Peni Terepo (Pectoral, Round 22)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
With Brad Takairangi’s status uncertain, the Eels could do worse than to give exciting five-eighth Jamal Fogarty his NRL debut. A talented attacking player, Fogarty has been a standout for Wentworthville this season and kicked two goals in the Magpies 13-12 win over Penrith on the weekend.
REPORT CARD
B: Parramatta needs to find a way to emulate what they did throughout the first half against Penrith for the full 80 minutes.
The speed of their line and intensity in defence was one of the Eels’ great strengths last season.
In the first half against the Panthers it was on show again but the fact they almost allowed Penrith to steal the game shows they still have room for improvement.
And they will need to improve to get the Cowboys if Johnathan Thurston returns this week.
— Paul Crawley
RABBITOHS
HOW THEY FARED
The Rabbitohs were on the bad end of a couple of refereeing decisions but had more than enough chances to win the game against Brisbane, or at least force the match to golden point. A lack of fluency in key moments cost them dearly in a 25-24 loss.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Sam Burgess had one of his better games of the season and showed all the power in the middle of the field we know he’s capable of. Angus Crichton was excellent on the edge of the ruck and seems a long-term backrow prospect. Robbie Farah also had some nice touches when he came on the field early in the second half.
The Rabbitohs outside backs have been shuffled around all season and that lack of cohesion was on show against the Broncos. Hymel Hunt, a centre by trade, returned on the wing and his lack of positional nous was exploited by the Broncos at every opportunity. Siosifa Talaki barged over for a strong try but his lack of mobility cost the Bunnies more than once.
INJURY WARD
Aaron Gray (Medial, Round 10)
Jake Goisweski (Knee, Round 12)
Connor Tracey (ACL, Indefinite)
Greg Inglis (ACL, Season)
George Burgess (Suspension, Indefinite)
Adam Reynolds (Hip flexor, Round 9)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
Robbie Rochow started at prop for North Sydney in their loss to the Warriors and while he seems to have fallen down the pecking order for an NRL spot he’s still got plenty to offer. Rochow tackled well and threw a couple of nice offloads in the Bears defeat.
REPORT CARD
D: The Rabbitohs just don’t look like they can match it with the elite teams in the competition. Refereeing blunders aside, Souths had plenty of opportunities to win this game but could not take them.
— Nick Campton
WARRIORS
HOW THEY FARED
The Warriors played tough and showed plenty of commitment but lacked the discipline and attacking spark to trouble the Storm and went down 20-14.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED
Simon Mannering was again excellent in the middle of the field and the Warriors lost much of their defensive zeal once he was moved to the edge due to injury. Ben Matulino had a top return from a knee injury and got right back to his old form and the steady improvements of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was also a highlight for the New Zealanders.
The combination between Shaun Johnson and Kieran Foran is still developing at club level but Johnson’s refusal to run the ball hurts the Warriors. While it’s easy to see why Johnson is trying to take a more controlling role in the team but he needs to play to his strengths and his greatest strength is always his running game.
INJURY WARD
Manu Vatuvei (Knee, Round 12)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE
Tuimoala Lolohea has made the most of his time in reserve grade and scored a double in the Warriors 24-8 win over the Bears. Lolohea was dropped several weeks ago after some indifferent performances on the flank but he’s making all the right moves as he chases an NRL return.
VERDICT
C. The Warriors are playing with a far greater toughness than in the past but at the cost of their attacking brilliance. From the outside looking in, it seems strange for a team to play away from their strengths.
- Nick Campton
TIGERS
HOW THEY FARED
After dominating the headlines in the lead-up to this week’s clash against the Bulldogs, the Tigers put aside all their off-field distractions to post a 18-12 win at ANZ Stadium.
Ivan Cleary’s men are still plagued with the same issues — too many errors, fragile edge defence, frivolously giving away seven-tackle sets when they should be looking to build pressure and an inability to feed their most dangerous weapon in attack, James Tedesco, quality ball.
Having said that, they played with passion and enough intent to walk away with the two competition points.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
The ‘big four’ all played a part in getting their team over the line. Aaron Woods, who was booed by fans, was commendable from the front. Running for 172 meters and making three tackle busts. Halves Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks had some nice touches.
A couple of brain snaps could have proved costly during this match. Elijah Taylor giving away position through a silly pass after winger David Nofoaluma took an intercept was one example. The other was forward Tim Grant knocking it on the line after deciding to go himself from dummy half.
INJURY WARD
Tim Grant (arm, TBC)
Matt Ballin (Knee, Indefinite)
Jamal Idris (Hamstring, Indefinite)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
It was a tight affair in the Under 20s with the Tigers finishing the afternoon with a 20-all draw to the Bulldogs.
Elsewhere in the lower grades, NSW Cup halves pairing Jordan Rankin and Jayden Wheelhouse took control of their match to help steer the Tigers to a 28-20 victory against the Sea Eagles. Kyle Lovett also scored a try in the win.
REPORT CARD
B-: This was a much needed win for the Tigers. They could have easily not shown up, instead they were gritty and passionate. Plenty to work on but Cleary will be overjoyed his side managed to bank the two points.
— Fatima Kdouh
PANTHERS
HOW THEY FARED
It is officially time to start worrying about the Panthers campaign.
Just two wins from the opening two months is not good enough for a team with one of the best rosters and who were one-time premiership hopes.
Confidence is clearly an issue.
While their defence improved, Penrith struggled to score points, and never looked like reeling in the Eels in the second half.
Nathan Cleary tried hard, and while the returning Bryce Cartwright made his share of errors, he also appeared to add a bit of excitement and unpredictability to the attack.
Sadly, for all of Penrith’s exciting players, opposition teams have found it all too simple to work out how to defend them.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Backrower Corey Harawira-Naera scored a deserved try and ran hard all game, racking up 150m.
He was entitled to think he was never going to play with Cartwright slated for his right backrow spot until Te Maire Martin was a late withdrawal.
Harawira-Naera’s forward mates continued to struggle to have the sort of impact they wanted.
And while Tyrone Peachey has utility value, he was almost wasted coming off the bench, and entitled to feel he’s done more than enough to keep the left centre spot.
INJURY WARD
Josh Mansour (ACL, Round 12)
Sam McKendry (ACL, Season)
Te Marie Martin (Neck, Indefinite)
James Fisher-Harris (Shoulder, Indefinite)
James Tamou (Knee, Round 9)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
Viliame Kikau has impressed whenever he’s got a shot in first grade this season, which makes his move back to reserve grade all the more puzzling. Kikau charged over for a try in Penrith’s 13-12 loss to Wentworthville and showed plenty of the punch the Panthers NRL side has been lacking in recent weeks.
REPORT CARD
C-: Fans keep thinking Penrith will turn it around, but now they need to. And it doesn’t get any easier with a road trip to Suncorp Stadium for a clash with the Broncos.
— Christian Nicolussi
TITANS
HOW THEY FARED
The Titans record their second win of the season with a sensational 16-12 upset of defending premiers Cronulla at Southern Cross Group Stadium.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Jarryd Hayne was man-of-the-match in his comeback from an ankle injury, showing his class with an 80-minute performance at fullback despite a limited preparation. Leivaha Pulu bagged two tries for the Titans, including the matchwinner. Five-eighth Kane Elgey did not play and his replacement Tyrone Roberts scored the first try.
INJURY WARD
Pat Politoni (Broken arm, Round 9)
John Olive (Pectoral, Indefinite)
Agnatius Paasi (Shoulder, Round 10)
Chris McQueen (Concussion, Round 9)
Will Zillman (Calf, Indefinite)
Karl Lawton (Hamstring, Indefinite)
Max King (Broken hand, Round 11)
Kane Elgey (Hamstring Round 9)
Chris Grevsmuhl (Shoulder, Indefinite)
Nathaniel Peteru (Foot, Indefinite)
Dale Copley (Back, Indefinite)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
Elgey could have a tough time breaking back into a winning side, however utility Karl Lawton suffered a hamstring injury and will be in some doubt for Saturday’s game against Newcastle. Chris Grevsmuhl is looking at a lengthy stint on the sidelines after dislocating his shoulder. Dale Copley picked up a rib injury. Daniel Vidot and Tyronne Roberts-Davis are options in the backline while Morgan Boyle played in the Intrust Super Cup.
REPORT CARD
B: This was an outstanding win for the Titans, one of the best in the club’s history. But they need to back it up by putting the struggling Knights to the sword on Saturday. The Titans have had a shocking start to the season with two wins from eight rounds, but can go into the bye on a high with back-to-back wins and regroup for the middle part of the year.
— Travis Meyn
KNIGHTS
HOW THEY FARED
The Knights were right in the game at halftime against the Cowboys in Townsville but cruelled themselves in the final 40 minutes with mistakes and penalties contributing to another defeat. The performance was a step back from what they have produced in recent weeks with a lopsided possession count again a big factor with the Knights forced to make almost 100 tackles more than their opposition.
WHO STARRED, WHO STRUGGLED?
Teenage playmaker Brock Lamb carried the burden of running the show with no Trent Hodkinson in the team and while the experience will be great for him in the long term, it is a big ask to expect him to take all the right options when his forward pack is not dominating.
Prop Daniel Saifiti had his best game in some time upfront, winger Nathan Ross was dangerous as usual and backrower Sam Stone was also strong.
But standouts for the Knights were few and far between. Fullback Brendon Elliot had his moments including scoring an 80 metre try off a kick return and made a couple of crucial tackles but was badly caught out of position on several occasions.
INJURY WARD
David Bhana (Knee, Season)
Rory Kostjasyn (Throat, Indefinite)
Jarrod Mullen (Drugs ban, Indefinite)
Dylan Phythian (ACL, Season)
Sam Mataora (Knee, Indefinite)
Jack Cogger (Groin, Round 16)
Jamie Buhrer (Foot, Round 13)
WHO’S LURKING ON THE EDGE?
Coach Nathan Brown doesn’t have a lot of depth to play with and being without his two most experienced recruits in Rory Kostjasyn and Jamie Buhrer could be further exacerbated this week by an injury to pack leader Mitch Barnett.
The indication is Brown will again overlook Hodkinson which could see him try Jaelen Feeney in the halves after he came off the bench against the Cowboys.
Pauli Pauli and Josh King are two options the coach may consider for the forward pack.
REPORT CARD
C: Knights seem further away from a second win after being unable to take advantage of two point halftime advantage against a Cowboys side missing a number of stars including Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott.
— Barry Toohey
* Dragons, Roosters, Storm, Warriors all play on Tuesday
Originally published as NRL Lowdown: How is your team faring after Round 8
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