"Heads In!" Round 18
Unpacking the scrum each week in the NRL
The Battle of the West is set for a rematch, and a key man in the narrative is primed to have a big impact on the result. Elsewhere, two teams fight desperately for two competition points that might prove the difference in a few weeks time.
Whether you’re searching for an edge in the workplace tipping comp, or just desperate to talk some footy, you’ve found the place. Join me as we unpack the scrum that is the NRL each week.
Centre-Field Scrum
What’s centre-frame in the Rugby League lens this week?
Battle of the West, Part Two
The NRL draw has dished up another heavyweight clash for us all this Friday night, with Parramatta and Penrith going at it for the second time this season.
It was thirteen long weeks ago - way back in Round 5 - when the Panthers last tasted defeat against the Eels no less, on a night where Waqa Blake tore up Penrith’s left edge twice inside five minutes to get his team back in front:
Stephen Crichton, who has had a breakout year at left centre, will surely be better for the experience and he will need to be, considering how desperate Parramatta have been to quickly shift the ball out to their centres in recent weeks.
As we saw against Melbourne in Round 15, Mitchell Moses was fixated on getting Blake early ball, to the point that the Eels’ attack became far too predictable and Melbourne’s defence adjusted comfortably:
While firing earlier in the year, the Eels’ attack has felt awkward and forced in the last month or so, with the likes of Blake and Michael Jennings on the other edge have failed to have the offensive influence that had Parramatta flying at the start of the season.
Although Dylan Brown’s absence is significant, a look towards the engine room might give some hints as to how Parramatta’s attack can click into gear once again.
From Rounds 3 to 12 - a dominant ten week period during which Parra’ notched 8 comfortable wins and 2 narrow losses to the Roosters and Sea Eagles - prop forward Reagan Campbell-Gillard was running for 205.8 meters on average, each game.
For reference, Jason Taumalolo - widely regarded as the best yardage forward in our game - averages 195 meters across 14 games this season.
While I am by no means suggesting Campbell-Gillard is in the same league as Taumalolo, the stats show just how devastating the Penrith discard was to begin the 2020 season, when Parramatta were not-so-coincidently winning games.
With his long strides and brilliant moustache, ‘RCG’ was tackle busting his way to big minutes each week, while regularly contributing 30+ tackles in defence to be the leading man in Parramatta’s forward pack.
But it was his work off the ball that caught my eye, as the big fella was constantly pushing up in support to either create opportunities for his fellow players:
Or scoring them himself:
In the last five rounds, Campbell-Gillard’s average meters have dropped to 139 meters per game - merely respectable numbers for any starting prop - without a single tackle bust and just two offloads in that time.
In a game against his old club, and amidst a week of drama regarding bad blood between former teammates, Eels fans will be hoping RCG is primed for a big game on Friday night.
On paper, Parramatta has one of the best balanced middle forward trios in the comp, with Junior Paulo’s ball playing, Campbell-Gillard’s size and Nathan Brown’s raw aggression and mobility all offering point of differences through the middle third of the field.
If Campbell-Gillard can get back to his barnstorming best, then expect to see Moses and the Eels’ outside backs to conjure up a few more points in the coming weeks.
Right Scrum-Line
Who is feeling the pressure this week?
Race for Eighth
Cronulla Sharks versus New Zealand Warriors.
Eighth versus tenth.
With just three games to go before finals, the outcome of this match could potentially determine the makeup of the top eight, with both teams a possibility of claiming that elusive last spot in the finals series.
The pressure is well and truely on Cronulla to maintain their position on the ladder, as they come up against a Warriors side that has shown considerable growth this season under the leadership of interim coach Todd Payten and their talismanic captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
Both teams welcome back players this week, with Shaun Johnson returning at halfback for the Sharks at the expense of rookie Brayden Trindall, who we wrapped a few weeks back. Also returning is Andrew Fifita via the bench, while Siosifa Talakai comes into the starting side on Cronulla’s left edge for the suspended Wade Graham.
While Graham’s loss is a big one for the Sharks, the form of Talakai so far this season means Cronulla are unlikely to lose any of their punch in the pack while their skipper is out.
After time spent at South Sydney as a utility forward, Talakai has well and truely found a home at Cronulla in 2020, with barnstorming performances at second row and centre making him a regular in the Sharks’ pack since his club debut in Round 4.
After thirteen games this season, some with just limited minutes off the bench, Talakai has made 31 tackle busts and 9 offloads on his way to 135 average running meters per game.
Set for a longer stint this weekend, it won’t surprise to see the Sharks look for Talakai and his hard line-running close to the try line:
With Briton Nikora returning to form on the other edge, the Sharks will be throwing plenty at halves Kodi Nikorima and Chanel Harris-Tevita come Sunday, both whom have had their defensive difficulties in the past.
That’s not to say neither men are up to the challenge - Harris-Tevita did put this shot on big Ryan Matterson last week, and I’ll take any excuse to champion ‘the little guy’ in this context:
The New Zealand Warriors’ form over the back half of the season has been a joy to watch, for fans and non fans alike.
Over the last five weeks, the Warriors have completed an average 80.6% of their sets to win three games and come within just six points of competition heavyweights Penrith and Parramatta.
Interim coach Todd Payten has his team playing a tougher, more resilient brand of footy, and they are now reaping the results. While that try last weekend will feature on highlight reels for years to come, it’s the fundamentals that New Zealand are attacking with that is most pleasing:
With Mitchell Moses on the ground and out of position, hooker Wade Egan sends Marata Niukore one way then looks back inside to a flying Tuivasa-Sheck, who does exceptionally well to stand up Clint Gutherson before offloading before the try line.
It’s refreshing to see the Warriors use Tuivasa-Sheck like this through the middle of the field, rather than watching him take one out carries and getting gang tackled.
Given the lateral deficiencies we’ve spotted in Cronulla’s middle defence so far this season, expect to see Tuivasa-Sheck looking for similar opportunities this weekend.
Left Scrum-Line
My left-field thought on the NRL this week
The Fullback Factory
A week after Ryan Papenhuyzen was praised by commentators and experts around the game for his development into one of the game’s elite number one’s, head coach Craig Bellamy will role another product out of Melbourne’s fullback factory this weekend in the form of Nicho Hynes.
While not quite blowing anyone away just yet, Hynes has impressed with some strong carries, good footwork and a deft passing game in his various stints off the bench this season - or when given a chance to start:
There is no question that Papenhuyzen is Melbourne’s first choice fullback, but giving Hynes some game time there now is just a luxury the Storm can afford at this point of the season, and he should have plenty of attacking chances against a lacklustre North Queensland defensive system.
The Cowboys were lucky to get the win last week against a St George Illawarra side that blew two or three tries on their way to the Golden Point loss:
Even without Coen Hess shooting blindly out of their defensive line on a whim, the Cowboys still conceded six line breaks against a mediocre Dragons’ attack last weekend, and it won’t surprise to see Hynes appear on the inside shoulder of either Cameron Munster or Jahrome Hughes during a Melbourne backline shift on Sunday.
I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do with another 80 minutes out the back.