NRL Notepad: Round 12
From now through to October, I’ll look back at my notes from the prior round and highlight an area of each team to keep a close eye on from your couch.
St. George-Illawarra Dragons v South Sydney Rabbitohs
Dragons
Jackson Ford has been named to start at lock this week. It may only be for a week given Mary McGregor’s history and the possibility of Adam Clune pushing Ben Hunt back to hooker and Cameron McInnes to lock, but I’m eager to see how Ford takes the opportunity. He’s a great young player - one I’m surprised hasn’t seen more than the ten games he’s played over the last two seasons with limited opportunities off the bench in 2020.
Ford will be one of the fastest back-rowers to step out onto the field this week. He isn’t afraid to hit a gap at pace either. With a few Jackson Ford shares already in the portfolio, I’ll be keeping a close eye on this investment on Thursday night.
At risk of being the guy talking about his fantasy team that nobody else cares about, ‘AirFus1’ has been waiting for Ford to start a game since draft day.
Rabbitohs
I’ll direct you towards the resident South Sydney Rabbitohs expert for this one as we’re on the same page this week:
“Expect to see Mitchell linking up with Gagai and Johnson tonight, looking to expose the Dragons’ right edge. - Heads In! - Round 12
Wests Tigers v New Zealand Warriors
Tigers
Shawn Blore won himself plenty of new fans last week. The physicality he displayed and willingness to go head-to-head with an established enforcer in Nathan Brown was great to see from a 19-year-old on debut. However, it wasn’t a picture-perfect performance.
“Without a lot of footy in him recently and in his first game played at this pace, he offered a lazy effort in defence on Dylan Brown before an ineffective run on the following set. Blore was at times too far behind the play and it will be something Michael Maguire will be sure to point out during the week.” - Repeat Set: Round 11
He has a few things to work out close to the line as well. Benji Marshall wanted him to run an overs line here but Blore didn’t see it. Nerves and a focus on the simple things, perhaps?
Blore had a great debut, but he’s set a high bar for this week. Let’s see how he can improve on the little things while still dominating through his physicality.
Warriors
It’s all looking a little bit Warriors from 2012-17 like with how much their attack relies on one player. But that’s the way it looks with Kodi Nikorima at the moment. If he’s not creating tries or putting players in positions to score, the Warriors are rarely finding the line. While relying on Nikorima isn’t a long-term solution, he has produced some really nice touches over the last fortnight.
He straightens up nicely here to keep the space out wide before sending Ken Maumalo over the line.
Later in the same half, knowing Sione Katoa is likely to defend the shift in the same way by getting out in front of his line, Nikorima holds it up and his subtle touch even catches out Peta Hiku who should have scored.
Nikorima is forming a dangerous partnership with Eli Katoa on the left edge as well.
Defences will soon start targeting him and working harder to close down the Warriors left edge, but for the time being, it’s their most threatening area of the field.
Brisbane Broncos v Cronulla Sutherland-Sharks
Broncos
Anthony Milford
Tom Dearden
This is the Broncos halves pairing many have been calling for since it became clear that Brodie Croft isn’t their guy in 2020.
And this is the sort of simple action they should be producing down the left edge - to start with, at least.
But perhaps more importantly, Brisbane’s response to chaos is another thing to consider in this match.
Sharks
With Braden Hamlin-Uele now a bonafide starter, the impact-off-the-bench prop position is open. Royce Hunt put his hand up by running for 207 metres in 28 minutes off the bench last week. He’s one of only three bench players to crack 200 metres in fewer than 30 minutes since 2008 and is now 7th in the NRL in metres per minute.
It’s the sort of role that seems like the only way Andrew Fifita can extend his career. Although, for what Fifita can do with the ball in hand, he’s been repeatedly caught out defensively already this season.
If Hunt can keep up his yardage game while offering more mobility and reliability in defence, he might be able to keep Fifita out of the side when John Morris is forced to make a decision.
Sydney Roosters v Gold Coast Titans
Roosters
This feels like the game Sydney goes crazy.
They lost to the Raiders in Round 10 and weren’t all that convincing in beating the Warriors 18-10 in Round 11. Now, they face a Titans side that is set up perfectly for the Roosters to run through using their greatest strength - short side plays.
Given what we’ve seen so far this season, it won’t be long before a Titans edge defender flies out and makes a poor read as Jordan Rapana did here.
Some nice footwork from Boyd Cordner gets him up the field with a lightning-quick play-the-ball creating the overlap on the short side. George Williams, in an attempt to get back into the line as quickly as possible, fills in at A on the wrong side to give Luke Kearey the option to run.
Lachlan Lam does enough to engage the marker, Keary waits for Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad to bite before releasing a pass that should have resulted in a try.
Good luck handling that, Titans.
Titans
Dismantled by the Storm in Round 10, we kept a closer eye on the Titans left edge defence last week. To their credit, they only let one try through that edge.
The right edge, though…
A really nice double-block play put the Panthers over the line for their first try. But it’s the second that causes concern.
That’s too easy. With what the Roosters offer on the edges and their ability to hit the short side or be in shape to shift to the other, the Titans need to clean it up.
North Queensland Cowboys v Canberra Raiders
Cowboys
With Michael Morgan, Scott Drinkwater and now Daejarn Asi out injured, the Cowboys don’t have a lot of options in attack. So, who have they started to look for more in good ball areas?
Francis Molo.
They aren’t just using him to dump it off while getting into shape. North Queensland is working to positions for Molo to have a crack at the line.
Here, they use Jason Taumalolo to attract some attention in an effort to isolate Molo on Cade Cust. It’s clunky and Jack Gosiewski reacts quick enough to get across to help his half.
But just five minutes later after hitting Marty Taupau and Addin Fonua-Blake in back-to-back tackles before stretching the middle defence with a left-side shift, the Cowboys returned to the middle. Taumalolo is there again, but this time, Josh McGuire gets involved to get the ball wider to Molo.
Molo has Cust in his sights and the young five-eighth is all on his own.
I’ve really liked Molo’s work this season and am eager to see how the Cowboys continue to use him close to the line.
Raiders
It can only be the return of John Bateman here. Or perhaps more importantly, what Bateman’s return does for George Williams and Curtis Scott.
Williams has been great without his right-side running mate. We shouldn’t expect too much different there. Scott, however, has been in and out of the side due to poor form.
First of all, will Bateman come back the player he was, not only after injury, but with his future already decided to be elsewhere?
Second, can Bateman inspire any sort of first-grade quality out of Scott, who up to this point, would struggle to crack a reserve grade side?
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles v Penrith Panthers
Sea Eagles
Dylan Walker has been named in the reserves this week. If he plays, the question is where?
If he doesn’t, can Cade Cust put in one more strong performance to make the six jersey his?
He’s the better five-eighth and has continued to prove it time and time again in limited opportunities. Oscar highlighted his awareness and execution to score this solo try last week.
Cust also provided a handful of dangerous runs and an early repeat set that soon turned into points.
I’d have Cust in the halves when Walker returns, but I’m not sure Des Hasler will just yet. Another solid outing for the 21-year-old might force Hasler’s hand, though.
Panthers
I only have eyes for one move this week.
It involves Stephen Crighton sneaking over to the right side. While it didn’t work here, you can see what Penrith was trying to do.
Ideally, Sam Stone turns in on Liam Martin while Ash Taylor sticks to Caleb Aekins to stay numbered up out wide. Crichton would then be presented with a gaping hole to stroll through.
Hopefully, Penrith tries it again Saturday night.
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs v Parramatta Eels
Bulldogs
“Four tackles around the post.”
“Wakeham dumps it off.”
“Hit up, hit up, hit up in good ball. Lewis kick.”
“Foran or nothing in good ball.”
I’ll tell you what, I can copy and paste my notes on the Bulldogs attack most weeks. It’s the same every week. Particularly the last points.
We need to see some variety. At least an effort to throw something different at the defence. Beating the Knights last week is a brilliant result, but the rain was a leveller and it played into the high-completion style that keeps the Bulldogs in games.
The forecast is for sunshine in Sydney on Sunday. Have a crack, Doggies.
Eels
Reed Mahoney getting run over on the goal line has been a bit of a thing for me since he entered first-grade. It’s not happening as often as it once was, and he’s an excellent defender overall. However, the best hookers in the competition can catch him out just as Harry Grant did here.
Grant spies him at A and directs Luciano Leilua straight at him. Given Canterbury’s limited ability in attack, along with their desperation to overuse crash balls close to the line, this might be something they target this week.
Melbourne Storm v Newcastle Knights
Storm
I’m marvelling at the ball-playing options the Storm have in the middle of the field.
This Tino Fa’asuamaleaui try really sums it up.
Cameron Smith takes possession at hooker and has Brandon Smith at first receiver. Brandon can either offer a bulldog-like run on hooker like ball-playing to shift it further.
Cameron skips him to hit Dale Finucane. He can either hit Fa’asuamaleaui or go further to another ball-player in Jahrome Hughes.
They might not have quite the same names as previous years, but the Storm attack plays with such variety that they continue to dominate close to the line.
Knights
The Knights need a strong performance here. Rather than looking at one particular area, it’s their response to a poor loss, what was probably an epic Adam O’Brien spray, and the pressure of playing the Storm that we’re keeping an eye on.
They’re ravaged by injuries while Mitchell Pearce’s form has left a lot to be desired of late. Newcastle’s attitude impressed just as much as their statistics early on. Let’s see the attitude adjustment in action against one of the best in the business.
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