NRL Notepad: Round 14
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.
Sydney Roosters v Melbourne Storm
Roosters
After Oscar highlighted Isaac Liu’s increasing pass to run ratio following his move to lock on Monday and touching on it a little myself for Sport Tech Daily, it’s going to be the focus this week.
It’s no surprise that Victor Radley has proven to be a massive loss for the Roosters. He’s a grossly underrated factor to their high-powered attack. However, Liu is proving capable of filling the void. He can’t offer the speed and mobility that Radley can. His pass isn’t anywhere near as crisp either. But he can perform the role well enough for the Roosters to start returning to their best.
I’ll be looking for how quickly the Roosters shift the ball this week. To the speedy Lachlan Lam’s right side, in particular.
Storm
We’ve seen their work around the ruck and shapes they play on the short side, but the names, positions and part of the field the ball-handlers feature in this action sums up the Storm’s variety in attack.
Feliese Kaufusi feeds Jahrome Hughes at first receiver. Getting a quick ball to Jesse Bromwich, the prop feeds Brandon Smith who is in the rare position of trailing out the back. He straightens and plays to Ryley Jacks as he runs the jockey of a block play who puts Kenny Bromwich through a hole.
A back rower, halfback, prop, hooker five-eighth and another back rower all touch the ball in a fluid and well-worked shift to score. They make it look so easy and will no doubt be hitting similar lines against a Roosters side missing their first-choice back rowers.
New Zealand Warriors v Penrith Panthers
Warriors
The Warriors are making moves for 2021 with the signings of Euan Aitken and Kane Evans. While neither signing significantly moves the needle for next season, the pressure is on the current players without a contract to earn one for 2021.
This week, Patrick Herbert, Peta Hiku, Lachlan Burr and Isaiah Papali’i have a chance to impress. Hiku has already done enough for mine, but a strong defensive showing against an elite attack would help his chances. Herbert should be close to earning a new deal too. He’s out of position on the wing, although, his versatility can be a selling point after averaging 167 metres per game on the outside over the last fortnight.
Burr looks to be playing for his career elsewhere while Papali’i might be doing the same. A personal favourite, Papali’i hasn’t kicked on this season. Once looking like a powerful hole-runner on the edge, he’s been a passenger for the most part in 2020. A return to his physical style off the bench this week would serve him well whether he’s re-signed by the Warriors or not.
Panthers
Nathan Cleary is the best halfback in the NRL right now and has an argument for the best player over the last month or so. He’s leading an elite Panthers side towards the Minor Premiership with expectations building for a genuine run at the Grand Final.
Covering his improvements for Stats Insider this week, it’s Cleary's tempo with the ball in hand that is causing havoc for defensive lines. He’s holding the ball up and putting doubt in the defensive line. If they react one way, or in some cases don’t react at all, he puts his foot down.
Eli Katoa is a future star at the Warriors. He’s one of the shining lights of the club at the moment. However, he’s played fewer than 25 games of rugby league in his whole life. He shapes as a target for Cleary on Friday night.
Parramatta Eels v St. George-Illawarra Dragons
Eels
Dylan Brown scored a cheeky try last week as he sold a massive dummy before forcing his way over the line from dummy half:
Given the defensive issues on the Dragons right side, I’m expecting the Eels to spend a lot of time down their left edge. They’re likely to score a handful of sweeping tries down there across the 80 minutes. I think Brown might try another dart from dummy half too.
I can see it now: Shaun Lane crashes into the line to attract defenders, Matt Dufty is caught defending at A, Brown dives over.
Dragons
Selfishly, given the announcement he has signed with the Warriors from next season, I’m watching Euan Aitken a little closer this week.
Dragons fans won’t be surprised to hear “Aitken - tunnel vision” popped up on the notepad last week.
Quick hands, even motioning to offload out of the first attempted tackle, would have been a better option than trying to run through defenders with a man outside.
With Paul McGregor axed, the portion of Dragons fans happy enough to lose if it meant Mary was one swing closer to the sack can finally start cheering for wins with an eye on the future. While Aitken won’t be there beyond this season, seeing him pass the ball once or twice would be a nice way to go out.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks v Gold Coast Titans
Sharks
If Matt Moylan can get himself fit, the Sharks attack will reach its potential. He looked far from healthy last week, though. Twice he was presented with an opportunity to wind up. Twice he barely got out of second gear.
His combination with Wade Graham is promising. Is it a coincidence Graham played one of his better games in 2020 with Moylan next to him?
We’re looking at whether or not Moylan can put his foot down this week, and if Graham can continue his form on what is hopefully a much drier track.
Titans
The Titans have finally landed on Tyrone Peachey’s best position with the 29-year-old coming off the bench in each of their last five games. Now they need to work out how to best use the utility.
He’s had some promising moments against tiring defences and does look dangerous at times. However, it often looks like he’s trying too hard to be the spark off the bench. He’s searching for opportunities that aren’t there rather than playing a more balanced role and using his ball-skills to shift the ball through the middle of the field.
Gold Coast’s Round 13 win over the Cowboys was one of their best performances of the season, but they looked their clunkiest when the ball got stuck in Peachey’s hands.
Less might be more for Peachey as they look to find a balance in his touches.
North Queensland Cowboys v South Sydney Rabbitohs
Cowboys
If Ash Taylor and the Titans can identify and expose the defensive pairing of Michael Morgan and Connelley Lemuelu, Cody Walker can have a field day on Saturday evening.
Taylor caught them out in the middle off the field…
And close to the line…
The pair will need to make significant improvements in their defence if the Cowboys are to keep a lid on this improving Rabbitohs left edge.
Rabbitohs
Like last week, I’m really focused on South Sydney’s left-edge attack. They got straight into their work against the Broncos with Latrell Mitchell straightening and holding the ball up long enough for Dane Gagai to go over in the corner.
But it’s the Broncos…
While the Cowboys right edge defence isn’t much better, seeing the Rabbitohs dominate down that side of the field will give them some confidence with the Eels and Storm coming up in back-to-back weeks in Round 16 and 17.
Canberra Raiders v Brisbane Broncos
Raiders
The Raiders were pulled apart by the Panthers last week.
Left and right, Canberra’s sliding defence couldn’t cope as Penrith had their way with them.
Given the struggles of the Broncos and their inability to string together a competent attack, Ricky Stuart will be wanting to see a strong defensive response from his side - a single-digit sort.
Canberra’s defence triggered their turnaround as a club. While one half conceding 24 points doesn’t take away all they’ve achieved over the last 18 months, it surely put a dent in their confidence. If the Raiders are to make a run through October, it will come through their defence.
Broncos
Like a car crash, we still can’t look away from the Brisbane Broncos. They were awful again last week. Anthony Seibold didn’t help matters with his post-match press conference either…
…and things went from bad to worse when he was forced to leave the NRL bubble to attend a family matter. So, we’re looking for a positive sign from the Broncos this week.
It will hopefully come in the form of a strong performance from young back-rower, Jordan Riki. He makes his first-grade debut this week after playing for the Maori All-Stars earlier in the year and captaining the Junior Kiwis in 2019.
Newcastle Knights v Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Knights
As the Knights continue to tinker with how they use Kalyn Ponga while adjusting to Blake Green at five-eighth, there is one promising partnership that can blossom early.
I’m looking for Ponga to link up with Kurt Mann on the short side a little more often this week. While they’re in the middle of the field here, we caught a glimpse of what it could look like against the Tigers in Round 13 as Mann pounced on a quick play-the-ball, engaged the marker and sent Ponga through a hole behind the ruck.
But something like this if we replace Mitchell Pearce with Ponga…
…would cause havoc down the short side.
Sea Eagles
Hey, you two!
Yes, you Taniela Paseka (197cm/120kg) and Haulome Olakau’atu (196cm/113kg).
This should be you:
Wests Tigers v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Tigers
Joseph Leilua isn’t there this week, but the right edge really needs to improve. The Knights did whatever they wanted down that side of the field in Round 13.
All three players on the edge sit on their heels and are late to slide as Kalyn Ponga takes possession out the back of a block. It’s a numbers game from there:
With Herman Ese’ese isolated on Benji Marshall, Mitchell Pearce simply feeds him the ball before Leilua offers a soft effort in cover defence:
In what looks to be a planned move given the depth and how wide he is when receiving the ball, Ponga is one-on-one with Marshall and beats him all ends up:
While the Bulldogs hardly pose the toughest threat to their defence, the Tigers need to show a lot more in this department on Sunday.
Bulldogs
The Bulldogs don’t have a lot going with their attack. Kieran Foran and Raymond Faitala-Mariner have built a nice little combination, but as expected, a premier coach in Craig Bellamy shut down their one consistent avenue of points last week.
It did force Foran to look elsewhere, though. He found Reimis Smith on one occasion.
While earning tries through cross-field kicks are frowned upon, it’s one of Canterbury’s best bets at the moment. I’d like to see Foran send a few more Smith’s way in this one.
Subscribe to Rugby League Writers: Two articles on a Monday to recap the round, and another two on Thursday to preview the next one.