NRL Notepad: Round 15 (Saturday)
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.
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Gold Coast Titans v Canberra Raiders
Titans
If there is one thing Ash Taylor has always been able to do regardless of form, it’s throwing a good long ball.
The Titans have a bright future ahead. Taylor can play a big part if he continues to improve over the last six weeks of the season.
Raiders
The Raiders did what was asked of them last week in keeping the Broncos to single digits.
This week, I want to see them continue their try-scoring ways against a Titans side that knows how to give up points (26.2 per game). The 36 points scored in Round 14 was just the second time in six weeks the Raiders cracked 20 points. They need to find a little more consistency with the ball in hand if they’re to surprise teams in October.
More specifically, I’m looking for how George Williams spreads himself across the field. He’s popped up on the left side more often recently. When coming back to the right, his combination with John Bateman is proving to be lethal.
Williams is flying under the radar as one of the best halfbacks in the NRL right now. It’s where playing in Canberra in a side few expect to challenge for the premiership can work to his benefit.
But we’ve got our eyes on you, George.
Wests Tigers v Sydney Roosters
Tigers
Regular readers, you’ve heard this before.
In fact, anybody that has seen the Tigers play in 2020 have heard and seen it all themselves. Repeatedly.
The Tigers right-edge defence needs to improve. I’m not sure there is a bigger reason than the turnstile right edge for Wests missing the finals yet again. We know the attack isn’t as good as the 22.4 points per game suggests. But it’s good enough to get them into the Top 8 with a competent defence.
While they’re still a mathematical chance of making the finals, allowing the Bulldogs to score 28 points is enough to put a line through the Tigers.
There is no excuse for David Nofoaluma being so far out of position here:
Here, Benji Marshall is sold a dummy by a hobbled Kieran Foran while Nofoaluma again feels the need to fly in:
The Roosters may be without Luke Keary, but they can still have a field day down that side of the field if the Tigers don’t clean things up.
Roosters
As a fan of Lachlan Lam, it’s a shame to see him lose his place to injury. However, it will be interesting to see how Kyle Flanagan responds to being dropped.
He was made to look good in an excellent Roosters team earlier in the season. Once the team started to struggle overall, Flanagan’s form took a bigger dive than most. Now, he reenters the side as the lead half with Luke Keary unavailable.
We’re going to learn a lot about Flanagan in this one.
South Sydney Rabbitohs v Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Rabbitohs
Campbell Graham’s name comes up far too often when taking notes on tries the Rabbitohs concede. He looks unsure of himself and appears to second-guess whether or not he should break out of the line. That extra time he takes to assess the situation has proven costly a few times already this season.
Five minutes against the Panthers in Round 7 sums up Graham defensively and acts as the main concern I have for the Rabbitohs this week as Cade Cust and Joel Thompson begin to develop a handy combination.
Graham gets some good contact on Viliame Kikau to stop the Fijian in his tracks here - a good play.
But two tackles later, Graham shoots out to get at Jarome Luai who sees it coming and lets the ball go through to Stephen Crichton.
That miss didn’t cost Graham and the Rabbitohs, but when he rushed out of the line and turned in on Kikau just five minutes later, Crichton had a clear path to pounce on Luai’s grubber.
Sea Eagles
Taniela Paseka was Manly’s best last week. He dominated through the middle and used his size and strength to create try-scoring opportunities.
This one is the most encouraging:
Paseka isn’t going to break the line every time, but using Jake Trbojevic as a ball-player to isolate the big man on either the backrower or half will at least offer a consistent source of yardage. Closer to the line, using Paseka as a lead runner can open up opportunities outside him.
While he’s going to find himself in the middle of the field more often than not, pushing Paseka wider when the opportunity is there is something the Sea Eagles should explore.
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One more thing: