We’re back with the NRL Round 2 review. It was a round in in which one game rightfully dominated the headlines, and a former club great showed signs of his decline.
Theme of the round: Heavyweights
While there were several good games over the weekend, one game stands out. For once the Channel Nine hype machine was on the mark as the Roosters and Rabbitohs delivered an exciting and skilful game on Sunday afternoon. Just how skilful was it? Well, the remarkably low error rate gives us some insight.
The Roosters and Rabbitohs had 14 errors between them which was less than four teams had on their own and significantly fewer than any other game. The only game which was even close was the battle of Brookvale which featured 18 errors. No other game came in under 23.
Of course error rate isn’t the be all and end all of a skilful, entertaining contest but it is fair to say this game had some truly incredible moments. Whether it was Greg Inglis’ get out of jail free break which led to Alex Johnston’s first try, or the truly remarkable seven minute burst from the Roosters which turned a first half rout into a thrilling contest, there was plenty of quality on display.
While the Roosters versus Rabbitohs game was the premier battle of the heavyweights this weekend, Saturday night also saw a classic match-up of two past-their-prime heavyweights in the Storm and Sea Eagles. These two teams have enjoyed a heated rivalry for nearly a decade and while both teams have been gradually mined of their supporting talent, the core groups remain largely intact and can still produce a cracking contest as we saw on Saturday.
For fight fans you can think of the Roosters versus Rabbitohs game as if Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao had actually fought five years ago, whereas the Storm versus Sea Eagles was closer to what we’re going to get in May. Still undoubted talent and a terrific contest, but both definitely past their prime.
Theme of the Week – Form reversals
Form reversal is probably too strong a term, but after two rounds fully half the competition now sits at one and one after two games. For some teams it was simply a case of similar performances but different results. This could be said of the Broncos, Raiders and Warriors, who all played to a similar standard as in week one but simply got a win, loss and win in that order.
However some teams saw fairly remarkable turnarounds from Round 1, most noticeably the Bulldogs, Eels and Sea Eagles. For the Dogs and Eagles it was a welcome resumption of normal service but Eels fans will be wondering what happened over the course of the week. After thoroughly ambushing the Sea Eagles in Round 1 the Eels were themselves flattened in Round 2 by a remarkable second half surge from the Bulldogs.
The news got worse for the Eels during the week with Semi Radradra ruled out for an extended period. With a challenging game in Auckland this weekend and back-to-back games against Sydney rivals the Rabbitohs and Tigers on the horizon, Eels fans will be hoping that the Bulldogs game was simply a temporary blip.
Player of the Round – Adam Reynolds
Whether on the field or off it, Reynolds was in many ways the difference in the heavyweight clash at Stadium Australia. Reynolds’ 11 minute absence from the field under the concussion rule has created a lot of discussion, but regardless of whether he should have been allowed back on the field, his absence coincided with a remarkable point scoring burst from the Roosters that opened up the game.
When he was on the field, Reynolds displayed a mature kicking game and managed his forwards around the park effectively. To use the basketball parlance Reynolds played an outstanding point guard role, distributing the ball and putting his team in the correct position while allowing others such as Inglis, Dylan Walker and Luke Keary to deliver the incisive blows.
Personnel watch: Kurt Gidley and Sione Mata’utia
Each week we’ll try to take a look at one or two interesting personnel decisions from across the competition. This week it was the fascinating way in which the Knights used Sione Mata’utia.
Less than six months ago Mata’utia made his debut for the Kangaroos during the Four Nations tournament and just last week during Round 1 he accrued 151m on 19 carries and 31 touches.
Yet in Round 2 he found himself relegated to the bench to accommodate the return of veteran Kurt Gidley. Coach Rick Stone elected to start Gidley at fullback and then used him in to pinch hit at dummy half when starter Adam Clydesdale took a spell.
This allowed Mata’utia to come in at fullback for the remainder of the match. In the end Mata’utia played 60 odd minutes at fullback racking up 129m on 14 carries, while also making two tackle breaks.
However despite the success of the move on Saturday night, Stone has named Mata’utia as 18th man for this weekend’s match against the Titans with dummy half specialist Tyler Randall returning to back up Clydesdale. Gidley will presumably play the full 80 at fullback.
There are two concerns with this approach. Firstly, it leaves the Knights’ most talented player cooling his heels and presumably missing out on even a Saturday NSW Cup game, given that first grade doesn’t play until Sunday.
Secondly and perhaps more troublingly, it puts a lot of pressure on Gidley, who is clearly in a steep decline as a player, to perform at fullback. Canberra Raiders fans who saw the decline of Terry Campese know all too well the feeling of watching a club champion cruelled by injuries and father time.
Much like Campese in 2014, the game seems to be coming at Gidley all too fast. His decision making is not as sharp as it once was and given the importance of the fullback position in the modern game and the presence of such a talented replacement waiting in the wings, the Knights face a challenging balance of sentiment versus results. It will be fascinating to see how coach Rick Stone handles the inevitable transition to Mata’utia over the next few months.
Reckon you can pick the winning team? Build your own dream team with Draftstars daily fantasy and compete on any match. For great odds on the NRL head on over to PlayUp. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.
The Warriors sunk to their third straight loss on Sunday against the Knights after having two tries controversially disallowed in the wet at Newcastle.…
Greg Marzhew was penalised for a late shot, and might've been lucky he wasn't done for a shoulder charge as well. Newcastle won 14-8…
Greg Marzhew tackled Dallin Watene-Zelezniak in mid-air, causing him to drop the ball over the line. Shaun Johnson was fuming - and Fox League's…
Poor handling cost the Warriors a try, a penalty, and very nearly another try on a slippery Newcastle track. Despite the errors, the Warriors…
It wasn't a hip drop, but it went on report as a 'dangerous tackle' with Fox League's Andrew Voss completely bemused.
Joey is clearly still not over Dominic Young leaving the Knights. The Roosters winger scored the sealing try in a 40-18 win over Brisbane.
