The abbreviated Round 14 of the NRL has come and gone but it is not forgotten. Here’s this week’s edition of our ongoing weekly review series. This week Marty went kapow,l the Warriors formed a wall but the Roosters got the win.
Theme of the reek: Just a bunch of stuff that happened
Look honestly I tried to find a genuine theme of the week, something to tie the four games we saw in Round 14 together.
Most weeks I’m able to identify a thread that connects each of the games across the weekend. Whether it is unusual score lines, the effects of State of Origin or video referee decisions (which let’s be honest I could probably nominate that every week), there is usually something that the games have in common.
However much like a Michael Bay movie, Round 14 was just a bunch of stuff that happened with no unifying plot or theme.
All four games were typically close, exciting games despite the absence, through both Origin and injury, of a lot of headline stars but there wasn’t anything particularly similar about each game.
However, again much like a Michael Bay film, there were plenty of special effects and heroics. If James Roberts’ majestic pass to jailbreak Brad Tighe down the left touchline was the special effects then Moses Mbye’s chase to deny Tighe a try on that very same breakaway was the heroics.
Team of the round: Sydney Roosters
The Origin period affects some teams more than others and while no team can compete with the Brisbane Broncos and their six Queenslanders the Roosters are the second most affected team with three NSW representatives plus Aidan Guerra playing for the Maroons.
On Saturday evening in Auckland this was compounded by the absence of talismanic prop forward Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, depriving the Roosters of a key player and fans of an iconic match-up between two of the top props in the league in Waerea-Hargreaves and the Warrior’s Ben Matulino.
Undeterred by the apparent mismatch the Roosters worked hard throughout the game, only taking the lead for the first time as time expired. Origin cast off Daniel Tupou had a solid game and Jake Friend orchestrated the game from dummy half with aplomb. But as is so often the case in these Origin-affected rounds the Roosters’ win was built on the back of a strong performance from the their forwards, particularly first year player Siosiua Taukeiaho.
After an early season swoon the Roosters have – aberrant performances against the Sharks aside – regained their mojo winning four of their last five matches. If they can continue this form throughout the Origin period and into the final third of the season they will remain a top contender for the title.
Player of the round: Martin Taupau
The Wests Tigers defeated the Rabbitohs on Friday night in large part because their forwards dominated a Rabbitohs pack desperately missing the direction of Issac Luke and no Tigers forward had more of an impact that Martin Taupau.
With 126 metres on thirteen carries to go with eleven tackle breaks, two line breaks, an offload and a try scoring double, Taupau led the line strongly for the Tigers in the absence of Aaron Woods.
After an up and down 2014 during which he mostly came off the bench and played less than 40 minutes on as many occasions as not, Taupau has thrived as the Tiger’s starting lock in season 2015. His metres are up from 87 metres per game to 103 metres and he’s making significantly more tackles, up to 27 from 18.
More than that though, it has been his combination of grind and aggression that has, along with Woods, anchored a Tigers pack that has seen a lot of chop and change already this year.
Dubious tactic of the round: Warriors form a wall
With five minutes remaining in the game and trailing by one, Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson kicked a field goal to (temporarily) tie the game before a late Blake Ferguson try ruined the night for the Warriors.
But should the field goal have even counted? To the surprise of many league fans the field goal stood despite Johnson kicking it from behind three teammates who were standing alongside the play the ball and obstructed the Roosters players from putting pressure on Johnson.
Simon Mannering even seemed to hold the marker back as he attempted to reach Johnson. While the NRL have since confirmed that the tactic is legal it still doesn’t sit right with most league fans.
While this sort of blocking may have seemed more appropriate in the NFL it’s possible that Andrew McFadden was simply passing on the advice of NBA coach Stan van Gundy in instructing his players to “form a wall”. Well, that’s not quite what Van Gundy said but I’ll let you find that out for yourselves.
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