Twelve talking points from NRL Round 24

Another team bowed out of the finals race in Round 24, while three teams sitting on the edge of the eight losing kept things even. The Panthers booked their spot in September and the Sharks hit back in the face of adversity.

We need to talk about concussions
This is probably going to come across as a bit of a rant, but that’s fine. It’s supposed to, but it’s borne out of necessity, fairness and player safety.

There are plenty of reasons we need to talk about the NRL’s concussion and head injury assessment policy. I want to bring up the example of Michael Morgan over the last fortnight because the fact he was allowed back on the field against the Sharks defies belief.

Now, I get the Cowboys were actually shot against the Sharks in terms of injuries, but the bottom line is this. Morgan was taken out of the game last week against Melbourne with a concussion, was able to return against Cronulla, then was taken from the field again with a HIA.

He might have passed that test on Saturday, but if you return the week after a HIA and get taken from the field, the rules should be clear as day – player safety comes first and there should be absolutely no chance of return that match.

There are going to be people who disagree with that, but if a trainer has reason to take you off after you couldn’t finish the match the week previous, there should be no means to return even upon passing the test.

However, and this is something most will agree with, an 18th man for concussion is an absolute must next year. It’s going to be trialled in Cricket’s Sheffield Shield competition this year, having a substitute for concussions, and if the NRL can’t do the same, then there is something badly wrong.

At the same time, it’s high time that every medical assessment becomes independent. Club doctors shouldn’t be in the position to rule on this, under pressure from coaches. If we are bringing in the 18th man and making the game safer when it comes to head knocks, then independent doctors to rule on player fitness and testing procedures is a must.

There have been times this year when the HIA rule has been abused outright. Whether that’s players heading off with a ‘head knock’ but clutching at their knee or something completely different, it’s clear clubs have worked out the rule and what they can and can’t get away with.

It’s time to make our game safer.

(AAP Image/ Action Photoraphics, Robb Cox)

Earth to Brookvale – this is the NRL finals calling
How a team goes from looking to be one of the most dangerous in the competition to losing 30-10 to the Bulldogs baffles me.

Even worse than that, it was the way Manly lost. They were truly shocking against Canterbury and they have no one to blame but themselves.

There was nearly nothing to like about the performance for Manly, who could have virtually secured a place in the top eight by winning.

Errors, missed tackles, a complete refusal to run the ball from Daly Cherry-Evans and a forward pack who seemed to be under the assumption the game was won before they turned up ruined what should have been an easy afternoon at the office for Manly.

Full credit to the Bulldogs, because they turned up the heat, put the season behind them and played as they should have for the last 24 weeks, but Manly were rubbish.

Luckily for them, they face the Warriors next week, and even away from home this should serve as a wake-up call which will inspire a big win out of them next week, but losing to the Bulldogs like they did today isn’t good enough – at all.

It means they have lost three out of their last four, and while they should still scrape into the finals, it’s desperation times for the Sea Eagles. Unless they can find the form that propelled them into the top four not that long ago, they can forget about making any sort of run in September.

(AAP Image/Daniel Munoz)

The Broncos showed vulnerability against the Dragons, but are the only team who can challenge Melbourne
This is a bit of a cheat point because I wrote last week that Brisbane were the only side who were going to challenge Melbourne.

Even with Cronulla winning in Townsville, that’s still the truth. But, challenging Melbourne by making it to the grand final and actually being in a position to beat Melbourne are two very different things.

Brisbane showed signs of vulnerability against the Dragons. It was questioned in the lead-up exactly where the side was, given they beat a disinterested Titans side and a Sharks outfit who looked like the wheels had fallen off.

To be fair, putting on almost 90 points in two weeks isn’t anything to be blinked at, but it was thought a desperate Dragons side would show us exactly where Brisbane was, and it did.

They are far from perfect, but they are exciting, attacking well and coming up with plenty of new ideas, which is exactly what you’ll need to beat Melbourne. You are never going to beat the Storm in a grind – it’s almost impossible. But with Brisbane attacking from side-to-side, having options all over the field and three halves on for most of the game, they have a chance.

Andrew McCullough being out hurts their attacking structure, and we still haven’t seen Ben Hunt properly tested at that end of the field, but at the moment, it feels like if Brisbane are level after 20 minutes when he comes onto the field then they will win.

In saying that, error and missed tackles piled up against the Dragons, which is a worry. A team like the Storm – or a number of others in the top eight for that matter – will make you pay for a stats line like that.

So, while Brisbane do have vulnerabilities, they also have plenty of options to cover up those issues and are currently the team best placed to make a run at glory.

(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

The Cowboys won’t win again in 2017
You have to feel for North Queensland fans. Any team would be struggling with the equivalent of Matt Scott and Johnathan Thurston sitting on the sidelines.

Despite that, they have fought hard all season. Other injuries are catching up with them now though, and they went into Saturday’s contest with the Sharks holding three players on the bench who had one game between them.

If Corey Jensen had stayed there and not swapped with John Asiata (who now has a suspected broken arm), they would have had 12 games off the bench.

That’s incredibly inexperienced at an NRL level, and the Cowboys, through no fault of their own have been put into a position where they won’t win another game this season.

Even playing against the Tigers next week, they look broken. Their defensive structure is all at sea, and the softness of tries they let in against the Sharks illustrates that.

Michael Morgan might inspire something, but the prospects of the Cowboys for the remainder of 2017 look bleak.

They may still hang onto a top eight spot though. With the Raiders and Dragons losing, they still sit eighth. If the Dragons don’t manage to win again, then they make the eight – otherwise, they do need wins.

(AAP Image/Michael Chambers)

There are ten decent teams in this year’s competition, but why is everyone else so far behind?
It’s at this point of the season when you can start making judgements about the season we have had. There are two rounds to go, so if you don’t have a judgement by now, you probably haven’t been paying much attention.

If there’s one thing I can take out of the regular season, looking at it from a competition point of view, it’s that there are a lot of bad teams this year.

While there have always been stragglers in the NRL – that’s going to happen in any sporting competition, professional or amateur – there seem to be a lot this year, and looking at the ladder would confirm that for you.

The first thing that’s going to be notable is two weeks from the end of the season, the 28-point mark has already been reached by eight teams. Normally, you can make it in on 28 and maybe even get away with it on 26 and a good for and against.

Given the Cowboys struggles, it may still be the cut-off, but there’s every chance it will be 30. The fact it reached 28 so early though, illustrates one thing – the top half of the competition is leaps and bounds ahead of the second half.

Then you have that four teams have won seven games or less out of 22. That frankly is unacceptable. Last year, there were 11 teams who won ten games or more and only two (Newcastle and the Roosters) who won seven or less.

The quality of games has also been off at times this year. Speaking from a bloggers point of view, there have been more games this year than I care to think about which have been either poor quality, or over before they began.

There is a big jump in quality in this competition, and while Melbourne make everyone look poor, there is a genuine bottom of the competition – teams who have very little chance of doing anything against anyone of note, and it’s been a long time since the competition felt that way.

(AAP Image/Action Photographics, Charles Knight)

What role will Ben Hunt play in the Red V next year?
Dragons fans got a taste of what’s to come next year after the club controversially signed Hunt to a monstrous deal earlier this year.

His form, for a large part of the season, has been pretty ordinary. In fact, it’s been bad. He somehow got selected on the bench for Origin, spent some time in reserve grade and has come back to first grade reborn as a hooker.

If you were to look at just the last three weeks, Hunt is one of the most in-form players across the whole competition.

But, the Dragons signed him as a half, and his form there this season has been scratchy at best. In fact, ever since the 2015 grand final, he has never been the same player trying to lead a team around the paddock.

So, can Hunt recapture that form in the Red V? The chance of Paul McGregor playing him at hooker seems slim, especially as a back up one to Cameron McInnes who is playing big minutes each week and doing it well.

Hunt’s creativity and vision out of dummy half have been impressive, but surely he will train in the halves and play there for the Dragons next year. Whether he can get back to where he was or not – that will define the quality of investment for St George Illawarra.

(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Canberra’s run snuffed out and there’s plenty to work on for 2018 in the Nation’s Capital
Well, Canberra left it until the last possible minute to start their run to the finals in 2017, and after their loss to the Panthers on Sunday, it’s finally been snuffed out.

Given where they were and the brand of football they have played for much of 2017, it was probably wishful thinking that they were ever going to make the top eight, and it’s proven that way.

In many ways, it might be a good thing for the green machine. They came into the season with such high expectations, and a trip to the finals might have papered over the cracks.

Instead, they can get on with preparations for 2018 – that being said, build on the end of this season, come up with a slightly different attacking structure and work on their mettle in defence.

It’s been a frustrating season in Canberra, but 2018 promises something better if they can take the good bits from the last couple of weeks.

Cronulla’s professionalism lives on, but beating Melbourne is still a way off
Cronulla might have beaten the Cowboys on the weekend, but there is still a long way to go. Their first half was one of their best halves of the season if we are looking at things from the bigger picture.

But, the Sharks haven’t had many great halves of footy this season. My prediction that the wheels have fallen off were proven to be anything but true as they turned around a losing streak, but beating Melbourne is still a long way off for the reigning premiers.

They were meticulous and professional as they dismantled the Cowboys, but their second half left a lot to be desired. They struggled to keep up the intensity, made some dumb decisions and played more like the rest of the season.

If they do that in the finals, they will be making up the numbers. If they replicate the first half, then anything is possible.

(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

Parramatta back on track, but next week is the Test
After that shock loss to the Knights last week, it almost seemed must-win for momentum more than anything else, and the Eels didn’t disappoint as they put 30 points past the Titans.

The Titans, who have conceded 126 points in the last three weeks now are right at the bottom of the table and seem to have lost the will to compete. Yet, the Eels found a way to lose to the Knights with a top four berth in their grasp.

Sitting equal on points with the Sharks, there is every chance they will be able to sneak ahead of them by winning both of their remaining games, but the Eels trip north to Brisbane will be the pressure-cooker next week.

Can they compete with one of the competitions best at full strength away from home? If they are going to make a run in the finals, then that’s the game they should have circled to win. Not any of these other ones on the run home, as important as they all are.

(AAP Image/Paul Miller)

Tautau Moga is going to be one of the most dangerous centres in the game – mark my words
When Moga first came into first grade, he was always rated as a player who could rise to the heights of Israel Folau or Greg Inglis.

Sure, Folau shipped off to AFL and now Rugby, where he is representing the Wallabies but he was one of the more talented players the NRL has ever seen.

Anyway, when Moga burst onto the scene, he was going to be like that. Then injuries and a period in the rugby league wilderness followed. The question asked, would Moga ever reach his potential?

The answer – maybe. He is some of the way there. Moga can be one of the most damaging centres in the competition, and his form over the last month has been brilliant. He has been unstoppable playing on the Brisbane left edge and another 180 metres with line breaks proved that against the Dragons.

While his defence and ball handling leave plenty to be desired at times, as well as his decision making, even those areas of his game have seen improvement this year. The more time he spends in the NRL under Wayne Bennett, the better he is going to get, and the final answer to that question asked earlier?

Yes. Yes he will reach his potential and yes he will be one of the most damaging, dangerous centres this competition has ever seen.

(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Don’t write off the Panthers
The Panthers have won a staggering 11 of their last 13 – the scary bit? They have barely played well during that stretch.

The amount of improvement left in this Penrith team is unbelievable to think about. They have so much talent all the way across the park and while we have seen glimpses from Nathan Cleary and co, it’s been anything but a consistent run of form across their victories.

Their win over Canberra on Sunday virtually assures them of a spot in the top eight, but they need to win their last two matches of the season and do it convincingly heading into the finals.

If they go into the finals with this form, they could be cannon fodder, but while we have all sat around waiting for Penrith to fold like a deck of chairs, it hasn’t happened. Similar to Cronulla, they keep winning without playing well, and are a team who could cause some serious damage in September if they can string a few games together with their attacking weapons littered across the park.

(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Daniel Saifiti proves his worth – now to lock him up long term
It’s not the first time Daniel Saifiti has proven how valuable he is going to be in the Hunter over the next few years, and it probably won’t be the last.

His performance against the Storm was sensational. He stood up as the forwards leader, playing 70 minutes against some of the best forwards in the game, running for nearly 170 metres and making 30 tackles.

The stats are good, but his impact on the game was better. There were times in the first half where it appeared he was going to turn things around and really give the Knights a shot at causing the upset of the season.

The bottom line for Newcastle is this – his contract expires at the end of next season and teams are going to be lining up around the block to pick him up. If Newcastle aren’ already at the table trying to extend his stay in the Hunter, then something is wrong.

Roarers, what did you make of Round 24? Drop a comment below and let us know.