Thirteen talking points from NRL Round 25

Wins for the Dragons, Sea Eagles and Cowboys have nine teams left in the finals race, with the Raiders being knocked out of contention. A highly entertaining weekend has thrown up some surprising results, so let’s rip in with my NRL talking points for Round 25.

The Dragons hold their nerve and keep a failing season alive
A Gareth Widdop masterclass late in proceedings has kept the Dragons’ season alive. Results didn’t go their way this weekend, but the way the draw has lined up, a win against the Bulldogs will give them a finals spot.

The Dragons should never have been put into this position. They were at the top of the ladder at one point, but have lost their way badly during the second half of the season.

Gareth Widdop has been the key man though (and we have talked about it before in this column) but he proved to be so again against the Panthers.

He played well for 80 minutes, and then closed the game out with some lovely kicking to force a number of repeat sets, keeping the ball out of the hands of the dangerous Panthers during the closing minutes.

The Dragons pack were strong as well, Paul Vaughan and Tyson Frizell leading the way.

On paper, the Dragons have a strong side, who just haven’t lived up to where they should have been this year.

T(AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

Jarryd Hayne must go. Right now. There are no more excuses
I really hope this is the last time I have to talk about Jarryd Hayne this year. Or ever.

It feels like all we have done this week is talk about Jarryd Hayne, Neil Henry and the plight of the Gold Coast Titans.

Henry was sacked, and that, in short was the worst decision the board of that club have or will ever make. Henry is a coach who, in the face of not having enough talent and injuries made them competitive.

Whenever Jarryd Hayne has been on the field, a wheel has fallen off for the Titans. They turned into a team unwilling to fight and a team not wanting to be there. That was no more evident than against the Bulldogs on Saturday.

And Hayne was the worst of the lot. His performance was tripe. Errors, bad decisions, a kick into the tenth row of the grandstand.

Sure, it wasn’t a game where motivation was ever going to be at an all-time high, but if anyone on the field had a reason to play well, it was Hayne. He was the worst player on the field and he looked like he didn’t want to be there, with most of his runs just ambling into the line or firing ridiculous passes.

If the Titans new interim coaching duo of Craig Matterson and Terry Hodges know what’s right for the club, Hayne has played his last first grade game for 2017.

(Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

Controversy in the Shire, but was it really?
There was a number of decisions that will have tongues wagging after the Sharks-Roosters clash on Saturday night, but hold your horses. They got every single one correct.

The elephant in the room is the penalty against Paul Gallen which handed the Roosters the match. He was pinged for holding the play the ball, and he did. There’s no denying that. It was a dumb penalty from Gallen.

He clung onto the leg of Boyd Cordner, trying desperately to slow the play the ball down. Sure Cordner planted the ball before he got to his feet, but here’s the cold hard truth.

Everyone moans and complains that referees put the whistle away in close games during the final minutes. Now they blow a penalty which, yeah it was a penalty, and sure you could make the argument the other way, but they blow a penalty and everyone still whinges.

What’s it going to be then? Make a call? Put the whistle away? What do you want from the referees?

Consistency is still going to be an issue, as it was with the professional foul situation earlier in the night. James Maloney’s professional foul wasn’t a send off, but half an hour later, Luke Keary’s was.

It might have seemed baffling, but the difference was that the Sharks defensive line was set. The Roosters, on the other hand were still scrambling back into position. Therefore, the referees again got the decision right – Keary off, Maloney on.

Trying to make a mountain out of a molehill is at times driving this game into the ground. Sure fans of the Sharks won’t be happy, but that’s the way it goes. Fans of the Roosters would have been filthy not to receive a penalty on that last play.

Someone is going to go home happy, someone not so. That’s rugby league.

(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Manly survive, but they are struggling
Manly are really, really struggling. They might have got a golden point win over the Warriors that has made their grip on a finals spot a whole lot more convincing, but at this rate, they are going to be making up the numbers come September.

Getting past the Warriors in golden point simply isn’t good enough. They were asleep for the first hour of the contest, and it was almost little surprise to see them in a position where they were under pressure and needing to score late to win.

Daly Cherry-Evans, so long the reason Manly have looked good this season came to life and saved them, but the pressure on him during the finals is going to be astronomical, so long as Manly knock over Penrith next week and play in September.

Knocking over Penrith seems like it’s a long way off though. For a team who were sitting in the top four, but now don’t look like they are playing well enough to be in the eight, you have to scratch your head and ask what happened.

(AAP Image/Paul Miller)

Was that a one-off for the Broncos?
What a crazy start to Round 25. If anyone rocked up to Suncorp Stadium expecting either team to score 50 points, I’d like to hear about it.

You know it was going to be one of those nights when the Eels kicked off and scored in the first 15 seconds after Adam Blair tried an offload.

It went from weird to crazy, with Semi Radradra having a hat-trick in the 19th minute (boy are the Eels going to miss him in 2018) and the Eels running up five first half tries to lead 30-10 at the halftime break.

The final score ended up a crazy Holden Cup-like 52-34, but the question has to be asked about the Broncos. Is that a one-off?

To say that’s going to happen again, would be silly. They aren’t going to concede 50 points again – they aren’t that bad.

But what the Broncos are, is a team who looked vulnerable on Thursday. Not just on Thursday either. They have been on this winning streak that seemingly has the whole world talking, but let’s think about it. They beat the Titans, who are terrible. They beat the Sharks, who played their worst game of the season, and then unconvincingly got past the Dragons who had nine players sick.

That doesn’t scream brilliance. It doesn’t scream premiership material, either. The Broncos have the attack to get it done, and that was on display against the Eels, but defence like that against Melbourne, the Roosters or Sharks will be punished.

Broncos fans will be hoping and praying that Thursday night was one big wake-up call.

I’ll leave it with this statistic – no side has ever won the premiership in the NRL-era after conceding 50 points that season.

Josh Dugan has played his last game in the Red V
As a Dragons fan, there is no way Josh Dugan could have respected us more than by being dropped for the game against Penrith.

Must-win, season on the line stuff, and you mean to tell me, he gets dropped for disciplinary reasons?

Whatever happened, it’s not good enough. Most Dragons fans had almost forgiven the fullback turned centre after signing with the Sharks, but you can be sure, any of that is out the back window now.

It’s not good enough, it’s not acceptable and Dugan must not be picked next week. Apart from the fact it sends a terrible message, the Dragons don’t need him playing in the centres anyway, given the job Matt Dufty has done taking the No.1 jersey.

Even if the Dragons make the finals, Dugan’s commitment must be questioned and scrutinised from all angles.

(AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

Too little, too late for the green machine
With other results conspiring against the Raiders – even when it looked like everything was going to fal into their lap perfectly not once, but twice, the men from the nation’s capital are out of contention in 2017.

I called it early last week, but now it’s not even mathematically possible for the Raiders, it’s time to look back over their season – and what a frustrating one it’s been.

They have consistently come up short in games they should have been winning, with many calling them premiership hopefuls before the season got underway.

Unfortunately, it’s been a case of anything but with their dangerous attack faltering and defence struggling to hold anyone out. They have played inconsistently, and until their season was genuinely on the line over the last month, haven’t looked like doing anything that would qualify them for the finals.

They have the potential Canberra, but there are big changes which need to be made over the off-season, and they must build on the back end of this season, where they actually have won some games in the run to the finish.

(AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)

Melbourne are the complete package – seven teams are making up the numbers
Want to know how to beat Melbourne in the finals? Hope they have an off day. Seriously, I’ve been scratching my head for a good three months trying to work out if anyone is going to be able to stop this juggernaut.

The answer I’ve wound up with is that, if they are at, or even anywhere near their best an in a game with quarter of an hour to go, they will win.

There is almost no doubting it. Even the most one-eyed Broncos, Roosters or Sharks supporter would be agreeing that right now, Melbourne look as unbeatable as anyone has looked, probably since the Dragons run of 11 straight more than 50 years ago.

That’s how good they are compared to the competition. I’m not saying the Storm are about to go and win 11 straight – this is a very different era – but they just don’t have any equals in this competition.

And running over their list, it’s not hard to see why that’s the case. Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Cameron Smith are all in outstanding form, while Cameron Munster and Jesse Bromwich make it a genuine big five.

Then there is the big one, Neslon Asofa-Solomona who at this point has just about turned into a human wrecking-ball off the bench, the ever dangerous Tohu Harris on the left side and their wingers – oh wow their wingers – Suliasi Vunivalu and Josh Addo-Carr. No one matches them in the competition either.

Anyway, there’s a key theme developing here. What’s more concerning for the rest of the competition is how ruthless they are. They ran up 64 points on South Sydney.

Most teams would have clocked off at halftime and struggled to get to 50. Given they were 36 up, Melbourne could have done the same, but they never entertained the thought. It was foot to the floor, all-out attack, and with that type of control professionalism and ability, it’s going to take a miracle for them not to win the premiership.

(AAP Image/Joe Castro)

James Maloney must be more patient
One of the more interesting storyline’s coming out of Cronulla’s up and down, yet still successful season is the form of New South Wales Origin half James Maloney.

He has been inconsistent, to say the least, and that showed against the Roosters on Saturday night.

One of the elements that has really stood out is a lack of patience, and that’s reflecting on the whole Cronulla side, as it has all season.

As we well know, the Sharks have made more errors than any other team in the competition. That’s not down to one player, but Maloney has had problems being patient in attack this year. He has tried to make plays happen – whether it be the inside pass that goes to ground or the kick that was never on.

It seems as if he is almost trying to score every set of six. That’s the polar opposite of what Cronulla did when they were so good last year – he was patient, happy to force repeat sets and just keep on the attack, dominating and grinding teams out of the game.

It was evident against the Roosters on Saturday that a lack of patience is hurting Cronulla. During the second four half, four of his kicks went over the dead ball line, because he was simply trying to do things too quickly. Some of his options were poor, and if snapping a field goal from 35 metres out on the fourth tackle doesn’t bring the issue to light, then nothing ever will.

(Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

The Cowboys took 15 minutes to remind everyone how dangerous they can be
North Queensland have had a really difficult run with injuries in 2017 – there is absolutely no denying that. Johnathan Thurston and Matt Scott missing extended lengths of time is never going to help anybody apart from their opposition.

But then, spending time without all their other big stars has stung. It’s shown in the last couple of weeks as well, the loss to the Sharks next week being particularly difficult.

With the side dangling at the edge of the top eight, it looked like they were going to drop to the Tigers as well, but then it clicked into gear.

Michael Morgan reminded everyone why he has his hand firmly on a Queensland starting jumper next year with a stunning role in the final three tries for the Cowboys as they hit back and showed exactly what sort of team they are.

Sure, measuring yourself against the Tigers isn’t exactly going to do too much, but it was a start for the Cowboys and after the tumultuous period they have been through, it was exactly what was needed.

They will make the eight, and they will probably be bundled out pretty quickly, but they are dangerous nonetheless.

(Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

It’s Parramatta’s top four spot to lose, but do they really want a trip to Melbourne?
With Parramatta recording a thumping win over the Broncos to open Round 25, followed by the Cronulla loss on Saturday, the men in blue and gold have their hand firmly on a top four spot.

In fact, it’s their destiny. They are equal on points with the third-placed Brisbane Broncos, and could even jump them, given next week’s fixtures – the Broncos play the Cowboys and the Eels take on South Sydney.

You would expect the Eels to beat the Rabbitohs every day of the week, particularly with Souths coming off that ridiculous drubbing at the hands of the Storm.

But, do they really want to travel to Melbourne. While the Eels beat the Storm south of the border during the State of Origin window, playing there during the finals is going to be a whole different beast, and has the potential to derail any momentum the Eels have built up.

I’m not suggesting the Eels shouldn’t set out to beat the Rabbitohs – that would be stupid – but what I am saying, is that the cards have fallen in such a way that they must be more than a little concerned about the potential trip to Melbourne.

Nonetheless, a double chance is the best thing you can hope to get at the end of the regular season. The Eels have that in their hands, just not the way they would have wanted.

(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Jordan Kahu isn’t the best winger in the competition, but his defence and consistency is needed for the Broncos to make a run in September
I’m not going to make any outlandish claim about Kahu. The Kiwi backline utility is not the greatest winger in the competition – let’s make that very clear.

But what Kahu does bring is goal kicking, consistency in attack, under the high ball and most importantly, defence.

Now, I’m not saying Kahu would have been able to stop every single one of Semi Radradra’s raids on Thursday, but he would have done a much better job than David Mead.

There was not one Broncos player who would have been happy with the job they did on Thursday, but Mead was at the bottom of the pile. He was trampled by Radradra more times than anyone cares to remember, and while he has had a few bright spots this season, Kahu brings a level that Mead clearly doesn’t.

Wingers, in their ever important role in the modern game, must be up to scratch and the same standards held of the rest of the team. Wayne Bennett mightn’t be happy about Thursday, but he will be even less impressed if he has to rely on Mead come finals time.

Kahu must play for the Broncos if they are to make a run into September.

(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

The Bulldogs must not let two wins paper over the cracks
What do you know, the Bulldogs can score points. 30 last week against the Sea Eagles and another 26 against the Titans on Sunday means they have scored 56 in two weeks, which is more than they scored in their previous five games.

But, there is no getting around the fact Canterbury have had a bad season with the ball. Their attack has been predictable, directionless and boring.

Most teams have been able to read them like a book, and it’s been, in some ways lucky that they have come up against Manly who were nowhere near their best, and then the Titans who are in all sorts of bother.

In other ways, it’s unlucky they have finished the season with a couple of wins, which have for the time being lifted them out of the bottom four.

The Canterbury board can not afford to sit on their hands all off-season. Some wins at the back end are great, but they, along with coach Des Hasler must face up to the harsh reality that they fell well short this season, and another one of those will simply not be acceptable.

There is a risk that’ll happen now, especially given Hasler signed a two-year extension, and for the good of the boys from Belmore, let’s hope that doesn’t happen.

Roarers, what did you make of Round 25? Drop a comment and let us know.