Six talking points from NRL Round 13

The first of the NRL bye rounds has come and gone, and while there were plenty of players missing, there was still some intriguing action on-field as the rugby league world gets whipped into a State of Origin frenzy. Here are my NRL talking points from Round 13.

Where to now for the Broncos?
No team should be conceding 50 against the Dragons. It’s as simple as that.

Yes, Matt Dufty had an absolute scorcher of a game, and his team played excellently around him (read my thoughts on the Matt Dufty situation here); but it was wet, slippery, and 50 isn’t a number the Dragons have looked remotely likely to hit this season.

Their attack can turn it on at various points, but without Tariq Sims and other outside backs through injury, they should never have reached that mark.

Just when you thought the Broncos were turning a corner a fortnight ago, their last two ‘efforts’ have resembled the team from last year once again.

As they did against Melbourne seven days earlier, there were some brighter moments for the Broncos – times when they looked in the game. But it just wasn’t consistent, and some of their decision-making was baffling.

Tevita Pangai-Junior of the Broncos is dejected after a try by Ben Hunt of the Dragons. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

If you’re looking for a moment to sum it all up, Jamayne Isaako’s blunder prior to halftime would be it.

The Broncos were asleep for much of the contest at both ends of the park, and it showed on the scoreboard.

This season may be another write-off, but Kevin Walters’ team need to show something, anything, ahead of 2022.

Not only that, but they should all be playing for their spots, with the Broncos badly needing an infusion of new talent. They could do worse than starting with the man who put the broom through them on Thursday… Dufty.

Alex Twal is seriously underrated
The Panthers may have been without plenty of players on Friday night, and their middle third was weakened without Apisai Koroisau, Moses Leota or Isaah Yeo, but Alex Twal was the one to pick it to pieces.

It’s not the first time Twal has turned in an excellent performance for the Tigers, but it’s arguable to say his team wouldn’t have taken it to the ladder-leaders without him.

He topped the metres and tackles for his team, but more impressively, played 76 minutes in the middle third, all of them at the highest quality.

With 75 post-contact metres to his name, he seemed a threat everytime he had the footy, while he also only missed a single tackle.

That goes hand in hand with his four tackle busts, and while he doesn’t get mentioned in the same breath as other top props, Twal is slowly working his way into that conversation.

Friday night’s may have been his best to date.

The Titans won’t make the top eight
I’ll stop short of saying they can’t make the top eight, because of course they could. They are just two points out with plenty of water to go under the bridge.

It may be daft to make this call on an Origin weekend, but I’ve seen enough from the Titans to suggest they don’t have the mental toughness to make the finals this season.

Premierships and top eight campaigns, more often than not, are built on defence, and the Titans simply don’t have it.

They had the fifth-worse defence coming into this weekend, and it was on show again as they let in some soft early tries to the Storm.

Yes, their middle third was significantly weakened on Saturday, but Melbourne were anything but full strength themselves and still picked them apart like a team of juniors.

Tyrone Peachey is tackled. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

Not only that, but the Gold Coast make baffling decisions in attack time and time again. Whether it was Esan Marsters going himself, or the final play of the game, or the countless other times they could have made something on the attack but picked the wrong action, they lack the mental application of a team bound for finals.

A lot of that is down to experience across the park, but it’s a facade they can’t hide behind forever given Ash Taylor is now well established, and with the experience of players like Mitch Rein in the side.

Their heavy reliance on David Fifita shows exactly where the team is at, and Saturday just proved it once again.

They may be young, but Saturday, and this season in general, hasn’t been good enough.

The Knights put in a disgusting Old Boys day performance
Even in the most bitter of lows, Old Boys day was one where the Knights would, at the very least, be competitive, as the who’s who of ex-Knights roll into Newcastle.

Not this year.

This year, they dropped the ball, defended without intent or commitment, and played a generally awful game of football, as the Eels rolled past them to steady their ship following a dismal fortnight.

Having 40 put on you on the club’s most important day is a shocking look for the Knights, in a year which has been three steps backwards for every step forward.

It’s not as if the blame could be put on one individual player, either. Sure, their management and options with the ball were shocking, and new recruit Jake Clifford will have questions asked, but the Newcastle pack looked like a deer in headlights.

Adam O’Brien’s team are not a bad rugby league team, and at times, they can be gutsy or flashy in equal parts.

But on Sunday, they were simply not good enough, Old Boys day or no.

Jack Bird must stay in the second-row
The Dragons have a very tricky situation just around the corner.

The returning Jack Bird has been a revelation in 2021; after a difficult stint in Brisbane, his time back in the Red V has been nothing short of excellent thus far.

Talk of him being an Origin smoky was never going to eventuate, but there is no taking away from the work he has done for the Dragons.

Moved into the second row this weekend thanks to the absence of the Origin-bound Tariq Sims, he had possibly his best game yet, running rings around the Broncos. With footwork and offloading that many can only dream of, Bird barely made a mistake in a critical role.

Brayden Wiliame and Jack Bird of the Dragons celebrate after the Dragons defeated the Broncos. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

With Zac Lomax (likely) and Tariq Sims back next week, though, Anthony Griffin faces a selection dilemma.

This is nothing against Josh Kerr, who has been solid, but a team with both Bird and Sims in the back row, as well as a returning Lomax and one of the in-form Gerard Beale or Brayden Williame looks far superior to any of the alternatives the Red V could put on the park.

The move to the second row seemed to take Bird to another level. He was far more involved in the action, and his defence went up a gear too.

It’s not as if he doesn’t have all the skills to play there, and Griffin should make it a permanent move.

Tyrone May will be lucky to score a new contract
Let’s not get it twisted – Penrith half-turned-utility Tyrone May has been excellent off the bench for much of the year, doing his job soundly for the competition leaders.

And while it’s difficult to knock him for Friday night’s game given the situation the Panthers found themselves in without seven Origin players against the Tigers, the performance May put in was abysmal.

Tyrone May of the Panthers celebrates after scoring a try. (Photo by Matt Blyth/Getty Images)

While halves partner Matt Burton wasn’t a great deal better, he was at the very least creative, trying different things and attempting to get his team back into the game.

Try as he might, he simply couldn’t, and a lot of that was down to May. It seemed every time the Panthers went on the attack, it broke down when he got involved. Again, I’m not putting the whole defeat on the 24-year-old, but he may have proven he’s a good bench utility… and nothing more.

While every team needs them in this era, the Panthers aren’t short on players who can fill the role, and May will eventually want a heightened role somewhere in the NRL.

It is likely to be in the interests of both parties for May to eventually depart – but based on Friday night, it would take a brave club to sign him as a first-choice option in the halves.

Roarers, what did you make of Round 13? Drop a comment below and let us know.