The NRL season’s penultimate round saw plenty of action which may well have lasting impacts for clubs chasing a premiership. Here are your talking points for NRL Round 24.
NRL head office needed to be quiet about Latrell Mitchell
We all knew Latrell Mitchell should have been sent off for his ugly high shot which broke Joseph Manu’s cheekbone and ended his season. We all knew he was facing a hefty suspension because of his poor record at the judiciary. We all knew there was an issue with the bunker missing the hit initially and Mitchell only getting sin binned.
What we didn’t need in the aftermath was NRL CEO Andrew Abdo and Head of Football Graham Annesley publicly shooting Mitchell, the referees and the bunker before the Rabbitohs custodian had even been charged.
No matter how hot an on-field issue might be, the CEO doesn’t need to get involved. And Abdo shouldn’t be passing opinion on something that at the time was still to be decided. If you’re doing media the day after, you should be able to talk your way around anything.
When something like this occurs, there are protocols to be followed and decisions to be made by players and clubs about how they intend to address the charges. What happens to due process and procedural fairness if the game’s CEO and Head of Football are weighing in with what they thought should have happened?
Abdo got in a bit early with his comments (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Great win, Eels – can you do it again?
How about Parramatta! Undefeated against Melbourne this year and responsible for ending the Storm’s tilt at history, stopping their winning streak at 19.
The Eels own two of Melbourne’s three losses this season and ran Penrith to one point in Round 16. Yet they sit in fifth, needing to beat Penrith and then hope for an unlikely Cowboys win over Manly to secure a double chance.
Parramatta’s win was built on a fantastic defensive effort. They hit hard, they scrambled fantastically and were able to endure Melbourne relentlessly targeting their left side when it looked like they were going to stroll through at will. Melbourne came at them over and over again, but the Eels stood firm and took their opportunities.
Can they pull it off again against the Panthers, who are chasing top spot? Injury to Clint Gutherson and the suspension of Junior Paulo will make it tough.
If it wasn’t a season defining win on Saturday, it was certainly a huge confidence booster which couldn’t have come at a better time.
Gold Coast can steal eighth
While their own narrow loss to Newcastle secured the Knights back-to-back finals appearances, the Titans come out of the weekend with the door ever so slightly ajar to take the last postseason spot.
The Gold Coast finish their regular season at home against the Warriors, who had their own finals hopes ended by Canberra on Friday. Cronulla and Canberra are ahead of the Titans on points, but both have brutal games to finish – Melbourne and the Roosters, respectively.
Assuming those games go to type, the Titans can vault both if they get a decent win to extend their season by a week, and maybe more.
There are a lot of ‘ifs’, ‘ands’ and ‘coulds’ in this, which usually means it’ll be hard to do. Will they be a challenge for whoever finishes fifth? That’s another story. But you’ve got to be there to have that chance.
Are the Queensland stadium surfaces holding up?
South Sydney fans had their hearts in their mouths when the Suncorp Stadium turf gave way under the boot of halfback Adam Reynolds on Friday. He left the field (but did come back) after suffering a hyper-extension in his knee, which could have easily been much worse.
Was this a sign the likely grand final venue was suffering too much wear and tear?
One of the main concerns the NRL had when they moved the competition north was the resilience of the turf on the Gold Coast and Brisbane grounds in particular under such heavy traffic.
The league have done well to spread games across regional spots and smaller areas like the Sunshine Coast, Rockhampton, Mackay and Redcliffe to carry the load.
After some earlier concerns, the Gold Coast didn’t host any games this weekend and Brisbane only has one game allocated in the final round. Reynolds’ issue aside, the surfaces at the finals venues are getting the best management possible.
Big time injuries and suspensions
The carnage to the game’s stars wasn’t limited to Mitchell and Manu in Round 24.
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
With just one game until the finals, Eels skipper Clint Gutherson is hurt, Shaun Lane failed his HIA against the Storm and is surely in some doubt, Melbourne flyer Josh Addo-Carr did a hamstring and may miss at least one game, and of course Reynolds who did return to the field and kicked, but probably should be held out of this week’s game against the Dragons, just to be sure.
On the discipline side of the ledger, there was a hell of a lot of business for the NRL judiciary.
Storm forward Jesse Bromwich got a week for a crusher tackle, Harry Grant got a fine, Brandon Smith and Nathan Brown are incredibly lucky to only get fined for high shots on Niukore Marata and Tom Eisenhuth respectively, Eels big man Junior Paulo got a week for a shoulder charge, Bunnies forward Liam Knight is suspended for this week and their first final, Dane Gagai was fined, Rooster Fletcher Baker is facing suspension, and his teammates Isaac Liu and Egan Butcher got fined for grade one tackles and contact.
That’s a lot of little niggly charges that might add up to something a bit more serious if a player transgresses again either this week or during the finals…
It gets harder for the Warriors in Australia
Reports started coming through late Sunday the New Zealand club would have to spend another season out of home and in Australia for season 2022. It’s sure to be another hit to the morale of players, their families and loved ones, who have been dealing with challenges and many of us couldn’t handle if we were in the same boat.
The Warriors haven’t played a home game across the ditch since 2019. Some players haven’t been home since then. It’s such a hard price to pay to keep the NRL afloat and the fact they’ve more than held their own on the field is commendable, especially compared to other clubs.
Pre-season training is due to start on November 1. Barring some kind of miracle, the New Zealanders will likely be doing that in Redcliffe. I hope the game is able to repay the club and do its part to grow the game in New Zealand when it’s possible.
What did you make of Round 24, Roarers? There was a bit happening…
adam smith
Roar Rookie
Yup, that’s true too. :thumbup:
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Not really arguing the point, but for me WLF includes thoughtless and unintentional. He'd only just come off breaking AJ's jaw the week before.
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
& Graeme Hughes - great player, even better commentator. Hope we can entice him back behind the mike so we can p/o Ennis, Gould & Gallen
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Well the 1980 team was pretty to watch but the Dogs of War were just so tough. The Steve Gearin try leans me to the entertainers.
Kent Dorfman
Roar Rookie
Jimmy - the Dogs of War or the entertainers?
Payl
Guest
Well you have to hand it to Melbourne for being able to keep both Grant & Smith.
timbo 59
Guest
With the havoc wreaked on the Roosters squad, not least the amount of retirements (forced and unforced) that are coming out of the season, it looks like the Roosters are going to be the busiest team in the off-season bringing in replacements. Verrill was already lining up to be Friend's long term replacement at hooker, but with Cordner gone, as well as the Morris brothers, and others signing up elsewhere, it's going to be a busy time out at Bondi Junction. Catty comments about sombrero dealings aside, has anyone figured where the Rooster's cap stands going into the off-season? I'm guessing they're going to have around two million in cap room with all the departures and retirements, unless there were some deferrals in recent signings, plus of course the extra needed to extend the current roster, including Manu. Cordner was on a contract worth around 750 - 800k alone, and throw in the money for the Morris twins, Friend, and Lui and there has to be a fair bit of change there to throw at some much-needed replacements. A long-term replacement for W-H would seem to be in order, as well as a quality second-rower. With Billy Smith so brittle, maybe a decent center as well.
London Panther
Roar Rookie
I appreciate it is not legal due process, but I expect Abdo to come out strongly against tackles like that. If he had of been asked the question in a media interview and said nothing, I would have been disappointed.
Rob
Guest
Who's to say they haven't been under penalised on occasions? Who's to say clubs like the Bulldogs who conceded more penalties, don't deserve to be awarded more? The week after the Roosters beat the Cowboys a few people were talking about how the Roosters weren't penalised and no one was put in the bin for deliberate infringements preventing the Cowboys scoring. Rooster won with a 4-2 penalty count in there favour. The next week the Cowboys go within 4 points of beating the Storm. Penalty count 4-7 in the Cowboys favour? I don't watch every game only probably 3-4 a weekend. I question the inconsistency a lot and have been truely been bewilder by the interpretation of 6 again as opposed to a penalty. They are vastly different from week to week IMO. Some teams have also benefited greatly on occasion by interpretations from what I have seen. The Panthers (123) and Rabbits(122) get given penalties the Broncos(78) and Bulldogs (75) don't. Robinson has been someone who's often benefited IMO so I do find it a bit rich he's playing the victim to get those interpretations back in his favour.
Footy Fan
Guest
You forgot to mention that Latrell smashed Manu’s face through straight-up foul play. :silly: The rest is transparent deflecting. Have a good one!
zonecadet
Roar Rookie
Run very poorly at that.
zonecadet
Roar Rookie
Lucky you weren't around when St.George strung 11 in a row together, you'd have given up on the game entirely.
zonecadet
Roar Rookie
I kinda think Bellamy should have tried that on the weekend when Josh went off. Nicho at FB and Paps on the wing. I also think Grant and Cheese work better with only one starting....
zonecadet
Roar Rookie
Wow, that escalated quickly.
Rob
Guest
Look up how Colin Scott's career ended. He hit the head of an opponent after he kicked the ball and was chasing. Scott got penalised. It wasn't until later after the kid got transported to hospital that everyone found out he suffered a fractured skull and a brain bleed. A 20 year old who had just been a part of the NQ state league winning team and made the Queensland residents team never played again. Scott got sighted and they used footage from the local TV crew who just happened to be there at the time. Scott got 12 months but without TV footage he wouldn't have been suspended many believe. I myself suffered the same injury as Manu from a king hit. Hospital, operation, couple weeks off work, missed the finals. Puncher got 10 in the bin. Latrell came in hard, Manu was falling, the contact was heavy and Latrell clipped him high. Without Manu's cheek being broken no-one would have really seen much in the speed of the contact IMO. It wasn't a swinging arm, it wasn't a direct front on shoulder collision and Manu was falling so no one would have looked twice even 20years ago. He got suspended because Manu suffered an injury. It wasn't a coward shot by a long shot. Heavy collisions and miss timed contact often happen on the football field. Latrell got suspended for the result of the contact.
adam smith
Roar Rookie
Whilst I agree that JWH & Mitchell are prone to “white-line-fever”, I think it’s a bit harsh on Latrell if he’s lumped in the same category as JWH. JWH definitely succumbs to “W-L-F”, but he is also callous & deliberate in some of his grubby tactics. I’m no fan of Latrell (despite Rabbitohs being my 2nd team), but I’ve yet to see any maliciousness in his actions, just brain fades/farts. JWH?!?! Straight grub for mine.
Chris Love
Roar Guru
There was a need because he was stood down from The Eels v Storm game. When have we ever had referees stood down and an explanation given after the round was completed unless it was as a results of screwups in a Sunday game? By doing so, they get to fine Robbo and say “See! no need for you to mouth off at us as we will handle it.” My people are a protected species unless it is from me.
Amen to that! Just read that some of their kids have had to attend 5 different schools in the space of 8 months or so. Some players haven't been home since 2019.
Dave
Roar Rookie
Unfortunately I am old enough to know what rugby league was like. If Latrell did that tackle 30-40 years ago he would have been wishing he was sent off because he would have been in the morgue before the end of the game. But it’s not 30-40 years ago and no one will retaliate, so that tackle is pure cowardice
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Crikey Willie, how good a backline do you want?