NRL Trials: The refs strike back, a Dunster disaster and Sloan puts his hand up

There was a lot of moaning last year about the newfound rule where you weren’t allowed to whack blokes in the head anymore.

Of course, anyone who watched rugby league outside the NRL had known this for years, but Featherstone Rovers and Batley Bulldogs are all dainty snowflakes, whereas the true blue battlers of the NRL lived in a world where concussions don’t exist and therefore nobody ever got sent off.

Then for a weekend in May up in Brisbane, the NRL was reffed like every other competition in the sport and the media collectively lost their minds.

Once the outrage at not being able to knock each other’s heads off had died off, many reflected that sending blokes off for a few weekends might not have been the worst idea, as tackle techniques changed and the flurry of cards subsided.

Now, we’re all told not to read too much into the trial games – and that should go for the refs too. But, if this weekend is anything to go by, they’re already on hand to mete out punishment for high shots all over again.

After a few yesterday, the bin-athon went into overdrive, with three in the first half of the Dragons-Eels game to go with the two in the earlier game. The good news though, is that the refs were absolutely right. All were pretty clear cut, and deserved the sit down. Let’s hope they keep it up into Round 1.

It wasn’t just about the refereeing, however, There was football played, and takes to be had on all of it. Here they are.

Cronulla Sharks 6 – 34 Penrith Panthers

Craig Fitzgibbon doesn’t know who is in his best team – but he got some answers about who isn’t in it

Craig Fitzgibbon would have come into his first proper 80 minutes as Sharks coach with the expectation that his players would give him a headache ahead of the new season. Instead, he got more questions than answers.

The only recognised first grader in the backs, Braydon Trindall, was largely ineffective and will almost certainly find himself banned after a late, high hit that saw him sent to the bin in the first half.

In the forwards, Fitzgibbon will be happy that Siosifa Talakai, Brandon Hamlin-Uele and Teig Wilton got a run, and impressed by the first appearance of Jayden Berrell, the 2021 Queensland Cup player of the year who has moved down to challenge for a hooker position.

He might find himself down at Newtown Jets, along with Zac Cini and Franklin Pele: both were given chances to make a claim for first grade in the trials, but neither looked quite up to it yet.

Pele was a standout for Newtown in 2021 but a late head shot saw him in the bin and, like Trindall, will almost certainly be in the stands come Round 1.

Cini, who made a stellar start at Wests Tigers in the NRL before fading badly, can take solace in the knowledge that his mates, who were as much a part of the show as he was in his dream debut, will enjoy the atmosphere on the hill at Henson Park.

If Nathan Cleary misses Round 1, Sean O’Sullivan is ready to step up

Penrith’s halves are about as settled as they come: nobody is shifting the starting Blues pair at NRL level.

Matt Burton, one of the best young playmakers in the game, just had to move to the Bulldogs to get a gig, and Isaiya Katoa, the age group standout, has signed with the Dolphins for 2023 because he doesn’t have a hope of making the Penrith team.

For the here and now, however, there might be a spot. Nathan Cleary is under a huge injury cloud going into Round 1 and his spot in the side is up for grabs. The young Panthers today featured Kurt Falls, Cleary’s former schoolboy halves partner, at 6 and Sean O’Sullivan, now on his fourth NRL club.

It was O’Sullivan who made the best claim for a place against Manly in three weeks’ time. The former Roosters, Tigers and Warriors man looked a cut above Cronulla, laying on the first two tries in a half that looked like it was about to end scoreless.

Of course, it’s easy for a bloke with years of NRL experience to look good against a team of Sharks youngsters and fringe players, but you can only beat what’s in front of you. Ivan Cleary would have looked to his bargain recruit to stand out, and he did.

Parramatta Eels 22 – 26 St George Illawarra Dragons

Tyrell Sloan won the battle of the 1s – and the more obvious moneyball might be on

There’s a battle brewing at the back for the Dragons, with Cody Ramsey and Tyrell Sloan fighting it out for the jersey.

It was Ramsey who got the nod from Anthony Griffin to start the game, but it didn’t last long: within 15 minutes, he was out on the wing and Sloan was at the back. He later showed excellent touch in attack, with one smart kick winning a repeat set and then sending out a long pass for winger Johnathon Reuben to score.

If Hook does settle on Tyrell Sloan, then we could be about to see one of the best young spines about: Junior Amone was the standout player for the Dragons in the trial at 6, Jayden Sullivan is also in the mix and it’s very exciting to think of them all going around together in first grade.

Ben Hunt has the 7 jersey to start with, but with the potential for those three to link up, Griffin might begin wondering whether converting him to a hooker full-time and allowing Moses Mbye to float around in the 14, might not be a winning combination.

After all, he’s the king of Moneyball, right? And the most Moneyball way of doing things isn’t to go on the cheap: it’s to pick horses for courses, mix experience and youth, and find value where someone else doesn’t. Picking three home-grown players in your highest cost positions could go a long way to doing exactly that.

Dunster disaster but replacements stand tall

Trials are about fitness, but also about avoiding injuries – which is why there was panic in the Parramatta ranks when Haze Dunster went down awkwardly under a Tyrell Fuimaono tackle.

The Dragons man went to the bin for a hip drop and might yet cop a ban, but worse off was Dunster, who will undoubtedly be out for longer. We don’t yet know the full extent of his injury, but it’s certainly a ligament in his knee and that is very, very bad for Parra.

The better news might be the performance of Solomone Naiduki, the rookie winger who crossed for the Eels and look more than ready for the step up. He went alright in NSW Cup last year – well enough to earn himself a top 30 contract for 2022 – and they love a big Fijian winger at CommBank Stadium.

The kid looks raw as anything, but having let Blake Ferguson go, there is now a spot going between Naiduki and Bailey Simonsson.