The NRL’s young talent showed yet again why the NRL is in great hands, while injuries started to bite as winning streaks extended.
Here are your talking points from the weekend’s games.
How bout dem Cowboys?
In the ‘Experts Roar’ piece a little earlier this year I had the Cowboys finishing bottom four, saying “North Queensland haven’t evolved as much as I expected under Todd Payten”. Hoo boy – I happily admit I whiffed on that call, big time. The Payten evolution is well and truly here.
Melbourne travelled to Townsville for Saturday’s game heavily favoured and went home heavily beaten, tuned up 36-6. It’s been a rough fortnight for the Storm, but they were deservedly lit up by a North Queensland side who sensed uncertainty early and went right after the kill.
Scott Drinkwater, Valentine Holmes and Tom Gilbert feasted while 19 year old Jeremiah Nanai continued along his merry way with two tries.
Can they sustain this form? Right now, it doesn’t matter. The Cowboys travel to Penrith this Friday and are basically playing with house money. North Queensland have come from so far back all you can do is appreciate the work they’ve put in to rebuild themselves, often in the face of harsh criticism. I hope they do well.
Did Parra need that, or did Parra need that?
After a Magic Round stinker against the Roosters, the Eels’ 22-20 theft from Manly was critical for their top four plans. A ripping Mitch Moses sideline conversion in hosing rain capped a fun game full of back and forth, with both sides copping (justified) sin bins but fighting to the end.
That 2 points gets Parramatta tied with Cronulla and Brisbane for fourth and they need to just keep accumulating wins by any means necessary. A matchup with resurgent Canberra awaits, followed by a week off then Canterbury. Teams who want top four spots win those.
Dragons v Warriors was pleasantly entertaining
Be honest now – the St George-Illawarra v New Zealand stoush was not high on your list of games to watch this weekend, was it.
But it turned into a belter, with some fantastic individual efforts.
Dragons fullback Cody Ramsey was brilliant, centre Moses Suli ran for 228 metres and broke six tackles, showing again what he’s capable of, prop Michael Molo scored on debut, New Zealand’s Addin Fonua-Blake rolled for 206 metres with just under half of that post-contact and centre Viliami Vailea scored a double. All in all, it was all a good show providing an entertaining afternoon.
Having said this…
Let New Zealand go home
The Warriors have now spent almost three seasons based in Australia and it’s time to let them play back home. The departure of prop Matt Lodge because he didn’t want to move to New Zealand is indicative of how their current position is between a rock and a hard place, particularly when it comes to roster management.
It’s impossible right now for the Warriors to be able to cultivate their homeland for membership, crowds, sponsors, cash flow and most importantly, local players.
The impact of this period on New Zealand rugby league will last for many years and hopefully the NRL is alert to these long term risks – never mind the actual human side of players being able to live in their own homes, with their own families in their own neighbourhoods.
If Super Rugby can manage trans-tasman travel and fixturing, the NRL can too. Get it done and get it done now. Otherwise, all this constant ‘thank you for your sacrifice’ or talk of a second NZ team from key figures in the NRL is just hollow bullshit.
Selwyn Cobbo is something else, man
What a player the Broncos have on their wing. 19 years old, 6 foot 2, 99 kilos and bloody fast, nine tries in Brisbane’s five straight wins, the subject of a ‘contract war’ that’ll set him up for life.
This rugby league caper’s pretty easy, isn’t it. Should he play State of Origin? Why not?
And heeeeere come the injuries
The Cowboys have a couple of knee concerns for Kyle Feldt and Jason Taumalolo (the severity of both to be confirmed at time of writing), Warriors prop Addin Fonua-Blake had a belter of a game but damaged his foot late, and Newcastle centre Bradman Best dislocated his elbow in Thursday’s loss to Brisbane.
Wests Tigers halfback Jackson Hastings could barely walk after his side’s win over Canterbury, but coach Michael Maguire assures all he’s ok. Jock Madden stepped into halves admirably for Luke Brooks to keep things rolling.
These are pretty important players to each team and big time injuries just ahead of the Origin period isn’t good news.
The big news, though, was not good for Manly fans and New South Welshpeople as gun fullback and talisman Tom Trbojevic went down yet again with a suspected season-ending injury, this time a dislocated shoulder.
You’d be within your rights to say Trbojevic has a chronic problem, having played 44 from a possible 86 games since the end of the 2018 season (and because you’re curious, Manly went 30-14 in those games).
Also because you’re curious, Turbo is on good cash with the Sea Eagles until the end of season 2026.
Quick hits
– Melbourne have lost two in a row, sure. But they’re still second on the table with a +169 points differential… Spare me the panicking.
– South Sydney have had a double figure error count in every game this season and averaging 13 mistakes a week.
– No Tom Trbojevic, Victor Radley, Dale Finucane, Cam Murray, Latrell Mitchell or Ryan Papenhuyzen for Brad Fittler in State of Origin 1…
– You all know how much I love my big boppers – so hearty congratulations to Canberra prop Josh Papalii marking game 250 with a try and the Tigers’ Alex Twal marking his 100th by remaining tryless, as tradition dictates.
– Matt Lodge won’t be missed by New Zealand. Would you want him at your club? See also Paul Vaughan.
– Melbourne winger Xavier Coates’ 40m chasedown and try saving tackle on Cowboy Murray Taulagi was unbelievable, and done in the 70th minute down 30 points. That’s the Storm mentality.
– Since scoring just six second half tries in their first nine games, Canberra have scored four in their last two on the way to a three game win streak.
To the next
Next week is the last full round before Origin byes kick in and there’ll be plenty of teams looking to pinch a crucial two points.
Melbourne host Manly on Thursday night in what’s shaping as quite an important one. Brisbane and the Gold Coast face off, the Warriors and Knights approach the last chance saloon. Souths play the Tigers and the Sharks and Roosters will try to get space on one another, while Canberra and Parramatta might be a sneaky good one too.
The best game of the round though is undoubtedly Penrith hosting North Queensland – 1st v 3rd, grizzled champs v the precocious up and comer. Fittingly, this one’s played in that 6pm Friday marquee spot… Sometimes, the fixture just does you wrong.
What did you think of the weekend’s rugby league, Roarers?
Nick
Roar Guru
And your figure if $1.2 million is way off base. The US judgment is completely unenforceable here – it’s worthless (trust me, I’m a lawyer) because he never submitted to the jurisdiction of that court. To get money out of him they would basically have to sue him here, and they would be getting a tiny fraction of that US judgment – like maybe $100k. He might have negotiated a higher to keep them out of the media, but given that he was on only $85k at the time that was happening, it probably wouldn’t have been much higher. That's your opinion, and fair play to you with the background. But your continued argument around enforceability are redundant. The NRL made him pay the settlement as a condition of re entry to the game. So the disagreement is about the size of the settlement. You say what you say, I go from what I read It makes no never mind to me. I also disagree on his contracts, but everyone disagrees with everyone on those!
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
Not sure about that. Lodge joined the Broncos in 2018 on minimum wage -$85k. He got a contract upgrade from 2019 onwards - so by your figures that’s more than $2.2 million up to the end of this season, plus the warriors just paid him for next season as well. He’s been paid close to $3 million as of today. The figures that were talked about when his contract was upgraded was $650k, which is reasonable for where he was at the time - best forward after Matt Gilllett who was on $800k. And your figure if $1.2 million is way off base. The US judgment is completely unenforceable here - it’s worthless (trust me, I’m a lawyer) because he never submitted to the jurisdiction of that court. To get money out of him they would basically have to sue him here, and they would be getting a tiny fraction of that US judgment - like maybe $100k. He might have negotiated a higher to keep them out of the media, but given that he was on only $85k at the time that was happening, it probably wouldn’t have been much higher.
Nick
Roar Guru
Ah. So I have dug deeper. It was reported in the news that he took out a bank loan to pay the girls. That was a condition of him returning to the NRL. The original settlement ordered by the court was US$1.6m. You are right, they get watered down. For the sake of this argument, Let's call it half, 800k. US dollars though, so the figure is about $1.2m AUD. He took a bank loan. That's not a home loan, that's a personal, so there is a rate close to 6% on that. That's a charming amount of interest on top of that loan. Even with his capacity to earn quickly, he's still looking at $200k of interest in 5 years. So, round up he owes $1.5m. And, no he hasn't earned two million dollars in the last three years. He was on minimum wage in his first year at the Broncos...and that would have JUST been able to service such a loan on such an interest rate. So, he's saving away nothing. Yes, he was on a larger contract in his second and third year at the Broncos, but no one with a straight face is going to say it was higher than $550k. So, that by 2 is $1.1m, along with his minimum wage of $90k in year one. He earned about $1.2 with the broncos, less tax. And of course, by now he probably wants a piece of the property market in Brisbane, fair enough. And he'll have a mortgage to service there as well, so lets deduct some living expenses and mortgage servicing off that $1.2m as well. He's nowhere near paying off that loan yet.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
He seemed to have been highly thought if enough at the Broncos that he was their first choice for captain in 2020. Can’t have been too toxic within the team.
Gray-Hand
Roar Rookie
What makes you say that? The judgment wasn’t even enforceable, so it’s unlikely that any subsequent settlement would have been anywhere close to the amount they were awarded. And he has earned close to two million dollars in the last 3 years.
Slammin_Sam
Roar Rookie
Lets see how the Cowboys go when they have a few away games. Theyve been given the mother of all saloon passages with all of the queensland based games at the start of the season....
Rossi
Roar Rookie
Balerion the Black Dread (not Swan) lived through many generations I believe. Not sure about his memory though
Rossi
Roar Rookie
He won it a record 3 times at St. George
Rossi
Roar Rookie
And Lomax carried them all himself, was starting to slow down until big Rava started mauling and out he got
Rossi
Roar Rookie
I thought it was Mrs. Ed stopping the Warriors?
Rossi
Roar Rookie
Why do people mention Radley out when talking of players for NSW? He's never been picked and considering there are many better players available in his position it's a non issue. Yeo, Murray, Finucane, Jurbo, JdB, who needs that grub Radley?
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
It's the 'chooks'. It's always the 'chooks'. They're the go-to for agents wanting to push their guy's price up.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
:laughing:
AJ Mithen
Expert
I'd choose a squad of 16 ZBS, cos you would end up down a player anyway
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Far away where he sits in his slippers with pipe, forever reliving 2010
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
pretty much how it is...
JennyFromPenny
Guest
.. or in Swanville, 'did Simon say KFC? '
JennyFromPenny
Guest
Storm should pick him up immediately.
JennyFromPenny
Guest
...did someone say KFC?
Black Swan
Guest
Hardly surprising. Simon says ,,,, get a needle ...errrrr ok Simon says,,, get another needle ..errrrrr ok Simon says ,,, you guessed it , get another needle....errrrrr ok Simon says , now that youve had all those needles , wear a mask so you don't catch it or spread it ...errrrrr ok Simon says ,,, stay home ,,,, errrrrr ok Simon says ,,,, don't question the narrative ,,, errrrrr ok . And don't worry my woolly little non thinker , Simon has plenty more instore for you city slickers , I hope you like the colour of your walls , oh and more needles .