Big effen suspensions, big effen winning margins and key effen injuries. Here come your NRL preview talking points for round effen 18.
Effen sees
What a night we got on Tuesday at Reece Walsh’s judiciary hearing.
I can’t link to much of the coverage because it was loaded with more cursing than a Samuel L Jackson movie, but some of the great rugby league times were had on social media as fans went into a hilarious content frenzy (which I definitely cannot link to either, but you can find easily enough).
On the serious side, Brisbane’s fullback was found guilty of contrary conduct towards referee Chris Butler and suspended for three games which will rule him out of the final State of Origin game and club games against the Dolphins and Bulldogs.
No doubt the reaction to this decision will go berserk so for my two cents – Walsh deserved the suspension. You cannot talk to a referee or react to a referee’s decision the way he did.
Rugby league and sport in general has a serious officiating problem, in that fewer and fewer are choosing to make a career in the middle. The NRL in particular has a massive issue with a culture of disrespect for match officials.
We’ll see how this suspension is appealed and handled, but decisions like this are a small step on the path to supporting referees like they deserve to be.
Good games this week
A full slate of games this week as we roll towards the end of the State of Origin fixture turmoil.
Thursday’s game won’t do much for the reputations of Cronulla and St George-Illawarra, with the Sharks expected to win and the Dragons expected to lose. Cronulla are in a space where they’ll need to start building their for and against to make sure they’ll stay in the top four.
Friday night’s doubleheader is a ripper couple of games. We start at a sold out Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland, as the Warriors host the Bunnies. The New Zealanders will never have a better chance to put a gap between them and South Sydney on the table and keep marching their impressive season towards to top four.
Jesse Ramien celebrates after scoring. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Primetime Friday is one we’ve been waiting for – Melbourne and Penrith go at it not at AAMI park but at Marvel Stadium (AKA Docklands). AAMI Park has been handed over the FIFA for the Women’s World Cup.
Both teams have been going through the motions to rudimentary wins over lesser opponents so it’s time to see them lift their ratings against a real opponent.
The winer will temporarily hold top spot on the ladder but more importantly, these are games where premiership contenders size each other up. It may not be a blazing free for all of attack, but it’ll most definitely be worth watching.
On Saturday the Gold Coast head to Canberra for an afternoon game needing to win to stay on the fringes of the finals places. The Titans were great last week keeping Brisbane quiet but that was also a performance sparked by the departure of coach Justin Holbrook, unceremoniously canned early last week.
The Raiders continue to fall over the line after blowing hefty leads but need to aim up at home – they’ve lost their last two games at Bruce Stadium by a combined 50 points.
North Queensland host Wests Tigers Saturday twilight having made hay during Origin period with wins over Melbourne, Penrith and South Sydney. Add on two points for a bye in there and the Cowboys are right back on the heels of the finals places.
Wests Tigers were easily outclassed by a shorthanded Melbourne last week and the defensive application they carried for much of the year has become somewhat wobbly.
FIFA impacts locations again on Saturday night as the Broncos head to the Gabba for their second go at the Dolphins, who are reeling from a towelling last week by Parramatta. A Broncos win will keep them in the top two pending the outcome of Melbourne and Penrith.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
The Dolphins were blown off the park in the first half last week but fought back well enough in the second during their 48-20 loss. The new kids are starting to battle a bit to strong 80 minutes of constant effort together which was expected, but injuries and suspensions haven’t helped.
Sunday’s games see Canterbury facing Newcastle at Accor Stadium with both teams in real need of maybe not a win but a decent performance to give their fans a bit of heart.
Newcastle have played two really poor games against weakened opponents in the Roosters and Penrith, and they’ll need to take this win to have any finals chance, no matter how unlikely it may be.
The round wraps with Manly and the Roosters playing for the top eight, with the loser in genuine finals peril. Both sides have been incredibly disappointing.
Parramatta have the bye and two free points, which will further embed them in the top eight.
Week 18 random observations
– The Bunnies are in freefall, dusted 31-6 on their own deck by the somewhat resurgent Cowboys for a fourth loss in five games. Souths have gone from the top of the table to barely hanging on in eighth. A fit Latrell cannot arrive fast enough.
– Fair enough for Wests Tigers halfback Luke Brooks to move to Manly. A case where a change might be a genuine good for both parties.
– Canberra are sitting in sixth place with a chance to move higher, and their for and against is -69. I don’t have the time to look deeper into it but surely this is one of the worst posts differentials for a finals place?
– Did you see the fantastic victory fashions from North Queensland coach Todd Payten? Glorious!
What’s got you talking ahead of Round 18, Roarers?
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
Manly V Easts Sitting 12th & 13th separated by one point, both with the bye round 19 & play again in round 23 The winner this weekend has a slim chance of the 8 The looser can start planning the end of season trip
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
Depends if Munster plays, Other than 5/8 & hooker the teams match up very evenly 1 to 17
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
The Raiders finished in 8th position in 2022 with a points differential of +63. I think you are referring to 2002. In 2002 they edged out the Northern Eagles who had the same number of wins but a points differential of -237!
Muzz Manyana
Roar Rookie
Storm vs Panthers should be a cracker. I think I will tip the Storm.
Emcie
Roar Guru
I've just had dodgy motel WiFi for two weeks so missed all the commentary around it and had to look up stuff myself....
Panthers
Roar Rookie
Lockdowns started in March 2020 originally.
Albo
Roar Rookie
The Panthers last played in Melbourne in 2018. But due to Covid when the Storm were domiciled on the Sunshine Coast, the Panthers played them at Suncorp in 2021 & 2022 , at Bathurst in 2019 & Campbelltown in 2020. The Panthers played just once at Penrith in 2022 , losing 0-16 to the Storm.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
To me I think the commercial channels have the same sort of agenda as talkback radio, ‘outrage!!!!’. Get views interested and watching from outrage, they’ll be talking about it at work tomorrow.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
That was the year that the Bulldogs would've been minor premiers had they not breached the salary cap. Canberra went 10-14 to be upgraded to 8th, while the Dragons came 7th (and won in finals week 1) after going 9-3-12... I miss the days before golden point.
AJ Mithen
Expert
Nailed it Dwayne. Broadcasters who don't know the rules and/or don't like a decision, then rip in on the refs are one of the biggest contributions to the game's problem.
AJ Mithen
Expert
G Len N.
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
I add any commentary coverage ripping in adds leads the fans to rip in also. Multi, slow, slower, slowest video replays on tele and at a game don’t help. Not sure that will stop, I wouldn’t mind, but tv channels love it, NRL officials maybe not so much
Andrew01
Roar Rookie
Doh! 2002!! I need an editor!
AJ Mithen
Expert
Bless you Andrew for doing this. (Raiders were +63 in 2022 though)
AJ Mithen
Expert
It certainly is 'quirky' Arnab, isn't it. The docklands stadium won't be configured for rectangular sport either, so it'll be interesting to see how it comes across on the broadcast and to those in attendance...
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
Fair enough, you're better informed on it that me, Emcie. You have nailed the moral of the story.
Emcie
Roar Guru
That was my opinion until I saw the transcript, the ref testified he didn't hear anything but marched the team 10 because of body language after warning about complaining earlier. Watching the extended video Walsh gets marched 10 first (apparently for body language), protests his innocence to the ref (pointless in hindsight given he wasn't penalised for swearing) which the ref ignores (because it's wasn't what the penalty was for in the first place) and seems to say something under his breath as he walks off which immediately triggers the ref (as in sparking to action, not offending) to send him off. So the sequence of events appears to be ref penalises for dissent after multiple warnings earlier, player protests innocents and then gets sin binned for dissent while walking back to the line. Its the MRC that's decided he was abusing the ref, not the actual ref. Moral of the story, don't complain the the ref all game and expect them to listen to you later on. It's a hard lesson in consequences but his actions prior to the "event" are what allowed it to escalate
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
Awful week for tipping this week, 3 or 4 games could go either way. Manly v Roosters is my main sticking point. Manly don't have turbo, DCE is playing great and they are at Brookvale. I am unconvinced about the Roosters. Coin toss.
Albo
Roar Rookie
Really looking forward to the two Friday night games , and I think the two Sunday arvo games should also be close affairs.
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
I like to think I’m a stickler for evidence and benefit of the doubt, but I think it’s proper that they accepted as fact the ref’s opinion it was directed at him. He was the person best placed to form that view and he seemed to be well in control of his own emotions (unlike Walsh). Every game is full of players muttering curses under their breath at refs and giving sprays to opponents. I doubt he’d insist it was Walsh unless he was confident. As for Walsh, I’m putting this down to “he had it coming, sooner or later”