Being able to crush a poorer opponent is starting to matter as we approach the business end of the season. Can your team keep their foot on the throat, or will they ease off and cop some crucial late scores? Here come your NRL preview talking points for round 22.
The Manly Warringah halfback plays club game 300 this weekend against St George Illawarra in Wollongong, a game his team needs to win to stay in touch with the finals places.
He’s a pretty maligned player, DCE. Blamed for losses, overlooked in wins, but consistently one of the competition’s best players. He’s worn his share of aggro for Queensland’s State of Origin troubles too, but has been one of his state’s best over the last couple of years.
300 club games is a huge rugby league achievement. It’s about longevity but also success, because it means you’ve played a lot of finals. And as well as the triple century of club games, DCE has played 22 State of Origins and 18 games for Australia. That’s a great stint for a great player and as Roar NRL writer Tim Gore keeps telling me, an even better man.
Some belters on the horizon this week with big finals imputations. We kick off Thursday at the Gabba with Brisbane hosting the Roosters, who are fresh off a decent win on the Gold Coast. Finals are a struggle for the chooks right now but a win will keep that hope barely flickering, but still there. A loss, and they might finally be able to be written off.
Friday’s early game is the Tigers and Bunnies in Tamworth and the bookies have Souths as rampant, rampant favourites. The Rabbitohs have been a little wobbly lately though, so is a Wests Tigers win totally impossible? These teams have one win between them in their last five games, if you can believe that.
Will Penisini. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Friday primetime is at Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium with the Storm and Eels going at it. Both clubs are coming off ordinary losses last week, Melbourne in particular wasting a hot start in Newcastle to go down 26-18 and Parramatta losing 24-16 in Townsville. An Eels win lifts them above the scramble for eighth and maybe even aiming at a top four spot, Melbourne need to test themselves again to make sure last week was an aberration.
Saturday starts in the capital with the Raiders and Knights. Canberra’s deplorable for and against leaves them a gettable target for teams outside the eight. Newcastle’s stirring win over Melbourne was the continuation of a decent run of form, and they’ll back themselves to do the job away from home. Neither Canberra or Newcastle cannot afford to lose games, so this one should be fun.
The middle child on Saturday is the twilight game in Wollongong, DCE’s 300th club game when Manly and the Dragons take the field. St George Illawarra scraped home against the Tigers last week but a win is a win, and when you’ve only got five of them from 18 games you might as well enjoy them.
Manly blew a real chance to dig into their for and against when they led 30-0 at Cronulla, but a lazy second half sees them sitting on -31 while teams like the Knights and Eels pile on points against weaker sides. Anthony Seibold’s crew really do need to do a number on the Dragons or their admittedly slim finals shot is gone.
Speaking of teams who are yet to impress, Saturday night is a problem for Cronulla when they head to Penrith for the Panthers, who walked to a 44-18 win over Canterbury last week. The top eight team travails of the Sharks aren’t worth highlighting any more, we all know about them. But they’ve beaten the Panthers just once since 2019 and a loss here makes the top four a massive challenge.
Nicho Hynes. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
Sunday’s early game might have some entertainment value if you love slapstick comedy and lots of points, when Canterbury and the Dolphins face off in Bundaberg.
The round ends with the Titans and Cowboys having a Queensland derby of sorts. The Gold Coast are 99 per cent cooked, North Queensland can approach the top four. This will be an interesting one but history doesn’t bode well for the hosts – they’ve only beaten the Cowboys three times since 2014.
New Zealand has the bye, which will give them two points and keep them in the top four.
What’s got you talking ahead of round 22, Roarers?
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