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The pre-Origin part of the NRL season is out of the way, and silly season has arrived! Here are my talking points from Round 12.
Jack de Belin will walk straight back into the Dragons team
After almost 1000 days off the park due to his court trial, Dragons lock forward Jack de Belin was finally allowed to return to action on Saturday.
Playing in the NSW at Lidcombe Oval against Western Suburbs was a step removed from his last game of first grade in 2018, a semi-final at Homebush in front of a monstrous crowd.
But by all reports, de Belin was rock solid in defence, had some handy touches with the ball and rediscovered his excellent running of the footy quickly.
Maybe that shouldn’t be a surprise, given his status as one of the game’s best locks when he was first excluded from playing under the NRL’s no-fault stand-down rule. Of course, Dragons training staff have also noted de Belin’s superb physical condition over the last couple of weeks.
While they may have liked to see de Belin play a few more games in reserve grade before returning to the top flight, the Dragons may have little choice following their beatdown at the hands of the Tigers on Friday.
Jack de Belin runs the ball. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)
It was an embarrassing performance for the Red V, with both halves running more metres than any of the forwards, none of the pack making 100 metres, and the defence far too leaky.
De Belin may not fix all the issues, but with plenty of players in need of a stint in reserve grade, he passed his first Test with flying colours and should be straight onto the first-grade bench for next week’s clash with the Broncos.
Speaking of…
Consistency the next step for battered Broncos
For the first 15 minutes against the Storm, the Broncos would have convinced anyone watching they had turned a corner.
Given it followed a stunning win over the Roosters last week, just maybe, Brisbane fans would have been excited for the first time in years.
Then, it all went pear-shaped, and not for the first time this year, the Broncos provided a false start on their journey to turn themselves around.
Under coach Kevin Walters, there may be more of them, but somehow, the rookie NRL coach must find a way to turn his team of youngsters into a team that defends their line with vigour every week, and one which has good shapes and attacking structures.
They certainly have the talent, if not the experience – although you could argue Albert Kelly has been a great buy for the club given the stability he provides in the halves, allowing others to play their natural game around him.
If they can find consistency, then Brisbane could be dangerous, although their defence still leaves plenty to be desired.
The Raiders should build around Corey Harawira-Naera and Elliott Whitehead
The Raiders are in a rut. Coach Ricky Stuart looked a defeated man following Saturday night’s pasting against the Roosters on the Central Coast, the 44-16 loss the Raiders’ seventh in their last eight matches.
Their top eight hopes seem to be all but dashed barring a major recovery during the second half of the year, and with English half George Williams released, the question now must be “where to next?”
Without wanting to completely throw 2021 away, they must begin planning for next year and attempt to address the faults of this one. While the form of Josh Papalii and injury to Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad have played their part, the Raiders may not need to go on a signing spree to turn themselves back into a force.
Corey Harawira-Naera of the Raiders and his team mates look dejected after defeat. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
A star controlling half to partner Jack Wighton should be on the shopping list, as will be working out which direction to go at hooker thanks to the emergence of Tom Starling.
But they have leaders at the club in their second row. Corey Harawira-Naera’s form has gone from strength to strength since his return, and he was a bright spot for Canberra on Saturday, while Elliott Whitehead must be one of the most underrated players in the competition.
Edge defence, particularly under the new rules, is critical, and good second-rowers go a long way towards sorting those issues out, given how teams often structure and slide in their defence.
Canberra can rebuild, but they need to pick some focal points, sign a half and put a strong plan in place.
The Saifiti brothers go from strength to strength
It has been a tumultuous couple of years for Newcastle, who have endured a monster rebuild, followed by a period of performances well below expectations.
But the undermanned Knights didn’t read the script on Sunday against the red-hot Sea Eagles. Despite falling behind early on, their big home crowd hung with them and willed them along, and in the end, they would find a way to get the job done.
It was a gutsy performance from the Knights, exemplified by the performance of the Saifiti brothers. Jacob and Daniel led the way right throughout the contest for the Knights, putting Manly on the back foot.
Daniel may have had a long breather between stints, but was excellent at the start and end, while Jacob played strongly through the middle.
They may not get the wraps of other forwards, but behind David Klemmer, they have become the leaders up front for Adam O’Brien’s side.
Knights enforcer Jacob Saifiti on the charge. (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)
The Cowboys have made a mistake letting Jake Clifford go
While Jake Clifford can be very inconsistent, there have been positive signs since the early part of the season.
Missing a handful of games, Clifford has won five of his last six games and shown marked improvement, particularly in the kicking stakes where he has stood up and played a leading role.
Many good judges have always had time for Clifford, and he is an excellent pick up for the Knights moving forward, but even more so immediately given the injury to Mitchell Pearce and retirement of Blake Green.
Clifford may not have kicked on and reached his potential yet, but he is starting to get there. For the Cowboys to be moving him on now seems an odd move, especially when his replacements in Chad Townsend and Tom Dearden are very similar in their play styles.
Just as the Cowboys were turning their season around, it feels like they have gone two steps backwards for one step forward.
Parramatta are flat-track bullies
Brad Arthur has a major problem in the heart of Western Sydney.
There is no logical explanation for it, but he struggles to get his team up for big games. They have failed in the finals over the past couple of years, but Parramatta’s last fortnight sums up exactly where the club is.
While Arthur persisted with Waqa Blake on the wing and didn’t make any other changes heading into this week’s battle with the Rabbitohs, he may be forced to do so next week, after a second ugly loss in a row.
Last week’s effort was horrendous from the Eels, but Saturday night took it to a whole new level. Their defence was virtually non-existent in patches as the Rabbitohs turned around their shocking recent 50-point beatdowns with a big win of their own.
That fabled left edge of Dane Gagai and Alex Johnston ran riot yet again, while Adam Reynolds, Cody Walker, Damien Cook and Latrell Mitchell had an absolute field day picking the Eels apart.
If you’re looking for a play to show just how badly the Eels cracked, then Isaiah Papali’i going short side with no room while the game was close, having just returned from the sin bin, sums it up.
It was silly, and turned the momentum of the game just as Parramatta were looking to climb back into the contest. It might seem off the mark to pick out a single play, but it wasn’t good enough, and summed up their night.
Is Apisai Koroisau the game’s most underrated player?
I’m sure this question has been posed before, but the Panthers juggernaut wouldn’t be what it is without Api Koroisau.
The Panthers’ rake has turned himself into one of the best in the game, and yet doesn’t get mentioned in the same breath as some others who will play representative football in a fortnight.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Koroisau wouldn’t be out of place running around in sky blue – and after being named as the Blues’ 18th man for Origin 1, he may get his chance. He provides defensive excellence on a weekly basis, putting him on par with any other middle-third defender in the competition, on top of his excellent attacking game.
The Panthers have the best defensive record in the competition by a considerable distance, and while that’s a team performance, the way Koroisau commits in defence and tackles with efficiency is a big reason why.
In attack, he has always been willing to take the line on, and sets up teammates and players on a regular basis.
The 28-year-old is in his prime, and while Panthers fans will be happy to keep him, he may go down as one of the best Australian-born players to never grace the Origin arena.
Roarers, what did you make of Round 12? Drop a comment and let us know!