NRL Spherical-up: The Broncos have an Adam Reynolds drawback, a Manly large grows up, and the Eels really feel dudded by the refs
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The second spherical of the NRL season is within the books and rugby league is once more filled with highs, lows, controveries and brilliance.
Here is the whole lot it is advisable know from every recreation of one other scintillating spherical of rugby league.
1. A worrying harm for growing older Reynolds
The Brisbane Broncos got here inside a couple of minutes and a few performs of profitable their first premiership in 17 years in 2023, however their premiership window is uniquely complicated.
Reece Walsh, Ezra Mam, Payne Haas, Pat Carrigan … they might all play for at the least one other decade, however halfback and captain Adam Reynolds is approaching 34 years previous.
Phil Gould mentioned earlier than the season that the Broncos have “most likely bought to win [a premiership] now as a result of I do not understand how a lot time Reynolds has bought left in him”.
Earlier than jetting off to Las Vegas, Brisbane locked him in for an additional yr based mostly on his top-shelf on-field performances and management for a nonetheless rising squad.
However the diminutive quantity seven has endured a lot of leg accidents over his nearly 300 video games within the NRL, so seeing him go down with one other knee harm within the season opener needs to be deeply regarding for the Broncos.
“Simply stirred up what was already there. It is fairly sore,” he mentioned after the 28-18 win over South Sydney.
Jock Madden is the inheritor obvious to the halfback spot and hasn’t dissatisfied briefly stints in maroon and gold, however Reynolds is the person anticipated to steer the workforce to a title.
They want him on the park to be an opportunity.
ABC participant of the yr votes:
3. Pat Carrigan (Broncos)
2. Selwyn Cobbo (Broncos)
1. Brendan Piakura (Broncos)
2. Shark assault rightly penalised
With such a deal with head accidents and the long run impacts, there was a good quantity of strain on the NRL judiciary to come back down laborious on Sharks second-rower Briton Nikora.
Nikora flew into the road and hit Viliame Kikau flush within the head together with his shoulder early in his aspect’s victory over the Bulldogs at Shark Park.
It was a extremely ugly transfer that noticed Nikora despatched to the sin bin — and maybe he was lucky it was not a full ship off.
Seeking to come down laborious, the match evaluation committee charged Nikora with grade-two harmful contact and provided him a two-match ban.
He’ll miss upcoming clashes with the Wests Tigers and Canberra by taking the early responsible plea.
ABC participant of the yr votes:
3. Ronaldo Mulitalo (Sharks)
2. Blayke Brailey (Sharks)
1. Nicho Hynes (Sharks)
3. Eels really feel dudded over new rule
Clint Gutherson felt that the Eels had been “dudded” of their defeat towards the Panthers.
The discuss pre-season was that the NRL would crack down on gamers who place themselves “downtown” this yr, that being when an attacking participant strikes previous the positioning of the final play-the-ball earlier than the ball has been kicked previous the chasers.
Reece Robson and Pat Carrigan have each been penalised amid the brand new crackdown — however Panthers ahead Isaah Yeo was not regardless of blatantly standing down area earlier than earlier than Nathan Cleary kicked by the road at shut vary to permit Dylan Edwards to attain.
Eels coach Brad Arthur made point out of the difficulty in his press convention.
“Not quite a bit went proper for us, with a couple of calls I reckon,” he mentioned.
“I simply thought there’s some rule adjustments there that must be enforced.”
Gutherson merely added: “Guidelines are guidelines. You have to do what the referees are doing.”
“As Brad mentioned, we most likely thought we bought dudded on a few calls.”
ABC participant of the yr votes:
3. Izack Tago (Panthers)
2. Dylan Edwards (Panthers)
1. Clint Gutherson (Eels)
4. Tigers render unto Sezer what’s Sezer’s
Benji Marshall’s workforce welcomed Jayden ‘Bud’ Sullivan from the Dragons and veteran half Aidan Sezer from the Tremendous League’s Leeds Rhinos in the identical low season.
Sullivan began the yr because the reigning wooden-spooners’ first-choice halfback, however he was hooked 55 minutes into their first recreation of the yr in Canberra, with Sezer coming off the bench and ending the 32-12 loss to his previous workforce at halfback.
Marshall was properly inside his rights as Sullivan was providing little both aspect of the ball, with rookie five-eighth Lachie Galvin taking over an outsized position in his debut NRL match.
There are excessive hopes for 18-year-old Galvin, and an skilled recreation supervisor like Sezer most likely makes extra sense to assist him develop than 22-year-old Sullivan, who by no means locked down a spot at St George Illawarra and was allowed to depart after 4 seasons.
It is simply one in every of many challenges dealing with Marshall in his first yr within the prime job.
ABC participant of the yr votes:
3. Matt Timoko (Raiders)
2. Jordan Rapana (Raiders)
1. Api Koroisau (Tigers)
5. Clutch Townsend masks Holmes woes
Valentine Holmes lower a fairly pissed off determine on the finish of the Cowboys’ golden level win towards the Knights in Townsville.
Which is a contact unlucky given the drama of the victory.
Nonetheless, the Origin rep was most likely simply grateful that Chad Townsend bailed out his missed kicks to seal an exciting win.
The Cowboys star missed three kicks at aim in regulation time, in addition to a long-range two-point area aim try and win it within the dying seconds.
He additionally made a game-high 4 errors in an uncharacteristic efficiency towards a person who may properly be a direct opponent for his Origin jersey in Kalyn Ponga.
That being mentioned, he wasn’t too dangerous. Holmes nonetheless ran for 123m in 13 runs, had 51 post-contact metres and was on the profitable aspect.
ABC participant of the yr votes:
3. Chad Townsend (Cowboys)
2. Adam Elliott (Knights)
1. Reuben Cotter (Cowboys)
6. X marks the spot
The truth that there’s completely nothing price speaking about — in a recreation that featured three enormous swings of momentum, an eight-point comeback on the loss of life and a controversial no-try — other than Xavier Coates’s magical put down says quite a bit about simply how good it was.
However the different factor that tells you ways good it was is the response to everybody watching.
“That’s the biggest particular person effort to win a recreation I’ve ever seen,” Cooper Cronk mentioned.
“I am undecided a rugby league participant ought to have the ability to do that.”
“I nonetheless cannot imagine he scored that attempt,” Jahrome Hughes mentioned.
“It is proper up right here,” Storm coach Craig Bellamy mentioned.
However for Warriors coach Andrew Webster, it simply appeared unfair.
“Once you’ve bought a winger who can bounce over a skyscraper after which put the ball down within the nook, it is fairly wonderful,” he mentioned.
Says all of it, actually.
ABC participant of the yr votes:
3. Jahrome Hughes (Storm)
2. Dalene Watene-Zelezniak (Warriors)
1. Ryan Papenhuyzen (Storm)
7. Manly large comes of age
They do not actually make them a lot larger than Taniela Paseka.
The Manly prop stands 197cm tall and weighs 120kg and when he is within the temper he performs with each single little bit of that dimension. His dimension and athleticism is such that he is been linked with a transfer to the NFL greater than as soon as.
However consistency hasn’t all the time been the secret for Paseka and whereas he is impressed at occasions up to now he hasn’t all the time put his Herculean physique on the road the best way the Sea Eagles would hope.
That may be altering. After a robust displaying in Spherical 1 towards the Rabbitohs, Paseka led from the entrance once more within the win over the Roosters. He ran straight and laborious and indignant and helped set a bodily tone that carried Manly to their spectacular 21-14 win.
Luke Brooks and Tom Trbojevic will all the time get the headlines, speedy exterior backs like Tolu Koula will rating many of the tries however this win began with Paseka and what he was in a position to do to a really achieved Roosters pack.
The enormous has woke up and there may be no going again. If the Sea Eagles are to show fortnight into season they want extra of the brand new Paseka and based mostly on what he produced on Sunday afternoon there’s loads of that within the tank.
ABC participant of the yr votes:
3. Haumole Olakau’atu (Sea Eagles)
2. Lachlan Croker (Sea Eagles)
1. Tolutau Koula (Sea Eagles)
8. Katoa makes essentially the most of second likelihood
Isaiya Katoa was a shock exclusion from the Dolphins squad in Spherical 1 — the 20-year-old was one of many membership’s prize signings for his or her inaugural yr and loved a effective rookie season within the halves.
After the membership’s listless defeat to North Queensland, adjustments had been required and Katoa was pitched in for Sean O’Sullivan. Turning issues round was an enormous ask, particularly given five-eighth Kodi Nikorima was dominated out within the first half resulting from an HIA.
However Katoa responded with the most effective recreation of his younger profession, establishing two tries and displaying a maturity and command of the assault that belied his inexperience.
The plan was all the time for Katoa to be the long-term playmaker for the Dolphins however based mostly on this efficiency, the long-term future may be arriving before anybody thought.
ABC participant of the yr votes:
3. Hamiso Tabui-Fidow (Dolphins)
2. Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins)
1. Tom Flegler (Dolphins)
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