NRL: Brandy has slammed Dragons star Luciano Leilua who was sin binned in the first half of his sides ANZAC day clash.
Have you ever known a sport to punch itself in the face as hard and as often as the NRL does? Just when you thought the six-again restart rule was finally getting back to a manageable state , now we are dealing with a sin bin plague that is every bit as big a turn-off for the fans.
Watch every game of every round of the NRL Premiership LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports |WHAT'S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au. And it’s such a shame that so many matches are being influenced, even shaped, by these grey-area calls instead of the great football we are witnessing this year.
But no, on the biggest day of the NRL regular season calendar, it was two ridiculous sin bins that stole the spotlight. But in the fair dinkum stakes the Dragons were never given a fighting chance to make it a contest worthy of the occasion on Anzac Day after two contentious first-half sin bins. But worthy of 10 minutes in the bin? That’s highly debatable.
But just to rub it in, the Dragons then lost Daniel Atkinson soon after Leilua returned to the field for a so-called “professional foul”. It occurred when Atkinson knocked the ball out of the dummy half’s hand after the ball had clearly left the ruck.
Why legend’s son is Roosters’ future; Storm options as mass changes loom — Ressies WrapIn Channel Nine commentary, two of the greatest players of the modern generation in Andrew Johns and Cameron Smith argued that point. Johns said: “Is that a new rule? I’ve never heard that ... I can’t believe that was a penalty, let alone a sin bin.
” Smith, the out-and-out best dummy half to ever play the game, was also of the belief that the dummy half should be “fair game” the moment the dummy half exits the ruck.
“You need to be aware that there’s going to be a marker that’s trying to put you under the pressure and play at the ball ... I think that needs to change, that rule,” Smith said. Yet the Dragons, already out of their depth against one of the NRL’s most dangerous attacking teams, still had to play another 10 minutes a man down. It completely ruined the game for everyone bar Roosters supporters.
I’m not saying the Dragons would have stood a chance even if it remained 13 on 13 for the entire match. Meanwhile, days earlier, it was Benji Marshall blowing up after Api Koroisau’s sin bin for a hip drop against the Raiders. Benji couldn’t bite his tongue that such an innocuous tackle could cost a team their dummy half for 10 minutes.
“I don’t know what he’s supposed to do in that situation,” Benji said of Koroisau’s tackle on Noah Martin. And again, in that 10-minute period Api was off the field, the Raiders scored two tries to take the lead in front of a sellout Leichhardt Oval.
It was the ultimate proof of how big a handicap it is playing a man down in the modern game _ where the six again restart rule has already made it just about impossible for the defending team to stay on the contest. Benji added: “I just think the fans deserve some consistency around the interpretations of the rules. We’re not getting it”.
, while we can’t ever expect consistency across the game, we can limit the amount of sin bins we are seeing. Bennett’s argument is that the match review committee should be left to hand out the punishments after the game. If it’s a blatant and reckless high shot, the ref can still go ahead and send them off.
Bennett told the media last week: “The sin bin is the worst thing for me personally because of the inconsistencies that is applied.
“It has a huge impact on games. I don’t believe it’s fair. We have a judiciary that does a pretty good job reviewing all the games, and they get charged the next day.
“Whatever you want to do, I don’t care. But don’t send a guy to the bin for a hip-drop and send another guy. ”ABSOLUTE MADNESS HOW API GETS SAME THREE-MATCH BAN AS SU’A? That said, I still find it absurd that Api’s hip drop even warrants a three-match ban _ the same suspension Jaydn Su’A will serve for attempting to decapitate Cam Murray.
I understand that Koroisau had already been charged three times this year, and the loading influences the severity of his punishment. But for mine this is another clear example where the punishment does not fit the crime under the current loading system. Adding to the severity of Api’s punishment, it also means Koroisau is now no chance of getting selected for NSW for the State of Origin opener _ given he won’t play again before the Blues team is named.
It’s always dangerous trying to psychoanalyse Wayne Bennett. Plenty of commentators and fans took exception to his short, surly media conference. Most couldn’t understand why Bennett wouldn’t at least praise his players after such an outstanding performance. Instead, it looked like Coach Grumpy turned up ready to pick a fight.
It was about the message Bennett wanted his players to hear _ that now is not the time to be patting themselves on the back. But he was prepared to take a bullet to make sure his players didn’t get caught up in their own hype. Eight rounds into the season, he knows better than anyone how quickly things can turn. He also knows what’s coming up next _ a trip to face the Newcastle Knights in Newcastle.
A side on a three-game slide but far from easy-beats. Especially with the likely return of Kalyn Ponga, Bradman Best and Greg Marzhew, while Dylan Lucas and Tyson Frizell may also be available. Add to that Bennett’s history up in Newcastle, and you can bet the Knights will lift in front of their home crowd. Bennett also hasn’t forgotten Souths’ shock loss to Canberra in Perth a few weeks back that came after an impressive win over the Bulldogs.
There is no doubt the Rabbitohs turned up in WA a bit cocky and with their minds not completely on the job. Bennett understands better than anyone how hype in April means nothing come September. It might not win him any friends in the media today. Are Storm in danger of missing finals?
| 03:47It is easy to put the boot into the Melbourne Storm after six straight defeats. But I could only admire how Harry Grant stuck up for a clearly shattered Craig Bellamy at the post-match media conference. Saying that this was “probably the most embarrassed I have ever been in my footy life” to “come up with a performance like that”, and “a lack of effort like that on Anzac Day”.
And when asked by Fox League’s Lara Pitt if he thinks he still has the buy-in from the players, Bellamy conceded: “That’s a good point, I might not have”. But that’s when Grant jumped in, taking his frustration out on Lara: “Yeah he does . That’s a silly question.
“He’s a modest guy. He’s probably going to look to himself for these results. But at the end of the day no one works harder than Craig”. While it certainly wasn’t a ‘silly’ question from Lara given the Storm’s recent results, you could see the genuine hurt Grant was feeling as he tried to defend his coach.
I just hope for the Storm’s sake that same hurt spreads across the entire playing group and we look back in the coming weeks as this being the moment that sparked the Storm back to life. The Storm have too many stars to be sitting second last on the NRL ladder with only the Dragons below them. If Adam Doueihi can continue his outstanding form for a few more weeks, surely the 27-year-old deserves a call-up for NSW this year.
Aside from Nathan Cleary, there has not been a playmaker eligible for Blues selection in better form than the Tigers’ halfback, who was again superb in the 33-14 win over the Raiders. Doueihi finished with 12 runs for 98m that included two tries, two linebreaks and a linebreak assist.
It takes Doueihi’s tally to four tries for the season, while he leads all the NRL halves for linebreaks , tackle busts and run metres . He also has eight try assists. As we stand here today, there is no question Doueihi is in far better form than both Mitchell Moses and Ethan Strange.
It will be hard for Laurie Daley to overlook Moses given how well the Parramatta halfback has performed in the past for the Blues, while Strange has been touted as a future “Origin player”, and the fact he toured with the Kangaroos to the UK last year will be in Strange’s favour. But given Laurie Daley has said previously he will be picking his team on form this year, Doueihi at the very least warrants a spot on the NSW bench given he could play in the halves, centre, fullback or lock.
I wrote last week, for a bloke who has had three knee reconstructions to come back and play the best football of his career is an absolute inspiration. Now to Latrell Mitchell, and I don’t think I have ever seen him in more dominant form than he is right now.
And while I’ve been critical of some of Latrell’s minor brain explosions in recent weeks , when Latrell gets that crap out of his game he is still the most dangerous player in the NRL. And don’t let Wayne Bennett fool you that the Rabbitohs aren’t more than capable of doing something special this year, especially if Latrell can remain focussed.
Another player who deserves a massive rap at the Bunnies is Matt Dufty, who has been sensational in his two games filling in for the injured Jye Gray. After clocking 300-plus metres against the Dragons last round, Dufty finished with 23 runs for 292m against the Storm _ which included a try, a try assist, nine tackle busts, two line breaks and a line break assist.
The way Dufty is going, it will be a big decision for Bennett when Gray comes back from injury as to who stays wearing the No 1 jumper if Dufty can continue in this form. Dylan Edwards also answered his critics with a superb performance in the Panthers’ dominant 44-12 win over the Knights.
With all the recent talk about James Tedesco’s super form to start the season and how it warrants a NSW return, Edwards went out and in the space of eight minutes in the first half scored a hattrick. There isn’t a braver team in the NRL than what we’ve seen from the injury-ravaged Broncos in recent weeks.
We said their win last week over the Tigers at Campbelltown was one of the gutsiest in the club’s history given how many stars were sidelined.was next level _ especially given how desperate the Bulldogs should have been going into this match after their shock loss to Parramatta the previous round. But with Reece Walsh, Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan among a stack on the sidelines, the Broncos absolutely gave it to the Dogs who even had their inspirational skipper Stephen Crichton back on deck.
Once again, 35-year-old Reynolds was in vintage form with a masterclass playmaking performance, while Kotoni Staggs didn’t do his Origin hopes any harm with another wholehearted effort. And Ezra Mam is also getting back to the form we know he is capable of after his slow start to the season. While the performance of the Broncos’ patched-up pack was equally impressive _ with young Xavier Willison leading the charge with 20 runs for 140m along with 31 tackles.
Jordan Riki was the other standout with 16 runs for 109m and 39 tackles. BATTLING BULLDOGS RAISE MORE QUESTIONS As for the Bulldogs, they have now dropped to 10th on the ladder _ and their performance against the Broncos again raises more questions than answers. This time a lot of the talk after the game focussed on Cameron Ciraldo’s latest left-field decision to drop Bailey Hayward to the bench and start Jake Turpin at dummy half.
Some are now saying Hayward is better suited to the middle forward role than he is starting at hooker. For mine, Kurt Mann still has the edge on Hayward in that role, even though Jaeman Salmon is the starting 13. I concede I jumped on the Galvin bandwagon after his career-best performance in the shock win over the Panthers. I can’t wait to see which Bulldogs team turns up when they host the Cowboys at Accor Stadium on Friday night.
What about the turnaround in the form of Scott Drinkwater. After his shocker against the Sea Eagles, Drinkwater was back to his sensational best in the 46-34 win over the Sharks. Finishing with a try, three try assists as well as three line break assists, Drinkwater showed why the $900,000-a-season the Dragons will be paying him next year should be money well spent.
With the ball in hand, I’d still rate Drinkwater as the second most influential fullback in the NRL behind only Reece Walsh. Alex McKinnon wrote on Fox. Sports.com.au last week how signing Drinkwater to a three-year deal “would be the dumbest move they could make” given the Dragons have an exceptional 18-year-old fullback in Oliver Burton coming through the grades. While I don’t question Alex’s knowledge of young Burton, I also reckon Drinkwater is a great buy for the Dragons.
And as a former Australian Schoolboys halfback, I reckon the 28-year-old could easily make the switch into the halves at some point in the future if required. While there are obvious questions over Drinkwater’s defence, he’d offer a lot more spark in attack than anything we’ve seen at the Dragons over the past few years.
STILL TOO EARLY FOR SEA EAGLES TO MAKE CALL ON FORAN Even after four straight wins under Kieran Foran, I still think it would be wise for Manly to hold off offering Foran the head coaching contract for next year and beyond. And especially after all the drama that surrounded Anthony Seibold’s exit, the Sea Eagles owe it to themselves to be extremely careful before committing their long-term future to a coach who has no previous experience.
There is no doubt Foran’s appointment has been an inspiration so far, and the players are obviously responding to him. The decision doesn’t need to be made in a hurry. We are still very early into the season, and Manly’s next three matches against the Panthers, Broncos and Wests Tigers will give us a far better gauge on where they are really at.
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