Unpack a scrum of three talking points before every round of the NRL season. This week Oscar previews Wests Tigers v Penrith Panthers.
Whether you’re searching for an edge in the workplace tipping comp or just desperate to talk some footy, you’ve found the place. Join me as we unpack the scrum that is the NRL each week.
Centre-Field Scrum – What’s centre-frame in the rugby league lens on Friday night?
Despite the players missing from Penrith’s lineup this week, there is still plenty of strike across the park for both sides on Friday night.
Daine Laurie’s involvement at fullback last weekend in the Tigers’ attacking shapes is something I broke down in our Q&A segment this week, so I won’t repeat myself too much here. He has already impressed as a ball runner and support player for the Tigers so far this season, but it’s Laurie’s playmaking that stood out in Round 13 and I’ll be looking for more of the same this week.
Laurie slotting into a first-receiver role and ball-playing at the line is not something we’ve seen much from him so far in his short NRL career, but when he has it’s looked good. With Luke Brooks and Moses Mbye still forming their combinations in the halves, I liked the freedom and independence Laurie played with in Round 12 as he looked to create in a similar fashion to his opposite number this Friday night.
Dylan Edwards back for the Panthers is a big in.
Despite his obvious qualities as a fullback – support play, ball playing, ball running – Edwards continues to fly under the radar in Penrith’s star studded lineup, and I’m sure Ivan Cleary wouldn’t have it any other way. In just seven games this season, Edwards has three tries, three try assists, 34 tackle breaks and an average 192 run metres per game. Not bad.
He has a wonderful combination with Nathan Cleary particularly on that right edge, where he is equally effective as a ball runner or a link man to Charlie Staines on the wing. But in his last game before getting injured back in Round 10, Edwards showcased an eagerness to play on the ball at first-receiver and either distribute through the middle or challenge the line himself – much like how Tom Trbojevic does for Manly or James Tedesco at the Roosters.
While Edwards mightn’t be quite on that level he looked likely in this new role, notching a season-high 46 receipts in that game and a try assist for his troubles.
Always in the frame and in support, Edwards backs up a Stephen Crichton line break to put Nathan Cleary into the backfield. Cleary is caught 10 metres out from the try line and as Gold Coast scramble in defence Edwards keeps his cool. He ducks out of dummy-half to bring Kevin Proctor (short side A defender) off his line sideways, which leaves space in behind the ruck. Cleary supports his fullback as the gap opens up and finishes a crafty try orchestrated by Edwards.
It might be the rugby league romantic in me, but did this have shades of Andrew Johns and Danny Buderus linking up around the ruck for Newcastle back in the day? I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Edwards in an ‘on the ball’ role for Penrith at times this season and with Cleary, Jarome Luai and Api Koroisau all out this week I’m expecting Edwards to be heavily involved around the ruck again on Friday night.
Right Scrum-Line – Who’s feeling the pressure on Friday night?
Matt Burton will have the #6 on his back this week but I expect him to play a lead playmaker role for the Panthers on Friday night. It’s a sign of Penrith’s premiership credentials that the likes of Mitch Kenny, Tyrone May and Burton come into the spine this week with all their Origin stars missing, and on current form, Burton is the pick of the bunch. He is headed to the Bulldogs next season as their main playmaker and the pressure will be on Burton to perform in that role for the Panthers in Round 13.
The last time Burton played in the halves was in Round 3 this season against the Melbourne Storm. That narrow 12-10 win will be remembered for Viliame Kikau’s try-saving effort on Justin Olam at the death, but Burton had some nice involvements in the halves as Penrith went toe-to-toe with the defending premiers.
He threw a bullet across two Panthers’ teammates to an unmarked Brian To’o early in the match only for To’o’s boot to graze the paint as he dived for the tryline. Later in the piece, he summed up the situation on the end of a left-side shift nicely, playing short to Crichton which created space for To’o on the outside only for Crichton to botch the final pass.
Aside from these few almost moments, there was one thing that stood out most about Burton back in Round 3 – his 584 kick metres. More than anything else, Burton’s ability to drive the ball downfield and force Melbourne to work out of their corners or off their own goal-line is what won Penrith that match. He can save a poor set with a good kick just as well as he can finish off a good set with a neat grubber in behind the line to build pressure.
It won’t be Burton’s fault if the Panthers aren’t as smooth in attack as they usually are on Friday night. Missing seven of their best and most involved attacking players is sure to have an effect and as such I’m expecting a very simple approach in attack from Burton and the Panthers this week against the Tigers. If Burton can win the field-position battle with his kicking game the Panthers will back their defence to build pressure and grind Wests out of the game.
Left Scrum-Line – My left-field thought for Friday night’s game.
It’s definitely the South Sydney in me, but I’ve got a Tom Amone-cam set up and ready to go for this game on Friday night. The Junior Kiwi and ex-Rabbitoh front rower has only managed 10 games in his NRL career so far after a few injury setbacks, but he worked his way into Michael Maguire’s side last weekend and earns another bench spot for Round 13.
Amone has good footwork and strength through contact, but is an out-an-out enforcer in defence. He loves to come out of the line and put a big shot on, and with Penrith dominant through the middle in almost every game this season Amone will have a job on his hands on Friday night.
Amone only got 10 minutes on the field last weekend so there’s not much to break down here from an analysis perspective, but I’ll be looking for how he can add some punch to Wests’ defence through the middle third when he comes on for the Tigers midway through the match.