Recap and review NRL action as it happens as Rugby League Writers hand out Round 6 scores and grades for all 16 teams.
While not every game of every round throughout the 2023 NRL season is hyped up as a blockbuster, there is always something to take away from the 80 minutes.
Here, we’re summing up every Round 6 game before digging into the biggest moments of the round on Monday and Tuesday.
Note: The grades are relative. NRL scores don’t always paint an accurate picture of what happened on the field. An A grade for the 0-5 Wests Tigers will now look a lot different to an A for, say, the high-flying Brisbane Broncos. It’s a moving scale for each team as expectations and goals change throughout the year.
Thursday
Melbourne Storm 28 def. Sydney Roosters 8
Melbourne Storm: A
After a superb defensive showing last week against the Rabbitohs, the Storm showed us they’ve still got it on both sides of the ball to pile up the points against a hapless Roosters side. Despite the slippery conditions, Melbourne’s ball movement was the best we’ve seen this season. They moved the Roosters across the park, turning forwards back against the grain and injecting fatigue into the defence. With the lion’s share of possession and a host of attacking opportunities on Sydney’s line, Harry Grant, Cameron Munster and Nick Meaney combined beautifully to orchestrate points on either edge. Grant continued on a career-year to threaten with every touch, Munster provided his usual moments of magic and Meaney was at his creative, supporting attacking best. Melbourne’s key men were well supported by Christian Welch – who had one of his best games in recent memory – and the Storm forward pack who dominated in yardage to lay the platform in attack. The 28-8 scoreline probably doesn’t truly indicate Melbourne’s dominance in this one.
Sydney Roosters: D
An error from Jaxson Paulo in the second tackle of the game set the tone for a horrible night in the office for Trent Robinson’s men. The Roosters were able to defend their mistake in this instance, but that resilience waned as the game went on. Cheap turnovers in yardage and ill-discipline in defence continued to gift Melbourne possession and field position, and the scoreboard slowly ticked over from there. When the Roosters held the ball and got through their sets they matched it with Melbourne – Paulo’s opening try was testament to that – but with just 41% of the ball and 21 of 34 sets completed, the Roosters just didn’t give themselves a chance. A sinbinning to Victor Radley for a lazy, late shot on Cameron Munster was the turning point. Up 8-6 at the time, Easts conceded two tries with Radley in the bin and couldn’t drag themselves back into the contest once he returned. The Roosters are still building into the season but after a promising showing last week, it’s feeling like one step forward, two steps back for the tri-colours to start 2023.
Friday
South Sydney Rabbitohs 50 def. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 16
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs: C
Cameron Ciraldo won’t be looking for excuses when reviewing this one, but there were plenty out there. The Bulldogs decimated forward pack competed well under the circumstances but couldn’t go with South Sydney for the full 80 minutes. To be beaten in yardage by 700+ metres is a tough pill to swallow, but with so many players missing from the rotation they just couldn’t stop the flow. Matt Burton and Reed Mahoney can’t be faulted for their efforts. Both men had key involvements in attack but their opportunities were limited with just 39% of the ball and 25 from 36 sets completed. Still, Canterbury kept it relatively interesting until a blowout in the final 15 minutes, which is credit to their effort and resilience this season. This is not a performance to judge the Bulldogs on in 2023.
South Sydney Rabbitohs: B+
Putting 50 on the scoreboard would usually result in an ‘A’ grade, but the Rabbitohs will feel like they left a few more out there. Latrell Mitchell was everywhere in his 150th NRL game, responding to criticism around his involvements to register 29 receipts and producing three tries and two assist with those touches. It was an ominous reminder of Mitchell’s talents with the ball in hand, albeit against an injury ravaged opposition. The work of South Sydney’s forwards through the middle helped to bring Mitchell into the game. They dominated the ruck area, laying the platform for the Rabbitohs spine to go to work. The points didn’t come til late in the halves but when they did, they came fast. Cameron Murray, Cody Walker, Lachlan Ilias and Mitchell combined beautifully in the backline, finding space on the edges in yardage and points in good-ball. They stripped the numbers smartly and made the most of a retreating, fatiguing defensive line. The nine tries scored will please Jason Demetriou, but the three conceded – one from an intercept and another from a kick – are more encouraging.
The Dolphins 32 def. North Queensland Cowboys 22
North Queensland Cowboys: C-
It might be time for us to re-evaluate the North Queensland Cowboys in 2023. They are playing out a similar game-plan to the one that took them to a preliminary final last season, but their trademark composure and execution under pressure has deserted them. The Cowboys gave up an early lead in this one but showed their resilience to work back into the game. They had The Dolphins number when they held onto the ball, but errors in key moments continued to undo all their hard work. A kick on tackle two from Brendan Elliott after making a half break or a Valentine Holmes pushed pass off the deck are two good examples of North Queensland wasting attack opportunities they earned for themselves. As they ground away at the deficit it felt like the Cowboys might finish on top (as they did so often in 2022) but their block-to-block backline movements were easily contained as they searched for the winning play. Finished with 45 missed tackles and 13 errors, highlighting their ill-discipline on both sides of the ball.
The Dolphins: A-
Another inspired win for the NRL’s newest club. Few gave The Dolphins a chance with so many key players unavailable for this game, but we all forgot that’s just how Wayne Bennett likes it. His team competed on every tackle, forcing errors with their defence and then capitalising on the field position and possession they earned. Some individual brilliance helped Jamayne Isaako to a first-half hattrick, courtesy of some lovely playmaking from Isaiya Katoa. The young half perfectly executed a gameplan designed to test Cowboys winger Brendan Elliott, and Isaako was the main beneficiary. Katoa was well supported by Jeremy Marshall-King from dummy-half (two try assists) and fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, who is proving ten times the player he was at the Cowboys. ‘The Hammer’ was everywhere against his old club, scoring two tries – including the match sealer – and setting up another two with his ballplaying on the edges. With a forward pack that just won’t quit and a fullback oozing with talent, this Dolphins squad might just be deep enough.
Saturday
Penrith Panthers 44 def. Manly Warringah Sea Eagles 12
Penrith Panthers: A
The Penrith Panthers made their intentions clear with early shifts to the edges out of yardage. In good ball, Nathan Cleary had a target on Kelma Tuilagi on the Sea Eagles left edge. If he wasn’t running to attack the space between Tuilagi and Kaeo Weekes, Cleary was getting deep into the line and turning the backrower in before firing the ball wide. Dylan Edwards ended up as the beneficiary for four tries on the night but it there was a concerted effort for the Panthers to attack a certain spot and it paid divdends in the end. Notably, the Panthers defence handled what had been a decent Sea Eagles attack with relative ease before taking their foot off the gas late. It’s the sort of game the Panthers needed to really kickstart their season, but not one we should read too much into given the performance the Sea Eagles dished up.
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles: D-
Well, that was an eye-opener for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles…This game was circled as a measuring stick following a relatively promising opening four games of the NRL season, but whether or not the final score is an accurate reflection of where the Sea Eagles are really at, it’s clear they have a lot of work to do if they’re to play finals football. The Panthers ripped them to shreds down the edges. In yardage, the right edge struggled to contain Izack Tago who picked up easy metres. In good ball, Dylan Edwards wasn’t made to work for his first half hattrick through Manly’s left edge. A couple of consolation tries late aren’t enough to add any respectability to the scoreline. This is a concerning result for Anthony Seibold and the Sea Eagles. Defence continues to be a major concern and the attack struggled against a top shelf Panthers defence.
Canberra Raiders 20 def. Brisbane Broncos 14
Brisbane Broncos: D
A fairly casual Brisbane Broncos side welcomed the Raiders to Suncorp and they were made to pay early. Lacking the go-forward and execution of the first five rounds, the Broncos attack struggled to make a dent in the Raiders defence with balls going to ground and Reece Walsh blowing a sure try while pushing a pass. The chunkiness extended into the second half as the Broncos chased a lead. Walsh has been a focus of the attack but tonight he was a clear focus of the Raiders defence as they closed down his time and space with the ball. The Broncos haven’t been in this position in 2023 and didn’t know how to respond. Walsh mentioned a lack of respect for the football in the post-match chat and that’s how it looked at home. Where they have worked their way towards points across multiple sets so far this season, they looked to score with every shift this week. They will learn a lot from the loss but it’s one that pulls them back to the pack.
Canberra Raiders: A-
The Canberra Raiders came into this one as massive underdogs and threw caution to the wind early in an attempt to stun the Broncos at the Suncorp Stadium crowd. Throwing the ball around, the Raiders opened the scoring. They kept the intensity throughout the first half to go into the sheds with a lead, but we saw similar out of them against the Panthers a week earlier. While they found success moving the ball throughout the first 40 minutes, the Raiders tightened up with a lead in the second. Josh Papalii produced a classic performance for his 150 minutes on 15 carries while Corey Horsburgh’s physicality in defence set the tone in the middle. Albert Hopoate stood out defensively on the edge, too. The Raiders needed this one. Following on from a horror loss to the Panthers, they came out and played like the Top 8 team many expected them to be this season.
Sunday
Gold Coast Titans 20 def. St George-Illawarra Dragons 18
Gold Coast Titans: B+
The Titans were first to concede points in this one and looked the lesser side in yardage, early on. They allowed St George to roll into attacking territory with relative ease and were quickly faced with a six point deficit. The work of Philip Sami in yardage and the boot of Toby Sexton on fifth tackle swung the momentum back to the home side, though. The Gold Coast shifted the ball to the edges in yardage and Sami was the beneficiary, clocking up 177 running metres and 10 tackle breaks before halftime. Some individual brilliance from Jayden Campbell produced first points with an opportunistic wrap-around play close to the line, and Sami crossed next for a well deserved solo try in the second half. Some desperate goal-line defence with 10 minutes to go felt like it might’ve won the game for the Titans, only for Ben Hunt to score after consecutive attacking sets. The Gold Coast impressed though to strike right back. Capitalising on some ill-discipline from the Dragons, Toby Sexton sliced through on the back of consecutive attacking sets to score the match winner. Elsewhere, new recruit Kruise Leeming had some promising involvements at dummy-half and can have a positive influence on the Titans attack.
St. George Illawarra Dragons: C
The Dragons dominated the ruck from the kick-off and created multiple chances for themselves in good-ball. Jacob Liddle and Jack Bird had some smart involvements through the middle-third, challenging ruck defenders and finding easy metres in yardage. In attack, Ben Hunt pulled the strings to setup St George’s first points with a pinpoint kick, pitching Zac Lomax against the diminutive Jayden Campbell on the line. Jaydn Su’a also had a busy game – when he wasn’t pushing and shoving with Tino Fa’asuamaleaui in the backfield – and should’ve scored back on the inside when he put Mikaele Ravalawa down the touchline in the first half. Some desperate goal-line defence kept St George in the contest despite Gold Coast playing with the momentum in the second stanza. Like the Titans, the Dragons struggled to produce points as fatigue set in, instead relying on the opposition to gift them attacking field position. Their opportunity came when Hunt’s bomb forced an error from Brian Kelly in the final quarter, and Hunt turned that territory into points when he combined with Bird for a lovely four-pointer. Unfortunately, ill-discipline allowed the Titans to return-serve with multiple sets on the Dragons line as the clock wound down. This is one the Dragons will feel they let slip.
Newcastle Knights 34 def. New Zealand Warriors 24
Newcastle Knights: A-
The Newcastle Knights improved season continues. The influence of Jackson Hastings is palpable in how the Knights are setting up in attack. He’s getting them to certain areas on the field and allowing them to effectively employ a plan with the ball – a plan that often includes getting Dom Young or Greg Marzhew one-on-one close to the line. They made the most of some ill-discipline from the Warriors in yardage to do exactly that, running out to a big lead in the first half. A perfect period from the Warriors on the other side of the break threatened to spoil the party, but some desperate defence did just enough to hold them out. Tyson Frizell made a number of special defensive plays and Hastings brought Bradman Best into the game smartly in attack. It wasn’t a complete performance from Newcastle – they struggled to work upfield when the Warriors stopped conceding yardage penalties – but this is a game the Knights would’ve let slip in 2022. Thoughts with Jayden Brailey who left the field with a concerning leg injury.
New Zealand Warriors: B+
Regardless of the result, put this down as another win for Andrew Webster and the new-look Warriors. Already without Tohu Harris and Mitch Barnett, the Wahs lost Wayde Egan and Te Maire Martin in this one to be staring down a 22-6 deficit at the break. Cheap yardage penalties gifted Newcastle easy passage to the try line early on, but when the game settled into a grind the Warriors were the better side. Showed wonderful composure to get through their sets and build pressure in the second half, eventually bringing the Knights to within four points. They produced a near-perfect 20 minute block during this period but as the possession evened out and fatigue set in, a patched-together Warriors outfit just couldn’t maintain their clinical form through to the siren. Shaun Johnson was again superb and Adam Pompey had a breakout game at centre, scoring two and assisting for a third. A late flurry of points for Newcastle doesn’t do the Warriors performance justice, who for the second week in a row held their nerve in the face of a double-digit deficit and played their way back into the contest.
Monday
Parramatta Eels 28 def. Wests Tigers 22
Wests Tigers: B
More of the same for the Wests Tigers in the first half. They let the game get away from them and left the comeback too late to complete. Wests finished with more runs (+41), running metres (+514), linebreaks (+2), tackle breaks (+22), offloads (+8), forced dropouts (+2) and tackles inside 20 (+19) but there is a bit of the Trent Barrett Bulldogs to their good ball attack: Drop players off and settle to the middle, fling the ball wide without moving the defence and hope for the best. They piled up points late but the majority were sourced from outside the Eels 20-metre line. It took Adam Doueihi leaving the field with a knee injury for Api Koroisau to use some of his craft as a ball player to create a try for Junior Tupou in the corner. The Tigers will catch a team out with their wide-ranging attack often enough to win soon, but their good ball attack again let them down in this one.
Parramatta Eels: C
The results haven’t come for Parramatta throughout the first five rounds, but the draw did them no favours. Even in defeat, there were positive signs for Brad Arthur’s side. Those positive signs translated into two competition points this week as a Mitchell Moses four-try assist haul proved to be enough. While the numbers almost exclusively finished up in favour of the Tigers, the Eels won where it mattered: The scoreboard. However, there are still concerns defensively. The Eels’ right edge has become a weekly target. What looked like a dominant victory in the first half ended up as one of the ‘win is a win’ variety for Parramatta as they struggled to ice the result. They have a long way to go before they’re back to their best and a contender for the premiership.