The NRL Preview Notepad helps you get ready for Round 14 with talking points, players to watch and trends to follow every week.
Friday Night Footy Members Preview
We’re going to learn how real those 66 points the West Tigers scored in Round 12 are tonight. Their attack has been steadily improving in recent weeks but by how much, I’m not quite sure. Personally, I’m looking at two centres tonight as the Kiwis search for long-term options at the position.
Are the Roosters ready?
Most people have spent the first half of the 2023 NRL season assuming the Sydney Roosters will put it all together sooner rather than later and reaffirm themselves as premiership contenders. However, they’re currently 10th on the ladder and last in attack.
Yes. Last…
The Roosters are averaging only 16.3 points per game through 11 games.
Brandon Smith hasn’t kicked on like I, and many others, thought he would. Now out for an extended period, it’s unlikely that we see him at his very best at all this season.
Will we see Sam Walker again soon?
I could see the merit in trying Joey Manu at five-eighth for a week or two, but it hasn’t paid off. He’s a superb ball-carrier and does have a future at the position, but not when Luke Keary is in the halves beside him. Better suited to playing beside a traditional halfback that will play on the ball and manipulate the defensive line before Manu has his crack, this isn’t the time to be experimenting with shifting one of the best centres in the NRL.
So, what do the Roosters need to do?
I covered it a little bit heading into Round 12 when Smith mentioned the need to “make it work as a team rather than as individuals” and I think he’s summed up my thoughts in general. This Roosters team is stacked with individual talent but we’re not seeing them work as one.
There was a time when the Roosters would fall into shape walking up to a cafe together before training they were that in-sync with each other. They’ve not had that feel to them so far this season.
I always go back to the short sides and keep a close eye out for them early in a match. It’s still when I most often think “yep, here they come.”
Luke Keary scored a beauty against the Dragons and it’s exactly the sort of action I think they should be playing towards more often.
It’s likely a set play from the tap restart on halfway. Bringing Blake Lawrie into the tackle off the tap, Lindsay Collins then takes a two-pass hit up straight at the Dragons left edge backrower. That forces a reshuffle of the defensive line and Lawrie has ended up right where the Roosters want him.
Lawrie does a good job himself, though. He pushes up and leads the line speed from the inside. However, those outside him don’t follow. With the line lagging, Keary is able to skip across the big forward and attack the space either side of Talatau Amone at B with two runners on his outside.
Selling Amone a dummy while beating Lawrie for speed, Keary breaks into the backfield, beats Tyrell Sloan with ease, and scores a classic Roosters try.
The Chooks are running at two relatively inexperienced edge defence this week. With 190 games throughout his NRL career, Keary has played more than Jacob Kiraz (25 games), Jake Averillo (66), Paul Alamoti (12), Blake Wilson (2), Jacob Preston (12) and Jayden Okunbor (35) have combined (152).
I’m not too worried about the Roosters and their finals chances yet, but I might be if they can’t produce a few classic Roosters actions on Sunday.
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Wraparound Block
Oscar highlighted this one earlier in the week but I’m looking out for it over the weekend as it becomes a bit more common.
It’s a variation of a typical block shape but the ball goes wide through the lead runner.
The defence is assuming the lead runner will run inside the three-man like every other team tries to do at the moment. However, as the lead takes the ball and bounces out at the two-man, the winger is forced into a decision. Jamayne Isaako is wide by design here. He’s dragging the winger out for Brenko Lee to beat his man on the outside, or to take a pass as the opposition winger jams.
It reminds me a bit of this try the Penrith Panthers scored back in 2021. It’s clunky, but the idea is similar.
Trends are constantly developing in the NRL. This is a copycat competition and it might not be long before this becomes a fairly regular shape. Looking over the lists for this week, it looks like one for the Tigers to run through John Bateman…
A nice try
This has nothing to do with the upcoming round in the NRL but it’s a great try worth watching again.
Ballplaying in the women’s game has come a long way in recent years and Tarryn Aiken has been the forefront throughout.
Getting deep into the line here, she’s able to engage the four-in defender while Zahara Temara shapes up out the back. Taliah Fuimaono is in a difficult spot defending two in and Tazmin Gray makes it even more difficult with a perfect slip line.
One-on-one with Rachael Pearson, the trainer in the background knew what was coming ahead of time. Gray is one of the most powerful runners in the game and Aiken did an excellent job to isolate her onto a single defender.
The game itself wasn’t the best we’ve seen out of the fixture. Most of those out on the field hadn’t played for a little while and it showed at times. Nonetheless, as a standalone game and a decent crowd, it shows we’re heading in the right direction.
Scrolling through the team lists
– Harley Smith-Shields gets his chance at fullback this week. I was really excited about him early on in his NRL career but injuries and a lack of opportunity have stalled his development. With the fullback spot still relatively up for grabs in Canberra, Smith-Shields can put himself in the mix with a good performance in this one.
– Tallyn Da Silva is in the 19-man Tigers squad 24 hours before kickoff. Would love to see him get a crack in first grade.
– Valynce Te Whare will surely have a huge group in the crowd at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday. Here’s hoping they get to see him spend more than a few minutes on the field.
– The Titans backline could be anything this week. It’s incredibly Titans in its ability to play a leading role in a big upset of the Rabbitohs or be ripped through to concede 40 points. Unfortunately, I think it might be the latter.
– Corey Oates might be making his long-awaited return.
– I was surprised to see Jayden Okunbor has only played 35 NRL games in his career. I’m even more surprised at how he’s transitioning into a backrower. It’s not going too bad.
– There are a lot of possible changes before kickoff for the Cowboys. Hopefully, Jason Taumalolo’s return is one of them.