There is a lot to cover after every round in the NRL. Throughout the 2024 season, this is a place where I’ll cover what is most important, a few little things a liked from the round, something to keep an eye on in the next one, and a try I particularly enjoyed.
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The Tough Carry: Flegler’s new focus with the ball
Tackle 1 is often the toughest carry of the set. It can make or break it. Here, it’s my biggest talking point from the round that was.
The Dolphins made a splash with their signings for the 2024 NRL season. Having pieced together a hard-working squad to get things started in 2023, they added some quality for this year.
Herbie Farnworth is the flashy signing everybody wants to see released into the backfield and put one-on-one with the fullback. But it’s likely to be Tom Flegler who creates the space for him to do so as the big prop forward continues to develop his game.
While the North Queensland Cowboys had their way with the Dolphins in the end, it’s the time of year to look for positives, and Flegler is a big one for Wayne Bennett’s side.
His raw numbers are strong to start: 106 running metres, 33 tackles, 0 missed tackles, 1 try.
Another one: 3 passes.
Flegler has added a pass to his game in recent seasons. Having thrown only 56 passes in 53 games between 2019 and 2021, he moved the ball on 100 times in 40 games over the last two seasons to average 2.5 per game.
While he threw only three against the Cowboys on Sunday, I think we might see him average closer to four per game in a few weeks. The Dolphins played with only 45% possession and 39% territory, so his opportunities to play attacking football by prop standards was limited.
Still, we caught a glimpse of what the Dolphins attack might look like in full swing with Flegler involved as a ball player through the middle.
Running at the top of a diamond shape through the middle, Flegler has a decoy on the inside to hold up the marker while he looks to engage the four and five-in defenders with a lead on his outside. It’s not perfect here, but even still (and it’s probably pulled back for obstrcution anyway), he’s able to do enough through the middle to put Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow on the outside of his man.
From a little bit further out Flegler took possession one off the ruck to run a more traditional block play with his backrower. Block plays have become the devil for some people in recent years, but when you have to respect the ball carrier as much as you do Flegler here, it’s an effective play. It’s enough to put Kodi Nikorima on the outside of his man and at least ask a question of the Cowboys defence this time.
It’s not always out the back either. It’s this short pass that could become exceptionally effective as the Dolphins finish their sets.
Flegler himself could take the carry straight at Reuben Cotter and generate a quick play-the-ball himself here. Instead, he plays short and isolates Connelly Lemuelu onto Jeremiah Nanai. Lemuelu leaves Nanai on the ground and only one marker which reduces the kick pressure Cotter can apply to Sean O’Sullivan. With all of the time in the world, O’Sullivan lands it in the 10×10 box he’s aiming for in the corner and the Cowboys are forced to work out from deep of their own end.
The Dolphins didn’t play with the most creative attack throughout the 2023 NRL season. They played with what they had, which is a group of direct runners that will keep coming, but not with a lot of variation. This version of Flegler can help to change things up.
It won’t always be the most notable action within a try-scoring play, but Flegler looks set to feature heavily in the Dolphins’ best attacking actions this season.
Quick play-the-ball: Cartwight’s offload, short dropouts & a short side raid
We’re generating momentum through the middle of the article with a couple of quick carries.
Carty Party
Brad Arthur has grown a reputation for reviving NRL careers. Bryce Cartwright might be his best work yet.
He scored a double in Round 1 with 114 running metres but it’s his offload that is going to be the biggest feature of his game in 2024.
He had six in this one alone. They’re not opportunistic offloads, either. He’s seeking them out, making contact, and instantly looking to spin and free his arm.
Cartwright threw 52 offloads last season. Only J’maine Hopgood threw more across the NRL with 56. It’s early days, but I expect to see Cartwright at the top of the list after Round 27.
Short Dropouts…
Shock: The change to short dropouts hasn’t been a good one.
There is little reward for forcing a repeat set. The majority of defending teams are taking the gift short dropout given there is no punishment for getting it wrong.
Most teams are happy to defend their line. The short field helps and allows the fullback to fill in with an extra number. With kicking teams able to wind up and jump into the contest, you could argue they have the advantage against a usually-stationary catcher.
The Melbourne Storm attempted more short dropouts than any club in the NRL to finish with 31 for the 2023 season at 1.2 per game. They attempted four alone in Round 1.
There is some interest in how teams tackle short dropouts. Each will have their own approach for batting the ball back or sitting in behind. Still, it’s not a change that I’m a fan of at this stage.
Love a short side
This is eyes up footy.
The North Queensland Cowboys will likely have schemed for this play. Even last season, the Dolphins edges were caught sitting back and inviting short sides.
Here, they see Sean O’Sullivan caught in the tackle with a big middle forced to fill in at B down the short side. That is appealing enough before considering they have Tesi Niu – not the most mobile edge defender on the field – covering 15 metres on his own with the winger dropped back.
It’s a numbers game for the Cowboys to start with, and they execute to perfection. Kyle Laybutt finishes it off with a lovely one-handed dummy pass to send Hamiso Tabuia-Fidow flying.
Lovely footy.
Setting up for a shot: Ponga in the middle
Teams play to points with the following tackle in mind. Here, I’m touching on something to watch next week as we try to keep ahead of things happening on the field.
Kalyn Ponga sits behind the ruck and has a peek at the short side. The Raiders get four there so he flips over to the long side.
That’s all fairly stock standard for Ponga and the Knights attack.
What caught my eye – in a scripted set from a tap – is Ponga providing the middle service for Tyson Gamble out the back.
It doesn’t look all that successful, but it puts Dane Gagai one-on-one with his opposite in what is the worst-case scenario before the Knights work it back through the middle.
Newcastle’s attack didn’t fire in Round 1. Ponga spotting up in different areas may have had something to do with it. They’re always looking for new ways to incorporate him into the attack. Maybe playing more through the middle at times, is it?
Try Time: An Eels Special
Sometimes, it will be a piece of magic. Others, it’s a basic move made to look easy. Whatever it is, all great sets end in points, so we’re doing the same here.
The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs struggled in contact in Round 1. It won’t be quite so easy for the Parramatta Eels to get an offload away every week. Still, they showed us what the plan is for 2024 by releasing 16 of them and looking to play on the back of almost every single one.
Three offloads translates into 25 extra metres here…
Most importantly, it moves the middle defence around the field and scrambles the line. With Junior Paulo taking one more carry up the middle to shrink the line through the middle, Blake Taffee can’t respond quickly enough and fails to flip a number to the left edge.
As a result, the Bulldogs are caught short, and Joey Lussick can make either pass for the Eels to score.
The Eels love to play around the ruck on the line and offloads cause havoc all the way up the field. Fullbacks are going to have a tough time all year if the Eels continue to execute like this.