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 I liked from the round, something to keep an eye on in the next one, and a try I particularly enjoyed.
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What you’ll get in this NRL Round 16 Review:
- Benji’s work paying off
- A scrum try
- Storm rolling down the shortside (again)
- Storm’s scrum sequence
It wasn’t a great week for good footy. Naturally, there is a lot of Storm and Dolphins in here as the best game of the weekend.
The Tough Carry: Benji’s work paying off
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.
For better or worse, Wests Tigers are rarely out of the headlines. Clicks define content, and plenty want to read about Wests – good or bad.
One of the more ridiculous recent storylines revolved around Benji Marshall using his time during the bye to fly to Fiji.
His commitment has been questioned, and his work ethic has been scrutinized. However, Marshall and the Tigers’ coaching staff highlighted and executed an opportunity for Lachlan Galvin to score straight out of halftime in Round 16. It’s a try you don’t just stumble upon without planning.
I could use a few similar set starts to show the cues from the first half, but this one is best for two reasons.
1. We can see Stefano Utoikamanu’s monster kick return and the strange collar grab on Seb Kris to bring him back into the tackle.
2. It gives us the best view to see not only how tight Matt Timoko is at three-in for the Raiders but also how wide the Tigers are in preparation for a shift.
Aidan Sezer swings around from the shortside and shapes to drop two forwards back under before finding Galvin who puts Jahream Bula outside Kaeo Weekes.
It ends in an error on this occasion. Nonetheless, it’s something the Tigers want to do from the kickoff and they take their chance to execute after oranges.
Again it’s a straight charge from the kickoff and one-out carry to just inside the scrum lines.
There’s Sezer again swinging late, shaping to drop off two forwards which holds up the middle defence from sliding. Galvin takes possession in the same spot he did in the previous example but releases the ball slightly earlier this time around.
With a little bit more time, Bula is straighter on his run which forces Nick Cotric to turn in, unable to use the sideline as a defender as he did before.
Bula’s offload sends Solomona Faataape down the sideline who links up with Adam Doueihi, and as all good halves do, Galvin pushes up through the middle to score.
Marshall and the staff did their part to scheme up the play, and those on the field nailed it. It’s a very positive sign for the Wests Tigers as they look to build on back-to-back wins.
Quick play-the-ball: A scrum try
We’re generating momentum through the middle of the article with a couple of quick carries.
Regular readers know I wouldn’t be able to see this try without mentioning it.
What makes it so good is the detail of Joey Manu’s involvement. We’ve seen teams load up with a 4/2 split and look swing a half to the two side a few times already this season. On most occasions, the defence has been able to fly off the line and shut the play down before the half makes it around the ball-player.
However, Manu doesn’t overplay his hand here. Rather than playing to the line speed of the defence, he holds up and waits for Matt Burton to get to him. That gives Walker just enough time to swing behind him and create the 2 v 1 for Dom Young to score.
Setting up for a shot: Storm rolling down the shortside (again)
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.
For those who read the NRL Round 14 review and breakdown of a super shortside raid by the Melbourne Storm, you’ll have felt a sense of deja vu on Thursday night when Tyran Wishart pushed up in support to score.
We can rehash a lot of the same text again:
Melbourne wants to roll up the field from one edge to the other via a Xavier Coates Josh King carry through the middle. The intention is to get the middle defence moving across the field, manipulating the line to generate the looks they want.
Josh King Trent Loiero is caught in a crunching Kai Pearce-Paul Kenny Bromwich tackle, but it’s where the Storm want to be. King Loiero picked Pearce-Paul Bromwich out in the line to bring him into the ruck, forcing a middle to flip to the short side.
Rewind it back and you’ll see Mat Croker Tevita Pangai Jr. around the legs of the Coates King tackle, forced to quickly retreat the 10 metres, and now moving further across the field to fill up the A spot down the short side.
It’s the look Melbourne wants: a big middle at second marker and another—who has had to work hard to get there—at A down the short side.
Melbourne changed it up slightly here. They have more room to play with than they did in the Round 14 example so add an extra layer to the shift. Still, the result is the same, right down to Wishart seeing it coming before anybody else and being rewarded with another try under the posts.
Teams can know it’s coming, but the Storm have an incredible knack for pulling the right leaver at the right time. This is just another example of how well they prepare each week.
Wests will need to spend the week refining their shortside systems if they’re to contain the Storm on Saturday.
Try Time: Storm scrum sequence
Sometimes, it’s a piece of magic. Other times, 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.
More Storm, but they’re playing that well right now.
It’s another scrum, too…
Unlike the Roosters above who played to the two in the 4/2 split, Melbourne used the four to ask a decent question on the first play through Nick Meaney.
The Dolphins react to the momentum of the play by committing three players down the shortside and three more around the ruck. Melbourne compresses the middle even further using two lead runners which allows Jahrome Huges to get at the four-man.
A backrower being inside the posts is typically a sign that a team is short out wide, and Kodi Nikorima knows it. He jams and hopes but Hughes is too good. He makes the right pass for Josh King to score what ends up as the game-winner.