When the NRL preview rolls around, I always have a particular match, trend, team, or player in mind to focus on. This week, four players making their first grade debut.
It seems as though more players are going down than ever as injuries start to strike in the NRL after seven rounds.
Kalyn Ponga and Jamal Fogarty are the big ones. They’re massive losses for their clubs, irreplaceable within the attack’s constructs. They join Mitchell Moses, Adam Reynolds, Nathan Cleary, and too many other key players who have already spent time on the sidelines.
But with injuries come replacements. With more injuries come NRL debuts, and we’re getting four more this week.
They’re an exciting time for everybody. For the player, it’s the result of their hard work and dedication finally paying off and realising a dream. For those at home, it’s a new name to keep an eye on. A SuperCoach prospect or a glimpse into the future.
I was excited to see Lachlan Galvin doing the little things on his debut. He took the smart options rather than the simple ones. We don’t need to see players produce highlight reels to start their NRL careers. They’re there because they do the little things well, and the rest comes with it as they develop.
So, when watching the players on debut this week, keep a close eye on the details: their wrestle, how quickly they move without the ball, and the quality of their involvements if there are only a few. That’s what the will be judged on when sitting down to watch it again on Monday.
Welcome to the NRL, Zyon Maiu’u, Ethan Sanders, David Armstrong, and Solomon Alaimolo.
Round 8 NRL Debutants
The back fence isn’t ready for Zyon Maiu’u to push off it. Few will run the ball harder on their first carry than the big middle forward for the Warriors.
He’s a cannonball in attack. He knows only one direction up the field and will leave defenders behind him in chalk on the way. With good speed and a subtle step, Maiu’u is a big threat on the back of a quick play-the-ball.
Maiu’u has been around the club for a long time and is a player fans have been eager to see. He will wind up for the sold-out Mt Smart crowd on Thursday afternoon.
Ethan Sanders is one to keep an eye on. He played for the Parramatta Eels in the NRL Trials but failed to get the call-up following the injury to Mitchell Moses. There has been a reluctance to call him into first grade, so it will be interesting to see if he’s ready for the speed and physicality that comes with it.
He’s a highly-touted prospect but is only 19 years old with just seven games of the NSW Cup behind him. Sanders is a halfback but has been put in the #6 jersey for this one. That is likely an indication of the secondary role he will play behind Dylan Brown.
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It’s almost unfair that Sanders follows up the likes of Isaiya Katoa and Lachlan Galvin. Those are big expectations for any young half to live up to, and I don’t think he will have the same impact as Katoa does with his ball-playing and Galvin with his running game.
However, two of Sanders’ four try assists at NSW Cup level have come from kicks.
In an Eels side struggling for points at the moment, Sanders might have the opportunity to make his mark with his boot.
I’m excited about David Armstrong getting a crack in first grade. He is rapid. Absolutley rapid. If the Dolphins kick chase isn’t up to scratch and provides him with a gap, he will take it.
Armstrong won’t be able to replace Kalyn Ponga’s ball-playing. He typically spots up on the wing if he’s not at the back. However, his speed opens up opportunities for the ball players around him.
You can see here that the Knights have spotted the movements of the Roosters fullback early. He only plugs himself into the line and tries to cheat across on the last tackle once the ball is past him. Armstrong is quick enough and strong enough to turn that half-chance into points.
I’d expect him to be a kick target for Jackson Hastings at some stage as the halfback looks to test the also-inexperienced Dolphins fullback, Trai Fuller.
Armstrong is 23-years-old and has been in the Knights Cup side for the last three seasons. He might not be a well-known and exciting prospect like the first two, but he looks first-grade ready and will be able to do a job for the Knights this week.
Solomon Alaimalo is the last of the debutants. As a 28-year-old rugby union convert, he’s an unknown for me.
He’s a fairly tall winger, so expect him to be a kick target for both sides. His height will appeal for Aidan Sezer as an attacking option. In defence, Adam Reynolds will surely land a few bombs on the debutant.
What he lacks in quick feet and a step, he makes up for in his drive after contact.
The Tigers have gone searching for value in their outside backs. Alaimalo is the latest to be given a crack.