NRL Conclusions: Injuries bite, transfers aplenty and the Hammer hits home

We’re used to seeing some of the best players in the game sitting out at this time of year, but not like this.

It was a shocking round for injuries in the NRL, with Luke Metcalf tearing an ACL, Kalyn Ponga breaking a foot and players up and down the country pinging hamstrings.

Sua Fa’logo was shot by the sniper, as were Kodi Nikorima and Cody Walker. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad did a knee and the Dragons managed to lose four players in the same game.

All that came as Origin squads were being picked for the decider a week on Wednesday.

Ponga, obviously, will miss out for Queensland – at time of writing, they haven’t named his replacement.

NSW are unchanged, but brought Isaiya Katoa into camp to cover for Nathan Cleary, with Jacob Kiraz in the same capacity as Brian To’o battles an ongoing complaint.

A good week for…

The punters, who were treated to just about the best game of the season on Thursday night between Canterbury and Penrith.

This had been given the big sell: the Premiership favourites taking on the four-time champs, master v apprentice with Ivan Cleary and Cameron Ciraldo and a three key Bulldogs facing their former club.

From the first minute, it was clear that this would not disappoint. It’s a cliche to mention finals-like intensity, but this was it on a massive scale.

Casey McLean and Stephen Crichton were having a ding-dong for the ages on the edge, while Dylan Edwards’ belting trysaver on Matt Burton was only bettered by opposite number Connor Tracey’s miracle tackle at the other end to deny Blaize Talagi.

It took a superb try to open it up after 34 minutes, Toby Sexton splitting the Panthers down the middle to Tracey, who fed Reed Mahoney and then an onrushing Jacob Preston. High quality? You bet.

Of course, when there’s quality about, Nathan Cleary isn’t far away, and it was his charge down that hit back and put the Panthers in front.

Edwards had notched a penalty goal earlier and, while he missed another late on, it ended up the difference in an 8-6 thriller.

Canterbury might have levelled it with a shot of their own, but opted against a penalty goal, got too close for a two-point field goal and then blew it with all in hand.

The Panthers took it, rocketing back into Premiership contention. The Dogs, even though they lost, won’t be far away either. Don’t back against this being the Grand Final come October.

A bad week for…

Well, the punters again. Fresh on the back of that amazing game on Thursday, we got one of the worst halves of the season between the Sea Eagles and Tigers.

Manly rejigged their team with Tom Trbojevic, then completely ignored him in attack for 39 and a half minutes. When they passed him the ball, he set up two tries, but it boggled the mind why the plan appeared to be avoiding a million dollar attacker.

Perhaps the most annoying aspect was that, for about 15 minutes to start the second half, Manly attacked with abandon and looked great. Then they stopped, for reasons known only to themselves.

The Sea Eagles were lucky, however, to be playing the Tigers.

Wests lost Jahream Bula in the week and Jarome Luai on the day of the game, leading Benji Marshall to pick a bizarre halfback pairing of Latu Fainu, who had never completed 80 minutes in the NRL, and Api Koroisau, a hooker.

He had Adam Doueihi, who has played 6 at international level, in the centres and Luke Laulilii, a centre, as 18th man, but stuck his best player out of position instead – weakening a clear strength while not solving a weakness.

Api found himself either standing in the wrong place or nowhere near the ball.

Fainu was left trying to organise, which was well beyond him. Eventually Douiehi was moved to half, but it was far too late.

The result was a shocker of a game, which didn’t do much for anyone. Anthony Seibold’s men won and he keeps his job, at least, though confidence levels didn’t exactly rise in the process.

Standout…

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, who put his hand up for the Queensland fullback role with a casual four tries in the Dolphins’ huge win over the Bunnies on Saturday night.

With Kalyn Ponga ruled out through injury, the Hammer picked the perfect moment to put on a finishing clinic, weaving through Souths tacklers at will as his side racked up 50 points for the third time in four weeks.

Tabuai-Fidow was named at centre for Game 1, then shifted to the wing for Game 2, but never considered in the position he plays week to week in the NRL.

Billy Slater will be tempted to throw in Reece Walsh, who is back fit and had a decent run earlier in the day in the Broncos’ win over the Warriors, but if he’s serious about picking on form, the Hammer has to play.

Washout…

Des Hasler, quite literally.

The heavens opened early in the Titans’ loss to North Queensland and the points followed too. Des dropped Alofiana Khan-Pereira, who had scored six tries in his last three games, to bring back Brian Kelly.

For a side that chronically can’t defend, picking Kelly is never a positive. Hasler has picked him more than any coach across his near-200 NRL games, first for Manly and now for the Titans.

Todd Payten, who had also been under the gun, was lucky to be playing the Gold Coast. His side weren’t much better, with several of the tries they conceded softer than soft.

Like the Titans, there’s clearly attacking upside but the defensive effort was horrendous.

Jojo Fifita was made to look like his cousin David by the Cowboys tacklers, with Jeremiah Nanai not doing his reputation as a saloon door any harm.

Everyone is talking about…

Transfers, with much movement ahead of the deadline on June 30th.

The big move was Tallyn da Silva, who joined Parramatta from the Wests Tigers with his final act in the black and amber a trademark dummy half try at Manly on Friday teatime.

He had actually been linked with the Sea Eagles, but opted for the Eels instead. Manly also missed out on a middle as Newcastle knocked back a late bid for Jack Hethington, with Jake Arthur rumoured to be going the other way.

Jack de Belin is also bound for Parra after giving Shane Flanagan the ‘thanks-but-no-thanks’ on a new deal, turning down a late bid to extend at the Dragons. He then suited up to defeat his future club on Saturday in the Gong, so Flanno probably won’t complain too much.

Selwyn Cobbo was announced as a Dolphin for 2026, but blocked from linking up with his new teammates early despite the Broncos sending him down to Queensland Cup. They’ve already replaced him with Melbourne’s Grant Anderson, who will join at the end of the year.

But nobody mentions…

The Warriors title hopes, which have gone up in smoke following a painful defeat to the Broncos and a devastating injury to Luke Metcalf.

The halfback has been one of the best in the comp this year, but did his ACL and will now miss the rest of the year and, in all likelihood, the start of next season too.

He joins Mitch Barnett in the treatment room, and with the Wahs now down their chief playmaker and their pack leader, you can put a line through them.

The Kiwis are currently fourth, while it would be a shock for them to miss the finals from here, their likely fall does open up a top four berth.

There’s six teams on seven or eight wins and, really, any of them could make it. It’s all set up for a superb run-in once Origin is over.

Forward pass

It’s NRLW time, even if this start has been a little subdued.

We might get a bit more build-up, but it’s been fairly quiet so far – not a surprise, really, given the scheduling of two of the biggest matches.

Canterbury are in for their first season, but will open up at the very fan-unfriendly time of 5.40pm on a Friday teatime at Accor Stadium as a curtain raiser to the Male Dogs’ clash with Brisbane.

The Warriors are back – they competed pre-Covid – and will begin with an even dumber start of 11.50am on Sunday, slated before the Roosters’ blokes take on the Wests Tigers.

There is at least clear air on Thursday night for the season kick-off, which will see the Sharks take on the Eels.

Excitingly for UK viewers, England star Paige Travis will be in the Parra side, becoming the fourth Pommy player in the comp alongside Fran Goldthorp of the Cowboys, Hollie-Mae Dodd of the Raiders and Georgia Roche at Newcastle.