Tabla de contenidos para 2019 - Round 16 en Big League Weekly Edition

NRL Head of Football Elite Competitions, Graham Annesley, conceded officials made a number of incorrect calls last week, with the Warriors game against the Panthers featuring three glaring errors that could have affected the outcome. With five of the eight games in Round 15 decided by six points or less, every decision becomes crucial. During Sunday’s game in Auckland, Panthers lock Liam Martin returned from the sin bin 90-100 seconds before he was due back. Annesley said it was not a technological issue, rather a personnel issue, and comes 12 months after similar drama during Manly’s win over Melbourne. Later in the game, Panthers five-eighth Jarome Luai was sent to the sin bin after the referees deemed he had taken out Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. However, replays showed the Warriors fullback had…

You made your NRL debut in Round 1, can you remember what it felt like? It was pretty exciting – it’s something I worked pretty hard for – I can’t describe the feeling. I had all of my family come along to watch. I still have to pinch myself that I’m playing in the NRL. When did Michael Maguire tell you and who did you call first? He basically just told me on the Tuesday before we played that Saturday. The first people I told were my parents – I called my dad straight away. He doesn’t really say much, but I could tell he was happy and probably had a few tears after the phone call. Have your parents had an impact on your career? They’re the reason I…

IT’S a tragedy that almost tore a club apart. The death of Ben Alexander, younger brother of Panthers legend Greg, has been thrust back to light in recent weeks, with the fatal road accident of 1992 being a focus of the 2019 Knock-on Effect Community campaign in New South Wales. Those in and around the game had seen nothing like the sadness and emotional fallout that the error of judgement of a popular, life-loving footballer created. Alexander wasn’t the first rugby league player to die in a car accident. Three years earlier, Geoff Selby, who had played 83 games for Illawarra and St George, died when a car he was in hit a tree. A fellow passenger was current Broncos assistant coach Peter Gentle. Yet the circumstances surrounding Alexander’s passing…

Bronson Xerri ( Sharks) Most 18-year-olds spend their time dreaming about what car they want to buy while sitting through a university lecture. For Bronson Xerri, the final two years of his life as a teenager will be spent perfecting his role in the Sharks backline after a blistering start to his NRL career. With seven tries in 11 games, he has lived up to the hype that has followed him for the past 12 months. His hat-trick against the Dragons in Round 11 was the difference between winning and losing, but it was his effort two weeks later which confirmed his status as a star on the rise when he crossed twice, broke 13 tackles and ran for 160 metres in a rare start on the left edge.…

Were you always a league fan growing up? I grew up watching the Warriors, and there were a few players I loved – like Stacey Jones. I actually got to be coached by him in the recent Kiwis tour. I never thought I’d meet him, so that was huge for me. Did you tell him you were a fan? Haha! I didn’t mention it, I just played it cool and took it all in. He’s a great guy and I loved the experience. Ruben Wiki was another big one for me. He was a strong leader. Was your family more into league or union? Oh, I started playing union first, until my cousin came over and said, “Why don’t you try playing league?” It started from there. Did you imagine…

Form: The Dragons bounced back to winning form against the Cowboys last Friday but their only recent successes have been against opposition sitting down the competition ladder. The team has not coped well with disruptions and the loss of playmakers Corey Norman and Ben Hunt to Origin will not help their cause. It has been a different story for the Storm, who have so far coped seamlessly with the representative season. Their narrow win over the Roosters in Adelaide has pitched them to a six-point lead atop the table. History: Despite the negativity over the impact of State of Origin, last year’s clash in similar circumstances produced one of the most entertaining contests of the season. The absence of Origin players resulted in an attacking extravaganza in which both teams…

Form: The Sharks have been out of sorts in recent weeks, going down to Canberra and Canterbury despite scoring more tries than their opposition on both occasions. The losses have come as leading players have returned from lengthy injury lay-offs and as a number of commentators were labelling the Sharks premiership dark horses. The talk may have contributed to a complacent attitude that was especially evident in a bumbling display against the cellar-dwelling Bulldogs last Sunday. The Broncos’ recent performances have been equally frustrating and last Saturday night’s disappointing effort against the Knights was their third-straight defeat and sent them tumbling to 14th on the ladder. History: The Broncos have an imposing record against the Sharks, recording victories in the past five meetings and 36 from 56 overall since 1988.…

JOINT LEADERS Burleigh and Wynnum Manly exchanged blows as the battle for the minor premiership intensified. The Bears flew out of the blocks to beat Ipswich, while Seagulls held on for a 28-20 victory over the Capras. Townsville maintained the pressure on the top two by sweeping Tweed Heads aside. Easts Tigers came from behind to defeat the Devils. They led 1-0 at half-time, before two quick-fire tries saw the Devils take the lead. However, the Tigers scored three unanswered tries to triumph. Northern Pride edged past the Mustangs in the game of the round. Five-eighth Jai Doherty kicked the winning field goal in a 17-16 victory over a spirited Mustangs side. Meanwhile, Souths Logan were put to the sword by the Mackay Cutters and Sunshine Coast defeated the Dolphins.…

AS per usual, Origin teams were named earlier in the week and the internet exploded with strong opinions on why the decisions were right or wrong. Interestingly, NSW coach Brad Fittler was questioned by many for naming the same team that convincingly beat Queensland in Game Two. The biggest issue was the omission of David Klemmer from the original team. He had a strong return from a wrist injury for the Knights last weekend, running for 205 metres and making 42 tackles. Klemmer is undoubtedly one of, if not the best prop in the game, but I find it curious that people are so incensed by the decision. I think it would be extremely harsh to drop a player from a team that did such a good job in Perth.…

CRONULLA may boast one of the best line-ups on paper, but that means nothing if they can’t produce success on the field – that’s the opinion of skipper Paul Gallen. With the likes of Matt Moylan, Shaun Johnson and Chad Townsend playing behind representative forwards Andrew Fifita, Wade Graham and Gallen, the Sharks have the strike power to finish inside the top four this season. They struggled with injuries earlier in the year, but were back to near full-strength last weekend against the Bulldogs, however suffered a shock 14-12 loss at ANZ Stadium. Gallen slammed his side’s attitude and called on them to not be complacent if they want to be successful in 2019. “We [Gallen and coach John Morrris] had a meeting together and he said ‘I have a…

Always answer your phone While Brad Fittler’s no phone policy has its benefits, sometimes it pays to have your mobile switched on. At around miday on Sunday, Brandon Wakeham – on his way to prepare for a Canterbury Cup clash – received a call from his coach telling him to expect a call from Bulldogs NRL coach Dean Pay. The young half was about to find out that he’d been elevated to the first-grade squad. “I was 15 minutes away and I got the call that I was playing first grade so I was four hours early,” Wakeham said. “My Canterbury Cup coach [Brad Henderson] rang me and he said Dean would give me a call shortly. Dean gave me a call five or 10 minutes after that and went…

Thomas Flegler (Broncos) The Broncos prop was highly touted as he came through the junior ranks and he’s lived up to the billing with a string of consistent showings in the middle for Brisbane. Flegler has missed just one game this season and showed in Round 2 that he belongs in this level after he churned through a whopping 196 metres in just 37 minutes while he barged over for his maiden try last week. “He was outstanding to push through that many minutes in his second NRL game, and I’m excited for him,’’ team-mate Shaun Fensom said. “He’s very athletic for a big man.’’ Blayke Brailey (Sharks) The young hooker has re-signed until the end of the 2022 season and looks to be the club’s long-term No.9 option, which…

WESTS TIGERS MICHAEL Chee Kam has earned the nickname ‘Steph Curry’ after delivering his second clutch play of the season to steal victory for the Tigers It’s not often footy players get compared to NBA superstars, but the utility has earned the tag after producing two stunning pieces of individual brilliance to sink the Broncos and Rabbitohs at the death. His 55-metre solo effort against the Rabbitohs last week snatched two vital competition points, which has them level with the seventh-placed Sharks leading into Friday’s clash with the high-flying Roosters. “He’s clutch. He’s an awesome player and he’s got that x-factor about him,” team-mate Alex Twal told Big League. “Big ups to him for pulling through because he’s done it twice for us this year. He’s really cherishing that role…

Form: Wests Tigers have cut it fine to win their past two games; edging past the Cowboys with a golden point field goal before Michael Chee Kam sliced through inside the final five minutes at Bankwest Stadium to snatch victory over South Sydney. The results have kept the Tigers in the hunt for a top eight finish but they still have a lot of work in front of them. Injuries and representative distractions have conspired against the Roosters recently and after a run of eight consecutive victories, they’ve now managed a single win (over last-placed Canterbury) from their past five games. History: The Roosters have only occasionally been troubled by the Wests Tigers over the past 20 seasons, losing nine of the 33 encounters between these clubs since 2000. The…

THE Dragons have leapfrogged Penrith on the ladder after a thrilling finish. The Panthers looked to have held on before Darren Nicholls scored in the final 10 minutes and Tristan Sailor iced the conversion for a two-point win. Penrith’s stumble has handed first spot to Canterbury after they brought Newtown’s seven-match unbeaten run to an end in the 2018 Grand Final replay, with Jayden Okunbor and Christian Crichton both scoring doubles. Blacktown secured just their second win of the season, beating fellow strugglers Newcastle, while the Warriors secured an upset of their own against the Bears. Wentworthville closed the gap on the top eight with a big win over Mounties, while the Rabbitohs are third after beating Wests. ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA 24 (J Field, S Marsters, J Ford, D Nicholls…

THE Ron Massey Cup returns this week with a thrilling top of the table clash. Leaders Wentworthville are in the midst of a 10-game winning streak and have an opportunity to open up a six-point lead at the top of the table when they travel to St Marys Stadium to take on the second place Saints. But home side are in fine touch at the moment as well and won’t go down easily, having smashed fellow top four side Mounties in their last outing. Mounties will be desperate to bounce back from that 38-4 thrashing. They face the last-placed Sea Eagles this week, but they too have plenty of confidence after inflicting a surprise defeat on Glebe-Burwood last time out. Third-placed Asquith will look to take advantage of the top…

STATE of Origin unavailability is an easy excuse for teams at this stage of the year, but Dragons halfback Bent Hunt says that won’t suffice this week when the Red V host the Storm in Wollongong. Fresh from a much-needed win over the Cowboys, the joint-venture will head into the Round 16 clash minus Hunt, Tyson Frizell, Paul Vaughan, Tariq Sims and Corey Norman, who is set to make his Maroons debut in the Origin decider. The ladder-leading Storm will be without their representative players, but can rest more easily knowing they still have Cameron Smith calling the shots. With so many stars out, St George Illawarra will need veterans Cameron McInnes (right), Korbin Sims and Jeremy Latimore to step up, while the younger brigade of Blake Lawrie, Luciano Leilua…

NEW South Wales skipper Boyd Cordner has backed coach Brad Fittler’s decision to remain loyal to the side that smashed Queensland in Game Two at Optus Stadium. He believes retaining to the current crop of players is what will give the Blues repeated success in the coming years. “If we’re going to have success moving forward, we need to stay loyal to the players who have got the job done,” Cordner told Big League. “We put together a great performance in Perth and there’s no reason to change the team.” Fittler was criticised for making seven significant changes ahead of Origin II, but it turned out to be genius move as the team forced a decider, and he rewarded all 17 players with a recall to the team. “It gives…

THE Broncos have always been a club that has demanded success and reaped plenty of reward, but without a doubt they’re having the most disappointing season to date that I can recall. There has been a lot of change at Red Hill this season, highlighted by Wayne Bennett leaving to join South Sydney. It was a bumpy off-season and they haven’t recovered. They’ve shown good signs at times, like their performance against the Roosters. I thought they were really good and they won the game on desire, but they’ve been below-par for most of the campaign. I know they’ve got a lot of young guys at the moment, but when you look at that side, they’ve still got many star players. Darius Boyd has played countless Origins and Tests for…

AS the New Zealand national anthem started, Briton Nikora wasn’t sure where to look. Barely three months after his NRL debut, he was wearing Kiwis jersey No.12, which had been presented to him in an emotional ceremony the day before by his idol Benji Marshall. The last time the Kiwis played Tonga, Nikora was yet to crack reserve grade – now he was part of the much anticipated rematch. He closed his eyes, and pondered his unlikely journey. “It was a dream come true,” says Nikora. “It was a bit emotional, the anthem and the Haka. I was representing my country; I had heaps of family and friends in the crowd. I wasn’t too bad leading up to the game, [but] when the moment came I needed to re-focus, mentally…

HE’S the young prop with a seemingly endless motor, and Alex Twal puts his freakish fitness down to a decision to swap Hungry Jack’s for jumping jacks in a bid to become a professional footballer. While most front-rowers these days punch out 25 minutes before coming off, the Wests Tigers big man consistently puts in huge stints for his side. In the recent win over the Rabbitohs, Twal played the first half unchanged and returned after a 12-minute rest, making a team-high 41 tackles in the process. His defensive efficiency is through the roof in 2019, with the 23-year-old making 96.2 per cent of his tackles, while he’s only 17 tackles away from bettering his season tally of 569 from 21 matches in 2018. And while he makes things look…

WELL here we are, the second and thankfully final bye week. For head-to-head coaches who don’t have a match-up this week, you can again put your feet up unless you’re really keen to grab someone before their price increases – Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Shaun Johnson top this list – or flick someone before their price dips further (perhaps Mitchell Pearce, if you don’t expect his Fantasy scoring to bounce back, and Robbie Farah now his minutes are disappearing). For overall coaches chasing the best score possible in a very tough week, you have a maximum of four trades – if you even still have that many left in the tank – to help you get through. There are at least a few Fantasy guns available, headed by Cameron Smith and…

Form: The Knights rebounded impressively from a 30-point loss to the Storm in Round 14 with a convincing victory over the Broncos last Saturday. They did it without fullback Kalyn Ponga and after losing winger Edrick Lee with a broken arm early in the contest. They’ve now won seven of their past eight games and have spent the past six weeks inside the top eight. The Warriors, typically, have been far from consistent, winning three and losing three during a period where they normally shine. They’ve been the only club untouched by State of Origin selections this season but have gone down to teams far more inconvenienced than they have been. They had every opportunity to hold off the Panthers last Sunday but were edged out in golden point. History:…

SUNSHINE Coast’s record-breaking winning streak has finally come to an end after they were beaten by Redcliffe, despite scoring two tries to one. Tyson Gamble kicked the Dolphins to victory with a perfect five from five. Burleigh took advantage of the Falcons’ loss, beating the Jets behind a massive four-try effort from fullback Kurtis Rowe. Wynnum Manly also kept the pressure on in third, though they were forced to survive a late scare from the fast-finishing Capras. Townsville round out the top four but not without some luck against Tweed. A try by centre Kody Parsons gave the Seagulls a chance to draw level, but a missed conversion saw the Blackhawks escape with a two-point win. The PNG Hunters’ search for consistency continues after they were convincingly beaten by Northern…

St George Illawarra have won seven of their past nine games at WIN Stadium. New South Wales centre Tom Trbojevic has scored five tries in four Origin games. The Broncos have won their past five games against the Sharks. Knights utility Kurt Mann will make his 100th NRL appearance. Sharks centre Bronson Xerri has scored four tries in five games at PointsBet Stadium. Roosters winger Daniel Tupou has scored 15 tries in 10 games against Wests Tigers. Craig Bellamy is aiming for his 300th win as an NRL coach. Brisbane have won their past five games against Cronulla.…