MIND YOUR HEAD - The FRONT ROW ROUND 6 2021 - League Unlimited
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The
FRONT ROW ROUND 6 2021 VOLUME 2 · ISSUE 6
Time for
action
Knights coach Adam O'Brien on
what needs fixing in the Hunter
Thanks MorgoA look back at retiring star
Michael Morgan's best moments
MI N D YO U R H E A D
IT 'S PAST TI M E FO R TH E NR L TO OV ER HA
UL IT S CO NC US SI ON RU LE S
INSIDE: NRL Round 6 program with squad lists, previews & head to head stats, Round 5 reviewed
LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM
AUSTRALIA’S LEADING INDEPENDENT
RUGBY LEAGUE WEBSITE
THERE IS NO OFF-SEASON
2 | LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 6
What’s inside From the editor
THE FRONT ROW - VOL 2 ISSUE 6 Tim Costello
From the editor 3 A huge hand to clubs and supporters alike last week - the
Feature Concussion 4-5 tributes and respect shown for Tommy Raudonikis following
Feature Adam O'Brien 6-7 his sad passing last week across Round 5 matches was second
to none. While the Tigers were underwhelming against the
Feature Michael Morgan 8-9 Cowboys, there was certainly plenty of emotion at Leichhardt on
NRL Ladder & Stats Leaders 10 Sunday - just as Tommy would have wanted. The Round 9 clash
GAME DAY · NRL Round 6 11-27 at Campbelltown, which the club has set aside as a special day,
should be a cracker.
LU Team Tips 11
THU Brisbane v Penrith 12-13 This week our magazine looks at the key issue in the game
FRI Newcastle v Cronulla 14-15 today - concussion. We also have a chat with Adam O'Brien and
Melbourne v Sydney Roosters 16-17 pay tribute to Cowboys captain Michael Morgan following his
retirement in recent weeks.
SAT Manly v Gold Coast 18-19
South Sydney v Wests Tigers 20-21 Oh - and the crossword is back! Make sure you print off Page 39
Canberra v Parramatta 22-23 (or screenshot it on your tablet) and get cracking on it! Answers
will appear in next week's edition. Happy reading!
SUN St Geo Illa v Warriors 24-25
North Qld v Canterbury 26-27
NSWRL Teamlists 28-31
Knock-On Effect NSW Cup R6
U21 Jersey Flegg Cup R6
28
28
The FRONT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ROW
Harvey Norman Women's Premiership R6 28
Ron Massey Cup R6 29 We’d like to thank RugbyLeagueProject.org for their support and use of
Sydney Shield R6 29 various statistics throughout this publication.
U19 SG Ball Cup Finals Week 1 30
Magazine content originally appears on LeagueUnlimited.com © 2021
U17 Harold Matthews Cup Finals Week 1 31 unless otherwise noted. Interested in advertising with The Front Row
U19 Tarsha Gale Cup Finals Week 1 31 or LeagueUnlimited.com, or just want to provide feedback? Contact us
QRL Teamlists 32-33 by email
Intrust Super Cup R4 32 media@leagueunlimited.com
BHP Premiership Women's R2 32 Thanks to the team at 'The Inner Sanctum' for some of the content
appearing in this magazine!
U19 Harvey Norman Women's R9 32
U21 Hastings Deering Colts R2 33 MANAGERS Steven Williams & Coby Delaney
U18 Mal Meninga Cup R6 33 EDITOR Tim Costello
CONTRIBUTORS Paul Jobber
NRL Round 5 Wrap 34-37
Andrew Ferguson
LU Player of the Year Standings - Round 5 38 Jacqui Dodd
Super League, Championship, Challenge Cup 38 Vinny Holliday
NRL Match Review & Judiciary - Round 5 39 Robert Crosby
The LU Crossword 39 Josh Robertson
Match Centre: NSWRL & QRL results 40-41 Adam Huxtable
2021 NRL Draw 42-43 Andrew Jackson
Jason Hosken
Sam Bourke
Emile El-Azar
Lachy MacCorquodale
Twizzle Brennan
LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 6 | 3
PA I N I N T H E H E A D CONCUSSION RU LES...
IT"S TIME FOR THE NRL TO OVERHAUL ITS
WORDS: JACQUI DODD
In 2021 the NRL’s concussion rules are under more scrutiny “Whereas someone who is an independent medical assessor
than ever before. doesn’t have that obligation. If the doctor is going to assess the
player as a patient and say, okay do I see signs and symptoms,
The third round saw eight players ruled out mid-match after what are they reporting how severe are those symptoms that
failing a Head Injury Assessment (HIA) with the Cronulla Sharks they report, what is my medical prognosis of their recovery
versus Parramatta Eels clash resulting in four concussions going to be like.
alone.
“With a club doctor there’s always the pressure not just from
At present, the NRL has already enforced two rule changes coaching staff but we know from the research that players
regarding concussions following the commencement of the themselves can try and pressure doctors to say you know what
2021 premiership season. Following the first round, the NRL I’ve got a headache but I’m actually okay, I think the headache
ruled that players who fail an HIA will need to be cleared by is not from my concussions but I had a drink last night or I was
an independent neurologist within 11 days of suffering the listening to some loud music or I went for a run/jog and I pushed
concussion. too hard and I think that’s what is causing my headaches rather
than anything post-concussion.”
A change that created some confusion, as some believed that
meant the NRL was following the AFL’s decision to rule a player “So that can also put undue pressure onto the doctor to try and
out for at least a week. However, that couldn’t be further from sign them back quickly. So, I think that’s a good thing.
the truth with five of the eight players suffering concussions last
week named for their respective round four matches. “One of the things though having a club doctor is that a club
doctor knows the player really well. While the science doesn’t
necessarily support this I do know that there is some anecdotal
evidence to suggest that the club doctors knowing the players
really well can actually teeth out what actually is concussion and
what may be some other effects. The headaches or nausea may
be coming from neck soreness or some shoulder soreness that
is impacting on a nerve that is travelling to the brain, there are
two sides to the argument.”
The second new rule to be announced was the controversial
18th man, not set to take effect until next weekend, for a team to
activate the 18th man they will have to have three players fail an
HIA throughout the match.
The policy isn’t untested with the 18th man being brought into
The Inner Sanctum spoke with Associate Professor in the NSWRL in the 2020 premiership season. However, NSWRL
Neurophysiology at La Trobe University Dr Alan Pearce about teams didn’t need three players to fail their HIA but only needed
concussion safety and the value of the rules being introduced. one player to fail to switch in the 18th man.
With Pearce asserting independent medical assessors are less
likely to feel pressured by clubs and players. Whilst the NRL is looking to avoid clubs exploiting the 18th man
rule, the caveat of three players having to be ruled as concussed
“I think having an independent medical assessor is a good thing. before the substitution can be brought in is being seen as a
Because it takes it out of the responsibility of the club doctor purely cosmetic change that will rarely need to be utilised, with
to feel a little bit pressured to get the player back as quickly as how rare it is for three players from the same team to fail an
possible,” he said. HIA.
4 | LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 6
This article appears thanks to our friends at The Inner Sanctum.
You can read the original - with embedded tweets - by clicking here.
Mid-season rule changes are often seen as controversial, with
the increase in players suffering from concussions, changes Dr Pearce described that a minor hit to a player with a history of
need to be made for the sake of player safety without impacting concussions can have the player go down and take them out of
the general play too heavily. the game for an extended period of time.
“The scientific evidence is telling us that the more concussions
The fourth round featured a bizarre decision to not immediately you have the longer or more severe the symptoms and it does
pull Canterbury Bulldogs halfback Lachlan Lewis from the field, take longer to recover.
following a head knock as he tackled Rabbitoh Josh Mansour.
“Now the other side of it too is that for every subsequent
Lewis remained on the field for the entirety of the Bulldogs concussion you get, you need less of an impact force to get
attacking set much to the bewilderment of fans and the concussed. So someone, who has a history of concussions, it
commentary box, before the referee ordered time off and for a may look like an innocuous hit to someone but they then go down
trainer to help Lewis off the field. very badly and they’re out for quite some time.
Following his removal, Lewis failed the HIA and was ruled out for “Because what we see is that the brain tissue becomes more
the remainder of the match. vulnerable with every concussion. While every concussion
is individual and everyone responds individually we need to
take a bit of a conservative approach and have guidelines for
subsequent concussions within a two-year window.
“If they have had more than one concussion then the second
concussion needs to have this amount of time out if they have a
third concussion this amount of time out, but I think if you have
a player that is getting multiple concussions then we’ve got to
seriously think about their future as well.”
Along with the introduction of the 18th man in 2020, NSWRL
instituted that a player who suffers from a concussion will have
a mandatory stand-down period of 14 days, focusing on the
Had the 24-year-old engaged in a play in the additional 90 interest of player welfare and recovery.
seconds he was on the field there was a significant risk that he
could take a second knock and do more damage. The lack of consistency regarding concussion protocols is a
concern for player safety at the top level of the game, as the
Whilst it is unrealistic for every player who receives a head NRL is often a faster and more intense game than local and
knock to be escorted off the field and undergoes an HIA when a representative leagues across the country.
player is stumbling around and unable to run following a knock
it should be expected that they are removed from the field to Dr Pearce noted that regardless of the level senior Rugby
undergo testing without a team being able to complete an entire League needs consistent regulations, and listen to the
set. recommendations for junior leagues.
In his fourth season, Lewis is yet to have a proven history of “A concussion at any level doesn’t discriminate in terms of how
concussions, however, studies have shown that NRL players quickly someone recovers and we should be having standardised
have a high rate of concussion with a 2020 study noticing that regulations at all levels of the game whether it’s NRL or D Grade
in a group of 11 former players, the men had an average of club level it should be pretty much the same.
38.4 concussions throughout their careers, with one player
suffering 125 concussions throughout his career. The study also “Then if we go to juniors then it should be based on children’s
found an average of 7.7 head knocks per player involved a loss of recommendations of recovery which are even longer.”
consciousness.
Fans and experts alike are calling for the NRL to get serious
It shouldn’t be dismissed that athletes in a contact sport have an about concussions. In the interest of long term player welfare,
increased risk of concussion but with each concussion increases there needs to be an acknowledgement from the League that
the risk of concussion and makes recovery a longer process. changes need to be made, taking on board the recommendations
However, management and rules with less grey area of when a from experts without rushing the changes in.
player can return would be in the interest of the player welfare.
LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 6 | 5
R ES PO N S E T I M EOK IN G FO R KN IG HTS TO SHOW RESOLVE IN
ADAM O’B RI EN IS LO
ITES PAUL JOBBER
FRIDAY NIGHT’S CLASH WITH SHARKS, WR
THERE have been far too many false dawns at the O’Brien admitted the Knights were left badly wanting
Newcastle Knights over the years. in three of the most important areas on the Gold Coast
– aggression, execution and effort.
Inconsistency has plagued the club for more than a
decade – they haven’t finished in the top four since It didn’t take long for the scoreboard to start ticking
2006. over almost as fast as Titans wrecking-ball David Fifita
clocked up the running metres.
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise they still have the
ability to dish up performances such as the one they “The way the game is at the moment it doesn’t take too
came up with on the Gold Coast last week. many guys to be off with momentum swings and that
really hurts you,” O’Brien said.
Coach Adam O’Brien knows he has his work cut out
to make them a consistent outfit as he continues to “I thought we had 17 guys (contributing) against the
search for the missing ingredient ahead of Friday’s Tigers and certainly St George, but having five guys
clash with Cronulla. not playing well (last weekend) is way too many with
the way the game is at the moment.”
“Unfortunately we’ve addressed some things over the
last three weeks and I’m getting sick of addressing O’Brien conceded it was frustrating that they had
them, I want to see them actioned,” he said. already had numerous “soul searching” video sessions
since he took the reins 18 months ago.
“There are things that you just can’t accept. I get some
media around how passionate and how aggressive I “We’ve had a few of these that are productive and I
can be because it’s about the effort things; it’s not on walk away thinking we’re going to rectify it,” he said.
talent things.
“But I’m in it too; I was quick to pat them on the back
“It’s about guys taking lazy options and we can’t after the Dragons game where I thought they really
accept that and I felt that we had too much of that hung in there through some adversity and was that
(last week). the right thing?
“If we don’t see a response in terms of energy, effort, “Hindsight will tell me that it probably wasn’t so it’s not
or (work) ethic … that will be a concern for me.” just about the players, it’s about me as well.
“The evidence is there we haven’t fixed up our
consistencies so that’s the challenge at the moment.”
6 | LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 6
WORDS: PAUL JOBBER
IMAGE: KNIGHTS MEDIA
LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 6 | 7
GOODNIGHT, SWEET
PR I N C E O F TOW N SV I L L E
RT H QU EE NS LA ND COWB OYS PR EM IE RS HIP STAR MICHAEL
NO
MORGAN RETIRES FROM THE NRL... WORDS: VINNY HOLLIDAY
There are certain moments in a footballer’s playing career that steal the spotlight. Michael Morgan has had plenty of those. We can all think
of at least one. The big one. But there were other moments along the way which epitomise the quality player and person Michael, better
known by his mates as Morgo, has become.
Now after more than a decade at the top, the premiership winning, one With 168 appearances in the NRL, Morgan scored 58 tries and set up
time Dally M halfback of the year has called an end to his NRL career, plenty more along the way. The most notable being his final second flick
after persistent struggles with shoulder injuries over recent seasons. pass to winger Kyle Feldt during the 2015 Grand Final, a moment which
etched Morgan into Australian sporting history.
“I’ve had an amazing career. One I could only dream of as a kid,” Morgan
told the media on Friday. “I’m lucky to have the career I had, but the 2015 Grand Final is I think
right up the top,” Morgan admitted.
“I’ve been extremely lucky to be able to come in everyday for the last 11
years with my best mates and that’s what I’ll miss the most.” “I felt honoured every time I got to put on a Cowboys jersey.”
It all started in 2010 when the future Maroons and Kangaroos Living out his schoolboy dream to play alongside greats of the club, the
representative was given the opportunity to fill in for an injured Jonathan Townsville Brothers junior shifted from fullback to five-eight, then later
Thurston, easily the most daunting task for any league player at the time. donned the fabled number seven, before going onto captain his beloved
North Queensland Cowboys.
The Cowboys would go on to win their round nine clash against the
Roosters, with Cowboy #217 kicking off his decorated career. The Inner Sanctum looks back at some of his finest moments and unsung
heroics.
Michael’s Origin heroics himself as a dynamic utility player. Whether it was in the halves, at
In 2015, he made his Origin debut, named off the bench for game one to fullback or roaming as a defensive lock, Michael made sure he gave
replace an injured Daly Cherry-Evans. The Maroons would go on to win it everything in whichever position he needed to fill for the team. The
that game 11-10, but the series was taken to a decider after the Blues most notable example being his switch to centre in the 2017 Origin
won game two. series, where he delivered one of the finer Queensland moments.
Coming off the interchange in game three, the Cowboys number six Down a game and trailing 16-12 with just five minutes left to play,
turned Maroons utility player took the most of a lopsided scoreline, Morgan found himself situated out on the right edge after earlier
scoring a try off his first touch of the game and setting up two others. replacing an injured Darius Boyd. Making the most of a slick set play
A slick outside in play by Thurston and Guerra put Morgan through a Morgan delivered an all-time great flick pass to winger Dane Gagai to
beaming hole in the NSW defensive line scoring early in the second half. drop under and score in the dying moments. Thurston would go on to
Morgan would then deliver a sublime pass to winger Darius Boyd to kicking the winning goal, but it was Morgan’s heroic ball skills which
cross in the corner. paved the way.
Playing a total of 12 times for his state and his country, Morgan proved
8 | LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 6
This article appears thanks to our friends at The Inner Sanctum.
You can read the original - with embedded tweets - by clicking here.
2016 Semi-final v Brisbane Broncos The Cowboys five-eighth found himself on
Locked at 20 a piece, the Cowboys and the same side of the field as his halfback,
Broncos would once again head to extra combining to score one of the more awe-
time to decide who would advance to inspiring tries of his NRL career. Playing for
play the Cronulla Sharks in week three of the entire 90 minutes, Morgan’s last-minute
the finals in 2016. With just moments left try wasn’t his only impact on the game,
in the opening half of extra time, Morgan delivering three-line break assists and two
would back up his halfback and partner try assists to top it off. North Queensland
in crime, when he gathered in another would go on to lose their next outing against
stellar flick pass from Thurston. the Sharks, ending their finals campaign.
But it was valuable experience. Experience
Morgan would turn to when he led the team to
the 2017 Grand final just 12 months later.
2017: A season for the ages Despite falling
When Jonathan Thurston and Matthew Scott went down injured in short of a fairy-
the opening rounds of the 2017 NRL season, the North Queensland tale finish to
Cowboys were given no chance to even make the top eight. Assisted by their season, the
an inform Jason Taumalolo, Morgan would lead his beloved Cowboys Cowboys quickly
teammates into their second grand final in just three years, defying all became the
expectations and proving himself as a genuine halfback. people’s champion
in 2017, when they
Whether it was delivering pinpoint kicks to his outside backs in the just scraped into
regular season or managing his dynamic forward pack around the the finals campaign.
field in the finals, Morgan stood tall at a time when most thought the Spearheading
Cowboys would lie down. that movement was Morgan. Kicking a field goal to seal a big final win
against the Cronulla Sharks, the Cowboys playmaker would continue
With 11 tries, 22 try assists, over 7000 kicking metres and 18 forced his hot streak when he took on the Parramatta Eels in week two of
line dropouts, the 26-year-old received the Dally M Halfback of the the finals, before an incredible playmaking performance against the
year award and won the hearts of the rugby league faithful once again. Sydney Roosters in the preliminary final.
Becoming a father
Now I know that
Last August Michael and his partner Brianna welcomed their first
you’re thinking.
child Penelope into the world. Only just bigger than a footy, Morgan’s
little girl would win the hearts of the North Queensland faithful when
You hardly spoke
the couple shared the news on Instagram. Michael now gets a chance
about the 2015
to share more time embracing a new role as a father and a husband.
Grand Final?
Some things are bigger than footy and despite his love for the game,
Michael now has the opportunity to create a new legacy off the field.
Well, some
things are just
“It is nice to be able to go home to Penelope and Bree [Brianna]. Bree’s
too good for
been on this journey for a very long time with me, so she knows the
words.
rollercoaster I’ve ridden and the battles I’ve had with my shoulder the
past twelve months,” Morgan said when he announced his retirement
Thanks for the memories Morgo.
on Friday. "There’s other things in life that I look forward to now.”
LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 6 | 9
PREMIERSHIP LADDER
2021 NRL Telstra Premiership after Round 5
Overall Home Away
Pos Team P W L D F A PD Pts P W L D F A PD P W L D F A PD
1 Penrith Panthers 5 5 - - 140 26 114 10 3 3 - - 66 20 46 2 2 - - 74 6 68
2 Sydney Roosters 5 4 1 - 160 66 94 8 3 3 - - 104 34 70 2 1 1 - 56 32 24
3 South Sydney Rabbitohs 5 4 1 - 143 60 83 8 2 2 - - 61 22 39 3 2 1 - 82 38 44
4 St George Illawarra Dragons 5 4 1 - 129 87 42 8 2 1 1 - 56 44 12 3 3 - - 73 43 30
5 Parramatta Eels 5 4 1 - 116 80 36 8 3 2 1 - 56 42 14 2 2 - - 60 38 22
6 Melbourne Storm 5 3 2 - 140 70 70 6 2 2 - - 66 24 42 3 1 2 - 74 46 28
7 Gold Coast Titans 5 3 2 - 124 79 45 6 3 2 1 - 74 52 22 2 1 1 - 50 27 23
8 Canberra Raiders 5 3 2 - 103 90 13 6 2 1 1 - 61 46 15 3 2 1 - 42 44 -2
9 Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 5 2 3 - 112 94 18 4 2 1 1 - 58 22 36 3 1 2 - 54 72 -18
10 Warriors 5 2 3 - 93 102 -9 4 3 1 2 - 47 39 8 2 1 1 - 46 63 -17
11 Newcastle Knights 5 2 3 - 101 120 -19 4 3 1 2 - 65 62 3 2 1 1 - 36 58 -22
12 Brisbane Broncos 5 1 4 - 68 127 -59 2 2 1 1 - 40 24 16 3 - 3 - 28 103 -75
13 Wests Tigers 5 1 4 - 94 160 -66 2 3 - 3 - 58 110 -52 2 1 1 - 36 50 -14
14 North Queensland Cowboys 5 1 4 - 70 171 -101 2 2 - 2 - 26 69 -43 3 1 2 - 44 102 -58
15 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 5 1 4 - 47 168 -121 2 2 - 2 - 18 72 -54 3 1 2 - 29 96 -67
16 Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 5 - 5 - 34 174 -140 0 3 - 3 - 18 118 -100 2 - 2 - 16 56 -40
STATS LEADERS 2021 NRL Telstra Premiership after Round 5
Top Pointscorer Top Tryscorer
Rank Player Team Position(s) P T G Pts Rank Player Team Position(s) P T
1 Ryan PAPENHUYZEN Melbourne Fullback 4 7 20 68 1 Brett MORRIS Sydney Wing 5 11
2 Zac LOMAX St Geo Illa Centre 5 3 22 56 2 Ryan PAPENHUYZEN Melbourne Fullback 4 7
3 Adam REYNOLDS Souths Halfback 5 3 19 52 James TEDESCO Sydney Fullback 5 7
4 Brett MORRIS Sydney Wing 5 11 - 44 4 Xavier COATES Brisbane Wing 5 6
5 Nathan CLEARY Penrith Halfback 4 1 18 40 David FIFITA Gold Coast Second Row 5 6
6 Jamal FOGARTY Gold Coast Halfback 5 - 18 36 Will KENNEDY Cronulla Fullback 5 6
Kodi NIKORIMA Warriors Five-Eighth 5 2 14 36 Corey THOMPSON Gold Coast Wing 5 6
Chad TOWNSEND Cronulla Halfback 5 - 18 36 8 Matt DUFTY St Geo Illa Fullback 5 5
9 James TEDESCO Sydney Fullback 5 7 3 34 Blake FERGUSON Parramatta Wing 5 5
10 Mitchell BARNETT Newcastle Second Row 5 2 11 30 Alex JOHNSTON Souths Wing 5 5
Adam DOUEIHI Wests Tigers Five-Eighth 4 2 11 30 Latrell MITCHELL Souths Fullback 5 5
Sio Siua TAUKEIAHO Sydney Front Row 5 - 15 30 Cody WALKER Souths Five-Eighth 4 5
Top Goalkicker
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Rank Player Team Position(s) P G Att %
1 Zac LOMAX St Geo Illa Centre 5 22 23 96%
2 Ryan PAPENHUYZEN Melbourne Fullback 4 20 24 83%
3 Adam REYNOLDS Souths Halfback 5 19 25 76% Who's celebrating this week? 14-20 April
Player (Club) Date Turning...
4 Nathan CLEARY Penrith Halfback 4 18 22 82%
Mitch Barnett (Newcastle) Thursday 15 April 27
Jamal FOGARTY Gold Coast Halfback 5 18 22 82% Isaac Lumelume (Melbourne) Friday 16 April 23
Chad TOWNSEND Cronulla Halfback 5 18 23 78% Lindsay Collins (Syd Roosters) Saturday 17 April 25
7 Sio Siua TAUKEIAHO Sydney Front Row 5 15 20 75% Will Kennedy (Cronulla) Sunday 18 April 24
Siosifa Talakai (Cronulla) Sunday 18 April 24
8 Kodi NIKORIMA Warriors Five-Eighth 5 14 15 93%
Corey Allan (Canterbury) Monday 19 April 23
9 Mitchell MOSES Parramatta Halfback 5 12 17 71% John Asiata (Brisbane) Monday 19 April 28
10 Mitchell BARNETT Newcastle Second Row 5 11 14 79% Sebastian Kris (Canberra) Monday 19 April 22
Alex Seyfarth (Wests Tigers) Tuesday 20 April 22
Adam DOUEIHI Wests Tigers Five-Eighth 4 11 15 73%
Sauaso Sue (Newcastle) Tuesday 20 April 29
10 | LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 6GAME DAY
THE FRONT ROW
ROUND 6 MATCH PROGRAM
T E A M L I S T S · M ATC H D E TA I L S & S TAT S · P R E V I E W S
THURSDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY
BRISBANE MANLY
v PENRITH v GOLD COAST
SUNCORP STADIUM GLEN WILLOW
ST GEO ILLA
FRIDAY v WARRIORS
SOUTH SYDNEY NETSTRATA JUBILEE
NEWCASTLE v WESTS TIGERS
STADIUM AUS.
v CRONULLA
McDONALD JONES
MELBOURNE CANBERRA
NORTH QLD
v SYDNEY v PARRAMATTA
GIO STADIUM v CANTERBURY
AAMI PARK QLD COUNTRY BANK
WEEKLY TIPS Round 5
(Last week's correct tips / Total for 2021)
Hamish Parker (7/32) Justin Davies (6/29) Josh Robertson (5/28) Rob Crosby (4/27) Rick Edgerton (5/27) Jason Hosken (5/27) Tim Costello (4/25)
Penrith Penrith Penrith Penrith Penrith Penrith Penrith
Cronulla Cronulla Newcastle Newcastle Newcastle Cronulla Newcastle
Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne
Gold Coast Gold Coast Gold Coast Gold Coast Gold Coast Gold Coast Gold Coast
South Sydney South Sydney South Sydney South Sydney South Sydney South Sydney South Sydney
Canberra Canberra Canberra Canberra Canberra Canberra Parramatta
St George Illawarra St George Illawarra St George Illawarra St George Illawarra St George Illawarra St George Illawarra St George Illawarra
North Queensland North Queensland North Queensland Canterbury North Queensland North Queensland Canterbury
Steven Wiliams (6/30) Sam Bourke (5/28) Andrew Ferguson (4/27) Paul Jobber (5/27) Lachy MacCorquodale (5/27) Adam Huxtable (4/26) Andrew Jackson (4/21)
Penrith Penrith Penrith Penrith Penrith Penrith Penrith
Newcastle Newcastle Cronulla Newcastle Cronulla Newcastle Newcastle
Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne Sydney Roosters Melbourne
Gold Coast Gold Coast Gold Coast Gold Coast Gold Coast Gold Coast Gold Coast
South Sydney South Sydney Wests Tigers South Sydney South Sydney South Sydney South Sydney
Canberra Canberra Parramatta Parramatta Canberra Parramatta Canberra
St George Illawarra St George Illawarra St George Illawarra St George Illawarra St George Illawarra St George Illawarra St George Illawarra
North Queensland Canterbury North Queensland North Queensland North Queensland North Queensland Canterbury
LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 6 | 112021 NRL TELSTRA PREMIERSHIP ROUND 6
Brisbane Penrith
BRONCOS PANTHERS
P T G FG Pts P T G FG Pts
5 2 10 - 28 Jamayne ISAAKO 1 FULLBACK 1 Stephen CRICHTON 5 - 4 - 8
5 6 - - 24 Xavier COATES 2 WING 2 Charlie STAINES 5 3 - - 12
1 - - - - Richard KENNAR 3 CENTRE 3 Paul MOMIROVSKI 5 3 - - 12
- - - - - Jesse ARTHARS 4 CENTRE 4 Matt BURTON 3 2 - - 8
5 1 - - 4 David MEAD 5 WING 5 Brian TO’O 5 3 - - 12
5 - - - - Brodie CROFT 6 FIVE-EIGHTH 6 Jarome LUAI 5 1 - - 4
3 1 - - 4 Tom DEARDEN 7 HALFBACK 7 Nathan CLEARY 4 1 18 - 40
3 - - - - Matt LODGE 8 FRONT ROW 8 Moses LEOTA 5 1 - - 4
5 - - - - Jake TURPIN 9 HOOKER 9 Mitch KENNY 4 - - - -
2 - - - - Payne HAAS 10 FRONT ROW 10 James FISHER-HARRIS 5 - - - -
5 - - - - Alex GLENN 11 SECOND ROW 11 Viliame KIKAU 5 4 - - 16
5 1 - - 4 Tevita PANGAI JR 12 SECOND ROW 12 Kurt CAPEWELL 5 3 - - 12
4 - - - - Patrick CARRIGAN 13 LOCK 13 Isaah YEO 5 1 - - 4
3 - - - - John ASIATA 14 INTERCHANGE 14 Tyrone MAY 5 1 - - 4
5 - - - - Thomas FLEGLER 15 15 Spencer LENIU 5 - - - -
3 - - - - Ethan BULLEMOR 16 16 Matt EISENHUTH 5 - - - -
5 - - - - Jordan RIKI 17 17 Liam MARTIN 5 - - - -
- - - - - Rhys KENNEDY 18 RESERVES 18 Scott SORENSEN - - - - -
- - - - - Cory PAIX 19 19 Robert JENNINGS - - - - -
- - - - - Keenan PALASIA 20 20 J’maine HOPGOOD - - - - -
- - - - - Corey OATES 21 21 Jaeman SALMON - - - - -
Kevin WALTERS COACH Ivan CLEARY
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 PENALTIES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 SCRUMS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
12 | LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 6#NRLBroncosPanthers
MATCH DETAILS
Match Preview
DATE Thursday 15 April 2021
with Andrew Jackson
KICKOFF 7:50pm AEST A mismatch of epic proportions looms this weekend as the lowly Broncos face
VENUE Stadium Australia, Sydney Olympic Park NSW the high-flying Panthers.
WATCH Nine Network & 9Now, Fox League & Kayo Sports
LISTEN ABC, Triple M Sydney/Brisbane, 4BC, NRL Nation After last week’s 35-6 defeat to the Rabbitohs, Kevin Walters made quite the
statement amid growing criticism of five-eighth Anthony Milford.
LIVE BLOG LeagueUnlimited.com
“I thought he had probably his best game of the year tonight,” Walters said of
Milford at his post-match press conference.
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE Grant ATKINS “I thought defensively he was much better, very aggressive with his tackling and
TOUCH JUDGES Ziggy PRZEKLASA-ADAMSKI yeah, I liked what I saw tonight from Milf.”
Matt NOYEN
NRL BUNKER Steve CHIDDY Either Walters suddenly changed his tune on reflection or even Milford’s ‘best’
was not good enough, with the playmaker dumped to the Intrust Super Cup this
Match Stats
week.
It says quite a bit about the state of affairs at Red Hill right now, with the club’s
HEAD TO HEAD: 55 MATCHES future vision unclear as a number of key players come off-contract with rivals
circling.
BRISBANE 34-20 (1 DRAW) Milford was not the only casualty with Tesi Niu also dropped.
At Suncorp Stadium: 21 matches, Brisbane 14-7
Matt Lodge was frank in telling the media on Monday that he appreciated
LAST TEN: 5-ALL Walters finally taking a “ruthless” approach but unfortunately, save a miracle,
SEASON ROUND RESULT VENUE CROWD the Broncos are expected to be on the wrong end of another thumping this
2013 24 Penrith 28-12 BlueBet Stadium 8,817 week.
2014 18 Penrith 35-34 BlueBet Stadium 12,439
The Panthers are still without Dylan Edwards and Apisai Koroisau but you can
2015 9 Brisbane 8-5 Suncorp Stadium 24,566
barely tell, with Ivan Cleary’s men undefeated after a classy 30-10 win over the
2016 3 Penrith 23-22 BlueBet Stadium 12,086
Raiders last week.
2016 20 Penrith 31-12 Suncorp Stadium 30,878
2017 9 Brisbane 32-18 Suncorp Stadium 21,464 Jarome Luai outshone halves partner Nathan Cleary in that performance,
2017 SF Brisbane 13-6 Suncorp Stadium 38,623 further proving that while the halfback may be the main man he is far from the
2018 19 Brisbane 50-18 Suncorp Stadium 26,357 only game-breaker in this Penrith unit.
2019 22 Brisbane 24-12 Suncorp Stadium 23,643
2020 17 Penrith 25-12 Suncorp Stadium 5,626 Brian To’o once again topped the 200-metre mark and is quickly establishing
himself as one of the best wingers in the competition while Spencer Leniu was
devastating off the bench.
BIGGEST WINS
1997 16 Brisbane 54-112 QE II Stadium 13,921 As expected, Cleary has named an unchanged line-up this week.
2000 22 Brisbane 48-6 QE II Stadium 24,912
2004 26 Penrith 46-20 BlueBet Stadium 20,043 Who to watch: If the Broncos are any hope of even getting close to Penrith, they
need Brodie Croft to lift. With Milford dumped and Tom Dearden in, it will be on
MILESTONES Croft to lead the way as the more experienced playmaker. He has failed to live up
PLAYER MILESTONE NEEDS... to expectations since moving to Brisbane and has even been moved to the bench
at times in a bid to spark a form reversal. The confusing messaging from Walters
Viliame Kikau (PEN) 100 club & career points 4 points
is not helping. Brisbane’s last-tackle options left a lot to be desired last week and
a similar effort on Thursday will render them unable to build any pressure.
Match stats courtesy of
Nathan Cleary, on the other hand, is an example of what Croft can be if he has a
clear understanding of his identity and role within the squad. Croft may not have
Cleary’s varied skillset but the Panthers halfback excels at reading the game. He
understands when a long clearing kick is needed to turn momentum or when
using his running game to take the line on is the better option. Cleary also is not
the type to hog the spotlight, taking a backwards step or simplifying his game if
Luai is in a mood like he was against Canberra last week.
Favourite: Penrith are overwhelming favourites.
NEXT THREE: BRISBANE
R7 PARRAMATTA A DARWIN My tip: On paper this should not be close. A short turnaround and travel time
R8 GOLD COAST H SUNCORP may see the Panthers start slow but they should kick on for a comfortable
R9 NORTH QLD A QLD C.B. victory as the game drags on. Penrith by 16.
NEXT THREE: PENRITH
R7 NEWCASTLE H BLUEBET
R8 MANLY H BATHURST
R9 CRONULLA H BLUEBET
LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 6 | 132021 NRL TELSTRA PREMIERSHIP ROUND 6
Newcastle Cronulla-Sutherland
KNIGHTS SHARKS
P T G FG Pts P T G FG Pts
1 1 2 - 8 Kalyn PONGA 1 FULLBACK 1 Will KENNEDY 5 6 - - 24
- - - - - Brayden MUSGROVE 2 WING 2 Mawene HIROTI 3 2 - - 8
5 - - - - Enari TUALA 3 CENTRE 3 Connor TRACEY 5 2 - - 8
2 1 - - 4 Bradman BEST 4 CENTRE 4 Jesse RAMIEN 2 - - - -
5 2 - - 8 Hymel HUNT 5 WING 5 Ronaldo MULITALO 5 1 - - 4
3 - - 1 1 Kurt MANN 6 FIVE-EIGHTH 6 Matt MOYLAN 5 1 - - 4
2 - - - - Blake GREEN 7 HALFBACK 7 Chad TOWNSEND 5 - 18 - 36
5 - - - - David KLEMMER 8 FRONT ROW 8 Braden HAMLIN-UELE 5 - - - -
5 1 - - 4 Jayden BRAILEY 9 HOOKER 9 Blayke BRAILEY 5 - - - -
5 2 - - 8 Daniel SAIFITI 10 FRONT ROW 10 Aaron WOODS 5 1 - - 4
5 1 - - 4 Tyson FRIZELL 11 SECOND ROW 11 Briton NIKORA 3 - - - -
5 2 11 - 30 Mitchell BARNETT 12 SECOND ROW 12 Teig WILTON 3 1 - - 4
5 - - - - Connor WATSON 13 LOCK 13 Toby RUDOLF 5 - - - -
5 - - - - Sauaso SUE 14 INTERCHANGE 14 Billy MAGOULIAS 5 - - - -
4 - - - - Jacob SAIFITI 15 15 Aiden TOLMAN 5 - - - -
5 1 - - 4 Josh KING 16 16 Jack WILLIAMS 5 1 - - 4
4 - - - - Brodie JONES 17 17 Siosifa TALAKAI - - - - -
- - - - - Simi SASAGI 18 RESERVES 18 Braydon TRINDALL 1 - - - -
1 - - - - Pasami SAULO 19 19 Nene MACDONALD - - - - -
1 - - - - Phoenix CROSSLAND 20 20 Franklin PELE - - - - -
3 1 - - 4 Gehamat SHIBASAKI 21 21 Jenson TAUMOEPEAU - - - - -
Adam O’BRIEN COACH Josh HANNAY
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 PENALTIES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 SCRUMS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
14 | LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 6#NRLKnightsSharks
MATCH DETAILS
Match Preview
DATE Friday 16 April 2021
with Josh Robertson
KICKOFF 6:00pm AEST Friday Night Football heads to the Hunter as the Newcastle Knights look to
VENUE McDonald Jones Stadium, New Lambton NSW overturn a form slump when they take on the Cronulla Sharks who themselves
WATCH Fox League & Kayo Sports have been in the news this week with the departure of coach John Morris with
LISTEN ABC, Triple M Sydney/Brisbane, 2GB, 4BC, NRL Nation Josh Hannay acting as caretaker coach.
LIVE BLOG LeagueUnlimited.com Newcastle have fallen out of form significantly after three straight defeats
following their back-to-back victories to start the season. The Knights last week
MATCH OFFICIALS fell to a heavy 42-16 defeat to the Gold Coast Titans last week at Cbus Super
Stadium.
REFEREE Matt CECCHIN
TOUCH JUDGES Darian FURNER Despite having a number of key players ruled out due to injury, the Knights
Dave MUNRO did welcome back Kalyn Ponga but it wasn’t enough for them as they were
NRL BUNKER Alan SHORTALL comprehensively outplayed by the Titans with Newcastle unable to handle the
impact of Titans forward David Fifita who tore the Knights apart. The issues
Match Stats
for the Knights may have been exacerbated by the injuries but the Knights have
looked off the pace in the past few weeks which will be a major concern for
Adam O’Brien.
HEAD TO HEAD: 54 MATCHES The Knights have got some relief on the injury front with Bradman Best, Kurt
NEWCASTLE 29-24 (1 DRAW) Mann and Jacob Saifiti all returning to the side after injuries and suspension
respectively. The addition of these three players strengthens the Newcastle
At McDonald Jones Stadium: 26 matches, Newcastle 16-9 (1 draw)
line-up after being boosted last week by the return of star fullback Kalyn Ponga.
LAST TEN: CRONULLA 8-2 The Cronulla Sharks have been in all the news this week for the wrong reasons
SEASON ROUND RESULT VENUE CROWD with the potential and now confirmed recruitment of Craig Fitzgibbon as head
2015 6 Cronulla 22-6 PointsBet Stadium 10,054 coach for 2022 and the departure of coach John Morris. The Sharks on the field
2015 15 Cronulla 30-28 McDonald Jones 14,081 last week will have plenty of question marks on how they fell to a 26-18 defeat to
2016 10 Cronulla 62-0 McDonald Jones 16,150 the Sydney Roosters after holding a 14-point lead.
2016 20 Cronulla 36-4 PointsBet Stadium 16,882
Dominating the first hour or so of the contest, the Cronulla Sharks looked as if
2017 5 Cronulla 19-18 PointsBet Stadium 12,838
they were going to pull off their first top 8 scalp in two seasons. However, their
2017 26 Cronulla 26-18 McDonald Jones 20,535
defence was unable to handle the magic of Roosters rookie Sam Walker as they
2018 12 Cronulla 48-10 McDonald Jones 20,913 conceded four tries in the final 20 minutes to capitulate to defeat.
2018 24 Cronulla 38-12 PointsBet Stadium 11,836
2019 1 Newcastle 14-8 McDonald Jones 21,813 The Sharks have suffered two major injury blows with Wade Graham and Josh
2020 17 Newcastle 38-10 McDonald Jones 5,597 Dugan both ruled out of the contest after failing HIA’s last weekend in the
contest against the Roosters. Connor Tracey moves from the bench into the
centres replacing Dugan. Briton Nikora’s return suspension sees him move
BIGGEST WINS straight into the second row with Siosifa Talakai added to the bench.
2002 6 Newcastle 52-8 McDonald Jones 26,721
2016 10 Cronulla 62-0 McDonald Jones 16,150 Who to watch: The return of Bradman Best to the Knights line up will help
bolster the strength at the back for the Knights where they have been
MILESTONES struggling in their form-slump. The partnership that brings Best and Ponga
PLAYER MILESTONE NEEDS... together can be a big help in attack for Newcastle as his carries out of his own
Newcastle (since 1988) 2500 goals 4 goals end will be a benefit to the Knights.
As someone who could hardly be described as a fan-favourite, Chad Townsend
Match stats courtesy of is regularly coming under fire from Sharks fans and another poor performance
could potentially seal his fate in the line-up. Townsend came up with some good
plays last weekend but his defence at times was more than questionable and
with Josh Hannay set to have a selection headache with the return of Shaun
Johnson in a couple of weeks and Townsend could have his position in doubt.
Favourite: The two sides are tough to split on paper and most markets have
them marked as equals in the odds.
My tip: It’s hard to go past the Knights, the Sharks have has a tumultuous week
and the events could derail their preparations for this weekend which were
NEXT THREE: NEWCASTLE already thrown out by Wade Graham and Josh Dugan being ruled out. Returning
R7 PENRITH A BLUEBET to Newcastle, the Knights will be boosted and the returning players strengthen
R8 SYDNEY ROOSTERS H MCD. JONES their line-up significantly. Newcastle by 10.
R9 CANBERRA A WAGGA
NEXT THREE: CRONULLA
R7 CANTERBURY H NETSTRATA
R8 MELBOURNE A AAMI PARK
R9 PENRITH A BLUEBET
LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 6 | 152021 NRL TELSTRA PREMIERSHIP ROUND 6
Melbourne Sydney
STORM ROOSTERS
P T G FG Pts P T G FG Pts
4 7 20 - 68 Ryan PAPENHUYZEN 1 FULLBACK 1 James TEDESCO 5 7 3 - 34
5 3 - - 12 George JENNINGS 2 WING 2 Daniel TUPOU 5 1 - - 4
5 1 - - 4 Reimis SMITH 3 CENTRE 3 Josh MORRIS 5 3 - - 12
5 3 - - 12 Justin OLAM 4 CENTRE 4 Joseph MANU 5 - - - -
5 2 1 - 10 Josh ADDO-CARR 5 WING 5 Brett MORRIS 5 11 - - 44
5 2 1 - 10 Cameron MUNSTER 6 FIVE-EIGHTH 6 Drew HUTCHISON 4 2 - - 8
5 1 - - 4 Jahrome HUGHES 7 HALFBACK 7 Sam WALKER 2 1 1 - 6
5 - - - - Jesse BROMWICH 8 FRONT ROW 8 Isaac LIU 5 - - - -
5 1 - - 4 Brandon SMITH 9 HOOKER 9 Ben MARSCHKE 2 - - - -
5 1 - - 4 Christian WELCH 10 FRONT ROW 10 Sio Siua TAUKEIAHO 5 - 15 - 30
3 1 - - 4 Felise KAUFUSI 11 SECOND ROW 11 Angus CRICHTON 4 1 - - 4
5 - - - - Kenneath BROMWICH 12 SECOND ROW 12 Sitili TUPOUNIUA 5 2 - - 8
5 - - - - Nelson ASOFA-SOLOMONA 13 LOCK 13 Victor RADLEY 2 - - - -
1 - - - - Harry GRANT 14 INTERCHANGE 14 Adam KEIGHRAN 1 - 1 - 2
5 1 - - 4 Tui KAMIKAMICA 15 15 Jared WAEREA-HARGREAVES 5 - - - -
5 - - - - Tom EISENHUTH 16 16 Nat BUTCHER 4 1 - - 4
3 1 - - 4 Nicho HYNES 17 17 Lindsay COLLINS 3 - - - -
- - - - - Aaron PENE 18 RESERVES 18 Fletcher BAKER 4 1 - - 4
- - - - - Dean IEREMIA 19 19 Matt IKUVALU - - - - -
4 - - - - Chris LEWIS 20 20 Jesse MARSCHKE - - - - -
- - - - - Brenko LEE 21 21 Daniel SULUKA-FIFITA 3 - - - -
Craig BELLAMY COACH Trent ROBINSON
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 PENALTIES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 SCRUMS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
16 | LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 6#NRLStormRoosters
MATCH DETAILS
Match Preview
DATE Friday 16 April 2021
with Emile El-Azar
KICKOFF 7:55pm AEST Melbourne Storm come up against the Sydney Roosters this Friday Night, in one
VENUE AAMI Park, Melbourne VIC of the most anticipated matchups of 2021.
WATCH Nine Network & 9Now, Fox League & Kayo Sports
LISTEN ABC, 2GB, 4BC These are two clubs that are very well-run, very well coached and as a result,
LIVE BLOG LeagueUnlimited.com they just know how to win. Please forgive this Canterbury fan for being slightly
jealous of how these two teams operate. Watching quality matchups like this is
actually like watching a game from a higher division.
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE Adam GEE Melbourne come into this game on the back of a comfortable 52-18 win over
TOUCH JUDGES Todd SMITH the aforementioned Bulldogs. To say they cruised to victory would be an
Phil HENDERSON understatement. They actually cracked the 50 mark without even playing (or
NRL BUNKER Henry PERENARA needing to play) their best Rugby League.
Match Stats The Roosters come into this after pulling off an incredible comeback victory
against Cronulla. Down 18-4 after 60 minutes, they managed to pile on 3 tries
in the last 20 minutes, all this with a 5/8th playing his 17th NRL game, and a
HEAD TO HEAD: 41 MATCHES halfback playing his 2nd NRL game, along with an injury list a mile long.
MELBOURNE 23-18 (No draws) In team news, Melbourne are unchanged from last week, Harry Grant staying on
At AAMI Park: 8 matches, Melbourne 5-3 the bench, and my new favourite player Brandon Smith retaining the number 9
jersey. Stability + Melbourne Storm = Look out NRL.
LAST TEN: MELBOURNE 6-4
SEASON ROUND RESULT VENUE CROWD For the Roosters, Ben Marschke is the latest to take up the cursed number
2016 20 Melbourne 26-10 AAMI Park 12,604 9 jersey, replacing the injured Freddy Lussick, in what will be his 3rd NRL
2017 16 Sydney 25-24 Adelaide Oval 21,492 appearance. Sitili Tupouniua returns to the starting lineup, with Nat Butcher
2017 23 Melbourne 16-13 AAMI Park 17,221 going to the bench as a result. Adam Keighran & Lindsay Collins come back via
2018 16 Melbourne 9-8 Adelaide Oval 17,728 the bench. Still a strong side, despite the number of injuries sweeping through
2018 GF Sydney 21-6 ANZ Stadium 82,688 the club.
2019 6 Sydney 21-20 AAMI Park 17,036
2019 15 Melbourne 14-12 Adelaide Oval 16,297 I also would like to dedicate a line of this preview to Sam Walker. What an effort
2019 PF Sydney 14-6 SCG 32,184 last week, let’s see how he backs up against the might of the premiers.
2020 8 Melbourne 27-25 Suncorp Stadium 5,268
2020 14 Melbourne 24-6 SCG 4,110 8 of the last 14 matchups between these two NRL powerhouses have been
decided by 3 points or less, and despite the Storm coming into this at full
BIGGEST WINS strength vs Easts being understrength in key positions, I expect this to be
2000 R19 Sydney 41-6 Allianz Stadium 10,772 another classic. There’s a lot to be said for decent coaching, and every player in
2016 R14 Melbourne 46-0 Allianz Stadium 8,499 a squad knowing their role, regardless of their level of experience.
Who to watch: James Tedesco vs Ryan Papenhuyzen. Oh dear, I need to clean
MILESTONES up the drool from my laptop. Oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boyyyyy.
PLAYER MILESTONE NEEDS...
Brenko Lee (MEL) 100 career points 4 points
I don’t want to hear about representative team debates. Just sit back, enjoy and
Felise Kaufusi (MEL) 100 club & career points 4 points
take in every minute of these two Rugby League superstars entertain you. Well
worth the price of admission alone.
Match stats courtesy of
Nothing else needs to be said, except maybe add them to a try scorer multi along
with the ageless Brett Morris? (Gamble responsibly).
Favourite: At the time of writing, Melbourne were comfortable favourites at
$1.35. They’re at home, Easts are depleted, so that is understandable, however I
don’t think it will be as clear cut as that.
My tip: I think it will be close, let's say Melbourne by 2.
NEXT THREE: MELBOURNE
R7 WARRIORS H AAMI PARK
R8 CRONULLA H AAMI PARK
R9 SOUTH SYDNEY A STAD. AUS.
NEXT THREE: SYDNEY ROOSTERS
R7 ST GEO ILLA H SCG
R8 NEWCASTLE A MCD. JONES
R9 PARRAMATTA A BANKWEST
LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 6 | 172021 NRL TELSTRA PREMIERSHIP ROUND 6
Manly-Warringah Gold Coast
SEA EAGLES TITANS
P T G FG Pts P T G FG Pts
- - - - - Tom TRBOJEVIC 1 FULLBACK 1 AJ BRIMSON 5 2 - - 8
5 1 - - 4 Jason SAAB 2 WING 2 Phillip SAMI 4 1 - - 4
5 - - - - Brad PARKER 3 CENTRE 3 Brian KELLY 2 - - - -
1 - - - - Morgan HARPER 4 CENTRE 4 Patrick HERBERT 5 2 - - 8
5 2 7 - 22 Reuben GARRICK 5 WING 5 Corey THOMPSON 5 6 - - 24
5 - - - - Kieran FORAN 6 FIVE-EIGHTH 6 Ashley TAYLOR 3 - - - -
5 1 - 1 5 Daly CHERRY-EVANS 7 HALFBACK 7 Jamal FOGARTY 5 - 18 - 36
5 - - - - Taniela PASEKA 8 FRONT ROW 8 Jarrod WALLACE 5 1 - - 4
5 1 - - 4 Lachlan CROKER 9 HOOKER 9 Mitch REIN 5 - - - -
5 1 - - 4 Martin TAUPAU 10 FRONT ROW 10 Tino FA’ASUAMALEAUI 5 - - - -
- - - - - Haumole OLAKAU’ATU 11 SECOND ROW 11 Kevin PROCTOR 5 1 - - 4
4 1 - - 4 Josh SCHUSTER 12 SECOND ROW 12 David FIFITA 5 6 - - 24
5 - - - - Jake TRBOJEVIC 13 LOCK 13 Tyrone PEACHEY 5 - - - -
3 1 - - 4 Cade CUST 14 INTERCHANGE 14 Moeaki FOTUAIKA 5 1 - - 4
2 - - - - Toafofoa SIPLEY 15 15 Sam LISONE 5 - - - -
4 - - - - Sean KEPPIE 16 16 Jaimin JOLLIFFE 5 1 - - 4
5 - - - - Josh ALOIAI 17 17 Erin CLARK 5 1 - - 4
2 - - - - Tevita FUNA 18 RESERVES 18 Beau FERMOR - - - - -
- - - - - Zac SADDLER 19 19 Herman ESE’ESE - - - - -
- - - - - Christian TUIPULOTU 20 20 Sam McINTYRE - - - - -
- - - - - Ben TRBOJEVIC 21 21 Jonus PEARSON - - - - -
Des HASLER COACH Justin HOLBROOK
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 PENALTIES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 SCRUMS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
18 | LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 6#NRLManlyTitans
MATCH DETAILS
Match Preview
DATE Saturday 17 April 2021
with Rob Crosby
KICKOFF 3:00pm AEST Last-start winners clash in regional NSW
VENUE Glen Willow Regional Stadium, Mudgee NSW
WATCH Fox League & Kayo Sports The Manly Sea Eagles and the Gold Coast Titans will be looking to post back-to-
LISTEN ABC, Triple M Sydney/Brisbane, NRL Nation back wins when they face off in Mudgee on Saturday afternoon.
LIVE BLOG LeagueUnlimited.com Securing a much-needed victory with fewer than five seconds remaining last
week, the Manly Sea Eagles have been afforded a huge boost with the inclusion
of superstar fullback Tom Trbojevic for the first time this season.
MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE Chris BUTLER Welcoming back the influential local junior after recovering from a hamstring
TOUCH JUDGES Nick BEASHEL injury sustained during the pre-season, the 15th-placed outfit will be hoping
Drew OULTRAM his inclusion coincides with further wins following their 13-12 victory over the
NRL BUNKER Ashley KLEIN Warriors last Friday in Gosford.
Match Stats
Set to play at Glen Willow Oval for the first time after electing to forego the home
ground advantage of Lottoland, the match will additionally serve as promising
prop Taniela Paseka’s 50th first grade appearance for the club.
HEAD TO HEAD: 21 MATCHES In addition to Tom Trbojevic returning for only his 20th NRL match since coach
MANLY 11-10 (No draws) Des Hasler returned to the Northern Beaches, Haumole Olakau’atu is set to play
his first match of 2021 in place of injured second-rower Jack Gosweiski, while
At Glen Willow Regional Stadium: never met at this venue
Cade Cust returns on the bench after missing last week with a virus.
LAST TEN: 5-ALL Continuing their impressive form against teams outside the top eight this
SEASON ROUND RESULT VENUE CROWD season, the Gold Coast Titans will be determined to continue a strong record
2013 19 Manly 38-20 Lottoland 11,905 against the Sea Eagles that has yielded four wins from their past five clashes.
2014 23 Manly 15-12 Cbus Super 11,940
Tearing the Knights to shreds during last Saturday’s 42-16 win at home, coach
2015 18 Manly 38-6 Cbus Super 9,632
Justin Holbrook will be hoping his side can continue their flow of points at
2016 15 Gold Coast 30-10 Cbus Super 8,278
Mudgee, which served as the site of the club’s biggest winning margin (38 points
2017 11 Manly 30-10 Cbus Super 12,509 against Parramatta) in 2013.
2018 5 Gold Coast 32-20 Gladstone 5,135
2018 23 Gold Coast 42-34 Lottoland 6,382 Naming an unchanged squad despite doubts over the fitness of Queensland
2019 11 Gold Coast 36-18 Lottoland 7,465 representative Phillip Sami (HIA), last week’s hat-trick hero David Fifita will play
2019 15 Manly 30-12 Cbus Super 11,056 his 50th match in the NRL.
2020 19 Gold Coast 42-24 Lottoland 2,452
Who to watch: Showing maturity beyond his years by playing out of position
and calling for the ball with the game on the line, young gun Josh Schuster has
BIGGEST WINS given Manly supporters a cause for optimism amidst a challenging start to 2021.
2009 26 Manly 38-4 Lottoland 14,165 Operating as a stop-gap second-rower due to a crippling injury toll, the 19-year-
2016 15 Titans 30-10 Cbus Super 8,278 old has risen above his preference of playing in the halves with 86 metres and
36 tackles on average in his four matches this season. Scoring his maiden try
MILESTONES in the top grade last week, Schuster’s willingness to attempt a field goal during
PLAYER MILESTONE NEEDS... the dying stages against the Warriors suggests the Sea Eagles have a player of
Taniela Paseka (MAN) 50 club & career games 1 games immense talent on their hands.
Tom Trbojevic (MAN) 200 club & career points 8 points
Adding a largely underrated value to the Titans’ roster off the bench, Erin Clark
David Fifita (GLD) 50 career games 1 games
has performed solidly as part of a dummy half tag team. Averaging just under
a half of football each week complementing seasoned hooker Mitch Rein, the
Match stats courtesy of 23-year-old one-time Warrior has been an effective contributor with and
without the ball each week. Off-contract at the end of the season, look for Clark
to take advantage of the Sea Eagles’ tiring forward pack upon his introduction
into the match on Saturday afternoon.
Favourite: Having racked up plenty of points against teams ranked below
them this season, the Titans are expected to continue that trend on Saturday
afternoon.
NEXT THREE: MANLY My tip: While the return of the man affectionately dubbed ‘Tommy Turbo’ will
R7 WESTS TIGERS A BANKWEST bring out the best in the ‘home’ side, the Titans’ ability to score points should be
R8 PENRITH A BATHURST too great for the Sea Eagles to overcome. Gold Coast by 14.
R9 WARRIORS H LOTTOLAND
NEXT THREE: GOLD COAST
R7 SOUTHS H CBUS
R8 BRISBANE A SUNCORP
R9 WESTS TIGERS A C'BELLTOWN
LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 6 | 192021 NRL TELSTRA PREMIERSHIP ROUND 6
South Sydney Wests
RABBITOHS TIGERS
P T G FG Pts P T G FG Pts
5 5 3 1 27 Latrell MITCHELL 1 FULLBACK 1 Daine LAURIE 5 2 - - 8
5 5 - - 20 Alex JOHNSTON 2 WING 2 David NOFOALUMA 5 3 - - 12
5 1 - - 4 Dane GAGAI 3 CENTRE 3 James ROBERTS 4 - - - -
5 1 - - 4 Campbell GRAHAM 4 CENTRE 4 Asu KEPAOA 4 - - - -
4 2 - - 8 Josh MANSOUR 5 WING 5 Tommy TALAU 5 2 - - 8
4 5 - - 20 Cody WALKER 6 FIVE-EIGHTH 6 Adam DOUEIHI 4 2 11 - 30
5 3 19 - 52 Adam REYNOLDS 7 HALFBACK 7 Luke BROOKS 5 - 2 - 4
5 - - - - Thomas BURGESS 8 FRONT ROW 8 James TAMOU 5 - - - -
5 1 - - 4 Damien COOK 9 HOOKER 9 Jake SIMPKIN - - - - -
5 - - - - Tevita TATOLA 10 FRONT ROW 10 Stefano UTOIKAMANU 5 2 - - 8
2 - - - - Jacob HOST 11 SECOND ROW 11 Joe OFAHENGAUE 5 1 - - 4
5 - - - - Jaydn SU’A 12 SECOND ROW 12 Luciano LEILUA 5 - - - -
5 - - - - Cameron MURRAY 13 LOCK 13 Alex TWAL 5 - - - -
5 1 - - 4 Benji MARSHALL 14 INTERCHANGE 14 Moses MBYE 5 - - - -
5 - - - - Mark NICHOLLS 15 15 Luke GARNER 5 1 - - 4
4 - - - - Patrick MAGO 16 16 Thomas MIKAELE 5 - - - -
5 - - - - Jai ARROW 17 17 Zane MUSGROVE 3 - - - -
- - - - - Hame SELE 18 RESERVES 18 Jacob LIDDLE 5 3 - - 12
- - - - - Liam KNIGHT 19 19 Alex SEYFARTH - - - - -
- - - - - Troy DARGAN 20 20 Tom AMONE - - - - -
1 - - - - Jaxson PAULO 21 21 Michael CHEE-KAM 1 - - - -
Wayne BENNETT COACH Michael MAGUIRE
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 PENALTIES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 SCRUMS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
20 | LEAGUEUNLIMITED.COM | THE FRONT ROW | VOL 2 ISSUE 6#NRLSouthsTigers
MATCH DETAILS
Match Preview
DATE Saturday 17 April 2021
with Lachy MacCorquodale
KICKOFF 5:30pm AEST The firing Rabbitohs look to continue their excellent start to the season as they
VENUE Stadium Australia, Sydney Olympic Park NSW host the embarrassed Wests Tigers at Stadium Australia on Saturday evening.
WATCH Fox League & Kayo Sports
The South Sydney Rabbitohs will be expecting to walk away with their fifth win
LISTEN ABC, 2GB, 4BC of the season when they take on the Wests Tigers. They come into round six
LIVE BLOG LeagueUnlimited.com in superb form after knocking off the Brisbane Broncos on Thursday night by
29-points in another convincing performance as they sit in third place on the
competition ladder.
MATCH OFFICIALS Over their last two matches, despite them being against Canterbury and
REFEREE Gerard SUTTON
Brisbane, the Rabbitohs have scored a combine 73 points whilst only conceding
TOUCH JUDGES Liam KENNEDY six. After their round one loss to the Melbourne Storm, the Rabbitohs have
Jon STONE responded in great fashion, having convincingly won three games against
NRL BUNKER Alan SHORTALL bottom sides, and a 10-point victory against the Sydney Roosters in round three
to establish their intentions for 2021.
Match Stats The Rabbitohs are genuine competition heavyweights and will be expecting
a convincing win over the Tigers. Souths’ also get the bonus of Cody Walker
HEAD TO HEAD: 36 MATCHES returning from suspension this week who will be feeling fresh and ready to go
after his week off. His combination with Latrell Mitchell could be deadly against a
SOUTH SYDNEY 20-16 (No draws) struggling Tigers edge defence.
At Stadium Australia: 18 matches, 9-all The return of Walker pushes former Tiger Benji Marshall back to the bench with
Dean Hawkins unavailable after suffering a gash to his leg that required stitches.
LAST TEN: 5-ALL After one of the more embarrassing performances in the club’s history, the
SEASON ROUND RESULT VENUE CROWD Wests Tigers will be hoping they can give their fans something to cheer about
2016 9 Wests Tigers 30-22 Stadium Australia 11,229 after their four-point loss to the previously winless Cowboys. The Tigers
2016 14 Wests Tigers 30-14 Stadium Australia 14,490 managed to find themselves down by 22-points at the halftime break on a special
2017 1 Wests Tigers 34-18 Stadium Australia 16,970 weekend for the club as they celebrated the great life of Tommy Raudonikis. The
2017 10 South Sydney 28-8 Stadium Australia 12,213 players failed to deliver anything resembling the great man as they rolled over
2018 19 Wests Tigers 22-6 Stadium Australia 25,963 in the first half.
2018 25 South Sydney 51-10 Stadium Australia 12,037
2019 11 South Sydney 32-16 Stadium Australia 18,195 The only positive for the Tigers is that they managed to score 24-points in the
2019 15 Wests Tigers 14-9 Bankwest Stadium 9,807 second half as they attempted to pull-off a comeback. The Tigers defence is
again at the centre of the problem, having conceded 20 points or more in all
2020 9 South Sydney 18-10 Bankwest Stadium 4,864
five matches so far this season. This streak even extends into the middle of the
2020 18 South Sydney 26-24 Bankwest Stadium 3,801 2020 season. The Tigers have now conceded 20 or more points in their last
15 premiership matches with their 48-0 victory over the Brisbane Broncos in
BIGGEST WINS Round 10 being the last fixture the Tigers contained an opposition to less than
20 points.
2004 22 Wests Tigers 56-6 Leichhardt Oval 19,402
2013 10 South Sydney 54-10 Stadium Australia 19,718 Something had to change for the Tigers and to everyone’s surprise it was
hooker Jacob Liddle who faced the ax after the loss on Sunday afternoon which
allows young Jake Simpkin to make his long-awaited first grade debut after
MILESTONES some brilliant performances in the NSW Cup. Asu Kepaoa returns to the side but
PLAYER MILESTONE NEEDS... this time in the centres for Joey Leilua, whilst Stefano Utoikamanu comes into
Adam Doueihi (WST) 100 club points 14 points the starting side pushing Zane Musgrave to the bench.
Jacob Liddle (WST) 50 club & career games 1 game
James Roberts (WST) 300 career points 2 points Who to watch: One of the more intriguing battles this weekend will be the battle
Adam Reynolds (SOU) 1700 club & career points 12 points of the two respective number sixes. One, Cody Walker is the incumbent New
Alex Johnston (SOU) 150 club & career games 1 game South Wales five-eighth and has been on fire so far this year, scoring five tries
Tautau Moga (SOU) 100 career points 8 points and assisting another three in his four appearances. Walker has been one of the
better players in the competition over the past few seasons and has once again
asserted himself as a top player in the competition. He lines up against former
Match stats courtesy of Rabbitoh Adam Doueihi, who is new to the five-eighth position, having moved
there this season. However, in the 22-year-old’s four appearances this season
he has scored two tries and assisted a further three as he looks to play in a Jack
Wighton type role, a big body who runs the ball close to the line. He is a genuine
attacking threat and could be key to another potential success for the Tigers
this Saturday.
NEXT THREE: SOUTH SYDNEY
R7 GOLD COAST A CBUS SUPER Favourite: The Rabbitohs are the favourite for this clash and for good reason.
R8 CANBERRA A GIO STAD. Their only loss came to the Melbourne Storm in the opening round of the season
and have since won four on the trot as they march towards the top of the ladder.
R9 MELBOURNE H STAD. AUS.
The Tigers have leaked points again this season and there’s no evidence that this
will change on the weekend.
NEXT THREE: WESTS TIGERS
R7 MANLY H BANKWEST My tip: The Rabbitohs are in red hot form and will be extremely hard to stop on
R8 ST GEO ILLA A WIN STAD. Saturday evening. Their attack will be too much for the Tigers defence to handle.
R9 GOLD COAST H C'BELLTOWN South Sydney by 14.
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