HOLMES COPS NIGHTMARE CENTURY
Has a player ever had a more nightmarish 48 hours than Queensland State of Origin star Val Holmes?
Holmes was the last line of defence for the Maroons last Wednesday night when the Blues ran in 50 points.
Two nights later, Holmes would have been hoping for a change of fortune with the Cowboys at Brookvale – only to concede another 50!
Ironically, Holmes didn't play all that badly in either game … but will be looking for some more starch in defence from the 12 blokes in front of him in coming weeks.
MANLY SMASH TURBO HOODOO
The theory that Manly can't win without Tom Trbojevic was blown out of the water in emphatic style at Brookvale on Friday night.
Although looking shaky early at 0-12 after less than 10 minutes, the Sea Eagles thumped Manly 50-18 with Tommy Turbo sitting in the stands.
And star of the show was TT's replacement Reuben Garrick, who shifted from wing to fullback and ran for nearly 300 metres, including a stunning length-of-the-field solo try.
The win was Manly's biggest without Turbo since he made his top grade debut in 2015 – and gives Des Hasler's men a massive confidence boost for the run-in to the finals.
JWH STILL ELITE AFTER 250 GAMES
It was a big day on the Gold Coast on Saturday for Roosters veteran Jared Waerea-Hargreaves – and the gentle giant made it a 250th NRL game to remember.
JWH, who at 32 continues to be one of the game's most feared hit men in the trenches, played the full 80 minutes against the Titans – some feat in itself.
The big man went hard from go to whoa, running for 199 metres and making 44 tackles in the Roosters' bizarre 35-34 win.
The former Manly forward was tipped to be one man who could struggle in the faster game being played under the new rules in 2021, but has adapted his game and is a key figure in the Roosters' title challenge.
MORRIS SPANS CAMPBELL GENERATIONS
How long has Josh Morris been playing the game? A LONG time if you measure it in seasons and tries.
But the 34-year-old Rooster felt especially old against the Titans.
Why? He found himself up against Gold Coast rookie Jayden Campbell – 14 years after playing against his dad, former Dally M Medallist Preston.
DUFTY DUSTED BY DISMAL BRONCOS
The Broncos stuck the knife into poor Dragons fullback Matt Dufty in the past few days.
Firstly, the Broncos came out and declared that they had no interest in the unwanted Dragons star for 2022.
As if that wasn't enough, the Broncos came up with yet another of their embarrassing defensive displays against Canberra, playing the Raiders right back into form.
But more significantly, their poor tackling helped stop-gap Canberra fullback Bailey Simonsson to have a blinder.
Simonsson ran for 243 metres and came up with two try assists in a top-class performance.
Prior to the game, the Raiders were the one club showing interest in Dufty – but after the way Simonsson went filling in for the injured Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, they are almost certain to change their minds on the Dragons' speedster.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.