Luai leads epic revenge win over Galvin as Bulldogs sweat on skipper<\/a><\/p>\n‘You can see the green shoots are there’ | 01:56<\/p>\n
STORM\u2019S \u2018YIPS\u2019 ISSUE EXPOSED AS FINALS APPROACH<\/p>\n
North Sydney Bears legend Billy Moore has cast doubts over whether the Storm can win a \u201cgrindathon\u201d against the likes of the Bulldogs and Panthers at the business end of the season.<\/p>\n
Melbourne had a less than convincing 16-10 victory over the struggling Eels at CommBank Stadium on Thursday night, and observers are beginning to question their chances of lifting the premiership trophy in October.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have always been the most pragmatic team to evolve with the rules but at the moment, they\u2019re off the pace,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith that said, they\u2019re running second, so the bar for them is different than most other clubs.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou talk about the lack of the grind, to me the Storm have always been a team that can win the comp with just their defence. At the moment they\u2019re trying to flick it to attack.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just think it\u2019s the most open season I\u2019ve seen and coming to the back end of the finals, they\u2019ll be against sides like the Dogs and Penrith where it\u2019ll be a grindathon and I\u2019m not sure if they can (match) them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Storm have evolved into a pointscoring machine.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Matty Johns believes the Storm have become a team more focused on attack in 2025, which is the opposite of the big three era when their priority was their defence.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve evolved in a different direction,\u201d Johns said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you look at the history of the Storm sides under Craig Bellamy, this side has the most points in them. On a dry day they just rattle off the points, it just happens but they can\u2019t graft and grind like the other teams. They\u2019ve moved in different directions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bryan Fletcher said the Storm aren\u2019t the same team at night as they are during the day.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a different Melbourne,\u201d Fletcher said. <\/p>\n
\u201cAt night they are a totally different team. I don\u2019t know if they have the yips at night or what it is but against the Chooks last week, it wasn\u2019t until the last sort of 10-15 minutes they poked their nose in front.\u201d<\/p>\n
Coates helps scrappy Storm overcome Eels | 01:43<\/p>\n
WALSH AND MAM BACK TO BRILLIANT BEST IN BRONCOS ROUT<\/p>\n
Reece Walsh had an error-riddled night in the loss to the Eels, while Ezra Mam was quiet, but the star duo were back to their freakish best in the 60-14 rout of the Rabbitohs. <\/p>\n
Walsh finished with four linebreak assists, four try assists and a try, while Mam ran for nearly 200 metres to go with two linebreaks and two tries. <\/p>\n
Former Broncos coach Kevin Walters had no doubt the pair would bounce back after an off night against the Eels. <\/p>\n
\u201cMam was quiet, but these sort of players don\u2019t stay quiet for long,\u201d Walters said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey get themselves back in the game and he has got a lot of talent Ezra. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s so fast and I think he is playing a more physical game this year. He seems to be able to put more into his contact. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a quick player and likes to play short sides well. He is a great asset for the Broncos and when he gets in this sort of form, he is very hard to stop, him and Reece Walsh.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are like two bandits robbing the bank, they just keep going and they take as much money as they can get.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what they did tonight. They robbed the bank and took a lot of money home.\u201d <\/p>\n
Cooper Cronk thought Walsh showed the best and worst in his game against the Eels, but by underplaying his hand against Souths, he was able to do more for the team. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe was rocks or diamonds last week and came up with a couple of plays that got his team back in it and almost won it, but then caused a lot of issues at the start of the second half and put his team under pressure,\u201d Cronk said. <\/p>\n
Reece Walsh was back to his best against Souths.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cBut tonight he was much better. There were a couple of plays early on where he could have pulled the trigger and thrown the pass, but it showed the maturity and mindset that Reece Walsh was in during the second half. <\/p>\n
\u201cEvery time he touched the ball he had space and time and when he gets on the edge, the skill and execution and footwork and he is the most dangerous player in the competition when he is good.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Cronk believes there is still some issues the Broncos need to iron out, especially with Xavier Willison sidelined with a broken arm. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe Broncos have these dynamic outside backs and they have great halves,\u201d Cronk said. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf their forward pack can throw some punches against the Storm, Panthers and Raiders, the Broncos have the attack to go and do some things. <\/p>\n
\u201cBut it\u2019s their defence and long game mentality that needs to improve.\u201d <\/p>\n
Walters believes the real test for the Broncos will be facing the Storm twice in the last five weeks of the regular season. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe always knew they had the talent,\u201d Walters said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s clearly always been there. But the big test will come in the next few weeks against the Storm.\u201d <\/p>\n
Broncos blow away injury-ravaged Bunnies | 02:30<\/p>\n
TIGERS CAUSE MAJOR UPSET IN LACHLAN GALVIN CUP<\/p>\n
It was dubbed the Lachlan Galvin Cup, but it was the underdog Tigers that got one over their old teammate in a convincing 28-14 win over the Bulldogs. <\/p>\n
The scoreboard even flattered the Bulldogs slightly because the Tigers led 20-0 and always looked like the better side in wet and wild conditions at CommBank Stadium. <\/p>\n
Matty Johns labelled it the best win by the Tigers in years after they led the Bulldogs from start to finish. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt is the best win from the Tigers for a long, long time given all the circumstances of the game and the Lachlan Galvin situation,\u201d Johns said on Sunday Night with Matty Johns. <\/p>\n
\u201cTalk about flying under the radar, the Tigers have won three of their last five. Cleary a much better side than last year.\u201d <\/p>\n
Jarome Luai got one up on his old teammate Lachlan Galvin.Source: Supplied<\/p>\n
Bryan Fletcher noted Benji Marshall\u2019s late decision to drop Latu Fainu to the bench and bring in Adam Doeuihi at halfback as the catalyst for the win. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a masterstroke by Benji Marshall to put Adam Doeuihi in the halves,\u201d Fletcher said. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe had a stormer. Set up the first two tries and scored one himself. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe motivation for the Tigers was pretty evident with the Galvin stuff. I know the crowd were looking forward to it. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe Tigers players were up for it and they just frustrated the Bulldogs out of the game. Their defence was great.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey took every opportunity that they got, which sometimes has been their Achilles heel.\u201d <\/p>\n
Johns noted the Bulldogs have a poor record in the wet this season and it continued against the Tigers in driving rain. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt is one thing about the Bulldogs is they struggle in wet weather football,\u201d Johns said. <\/p>\n
\u201cA lotof the football they play is a lot of short passing before the line, which can be difficult to do in these conditions.\u201d <\/p>\n
Nathan Hindmarsh believes the Bulldogs needed to go through the Tigers and not around them in horrendous conditions. <\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of long passing as well, which I think gives the defensive side time to slide and get up,\u201d Hindmarsh said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey didn\u2019t want to try and take on the middle for the Tigers. They were trying to force it wide the whole time and the Tigers had it covered the whole game and that just made them more frustrated. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe Bulldogs gave away penalties and they didn\u2019t handle it well.\u201d <\/p>\n
“I don’t think it rattled him!” | 04:06<\/p>\n
FLANAGAN WEIGHS IN ON RAIDERS\u2019 TITLE CHANCES<\/p>\n
Dragons coach Shane Flanagan believes the Raiders will still be a force in this year\u2019s premiership race, despite a shock 18-12 loss to St George Illawarra on Saturday night in Wollongong.<\/p>\n
Canberra\u2019s defeat brought their nine-game winning streak to an end, but Flanagan doesn\u2019t believe the loss will mean much as far as the Raiders are concerned.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve done outstanding this year. Tonight, we did a few things better than them,\u201d Flanagan said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut they\u2019re going to be there at the end of the year. <\/p>\n
\u201cI know Sticky\u2019s a good coach. He\u2019ll have them ready.<\/p>\n
Ricky Stuart\u2019s Raiders lost for the first time in nine weeks against the Dragons.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cThis loss for them, I\u2019m not speaking for Sticky or Canberra, it\u2019s just a pimple on their backside really when the big picture comes around.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve just got to get to the end of the year, be in that top four, Sticky\u2019s been there before, and he\u2019ll get them ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
Flanagan wouldn\u2019t go as far as to say the Raiders can win the premiership though.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether they can win it or not, I don\u2019t know,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Dragons put end to Raiders winning run | 00:47<\/p>\n
WERE THE TITANS ROBBED?<\/p>\n
The Titans can rightfully feel robbed in their loss against the Panthers.<\/p>\n
While two moments of Nathan Cleary brilliance brought the reigning premiers back to level, and the won the game in golden point, it was another instance that overshadowed his performance.<\/p>\n
The actions of Penrith\u2019s trainer disrupted Jayden Campbell\u2019s conversion attempt, which would have put the Gold Coast out of reach of a two-point field goal.<\/p>\n
Michael Ennis delivered a damning prophecy after Campbell missed the goal, which came back to haunt the Titans.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt brings a Nathan Cleary two-point field goal right into play,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Penrith Panthers trainer Corey Bocking runs into the path of the Gold Coast’s Jayden Campbell as he lines up to take a conversion.Source: Supplied<\/p>\n
There\u2019s an argument that if Campbell had actually attempted his kick with the trainer in front of him, and missed, he\u2019d have been given a second opportunity.<\/p>\n
However, that isn\u2019t fair to place the onus on the kicker in this situation.<\/p>\n
Penrith\u2019s yellow shirt will likely earn himself a fine and a breach notice for his actions and the club themselves will also likely be hit with a monetary penalty.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not the first time a Panthers trainer has been sanctioned by the NRL this season, with Shane Elford earning a one game ban and a $10,000 fine.<\/p>\n
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary also issued an apology post-match, revealing the incident was purely an accident.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t see it, but (we were) just chatting about it in there. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,\u201d Cleary said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had a sub that we were going to do and I changed it at the last minute, that\u2019s what he was doing, he was trying to communicate with the bench.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause it was a late change, there\u2019s a lot of stuff going on to make sure we didn\u2019t make that change we were going to. That was why there was a bit of confusion.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the end it was just an honest mistake, he apologised straight away. Anyone around him would have seen that, the Titans would know that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am happy to say we apologise for it, because it\u2019s not something that anyone set out to do. It was just an honest mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regardless, the Titans have a right to feel like they were hard done by after missing out on two competition points. <\/p>\n
Trainer drama overshadows Cleary magic | 00:54<\/p>\n
SEIBOLD\u2019S BIG FULLBACK CALL<\/p>\n
The Sea Eagles\u2019 finals hopes are hanging by a thread.<\/p>\n
So is it time for Tom Trbojevic to return to the No.1 jersey?<\/p>\n
Manly suffered a loss to the Roosters in Round 22 that saw the Tricolours join them on the fringes of the eight.<\/p>\n
A win would have handed Anthony Seibold\u2019s side a huge boost, and in attempting to secure two competition points the embattled coach showed his hand.<\/p>\n
Lehi Hopoate left the field for a HIA early in the clash and Trbojevic filled his place for that period, but also reverted to fullback in the dying stages.<\/p>\n
Seibold was questioned why he made that decision post-match.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe went down 20 points to four with 20 minutes to go, we were chasing three tries,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had to try something.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tom Trbojevic of the Sea Eagles could be set to shift back to fullback.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
The Sea Eagles coach was then pressed on whether he was considering shifting Trbojevic back to his natural position full time.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2018ll have a think about it, it\u2019s 10 minutes after the game,\u201d Seibold said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just needed to try something, what we were doing, we weren\u2019t getting any field position and we just tried to get Turbo on the footy and start moving the footy.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard moving it in that sort of weather, so we were three tries behind so we were trying to chase.\u201d<\/p>\n
After returning from a hamstring injury in the centres, rugby league legend Cooper Cronk delivered a damning claim.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf Manly want a genuine chance of winning a trophy at some stage, Turbo has got to be the fullback,\u201d Cronk said at the time.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they want to take down the big teams, he has to be at fullback.\u201d <\/p>\n
Now with Manly\u2019s finals hopes dwindling, Cronk looks to be proven right, with a shift back to fullback for Trbojevic seen as a last resort in their bid to feature in the post-season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Broncos continued their title surge on the back of Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam\u2019s brilliance, with a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":41184,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,689,9421,36260,4428,36256,36273,10122,36265,7618,4567,35635,11101,36262,8089,13485,36277,36263,36261,36267,35894,21683,8092,36276,36258,2485,4612,36272,36259,4556,4570,3194,4617,36270,27146,4746,18656,4466,32917,36268,761,762,673,36269,158,677,36264,36274,16284,4598,36275,36266,701,36257,13391,11368,7291,29378,4583,4439,85,4563,30383,7663,36271,11089,35632,35634,4515,4526],"class_list":["post-41183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-benji-marshall","tag-billy-moore","tag-brisbane-broncos","tag-broncos-blow","tag-broncos-rout","tag-bryan-fletcher","tag-business-end","tag-cameron-ciraldo","tag-cameron-munster","tag-conversion-attempt","tag-cooper-cronk","tag-corey-bocking","tag-craig-bellamy","tag-darcie-mcdonald","tag-defensive-responsibilities","tag-defensive-side-time","tag-dragons-coach","tag-dylan-brown","tag-epic-revenge","tag-ezra-mam","tag-field-goal","tag-finals-approach","tag-game-mentality","tag-gold-coast","tag-gold-coast-titans","tag-growing-pains","tag-inexperienced-young-guns","tag-jason-ryles","tag-jayden-campbell","tag-kevin-walters","tag-lachlan-galvin","tag-ladder-position","tag-linebreak-assists","tag-mark-st-john","tag-matty-johns","tag-melbourne-storm","tag-michael-ennis","tag-money-home","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-new-south-wales","tag-north-sydney-bears","tag-nrl","tag-oceania","tag-open-season","tag-panthers-trainer","tag-penrith","tag-penrith-panthers","tag-point-scoring-machine","tag-premiership-trophy","tag-queensland","tag-real-test","tag-reece-walsh","tag-regular-season","tag-ricky-stuart","tag-rookie-coach","tag-shane-flanagan","tag-south-sydney-rabbitohs","tag-sports","tag-st-george-illawarra-dragons","tag-star-duo","tag-talking-points","tag-title-surge","tag-tom-sargeant","tag-trainer-drama","tag-two-point-field-goal","tag-wests-tigers","tag-wollongong"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=41183"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41183\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/41184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}