{"id":564035,"date":"2026-03-25T20:07:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-25T20:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/564035\/"},"modified":"2026-03-25T20:07:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T20:07:10","slug":"round-4-talking-points-preview-melbourne-storm-problems-bronson-xerri-future-at-bulldogs-kotoni-staggs-vs-herbie-farnworth-broncos-vs-dolphins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/564035\/","title":{"rendered":"Round 4 Talking Points preview, Melbourne Storm problems, Bronson Xerri future at Bulldogs, Kotoni Staggs vs Herbie Farnworth, Broncos vs Dolphins"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A couple of glaring defensive lapses will have Craig Bellamy\u2019s alarm bells ringing after their loss to the Broncos in the Grand Final rematch. <\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, there remains conflicting reports over Bronson Xerri\u2019s future at the Bulldogs amid an elephant in the room. <\/p>\n<p>Watch every game of every round of the Premiership Season LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports | <a href=\"https:\/\/kayosports.com.au\/en-AU\/welcome\/nrl?pg=default&amp;extcamp=fsaeditoriallinkleague-edt-fsp-lnk-awr-grc-nrl-kyo&amp;channel=fsa&amp;campaign=fsacontra&amp;voucher=\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img class=\"i-amphtml-fill-content i-amphtml-replaced-content\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/poster-fallback.png\"\/><\/p>\n<p>WHAT&#8217;S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.<\/p>\n<p>And two of the best centres in the world go head-to-head in the latest instalment of the Broncos vs Dolphins rivalry. <\/p>\n<p>Read on for the key Talking Points ahead of Round 4. <\/p>\n<p>QUESTIONS OVER SEIBOLD AND JURBO\u2019S FUTURES AFTER MANLY\u2019S HORROR START<\/p>\n<p>Sea Eagles vs Roosters Thursday 26th of March @ 8pm<\/p>\n<p>The futures of Anthony Seibold and Jake Trbojevic have come into question after Manly\u2019s 0-2 start to the season, despite the bye getting them off the mark with two points in Round 3. <\/p>\n<p>Manly hardly disgraced themselves with a 29-28 defeat to the Raiders in Round 1, but the manner of their home loss to the Knights without injured duo Kalyn Ponga and Dylan Brown was alarming. <\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Jake Trbojevic\u2019s form has been singled out as one of the reasons for Manly\u2019s struggles, with calls for Kobe Hetherington to start at lock. <\/p>\n<p>Braith Anasta questioned if Seibold should be under pressure if Manly lose a third straight home game to the Roosters and prodigal son Daly Cherry-Evans on Thursday night. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnthony Seibold is one of a number of coaches that are under pressure, 0-2 start the year and they need to win this week,\u201d Anasta said on NRL 360. <\/p>\n<p>The Daily Telegraph\u2019s Dean Ritchie noted that every coach who goes on a winless run at home is under pressure, but still feels Seibold will be given time to turn it around. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, if they are 0-3, he is under the pump, there\u2019s no doubt about that,\u201d Ritchie said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe just spoke about Trent Robinson and I suggested he wasn\u2019t under the pump. Robbo\u2019s obviously won three premierships, Seibs hasn\u2019t won one yet. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think Anthony Seibold at the moment is the right man for the job. You cannot appoint a bloke to coach your team for 2026 and then get rid of him after two games. It\u2019s ridiculous. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think they\u2019ve got to give him at least half way through the season before they sit back and go, OK, let\u2019s take stock. Where are we at? What\u2019s the future hold? Is it a man to take us forward?\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Anthony Seibold is facing three straight losses at home to start the season.Source: Supplied<\/p>\n<p>The Daily Telegraph\u2019s Brent Read agreed that pressure for Seibold\u2019s job after two losses and a bye is far too premature. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s madness,\u201d Read said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s the madness of rugby league we\u2019re talking about him and Todd Payten after three rounds. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s crazy. I mean, they\u2019re three rounds into the year. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cToddy\u2019s won a game now. Shane Flanagan\u2019s 0-3, we\u2019re not talking about him. And I should stress I don\u2019t think we should be. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut I\u2019m saying, we\u2019re not talking about Flanno. If you look at their records over the past three years, Seibold\u2019s got a bigger winning percentage than Flanno. We\u2019re not talking about Flanno.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jake Trbojevic\u2019s future has also been clouded after his poor performance against the Knights, as he weighs up whether to activate a one-year extension in 2027. <\/p>\n<p>Trbojevic, 32, hasn\u2019t scored a try, broken the line or busted a tackle since 2024, with the workhorse lock forward limited to just two carries for 15m in the Sea Eagles\u2019 Round 2 loss to Newcastle.<\/p>\n<p>Manly skipper and brother Tom Trbojevic leapt to the defence of Jake amid the storm of criticism. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it\u2019s a little bit disappointing that he is coming under fire,\u201d Tom Trbojevic said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think he\u2019s really gone great after the first two weeks, the way he\u2019s played, especially defensively. And I think a lot of people that watch the game and analysts get caught up in stats and what you need to do with the ball, but he\u2019s a real leader for us in defence and the way he links our attack together as well.<\/p>\n<p>MORE NRL NEWS<\/p>\n<p>BROKEN: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com.au\/nrl\/nrl-premiership\/nrl-2026-analysis-as-ben-teo-walks-out-on-brisbane-broncos-problems-facing-michael-maguire-opinion-michael-crawley-column\/news-story\/34d7529809ed90323c7e9e0a54d3f80e\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Unwritten rule in Broncos bombshell &#8230; and how it could backfire on Madge<\/a><\/p>\n<p>MCKINNON: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com.au\/nrl\/nrl-premiership\/nrl-2026-alex-mckinnon-column-pressure-on-manly-sea-eagles-in-daly-cherryevans-game-lachie-galvin-problem-at-bulldogs-latest-news\/news-story\/6e5c32fbface014fe4da6df23c302f11\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Reynolds change Broncos can\u2019t avoid; star \u2018eliminated\u2019 after DCE exit<\/a><\/p>\n<p>BUY OR SELL: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com.au\/nrl\/nrl-premiership\/nrl-2026-analysis-opinion-round-4-teams-nrl-talking-points-can-panthers-win-every-game-pre-origin-who-is-best-centre-in-comp-shane-flanagan-rugby-league-news\/news-story\/bf0849c63f9e0db6013129856a5ca079\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Legend\u2019s explosive Panthers prediction; \u2018big call\u2019 around Broncos star<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Jake Trbojevic is facing criticism in his performance against the Knights.Source: Supplied<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou look at someone that runs really hard, and people will appreciate how hard they\u2019re running and getting quick play the balls and whatnot.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut in defence, it\u2019s the same thing. If someone\u2019s tackling hard and forcing errors in the back, it\u2019s just as big a play, but it doesn\u2019t get talked about as much.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not here to justify why he\u2019s good enough. We in this club know he\u2019s good enough and we really appreciate him as a footy player and as a person (because) he\u2019s s an integral part of our team. So I really think it\u2019s unfair that he is coming under criticism.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Younger brother Ben Trbojevic was equally disappointed in the criticism of Jake and backed him to play on next season if he wants to. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cEveryone\u2019s entitled to their opinion, but I reckon he\u2019s a big asset to this club and he will be going forward,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just think he leads the line speed. He\u2019s one of the best forwards at just going after the game and really gets off the line and puts good hits on and it really lifts us as a team.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, in a results driven business, Manly know they have to start winning soon, particularly at their former fortress Brookvale or the knives will continue to be out for their coach and veteran forward. <\/p>\n<p>Get all the latest NRL news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxsports.com.au\/newsletter-sign-up?utm_source=NRLArticle&amp;utm_medium=TextLink&amp;utm_campaign=signup\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">Sign up now!!!<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Turbo backs brother Jake to play on | 01:25<\/p>\n<p>WILL WARRIORS SINK OR SWIM AFTER \u2018BRAVE\u2019 HALVES DECISION <\/p>\n<p>Warriors vs Tigers Friday 27th of March @ 6.00pm<\/p>\n<p>In a massive surprise, the Warriors named Luke Metcalf in their side to take on the Tigers.<\/p>\n<p>What makes this such a shock is that Metcalf wasn\u2019t due back for at least another couple of weeks after suffering an ACL injury last June. <\/p>\n<p>Many believed that without Metcalf, the Warriors would struggle to start the season with Tanah Boyd in the No. 7 jersey, but they\u2019ve done anything but.<\/p>\n<p>Winning all three while scoring at least 38 points a game, the Warriors have been the surprise packets of 2026 to date.<\/p>\n<p>Metcalf makes this team better, there\u2019s no doubt about it, and he should complement Boyd\u2019s game perfectly, but given the Warriors are unbeaten and Metcalf is coming off a serious injury, would it be wiser to give the star playmaker a bit more time?<\/p>\n<p>That question is why the decision to parachute Metcalf back into the side has been labelled a \u201cbrave\u201d call. <\/p>\n<p>Metcalf is all class and a super player, exemplified by the fact he was leading the Dally M count before his untimely injury last season.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a brave decision by coach Andrew Webster isn\u2019t it? Metcalf, before his injury was leading the Dally M, and was playing o.7. He wanted to be the main man but Boyd has come in and played so well that you just couldn\u2019t move him,\u201d foxsports.com.au\u2019s Paul Crawley said on NRL 360. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cBoyd seems like a natural No.7 and Metcalf would fit in the No.6 jumper.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Luke Metcalf\u2019s early return has been labelled a \u2018brave\u2019 decision.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Metcalf would not be rushed back unless he\u2019s 100% fit as The Daily Telegraph\u2019s Dave Riccio said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s done everything he can in terms of the rehab from the torn ACL,\u201d Riccio said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor the Warriors, getting him back so soon is a huge plus.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The job Webster has done always deserves a huge rap.<\/p>\n<p>As mentioned, the Warriors were overlooked heading into the season because of the injuries to Mitch Barnett and Metcalf.<\/p>\n<p>Miraculously, both have returned much earlier than expected, but the guys who have stood up in their absence have been absolutely lights out.<\/p>\n<p>Boyd we\u2019ve touched on, but the play of Jackson Ford alongside James Fisher-Harris in the starting front line has been outstanding.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, Ford leads the Dally M count through three weeks and is knocking on the door of a Blues call up.<\/p>\n<p>Crawley said Webster has clearly had an impact on both players\u2019 development given their previous situations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe guy in his spot, Tanah Boyd, has been in career best form but they have found a spot for both of them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s just good coaching from Webster because Tanah Boyd went down there from the Gold Coast where he was a superstar junior talent but never found his way as an NRL player. Over the summer, they\u2019ve made him into a guy that is up near the Dally M leaderboard.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd the guy who is leading the Dally Ms is an offcut from the Dragons, Jackson Ford, and he\u2019s trained him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the start of the season you&#8217;re thinking no Metcalf, no Barnett, geez they are going to struggle to make the eight, but the two blokes who have come in for them have done a wonderful job.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Couchman suspended for four games | 00:51<\/p>\n<p>MASTERS TAKE CENTRE STAGE IN EPIC BRONCOS VS DOLPHINS RIVALRY <\/p>\n<p>Broncos vs Dolphins Friday 27th of March @ 8.00pm<\/p>\n<p>One of the main reasons the Dolphins joined the NRL was to create an epic local derby and fierce rivalry with the Broncos and the latest instalment promises to be the best yet.<\/p>\n<p>With the Ben Te\u2019o saga simmering in the background and the Broncos\u2019 title defence off to a rocky start, a third loss from four games, including three at home could spell disaster for the Broncos in their bid to stay in touch with the top four. <\/p>\n<p>The Broncos have the wood on the Dolphins, winning five of their six clashes since they came into the competition, but the form of both sides coming into this fixture ensures an instant classic is on the cards. <\/p>\n<p>The Broncos bounced back from back-to-back losses to stun the Storm in the Grand Final rematch, while the Dolphins thrashed the Sharks, who are one of the leading contenders for the title, 38-10 on their own turf. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis game has produced some classics since the Dolphins have joined the competition and both teams are coming off a win,\u201d Braith Anasta said on NRL 360. <\/p>\n<p>Broncos legend Gorden Tallis recalled Kotoni Staggs\u2019 match winner to break the Dolphins hearts and remind them who is the big brother in Brisbane. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt should be huge, I think the Dolphins have won one of the six games, so Brisbane have won most of them and that was a great moment with Kotoni Staggs scoring the match winner,\u201d Tallis said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s obviously Dolphins\u2019 flags everywhere and he just reminded them, this is our house. \u201cIt\u2019ll be a sell-out, you would imagine. If it\u2019s good weather in Brisbane on Friday, I might even sneak down there myself.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Kotoni Staggs goes head to head with Herbie Farnworth.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Both teams come into the clash with some brilliant players, with the Broncos boasting the likes of Reece Walsh, Ezra Mam, Staggs and Deine Mariner, while the Dolphins\u2019 backline features Isaiya Katoa, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Herbie Farnworth and former Broncos star Selwyn Cobbo. <\/p>\n<p>Paul Crawley noted that both sides are arguably the best attacking teams in the NRL on their day, which sets the stage for a high-scoring shootout at Suncorp Stadium. <\/p>\n<p>However, Crawley feels the Dolphins need to win if they are serious about cracking the finals for the first time this season. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s huge, you\u2019ve got two of the best attacking teams in the competition going up against each other,\u201d Crawley said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou saw the Dolphins the other night, how they just really put the Sharks to the sword in the blink of an eye and they\u2019ve got match-winners across the park. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut the Broncos have had the wood on them, so if the Dolphins are going to be a top eight side this year, they need to stand up in this one.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>There are no shortage of mouth-watering match-ups across the park, but the battle between English centre Farnworth and Origin and Test star Staggs promises to be the most explosive, according to The Daily Telegraph\u2019s Dave Riccio and Tallis. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy favourite player\u2019s playing Herbie Farnworth, he\u2019s just the best to watch,\u201d Riccio said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHis ability to beat tackles and create space for his teammates and against the Sharks it was Herbie. How does the centre take over? With all that star quality that the Dolphins have, it was the centre who did the damage.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Herbie Farnworth destroyed the Sharks.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Tallis rated the pair the premier centres in the business in their positions at their best, saying: \u201cIt\u2019s the battle of the two best centres in the world because he\u2019s up against Kotoni Staggs.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>However, Riccio believes Farnworth has got him covered and the Bulldogs\u2019 skipper might be up there on par or ahead of them. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith great respect to Kotoni, I don\u2019t think Kotoni\u2019s number one,\u201d Riccio said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHerbie\u2019s right up there and so is Stephen Crichton. Herbie\u2019s always in great form. It\u2019s only injury that stops him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>All eyes will be on Walsh and Hammer at the back, but the battle between Staggs and Farnworth could decide the contest with one play. <\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Not getting the job done&#8217; Crawley | 04:32<\/p>\n<p>DOUBTS REMAIN OVER XERRI\u2019S FUTURE AS BULLDOGS TRY TO MAKE ATTACK CLICK<\/p>\n<p>Bulldogs vs Knights Saturday 28th of March @ 3.00pm<\/p>\n<p>For the second straight week Bronson Xerri will play NSW Cup as the Bulldogs and Cameron Ciraldo try to get their attack clicking against the depleted Knights on Saturday afternoon. <\/p>\n<p>The Bulldogs have been anything but convincing with ball in hand in a 15-14 win over the Dragons and a 14-10 victory over the Raiders either side of their bye. <\/p>\n<p>Like last season, the Bulldogs are relying on their superior defence to keep them in the top four and winning games, but after bowing out of the finals in straight sets, they know their attack needs to improve. <\/p>\n<p>However, the jury is still out on the Lachlan Galvin and Matt Burton halves pairing and if they can\u2019t put some points on a Knights team missing their two best players, alarm bells will start ringing at Belmore. <\/p>\n<p>And keeping one of their best attacking players from the last couple of seasons in Xerri in reserve grade won\u2019t help them score more points. <\/p>\n<p>The Daily Telegraph\u2019s Brent Read revealed on NRL 360 that he believes Xerri has turned around his attitude and no longer wants to leave the club. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe is not in the team and he will play NSW Cup again,\u201d Read said on NRL 360. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe played pretty well in NSW Cup last week and scored a nice try. Phil Gould was there to watch him play.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think things have settled down a bit and I reckon he might stay there now. I don\u2019t think he will follow through with that release request because they have had some more conversations and things have just calmed down.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Bronson Xerri remains in NSW Cup.Source: Instagram<\/p>\n<p>That isn\u2019t to say that everything is all settled in Belmore.<\/p>\n<p>While there have been positive signs so far, Read conceded that if Xerri remains in NSW Cup for the next month there is the possibility his stance on the matter will change. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s the elephant in the room,\u201d Read added. <\/p>\n<p>Coach Ciraldo was strong in his explanation on why Xerri was dropped, telling reporters at the time that the centre \u201cmight have had one of those moments\u201d where he reacted to the adversity in the wrong way.<\/p>\n<p>Given the strong, team-first culture that Ciraldo has built at Belmore, it had The Daily Telegraph\u2019s Dean Ritchie questioning if the Bulldogs should want to rush Xerri back so soon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGiven the situation and how it unfolded and his dismay at multiple things that happened, do you think that Cameron Ciraldo has any appetite to bring him back?\u201d Ritchie said. <\/p>\n<p>Braith Anasta agreed that Ciraldo looked like he \u201chad the s***s visibly\u201d with Xerri in his press conference and may need more time to re-instate him. <\/p>\n<p>However, ultimately it will all depend on how his replacement Enari Tuala plays. <\/p>\n<p>Tuala was very dependable in defence in last week\u2019s win over the Raiders and that would have pleased coach Ciraldo, who built the club\u2019s success last season on their work and attitude without the ball. <\/p>\n<p>With that in mind, all eyes will continue to be on Tuala this weekend and beyond to see if he can continue to do enough to leave Ciraldo with no choice but to keep Xerri in reserve grade.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe also wants to win though and with due respect to Enari Tuala, I think Bronson Xerri is a better player than him,\u201d Read said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cUltimately he wants to win footy games.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Matt Burton could be the key to Xerri\u2019s future.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>Anasta asked if a simple attitude adjustment at training was enough to get Xerri back in the team. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo really it is just about him accepting the other side as a centre and having the right attitude bouncing around ready to go, let\u2019s go boys, I\u2019m in, I\u2019m on the train,\u201d Anasta said. <\/p>\n<p>Read replied: \u201cI think after some conversations his attitude has been better, so I think it is heading down that path.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>However, Ritchie revealed Xerri is still unsettled and likely to agitate for a release in the future and put the quietening down of the story on Gould. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy mail is different,\u201d Ritchie said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy mail is he is still unsettled and he wants to leave. Gus is the master of sucking the air out of a story.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Anasta agreed this had a Gould smokescreen written all over it. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey could be just trying to silence it for now and let it go off into the distance and then bang a decision is made one way or another,\u201d Anasta said. <\/p>\n<p>One thing is for certain if the bulldogs don\u2019t start to show more in attack, they may be forced to move Matt Burton to the centres, Lachlan Galvin to five-eighth and bring in Sean O\u2019Sullivan at halfback, which would block Xerri\u2019s return to the team. <\/p>\n<p>And if that is the case it is unlikely that Xerri will accept playing NSW Cup for the rest of the season. <\/p>\n<p>Solly on Allianz, Haas &amp; Humphries | 08:23<\/p>\n<p>STORM SCARS GIVING BELLAMY ALARM BELLS <\/p>\n<p>Cowboys vs Storm Saturday 28th of March @ 7.35pm<\/p>\n<p>The Storm lost back-to-back games against the defending premiers the Broncos after leading at half-time, with their 18-14 loss in Round 3 coming after their 26-22 Grand Final defeat. <\/p>\n<p>And it is just not the scars of defeat to the team that denied them the trophy last year and are one of their main rivals for the title in 2026, it was the fact it was on their own turf that concerns Cooper Cronk. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s twice now, they lead at half-time again, and the Brisbane Broncos have run them down on their home patch and in a grand final,\u201d Cronk said on Matty and Cronk. <\/p>\n<p>Matty Johns questioned if it could become a \u201cscar\u201d for the Storm after snatching two defeats from the jaws of victory in a row against the Broncos, to which Cronk conceded the \u201cmore it happens the more\u201d that could be the case.<\/p>\n<p>However, more than the simple results themselves, Cronk highlighted a couple of alarming defensive issues against the Broncos from the Storm\u2019s left edge. <\/p>\n<p>Nick Meaney has been moved to wing this season to cover for the injured Xavier Coates, but he also struggled in defence in the Grand Final at centre. <\/p>\n<p>However, his replacement in the centres Moses Leo also comes from a Rugby Sevens background and with just five games of NRL experience, he was exposed badly against the Broncos. <\/p>\n<p>Leo was caught at marker on one of Brisbane\u2019s earlier tries in the game as Ben Hunt went blind and passed to Kotoni Staggs, who found Jordan Riki unmarked on the wing for his second try. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a couple of moments in that second half that is a little bit alarming for the Melbourne Storm,\u201d Cronk said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn the left-hand side, they scored a couple of tries. Watch Moses Leo here. Now, he\u2019s a Rugby Sevens guy, he\u2019s at second marker. And when you have multiple reps in rugby league, you understand you\u2019re second marker. <\/p>\n<p>Moses Leo was caught at second marker.Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn the short side, when you\u2019re outnumbered, you\u2019ve got to go back. It\u2019s alarm bells straight away. And on the reverse angle, you see he doesn\u2019t move quick enough. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, the Melbourne Storm got the numbers wrong there. But when you\u2019re playing lots of rugby league and you understand that, you have to go quickly at second marker.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The second defensive lapse that concerned Cronk was Cameron Munster, who has 239 games of experience under Craig Bellamy, but committed a cardinal sin for Staggs\u2019 match winning try. <\/p>\n<p>Munster rushed up on Reece Walsh allowing space on the inside for Staggs to change the angle and cut back through a gaping hole to score under the posts. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cMunster here he just overthought that,\u201d Cronk said. <\/p>\n<p>Cameron Munster only has eyes for Reece Walsh.Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s one rule at the Melbourne Storm under Craig Bellamy. You do not give up your inside shoulder and Cameron Munster just had eyes for Reece Walsh. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the threat of Walsh. Wherever he is, most people think he\u2019s going to get the ball and I think that\u2019s a really good ball-playing in a tight game to use Walsh up as a decoy. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cMunster thinks about it, he puts eyes to Walsh, and the short pass for Staggs and he goes through. It ends up being the match-winner.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>Craig Bellamy admitted he was not happy with his side\u2019s second half defence post-match and while it is obviously just one loss and hardly anything to lose sleep over, the Storm coach demands excellence. <\/p>\n<p>With that in mind, it was hardly surprising to see how forthright he was in his press conference about the team\u2019s need to address its defensive lapses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need to get more consistent at the end of the day&#8230;. that game tonight with our defence was like two different teams they just had the same jumper on, so that\u2019s what we need to start doing,\u201d Bellamy said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think in the past this team prides itself on its defence, but I think that\u2019s one area that we knew we needed to improve this year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe haven\u2019t been great defensively and let\u2019s say it was just a real contrast and I was really happy with the way we defended the first half. We thought we\u2019d done a great job but the second half it wasn\u2019t near as good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If the Storm want to exorcise their demons against the Broncos and avenge two Grand Final heartbreaks in a row, they have to improve their edge defence. <\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They can go Back to Back&#8221; | 02:27<\/p>\n<p>WHY \u2018THERE WILL BE CHANGES\u2019 WITH DRAGONS LOSS<\/p>\n<p>Titans vs Dragons Sunday 29th of March @ 6.15pm<\/p>\n<p>Changes are afoot for the Dragons if they are unable to beat the lowly Titans this Sunday. <\/p>\n<p>A loss would drop the proud club to a 0-4 start and huge odds to play finals football this season.<\/p>\n<p>Coach Shane Flanagan has elected to keep his team as is despite rumblings there could a reshuffle in the halves. <\/p>\n<p>Once again, Dan Atkinson and Kyle Flanagan will take the reigns.<\/p>\n<p>There were no shortage of opportunities for the Dragons against the Eels, but they couldn\u2019t capitalise on them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf they don\u2019t get the result against the Titans, there will be changes,\u201d The Daily Telegraph\u2019s Dave Riccio predicted.<\/p>\n<p>If anyone is in the hot seat, it should be Flanagan.<\/p>\n<p>Defensively he\u2019s sound, but he has been unable to threaten the line as five-eighth this season.<\/p>\n<p>Atkinson meanwhile has been more than solid, recording three try assists in a new system. <\/p>\n<p>Foxsports.com.au\u2019s Paul Crawley said the outlook for the Dragons was grim this year with Atkinson and Flanagan in the halves.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019ve got two halves that aren\u2019t getting the job done,\u201d Crawley said.<\/p>\n<p>Kyle Flanagan is struggling at five-eighth.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the start of the season, I had concerns when I looked at the Dragons and I\u2019m thinking to myself, of all the rosters in the competition, when it comes to attack, I think they\u2019re the most limited.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt the moment, it\u2019s still not working. Kyle Flanagan is not a five-eighth. When he took the line on the other day, he didn\u2019t have the strength, the size, the speed to get through.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf that\u2019s (Raiders half) Ethan Strange, who is a five-eighth, he goes through. That\u2019s my concern with the Dragons at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So, who comes in if the Dragons drop to 0-4?<\/p>\n<p>Riccio said pickings are slim at the Red V, with no one really waiting in the wings.<\/p>\n<p>That is why Flanagan and Atkinson have as long a leash as they do.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho comes in? Kade Reed is sitting there but he\u2019s not ready. They have Lyhkan King-Togia, they had Jonah Glover but he\u2019s gone (to Souths),\u201d Riccio said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no question that Shane Flanagan is a proven coach but the attack is not there and it\u2019s not going to change with the halves combo they have,\u201d Crawley added.<\/p>\n<p>RTS linked to shock Warriors exit | 00:49<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A couple of glaring defensive lapses will have Craig Bellamy\u2019s alarm bells ringing after their loss to the&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":564036,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[277720,9199,277724,62785,10748,38430,277710,64,63,689,277707,21686,40696,38755,224655,651,4428,118613,87396,277727,7618,277722,4567,25309,50005,277723,43966,11101,8089,4430,277717,11096,52527,28814,277721,277712,277709,277715,277711,277719,21683,110738,28463,59145,104495,277716,2485,11288,277728,171843,39271,24003,28081,30379,31707,102663,163590,82747,4552,4479,29043,4617,252311,33215,277706,10747,4746,7672,101927,4466,10750,174141,277713,761,762,15663,673,10668,4609,158,677,32659,11396,13390,668,21385,701,3509,277714,134633,13391,2625,159,54475,4439,85,4546,66722,277725,277726,14869,277708,277730,7663,4477,38445,777,22317,276610,277479,277718,277729],"class_list":["post-564035","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-o-saga-simmering","tag-alarm-bells","tag-alarm-bells-ringing","tag-allianz","tag-andrew-webster","tag-attack-clicking","tag-attitude-adjustment","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-backline-features","tag-ben-hunt","tag-blake-solly","tag-bold-call","tag-brilliant-players","tag-brisbane","tag-brisbane-broncos","tag-broncos-legend","tag-bronson-xerri","tag-bye-getting","tag-cameron-ciraldo","tag-cameron-munser","tag-cameron-munster","tag-cardinal-sin","tag-centre-stage","tag-coach-demands-excellence","tag-coach-shane-flanagan","tag-cooper-cronk","tag-craig-bellamy","tag-daly-cherry-evans","tag-dan-atkinson","tag-daniel-nuttall","tag-dave-riccio","tag-dean-ritchie","tag-defence-post-match","tag-defensive-lapses","tag-dolphins-rivalry","tag-dragons-loss","tag-english-centre","tag-epic-broncos","tag-ezra-mam","tag-favourite-player","tag-finals-football","tag-footy-games","tag-footy-player","tag-glaring-defensive-lapses","tag-gold-coast","tag-grand-final","tag-haas-amp-humphriesnrl","tag-halves-combo","tag-halves-pairing","tag-head-injury","tag-herbie-farnworth","tag-hip-drop-tackle","tag-home-loss","tag-horror-start","tag-instant-classic","tag-integral-part","tag-jake-trbojevic","tag-james-fisher-harris","tag-jonah-glover","tag-lachlan-galvin","tag-line-speed","tag-lord-gould-of-brookwood","tag-lost-back-to-back-games","tag-luke-metcalf","tag-mark-st-john","tag-match-winner","tag-match-winners","tag-melbourne-storm","tag-mitch-barnett","tag-moses-leo","tag-multiple-things","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-natural-leader","tag-new-south-wales","tag-newcastle","tag-nick-meaney","tag-nrl","tag-oceania","tag-one-year-extension","tag-paul-crawley","tag-payne-haas","tag-press-conference","tag-prodigal-son","tag-queensland","tag-question-marks","tag-real-contrast","tag-real-leader","tag-reece-walsh","tag-roger-tuivasa-sheck","tag-rugby-league","tag-ryan-couchman","tag-south-sydney-rabbitohs","tag-sports","tag-stephen-crichton","tag-storm-coach","tag-storm-scars","tag-straight-home-game","tag-super-league","tag-superior-defence","tag-superstar-junior-talent","tag-talking-points","tag-tanah-boyd","tag-title-defence","tag-todd-payten","tag-try-assists","tag-turbo-backs-brother","tag-warriors-legend","tag-watch-moses-leo","tag-winning-percentage"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/564035","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=564035"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/564035\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/564036"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=564035"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=564035"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=564035"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}