Meanwhile, the NRL\u2019s most controversial rule is back in the spotlight after a series of decisions that caught the attention of coaches, players, media pundits and fans.<\/p>\n
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WHAT’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
Elsewhere, the Canterbury Bulldogs have provided the perfect blueprint on how to defeat the Panthers after ruining their unbeaten winning streak.<\/p>\n
Read on for the key Talking Points from Round 6. <\/p>\n
BULLDOGS PROVIDE CLEARY BLUEPRINT IN STATEMENT WIN<\/p>\n
Bronson Xerri and Lachlan Galvin proved the old adage, a week is a long time in rugby league, true with starring displays in the Bulldogs\u2019 win over the Panthers in the upset of the season. <\/p>\n
Just as talk of the Panthers going through the season undefeated emerged, the Bulldogs shut it down with an emphatic 32-16 victory and Xerri and Galvin had their fingerprints all over it. <\/p>\n
Xerri returned from a month out of the team after being axed to be one of the best players on the field and finished with 148 metres, four tackle busts, a linebreak, a linebreak assist and a try assist in a dominant display after replacing injured skipper Stephen Crichton. <\/p>\n
And Galvin had his best game for the Bulldogs to finish with 46 run metres, four linebreak assists and a try assist, while his kicking game was on song. <\/p>\n
Bryan Fletcher felt Galvin was the difference between the two teams. <\/p>\n
\u201cI thought Galvin didn\u2019t overplay his hand. He wasn\u2019t running as much and was just giving good service to his forwards,\u201d Fletcher said on the Late Show with Matty Johns. <\/p>\n
Galvin steers Dogs to upset over Penrith | 02:59<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a great team effort. Some people will say Penrith were off their game but I feel the Dogs forced that on them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey did the video tape because they were going to Blaize Talagi a lot and Jacob Preston got a lot of joy. <\/p>\n
\u201cI though Galvin was the difference. He wasn\u2019t trying too much and wasn\u2019t quite as erratic. He was just playing that general role.\u201d <\/p>\n
Speaking of the joy the Bulldogs had targeting Talagi, the Panthers five-eighth may have been found out but few halves would have much luck tackling Preston, who is one of the best line runners in the game. <\/p>\n
Galvin\u2019s combination with Preston has long been considered a clear strength for the Bulldogs, yet the fact the Panthers still weren\u2019t able to stop it spoke volumes to how much the young halfback\u2019s playmaking has developed.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the things you see about Galvin now is he has found his man,\u201d Matty Johns said. <\/p>\n
\u201cEvery playmaker needs to form a combination with someone and he and Preston have formed a really good combination and it is good for both of them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lachlan Galvin had his best game for the Bulldogs in an upset of the Panthers.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
As for Xerri, coach Cameron Ciraldo said after the win that his communication was the \u201cmost pleasing\u201d part of his game. <\/p>\n
Xerri called his demotion to NSW Cup the \u201ckick up the a**e I needed\u201d<\/a> and Johns felt that the Bulldogs centre showed why he is so crucial, especially in the absence of Crichton. <\/p>\n \u201cWe have spoken a lot about Xerri, but I reckon tonight he showed his worth,\u201d Johns said. <\/p>\n \u201cNot just as far as setting up tries and finishing them and making breaks, it is his yardage work. He is an extra forward out there.\u201d <\/p>\n Roosters legend Jared Waerea-Hargreaves agreed Xerri plays like another front-rower for the Bulldogs. <\/p>\n \u201cHe is so strong, every time he gets the ball he shows his power and he gets on the outside of his opposing centre and he has great hands,\u201d Waerea-Hargreaves said. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd he is super strong coming out of his own end.\u201d <\/p>\n The forward pack also laid a strong platform, with the former Roosters enforced paying tribute to the Dogs\u2019 pack, who beat the Panthers at their own game. <\/p>\n \u201cSitili Tupouniua I thought he was massive tonight and scored a good try,\u201d Waerea-Hargreaves said. <\/p>\n \u201cThe way he finished the game he brought that energy. But the Bulldogs were physical through the middle and they took it to them.\u201d<\/p>\n Bronson Xerri made a triumphant return for the Bulldogs.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n They also put Nathan Cleary under pressure for the entire 80 minutes in his 200th game, affording the Panthers halfback little time to operate in what Nathan Hindmarsh believes could be a blueprint for other teams.<\/p>\n \u201cThey pressured Cleary all night and the forwards for the Dogs were outstanding,\u201d Hindmarsh said. <\/p>\n \u201cFrom the kick-off they ran harder, faster and they looed like they had more energy than the Panthers.<\/p>\n \u201cWe all thought the Panthers were going to come and get them and they tried and had patches, but the Bulldogs\u2019 defence just kept turning them away, so that\u2019s a massive win for the Dogs.\u201d <\/p>\n In the upset of the season so far, Johns feels it could be the catalyst for a Bulldogs premiership push. <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think any of us saw this coming,\u201d Johns said. <\/p>\n \u201cIf you are going to beat Penrith you have got to beat them through the centre field and the Bulldogs did that. <\/p>\n \u201cThey had to win because there is so much going on at the club.<\/p>\n \u201cI know it is early in the season, but sometimes a win is not about the two points. It is about what goes on through the group and trying to quieten the noise and they showed that desperation from the start of the game.\u201d<\/p>\n Galvin’s best game in blue & white? | 04:39<\/p>\n FLANNO \u2018WON\u2019T LAST A WEEK\u2019 AS \u2018DRUMS ARE BEATING\u2019 AT DRAGONS<\/p>\n St George Illawarra\u2019s 28-18 loss to the Manly Sea-Eagles in Wollongong was a stark reminder of where the Dragons are as a club currently.<\/p>\n The chorus of booing ringing around WIN stadium was a damning assessment of the club\u2019s start to the season by their own fans, but the worst thing was is it\u2019s the second time in seven days it had happened.<\/p>\n Those boos could spell the end of coach Shane Flanagan\u2019s tenure at the club.<\/p>\n Commentary around the Dragon\u2019s squad has been around how it isn\u2019t strong enough to compete regularly in the NRL, but it\u2019s an argument lost on Fox League host Brath Anasta.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I can\u2019t get my head around is how do you blame the players or the roster that you\u2019ve got when you\u2019ve formed those players and bought those players yourself? I just can\u2019t get my head around that and I don\u2019t see that as an excuse as a head coach,\u201d Anasta said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fans are now getting pretty frustrated\u2026 And you\u2019re talking St George-Illawarra fans, which is a huge fan base who are very passionate, and the drums are beating and it\u2019s not looking good for Shane.\u201d<\/p>\n Will Flanno survive the week?Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n It was a sentiment echoed by four-time premiership winner Cooper Cronk, scathing of the lack of reaction from the Dragons\u2019 players.<\/p>\n \u201cYou coach what you got, and it\u2019s his job to get the best out of those players,\u201d Cronk said.<\/p>\n \u201cLook at the example of Manly. Manly moved on Anthony Seibold, and they\u2019ve had a reaction through Kieran Foran with two wins in a row.<\/p>\n \u201cTodd Payten was under pressure losing the two first games, those players have responded and won four in a row for Todd Payten because their coach was under pressure.<\/p>\n \u201cThis playing group\u2026 haven\u2019t won anything, and you know Shane Flanagan has been under pressure and what\u2019s that, 10 losses in a row now?<\/p>\n \u201cPressure is mounting, those decision makers will come at some stage, and it\u2019s whether he coaches against South Sydney this week or not.\u201d<\/p>\n It seems the pressure isn\u2019t going away any time soon with reports Jayden Su\u2019a is set for a remarkable switch, leaving the club early to join the Parramatta Eels.<\/p>\n Code Sports reported the second-rower informed team mates of his decision to leave the club through a WhatsApp group chat on Saturday morning.<\/p>\n One can only wonder if he sees the writing on the wall at the Dragons.<\/p>\n Dragons sixth loss ‘not good enough’ | 05:44<\/p>\n THE \u2018RISK\u2019 IN DRAGONS\u2019 DRINKWATER BID<\/p>\n Since reports emerged linking him with an exit from the North Queensland Cowboys, Scott Drinkwater has taken his game to a new level and helped the side achieve five consecutive wins after opening the season with back-to-back losses.<\/p>\n This was further illustrated on Friday night after he produced a stellar performance in the Queensland derby against the Broncos, hours after being granted formal permission from the Cowboys to explore his options on the open market.<\/p>\n \u201cThis sort of game is built for a player like Scotty and anytime he got any sort of ruck speed he was on it and did not miss hit,\u201d Shaun Johnson said on Fox League.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought he recognised rucks really well. It\u2019s obviously a strength of his game, where he need to get over that ad [advantage] line or find a pass.<\/p>\n \u201cThere were a couple of times in the middle part of the field where it almost looked like he\u2019s just going to take a carry then he steps up and starts using the ball a bit and getting it to his edges to generate some ball speed.<\/p>\n Scoring one try, making three line-breaks, providing two try assists, running 148 metres and kicking a field-goal, the fullback could have done no wrong in Round 6.<\/p>\n Kevin Walters added, \u201cI thought he was a bit more in control of his match tonight. Sometimes he tries too hard and tries things that are not really on.<\/p>\n \u201cHe played a good style of footy tonight and used his brain really well. The field-goal was excellent. It was a really tough fied-goal to convert and the way he injected himself into the game was really smart as well.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was heavily criticised only three weeks ago and he\u2019s hit the go button and on the back of that the Cowboys have had four-in-a-row now.\u201d<\/p>\n The fullback has been heavily linked to the Cowboys.Source: The Daily Telegraph<\/p>\n But this begs the question… have the Cowboys made a mistake by letting him go?<\/p>\n Although he is not seen as their long-term option in the No.1 jersey, Drinkwater remains one of the elite fullbacks in the NRL competition and is an X-factor in attack who can change the outcome of matches in an instant.<\/p>\n This has seen him heavily linked to the under-performing St George Illawarra Dragons who remain winless after the opening six rounds of the 2026 season.<\/p>\n Walters said Drinkwater would \u201ccertainly make a difference\u201d to a Dragons team struggling for points, but the defensive concerns surrounding his game are warranted.<\/p>\n It is part of the reason why Drinkwater can be such a rocks-and-diamonds player, which makes his signing a \u201crisk\u201d for a Dragons team that isn\u2019t providing its spine with much of a platform to play off.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat brings Scott Drinkwater to life is ruck speed and a pack that can generate some go-forward. Watching the Dragons earlier, it is an area they are struggling with at the moment,\u201d Johnson said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe would be a handy addition for most sides but nowadays, the modern-day fullback has to be equally as dominant on the defensive side. The role they play defensively, he is almost the anchor. He is the heartbeat of your defensive line. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure he is going to want to make strides in that area and Scotty if he commits to that, you\u2019ll probably see that filter through the rest of the side.\u201d<\/p>\n If not, as Cooper Cronk warned, the move could end up backfiring for Drinkwater.<\/p>\n \u201cHe likes to play fast, front-foot, free-flowing and the Dragons are not playing well at the moment. They don\u2019t have athletic forwards like Taumalolo or Luki to generate ruck speed, so that would be a risk,\u201d Cronk said.<\/p>\n Drinkwater was awarded Fox League\u2019s MVP award against the Broncos.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n Drinkwater\u2019s manager, Gavin Orr of Pacific Sports Management, has confirmed that the Perth Bears and PNG Chiefs are also in the mix<\/a> to land his signature after he was granted formal permission by the Cowboys to explore his options elsewhere.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst of all, I\u2019d like to just acknowledge how well he\u2019s handled the past 48 hours,\u201d Cowboys coach Todd Payten said, providing the latest on the fullback.<\/p>\n \u201cI was hopeful that it wasn\u2019t going to break until after the game, just so it wasn\u2019t a distraction for him – it was his 150th game. <\/p>\n \u201cThe way he handled that and the way he played is a credit to him. I haven\u2019t spoken face-to-face with the kid so I\u2019ll make this comment. <\/p>\n \u201cHis management asked us if it was okay for him to negotiate with other clubs on Wednesday and we gave him the green light. I don\u2019t want to make any more comment on that til I speak to Scott face-to-face.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what\u2019s going to happen. Not pushing him out the door. Got to have a conversation with him and see where it lands but we value what he does for this club.\u201d<\/p>\n Drinky granted permission to test market | 01:02<\/p>\n DISRUPTOR RULE BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT AS COACHES DUMBFOUNDED<\/p>\n The NRL\u2019s most controversial rule found itself back in the spotlight in Round 6, with multiple coaches dumbfounded by decisions that were either overturned or made under the disruptor rule.<\/p>\n Labelled \u201cbizarre\u201d by Brisbane Broncos coach Michael Maguire, Sydney Roosters coach Trent Robinson stated that the NRL needs to give a \u201cclear statement\u201d on the interpretation of the disruptor rule so everyone, from fans to players, can wrap their head around it and expect consistency week in, week out.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got no idea, it\u2019s bizarre,\u201d Maguire said when asked if the rule had started to become confusing.<\/p>\n \u201cThey (the NRL referees) have either got to get consistency around it or don\u2019t touch it..but if they are going to down that path, well make sure there is consistency.<\/p>\n \u201cThe outside backs, their job is to catch the ball. We practise that all day, every day.<\/p>\n \u201cI just don\u2019t quite understand what they are trying to do with the rule when the ball was already was through the arms, so I don\u2019t get it.\u201d<\/p>\n A day later, Trent Robinson admitted that it had \u201cgone too far\u201d since it was first introduced to protect players going up for catches against people who weren\u2019t competing.<\/p>\n \u201cChoosing my words carefully on that,\u201d Robinson said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe direction that they (were) heading was right. There was too much disturbing of fullbacks, there\u2019s people that weren\u2019t competing, (but) that\u2019s gone too far.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was a clear example of two guys in a contest. Both guys looking at the ball. I mean, that\u2019s overcompensation. If someone tries to defend that, then we\u2019re heading in the wrong direction. I think that\u2019s the most extreme.<\/p>\n \u201cI know there was a bit last night in the Brisbane game, but I don\u2019t think anybody can argue that, that was a disruptor.<\/p>\n \u201cThat wasn\u2019t the point of the rule. They\u2019ve overcompensated. Hopefully there\u2019s a clear statement within a couple of days saying that we went to far, we need to get it right.<\/p>\n \u201cI think everyone will go, yeah cool, I can understand that.\u201d<\/p>\n ‘Are You Sure?!’ Disruptor denies Chooks | 00:29<\/p>\n Cronulla Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon added, \u201cI\u2019m a bit lost now. I though theirs was a tough one in the first half and then I don\u2019t know. I\u2019ve got to look at him in isolation but I don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think if it\u2019s a fair play on the ball, it\u2019s a fair play on the ball. I think they sort of had a two-handed rule, but I think they\u2019ve adjusted it if he misses it, it\u2019s a penalty.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s rules around it but it still comes down to what happens on the call of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n