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After opening the season with back-to-back wins over the Dragons and Raiders, the Dogs fell in consecutive games to the Knights and Rabbitohs.<\/p>\n
Then they turned up to score the upset of the season over the previously unbeaten Panthers last round, where the Dogs absolutely mauled Nathan Cleary.<\/p>\n
But just when we thought the halves combination of Lachlan Galvin and Matt Burton had finally gelled, this week the Dogs were sent home with their tails between their legs after copping a 38-20 reality check by an injury-ravaged Parramatta<\/a>, themselves missing about $4 million in salary cap value.<\/p>\n This is the same Eels side who lost their last three games and were booed off the ground after last round\u2019s loss to the lowly Titans.<\/p>\n How do we make sense of some of the shock results we\u2019ve seen so far this season?<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n As every coach from under 8s right through to first grade ever said: If you run harder and tackle harder than the opposition, you make your own luck.<\/p>\n Which is exactly what the Eels did.<\/p>\n Up front veteran prop Junior Paulo clocked up 17 runs for 156m.<\/p>\n In comparison, rival front rowers Sam Hughes (12 for 84m) and Leo Thompson (10 for 66m) were left in the 32-year-old Paulo\u2019s wake.<\/p>\n READ MORE<\/p>\n BREAKING: Flanagan set to be sacked as Dragons swing axe after horror NRL run<\/a><\/p>\n TALKING PTS: time for $2.5m call on Dragons star; proof big Latrell debate is \u2018over\u2019 <\/a><\/p>\n \u2018TURN UP WITH THAT C***\u2019: Fuming Ciraldo\u2019s blunt warning<\/a><\/p>\n Ryles: ‘Couldn’t be more proud!’ | 06:01<\/p>\n Jacob Preston was the only other forward on the field who broke 100m (15 runs for 144m), while Viliame Kikau had six runs for 32m.<\/p>\n The Eels halves Mitchell Moses and the rejuvenated Ronald Volkman also took a points victory over Galvin and Burton.<\/p>\n Volkman looked like Shaun Johnson as he stepped his way through for a scintillating solo try when there appeared to be nothing doing.<\/p>\n Josh Addo-Carr was another who turned back the clock, coming up with some huge plays in attack and defence (what about the hit when the Fox absolutely nailed Josh Curran), while young fill-in fullback Joash Papalii was tremendous against his former club.<\/p>\n As were both Eels centres Will Penisini and young Artaz Nanva, right through to rookie Saxon Pryke off the bench.<\/p>\n It\u2019s probably no coincidence this came as a group of Parramatta\u2019s 1986 premiership winning team was on hand to celebrate the 40th year anniversary of their grinding 4-2 grand final victory over the Bulldogs.<\/p>\n Maybe Jason Ryles needs to get the legends back more often to remind the current generation that rugby league remains a very simple game.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Cameron Ciraldo was asked post match if the Dogs got carried away with their own hype after last week\u2019s win over the Panthers.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d like to think not, but that\u2019s certainly what it looked like,\u201d Ciraldo said.<\/p>\n Coincidently, that was the knock on the Eels after so many tipped them to play finals this year, but they started like bludgers.<\/p>\n It will be interesting to see how the Dogs respond against the depleted reigning champs the Broncos on Friday night at Suncorp.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Eels are away to another old rival the Sea Eagles who have won three on the trot under Kieran Foran since Anthony Seibold was sacked.<\/p>\n Good luck with your footy tips this weekend.<\/p>\n Flanno: “First half errors hurt us! | 04:41<\/p>\n RABBITOHS EXPOSE DRAGONS\u2019 ROSTER CRISIS<\/p>\n The Dragons brand was made famous for winning 11 straight premierships.<\/p>\n But after slumping to 11 straight defeats under Shane Flanagan, I don\u2019t think anyone seriously expects St George Illawarra to immediately turn its season around under a new coach like Manly has done under Kieran Foran.<\/p>\n That\u2019s because the roster Flanagan will leave behind<\/a> is just so badly bent out of shape it could take years to fix.<\/p>\n You only had to watch the ease in which Latrell Mitchell tore apart the Dragons\u2019 right edge, and humiliated Val Holmes in the process, to understand the magnitude of their troubles.<\/p>\n This is a player Flanagan brought to the club to add experience, leadership and flair on a deal worth in the vicinity of $1 million-a-season. What makes it worse is 30-year-old Holmes still has another year remaining on his deal.<\/p>\n The Dragons also have Clint Gutherson, 31, for another season on a reported $900,000 _ yet they are now chasing Scott Drinkwater, 28, to play fullback on $1 million-a-season over three years.<\/p>\n Factor in the frustration fans would have felt watching Jaydn Su\u2019A get sent off for his ugly high shot on Cameron Murray that has Su\u2019A facing a three-match ban even if he takes the early guilty plea.<\/p>\n This of course came a week after Su\u2019a told the club he would not be taking up an option to stay at the Dragons next year.<\/p>\n Maybe this was Su\u2019A\u2019s way of telling the Dragons he wants to go immediately.<\/p>\n Bennett full of praise after Bunnies win | 03:48<\/p>\n LATRELL\u2019S NASTY CHEAP SHOTS CAN\u2019T CONTINUE<\/p>\n Now to Latrell\u2019s latest brain explosion.<\/p>\n Rugby league is a tough enough sport without allowing the risk of serious injury due to nasty cheap shots.<\/p>\n And not even Latrell\u2019s incredible four-try haul should hide that ugly incident involving Daniel Atkinson _ when Latrell dangerously rag-dolled his lightweight opponent into the goal posts.<\/p>\n You could tell straight away Latrell regretted his actions.<\/p>\n Though that still doesn\u2019t excuse what happened.<\/p>\n Latrell was also lucky to get away with another dangerous incident in the Good Friday win over the Bulldogs when the giant centre dived into the back of the legs of an unsuspecting Connor Tracey behind the dead ball line.<\/p>\n At some point someone needs to pull Latrell into line or he will end up causing a serious injury to an innocent victim.<\/p>\n DUFTY\u2019S RETURN HAUNTS DRAGONS<\/p>\n What about the comeback effort of Matt Dufty.<\/p>\n His first NRL game since the left the Bulldogs in 2022, and Dufty clocked up 23 runs for a phenomenal 307m that included a try, seven tackle busts, a linebreak and throw in 74 post contact metres.<\/p>\n Fair to say Wayne Bennett pulled the right rein putting the former Dragon at fullback and keeping Latrell in the centres to replace the injured Jye Gray.<\/p>\n “That’s the team I’m proud of” | 07:59<\/p>\n MADGE PROVES BRONCOS AREN\u2019T A DIVIDED CLUB<\/p>\n So much for all the talk at the start of the season that the Broncos were a divided club under Michael Maguire.<\/p>\n The 21-20 win over the in-form Tigers<\/a> surely goes down as one of the bravest in the club\u2019s proud history.<\/p>\n Right up with the famous win by the \u2018Baby Broncos\u2019 back in 2002 at Campbelltown that put a young Craig Bellamy on the coaching map.<\/p>\n In the absence of nine players including Reece Walsh, Ben Hunt and Pat Carrigan, the Broncos also had to deal with injuries to Payne Haas (knee) and Jesse Arthurs (calf), while Kotoni Staggs (foot) was also struggling.<\/p>\n But the ageless Adam Reynolds, himself returning from a groin injury, showed what a champion playmaker he still is as he guided the Broncos home in a nail-biter.<\/p>\n Maguire also deserves huge praise for the way he has kept this team on track despite the mounting injuries and obstacles this season.<\/p>\n Going right back to pre-season and Haas\u2019 decision to sign with Souths after talk they were again pushed too hard over the summer, to the explosive departure of defence coach Ben Te\u2019o, there has been constant speculation about Madge\u2019s super intense attitude wearing thin on the players.<\/p>\n Yet they continue to turn up and play for him, showing why they remain a force this year despite currently sitting ninth on the ladder.<\/p>\n There\u2019s no doubt it\u2019s going test the Broncos being without Haas and Walsh for an extended period heading into State of Origin.<\/p>\n But I think we\u2019ve seen enough already to know they will be in thick of it come the big end of season games.<\/p>\n “They’re still the Premiers…” | 03:54<\/p>\n TIGERS WILL BOUNCE BACK<\/p>\n As for Benji\u2019s Tigers, it wasn\u2019t effort or talent that let them down.<\/p>\n It was mistakes at crucial times that was their undoing.<\/p>\n I really felt sorry for the young powerhouse Heamasi Makasini who had a really tough night.<\/p>\n But he will come back bigger and stronger for the experience.<\/p>\n As Benji said after the game, the Tigers will learn plenty from this defeat.<\/p>\n I can\u2019t wait to see how they bounce back against the rejuvenated Raiders on Thursday night at Leichhardt.<\/p>\n What a game that promises to be.<\/p>\n MANLY WELL PLACED TO COVER TURBO INJURY<\/p>\n