Sign up now!!!<\/a><\/p>\nDean Ritchie calls out Dogs hierarchy! | 06:15<\/p>\n
WHY THIS YEAR IS DIFFERENT FOR THE WARRIORS<\/p>\n
Dragons v Warriors, Saturday 5:30pm @ Jubilee Stadium<\/p>\n
The Warriors\u2019 bid for a maiden title took a huge hit with halfback Tannah Boyd rubbed out for the season with an ACL injury.<\/p>\n
But Cooper Cronk still feels they can go the distance \u2014 and he isn\u2019t the only one.<\/p>\n
For most teams, losing their starting halfback is a death sentence to their title hopes. They are written off as top four hopes let a lone premiership winners, but the fact Boyd was replacing a first-choice halfback in the first place means the Warriors are well placed to fill the void. <\/p>\n
While Dragons bound playmaker Luke Metcalf will not return to the side this week, he will come into calculations in the coming weeks, but Te Maire Martin\u2019s starring display against the Broncos in Magic Round speaks to just how spoiled for depth the Warriors are.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are not sneaky anymore, they are very much a premiership threat,\u201d Cronk said on Matty and Cronk. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf the Panthers were not so good and consistent, there would be a lot more noise about the Warriors. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey are very close to premiership favourites next to the Panthers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matty Johns agreed that the Warriors are starting to distance themselves from the chasing pack and are right up alongside the Panthers. <\/p>\n
\u201cI agree with you and the support they had at the ground was like a Warriors home game, it was just electrifying the support behind them,\u201d Johns said. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd it was such a brutal performance they put on. They save those type of performances very often for Brisbane. There is a great history between those two clubs. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey have really turned it on against the Broncos over the years and that was one of them. I was speaking to Pat Carrigan and he was seriously knocked around by the Warriors.\u201d <\/p>\n
Despite the Boyd blow, foxsports.com.au\u2019s Paul Crawley feels the Warriors can win a title with whoever plays halfback in Andrew Webster\u2019s system. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think the Warriors have shown us now that it doesn\u2019t matter who\u2019s playing. The system that Andrew Webster has set up here, it suits them all,\u201d Crawley said on NRL 360.<\/p>\n
\u201cTe Maire Martin came on on the weekend and had an instant impact and he just fitted into the system.\u201d <\/p>\n
Te Maire Martin stepped up in place of the injured Tannah Boyd to thrash the Broncos.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Luke Metcalf was left out of the Warriors\u2019 team for this week, but according to coach Andrew Webster that is because he lacks match fitness.<\/p>\n
The Warriors had selflessly left Metcalf out of the NRL side in recent weeks as he sorted out his future, eventually signing on a reported three-year, $2.7 million deal with the Dragons. <\/p>\n
Given the team\u2019s hectic travel schedule, it made it hard to get many reps into the soon-to-be Dragons halfback.<\/p>\n
It will be interesting to see if Metcalf gets the nod next week even if Martin plays well again on the weekend.<\/p>\n
But according to Crawley, Metcalf has the \u201chighest ceiling\u201d of all the players Webster could turn to as Boyd\u2019s replacement.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt ends any chance that he could have gone early to the Dragons,\u201d Crawley said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut it also gives him an opportunity to do what he might never get the chance to do again, which is potentially win a premiership.\u201d <\/p>\n
Anasta feels the way the Warriors thrashed the premiers after losing Boyd shows just how far they have come as a team and a club, and given they could get a home final if they finish inside the top two this could finally be the year Webster\u2019s side take the next step.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt speaks volumes for where the Warriors are at to lose key player like Boyd on the weekend and have Metcalf already out,\u201d Anasta said. <\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of people including myself thought they couldn\u2019t win a comp without Metcalf to start the year if he didn\u2019t come back. <\/p>\n
\u201cNot only is he not back, but now Boyd\u2019s gone and they go on and win the game the way that they did. They\u2019re the real deal.\u201d <\/p>\n
Barnett shuts down Ford speculation | 01:02<\/p>\n
FOZBALL HERE TO STAY AS MASTER COACH SET FOR LONG-TERM DEAL <\/p>\n
Sea Eagles v Titans, Saturday 7:35pm @ 4 Pines Park<\/p>\n
In the history of interim coaches, Kieran Foran just might be the best or at least the most successful after leading the Sea Eagles to six wins from seven starts since taking over in Round 5. <\/p>\n
Manly\u2019s winning run rolled on with a ruthless 46-18 demolition of the Tigers in Magic Round and in this form the Titans could be roadkill in Round 12. <\/p>\n
Cooper Cronk feels Foran\u2019s Manly reveival has gone from pure emotion to genuine coaching masterclasses in recent weeks and can\u2019t recall a better interim coach in his time. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor the first couple of weeks it is not Xs and Os with the new coach. It is about inspiration and creating a good environment and these guys are happy,\u201d Cronk said on Matty and Cronk.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut now it is starting to come through that it is performance based and where Manly were in the first few rounds to what they are now, that is the best turnaround I have seen from a team who has changed coaches to what they are doing now.\u201d<\/p>\n
While it would be easy to look at Manly\u2019s results since Foran took over and point the finger at his predecessor, Matty Johns said Anthony Seibold actually deserves at least some credit for the foundations he put in place.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Foran would give some credit to Anthony Seibold,\u201d Johns said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere are some coaches that are good to follow behind. I think Seibold has the propensity to over-coach. However, he does educate his players well. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think Kieran has come in and just cleared their heads and put some of his own touches on it.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s tinkered with it a little but, he has given them belief and simplified roles.\u201d <\/p>\n
Sea Eagles coach Kieran Foran. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
Now, of course the next question is what is taking the Sea Eagles so long when it comes to locking Foran up as their long-term replacement for Seibold.<\/p>\n
Foran is still just coaching on an interim basis, but Code Sports reporter Brent Read revealed on NRL 360 earlier in the week that the two sides are \u201cclose\u201d to an agreement.<\/p>\n
Foran certainly has the buy-in from the playing group, with Cronk even taking note of the way Manly\u2019s stars have spoken about the premiership-winning five-eighth in interviews.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe other thing is how they speak about him,\u201d Cronk said. <\/p>\n
\u201cFogarty, Brooks, Olakau\u2019atu, Jake Trbojevic. He is a very easy man to respect. <\/p>\n
\u201cAnd their is no Turbo in his side either. We all thought Manly\u2019s hopes rely on Turbo, but he hasn\u2019t been there and Kieran Foran has been the guy that has pulled it all together.\u201d <\/p>\n
Recently extended skipper Jake Trbojevic sang Foran\u2019s praises on Tuesday when appearing on NRL 360.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously it has been a great turnaround from the club,\u201d Trbojevic said. <\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the first three games we were very disappointed and since Foz has taken over we have been playing some really good footy, everyone\u2019s confident and it\u2019s been really enjoyable.<\/p>\n
\u201cEver since Foz has taken over it has been great and everyone is confident and we are getting a lot of belief on the back of the great performances.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brother Tom, meanwhile, said it best on SEN Radio when he declared he would \u201cspeak on behalf of everyone at the club\u201d in saying that \u201cwe\u2019d love to have him here\u201d. <\/p>\n
What does a huge Origin do for Walker? | 03:19<\/p>\n
\u2018BEST\u2019 WIN UNDER PAYTEN SHOULD HAVE COWBOYS DREAMING BIG<\/p>\n
Cowboys v Rabbitohs, Sunday 4:05pm @ Queensland Country Bank Stadium<\/p>\n
Few had the Cowboys making the finals in 2026, with Todd Payten fighting for his future after a horror 2025 campaign. <\/p>\n
However, the club\u2019s 18-12 win over the Roosters in Magic Round has them on the verge of the top four and dreaming of a first title since 2015. <\/p>\n
The Cowboys have always had the attack under Payten, but apart from 2022 their defence hasn\u2019t allowed them to compete for the top four and a premiership. <\/p>\n
But they showed against the Roosters they have stepped up in that department after holding out the premiership heavyweights twice when reduced to 12 men due to sin bins to Matt Lodge and Reuben Cotter. <\/p>\n
Matty Johns called it a \u201ctremendous\u201d performance given the circumstances, with Tom Dearden and Jason Taumalolo also unavailable, while Cooper Cronk went as far as to declare it \u201cthe best performance under Todd Payten\u201d.<\/p>\n
The man himself agreed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s as good a win as I\u2019ve had as head coach at this club in six years,\u201d Payten said post-game. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was really composed and gritty. We had 12 men for 20 minutes and everyone turned up, worked hard and found a way. We won it off the back of our defence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, that isn\u2019t a line usually associated with the Cowboys.<\/p>\n
After all, the 18-12 win over the Roosters was the first time they had won scoring less than 20 points since mid-way through 2024. <\/p>\n
Payten talks double sin bins vs. Chooks | 04:56<\/p>\n
While Payten would have been disappointed the likes of Jake Clifford and Heilum Luki weren\u2019t rewarded with Origin call-ups, it will only benefit the Cowboys in the short-term as they hunt an unlikely top-four berth.<\/p>\n
And if they can keep up the defensive resilience they showed against the Roosters and not fall back into bad habits, the Cowboys could be a dark horse come September.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is a sign of a really good team when you can stop the opposition from scoring points on multiple ocassions,\u201d Cronk added of the win over the Roosters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe other part to it is if you look at what happened to them last week against the Eels, they capitulated in the last five minutes and the game against the Roosters was a ding dong battle down the stretch. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe ball was in play and there was fatigue everywhere and I was watching thinking given (what happened) last week the Cowboys are going to fall over here.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the Cowboys got bigger, faster and stronger in that period.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the Cowboys show you how good they are, we all believe and then they show you how bad they are like against Manly and the Eels… I hope for Cowboys fans they can continue going in the right way because they are built a little bit like the Warriors. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey have got a big, mobile pack and some creative halves and when Purdue and Chester get going with Drinkwater, they are very hard to stop.\u201d <\/p>\n
Byes: Broncos, Eels, Knights, Panthers, Roosters, Sharks, Tigers<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Bulldogs\u2019 sudden slide has left more questions than answered, while Warriors halfback Luke Metcalf has a rare…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":683786,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[7189,10748,18398,64,63,689,7618,237795,45361,4517,73077,93785,4552,220385,10747,4746,761,762,1736,158,677,73369,11734,7288,70479,91265,329588,33195,85,56397,7663,4477,46527,289411],"class_list":["post-683785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-adam-obrien","tag-andrew-webster","tag-attack-coach","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-cameron-ciraldo","tag-cowboys-v","tag-dragons-v","tag-hamstring-injury","tag-home-semi-final","tag-instant-impact","tag-jake-trbojevic","tag-jason-taylor","tag-luke-metcalf","tag-mark-st-john","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-new-zealand","tag-nrl","tag-oceania","tag-premiership-threat","tag-queensland-country-bank","tag-raiders-v","tag-real-deal","tag-rebuilding-team","tag-ritchie","tag-season-opener","tag-sports","tag-star-returns","tag-talking-points","tag-tanah-boyd","tag-te-maire-martin","tag-yardage-carries"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683785","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=683785"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/683785\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/683786"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=683785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=683785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=683785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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