{"id":825933,"date":"2026-07-27T00:49:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T00:49:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/825933\/"},"modified":"2026-07-27T00:49:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T00:49:14","slug":"nrl-2026-the-forgotten-part-in-adam-doueihi-saga-matt-dufty-contract-round-21-talking-points-and-analysis-wests-tigers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/825933\/","title":{"rendered":"NRL 2026: The forgotten part in Adam Doueihi saga, Matt Dufty contract, Round 21 talking points and analysis, Wests Tigers"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Wests Tigers hit a new low on the weekend and a rival player has pointed out the forgotten part of the Adam Doueihi saga<\/a> that is telling about the club\u2019s plight.<\/p>\n

Watch every game of every round of the NRL Premiership LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Cameron Ciraldo deserves his flowers after a big Bulldogs call paid off while the Rabbitohs have been urged to make a key contract call.<\/p>\n

Read on for the latest NRL Talking Points!<\/p>\n

\u2018I DON\u2019T LIKE THAT\u2019: RIVAL PLAYER CALLS OUT WORST PART OF TIGERS MESS<\/p>\n

It was the viral pre-season moment that signalled things were about to change at the Tigers. \u2014 but one glaring issue plaguing the club has remained.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re big on standards and if you don\u2019t make your f***ing times consistently and you can\u2019t perform and you\u2019re not professional, you\u2019ll be out of here,\u201d coach Benji Marshall warned.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s happened. Trust me\u201d. We\u2019ve been through this s***. We\u2019re not doing that anymore.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the Wests Tigers we f***ing now stand for something and if you\u2019re not prepared to follow what we stand for, guess what.\u201d<\/p>\n

At which point, Marshall motioned towards the door.<\/p>\n

Now, it looks like one of the biggest contributors to the team\u2019s turnaround this season is headed for it in Adam Doueihi, with reports emerging he has a desire to depart the club after a public spat with his head coach.<\/p>\n

The ugly standoff led Doueihi to refuse to play in Round 21 after being told he would be selected in the lock position.<\/p>\n

But while that situation is a disaster for the club, the fact key details from within the Tigers continually leak to the media was staggering according to Panthers superstar Isaah Yeo.<\/p>\n

Persistent leaks have been an issue in Tiger town for years, with former chairman Lee Hagipantelis publicly denying there was an internal source feeding stories to publications in 2023, saying \u201cit\u2019s a challenge that we continue to battle with\u201d on SEN.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, players have also previously taken to social media to air their grievances, most notably during Lachlan Galvin\u2019s ugly exit.<\/p>\n

Speaking on Fox League\u2019s Super Saturday panel, Yeo called for the embattled club\u2019s playing group to band together and \u201ckeep things in house\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we saw that in the sheds. There\u2019s emotion in it because they obviously care, but then the reality is you need to band together… you might do that and you might see improvements,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

Doueihi set to walk out on Wests Tigers | 06:10<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that might not all of a sudden mean you win a game of football, but you just want to make sure that there\u2019s improvements there.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the moment, it just looks like there\u2019s not much of a light at the end of the tunnel yet and even with the fact that how everything seems to come out in the media, I don\u2019t like that space to it. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think the strength of a group is when you can keep things in house. So as much as I don\u2019t agree with what Adam Doueihi did, that should not be in the papers two hours after it\u2019s happened. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere should be an element to being able to keep that within your own four walls and trying to manoeuvre through that together, not sort of letting it out in the public.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the Tigers are a shadow of the side that once was a top-four contender at the start of the season, there was a period where it looked like Marshall was genuinely changing the club\u2019s culture.<\/p>\n

Doueihi was a big part of it. <\/p>\n

He was playing some of the best footy of his career, running hard and direct while also adding a long-range kicking game that freed Jarome Luai up to do what he does best.<\/p>\n

But now Luai is leaving the club at the end of the year and Doueihi too appears all but certain to follow him.<\/p>\n

Marshall\u2019s former Kiwis teammate Jared Waerea-Hargreaves questioned how Doueihi would front the playing group after his decision to sit out the 56-10 loss to Canberra, and now it seems like he won\u2019t necessarily have to.<\/p>\n

‘Terrible Tigers’ get thumped by Raiders | 03:42<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know how he walks back in on Monday,\u201d Waerea-Hargreaves said on Fox League.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis team, this club is hurting. They\u2019re in a crisis and for a guy to make, I feel like, a selfish decision \u2014 I don\u2019t know how he walks back in on Monday. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe team hurts, they lost by 46. You should be there. As hard as it is, you should support your team no matter what and I think when a coach makes a decision, you back your coach every day of the week. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat club is going through some hurt at the moment, and he\u2019s made a really selfish decision around that.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was a similar message from Cooper Cronk, who questioned how the Tigers could repair the situation with Doueihi.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure how he comes back from it. I\u2019m not sure how the Tigers come back with that relationship,\u201d Cronk said. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you go and look at world sport, is there ever a player that is left in that type of circumstance where they\u2019ve gone, \u2018I don\u2019t agree with you, I\u2019m out\u2019, and said \u2018I\u2019m not gonna spill blood for the club this weekend\u2019, and then came back in and everything\u2019s smooth saying like it\u2019s never happened. I find that very hard to believe. <\/p>\n

\u201cBecause he almost needs to be in that room and feel the hurt because he is a member of that team. I\u2019m not sure of the personal conversations, I don\u2019t know what\u2019s going on, but I would find this very hard that he comes back, play halfback, they win, win, win, and everything\u2019s rosy. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a memory eraser.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam Doueihi and Benji MarshallSource: Supplied<\/p>\n

For a team that has endured multiple wooden spoons and dysfunction at the boardroom level, it was damning that Luke Keary went as far as to claim this could \u201ctrump them all\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou feel sorry for the fans, the members and the sponsors of this club. They\u2019ve had some really dark days but I think what they\u2019re going through now and what they are about to could trump them all,\u201d Keary said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of things that have gone on this season and they need to figure out who they are as a club and an organisation and what they stand for\u2026 that comes back on the coach. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s obviously a fractured playing group. There is a meeting being called for Monday. I think there is a lot more that is going to come out in the next two or three weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

With Doueihi seemingly out of the picture, it will now be on the Tigers\u2019 other senior leaders to bring the playing group together before the end of the season. <\/p>\n

That includes Luai, even if he is leaving, with Cronk calling for this to be a \u201cplayer-led\u201d response instead of falling on the shoulders of Marshall.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I\u2019m Api, Terrell May or Jarome Luai, this has to be player-led,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis response is purely player-led. Any time that we\u2019ve had 50 put on us, any time we\u2019ve gone through some form of controversy, the coach is the front. He fronts the media, he fronts everything. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut in behind that is the players that literally stand behind their coach and do the actions on the field. They don\u2019t let 50 points in if they get together and do something. <\/p>\n

\u201cSo if I was those three on Monday, I\u2019m like, \u2018Benji, don\u2019t even come into this meeting today. <\/p>\n

This is just us\u2019. I might not even show any vision. I might just talk about something else. <\/p>\n

\u201cBut it is literally how much does us as a brotherhood, how much does this jersey mean? <\/p>\n

How much do us as a family (mean)? <\/p>\n

\u201cBecause they had this brotherhood vibe going early on. Get it back, and it needs to be led by those three.\u201d<\/p>\n

Luai, Koroisau and May were among a host of Tigers players spotted looking despondent in the sheds after Saturday\u2019s game, with the club now sitting in second-last albeit with a bye still in hand. <\/p>\n

Jarome Luai in the sheds.Source: FOX SPORTSApisai Koroisau in the sheds.Source: FOX SPORTSSunia Turuva in the sheds.Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n

The loss to Canberra was the Tigers\u2019 sixth in a row, with the last three now coming by a combined scoreline of 120-16.<\/p>\n

While Cronk said the players need to lead from the front in turning the club\u2019s fortunes around this year, he also conceded coach Marshall is \u201cprobably under pressure for the first time in his tenure\u201d entering next season.<\/p>\n

VINDICATION FOR CIRALDO ON BIG HALVES GAMBLE<\/p>\n

No one can argue it anymore. The Bulldogs are back.<\/p>\n

Cameron Ciraldo\u2019s side have built their success in recent years off the back of their defence.<\/p>\n

After an 18-6 win over the Warriors, they have now conceded only six points in two weeks \u2014 while also delivering a statement in their latest victory in Round 21.<\/p>\n

New Zealand are well and truly one of the NRL\u2019s biggest title threats this season and Cooper Cronk said it was their defence that was the highlight.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s their DNA. If they get their game on defensively they can beat the best teams,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

However, Ciraldo also looks to have solved an issue that has plagued them for over a season.<\/p>\n

Stephen Crichton\u2019s move to the halves alongside Lachlan Galvin seems to have unlocked an attack that was floundering to start the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were a couple of kicks that weren\u2019t exactly the best which may become a little bit of a point come September but there is no one that can doubt his ability to play six now,\u201d Cronk said of Crichton.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has delivered for that team, he has freed up Galvin and that strike power on the left of Kikau, Crichton and Burton \u2014 that would be hard enough for any team to defend. Everyone has got to believe in Cameron Ciraldo now because he got that right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Matt Burton has also shown he is an elite centre, as he has in the past at the Panthers, and Crichton\u2019s playmaking exploits have proven to be somewhat of a surprise.<\/p>\n

Critta crosses twice in Bulldogs ambush | 01:22<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is a performance to take note of. They were fast defensively, they were getting their line speed and contact (right), they were physical but then their attack \u2014 Burton was moving with space, Crichton was outstanding,\u201d Cronk said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they can bottle that kind of performance, whatever they did during the week and in preparation for, we\u2019ve seen in different stages \u2014 they are now on the edge of the eight and playing with a lot of confidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Dogs are finding form at the right time of the year… I\u2019ll tell you what, that\u2019s the best I\u2019ve seen them attack. <\/p>\n

\u201cQuick play-the-balls through the middle forwards, Bailey Hayward was out (of dummy-half), the Crichton-Galvin combination was good and now they\u2019ve got the back rowers on both sides of the ruck they can go to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking of those back rowers, both Viliame Kikau and Jacob Preston have been absent for extended periods this season, but are crucial cogs in the Bulldogs\u2019 attack.<\/p>\n

Both run hard lines and are obvious threats, that draw defenders towards them and create space for their outside men to deliver.<\/p>\n

While the Crichton and Galvin halves partnership looks to be building strongly, their return can\u2019t be discounted as also has coincided with the Dogs\u2019 return to form.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey are just a totally different side without them (Kikau and Preston). Kiks can get the ball early,\u201d Panthers skipper Isaah Yeo said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s imposing to the defence and then Jacob Preston is just probably one of the better line-running back rowers in the competition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Stephen Crichton had a big game. (Photo by Brendon Thorne\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

But at the core of a Ciraldo-coached team is a level of physicality that is hard to match.<\/p>\n

Think back to Round 6 \u2014 the Bulldogs were bested by the Knights a week earlier and were facing a brutal test against the Panthers.<\/p>\n

They came out and dominated the middle of the field, and even a team at the peak of their powers couldn\u2019t match their physical presence.<\/p>\n

Canterbury came away with a 32-16 win, that was considered a statement at the time, until they fell back into old habits a week later to lose to the Eels.<\/p>\n

That \u201cpurpose\u201d has now returned and the Dogs are priming themselves for a finals run off their last two performances.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were just physical… but everything they did they had purpose. They were running as hard as each other, they were creating offloads and the footy just stuck,\u201d Jared Waerea-Hargreaves said.<\/p>\n

\u201cKikau just has such a presence on that left edge and when you\u2019ve got a guy inside of him like Crichton, they\u2019ve just have so much presence around and you have to defend that.\u201d<\/p>\n

“Very happy we turned them away” | 03:29<\/p>\n

BRONCOS JOIN UNWANTED CLUB<\/p>\n

The Broncos are on track to join an unwanted club, with the last member joining 20 years ago.<\/p>\n

The Tigers won a premiership in 2005 and then dropped out of the finals placings in 2026.<\/p>\n

After a loss to the Cowboys, Michael Maguire\u2019s men are on track to do just that in what has been a disastrous season for the glamour club.<\/p>\n

Brisbane have been inconsistent all season, often giving away big leads before attempting to chase their opponents down \u2013 like they did during their premiership charge in 2025.<\/p>\n

However, this season the Broncos haven\u2019t been able to deliver when it matters and injuries have had a significant impact on their faltering campaign.<\/p>\n

Who better than four-time premiership winner Isaah Yeo to sum up their biggest issue, with the gun lock giving his take on Maguire\u2019s team\u2019s campaign on Fox League.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s habits that you form over a long period of time that set up consistency,\u201d Yeo said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re the champions, you\u2019re going to get everyone\u2019s best off the back of that year and I felt they (Broncos) got that.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t want to be relying on catching fire at the end of every year. You are where you belong after 27 rounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cowboys win ‘effectively ends’ Bronx szn | 01:29<\/p>\n

There have been consistent rumblings emerging from Broncos camp surrounding Maguire\u2019s coaching methods, with players said to be disgruntled and unhappy.<\/p>\n

What potentially compounded that feeling was the strings of losses Brisbane endured, losing eight straight at one point after going 0-2 to start the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know our Lab says there\u2019s a chance that they can make it but I put my pen through the Brisbane Broncos a couple of weeks ago,\u201d Cooper Cronk said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you want to play finals, and particularly finish in the top four and want to go back-to-back, you got to create good habits over a long period of time and they\u2019ve got to be consistent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Broncos fell in a lull when they lost games in a row. Their completion rate wasn\u2019t great, their defence wasn\u2019t holding up for long periods of time.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we can itemise a game here or a moment there for the Brisbane Broncos, but their damage was done in the middle third of the season when they weren\u2019t winning those games and fell in a hole.\u201d<\/p>\n

During their ugly eight-game streak, losses to teams embedded at the bottom of the ladder also added to the frustration and tensity surrounding the Broncos.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey lost to the Dragons at home. That\u2019s one game that they should have ticked and said \u2018if we want to play in September, that\u2019s a winnable game\u2019,\u201d Cronk explained.<\/p>\n

The Brisbane Broncos have joined an unwanted club.Source: The Courier Mail<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir best players have come back in and they started to get a bit of energy but the damage was done 10 weeks ago.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Fox Sports Lab says they can make it which means the teams above them are going to have to lose the majority of their games and the Broncos are going to have to win all their games remaining.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think they can do that but it (Lab) says they\u2019re a chance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey did a tremendous job last year to win all those games and come from behind and celebrate Brisbane as the centre point of rugby league for the year and they deserved all those accolades.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to play in the NRL, you\u2019ve got to have resilience as one of the traits to win more games than you lose.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got to train harder than your opposition, you\u2019ve got to compete on every play, and if you do all those things then you control the narrative around your football club.\u201d<\/p>\n

That narrative has been near impossible to control this season when you look at the on-field performances, and now things could only get worse in Red Hill.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow there\u2019s going to be more negativity around the Broncos because I feel like they missed the mark during the pre-season and during the first part (of the season),\u201d Cronk said.<\/p>\n

CONTRACT CALL BUNNIES HAVE TO MAKE ON \u2018REINVIGORATED\u2019 BARGAIN BUY<\/p>\n

The last thing Wayne Bennett would have been thinking earlier this year was negotiating a contract extension for Matt Dufty.<\/p>\n

Dufty asked Souths for a lifeline earlier this year after leaving Warrington in the Super League, and he has gone on to dethrone Jye Gray and become the club\u2019s first-choice fullback.<\/p>\n

Dufty continued his good form in Friday night\u2019s win over Melbourne, running for 256m with three line breaks.<\/p>\n

After the match Bennett praised Dufty and the way he\u2019s combined with young halfback Ashton Ward while hinting that a contract extension was in the works. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got a lot of confidence in Jye but he\u2019s a young fullback and the thing that we\u2019ve done with him, and we\u2019ve also done with Wardie, is we\u2019ve been patient with them and let them develop,\u201d Bennett said. <\/p>\n

\u201cI know it\u2019s just a time factor for Jye, but right now we\u2019re trying to win games and Dufty\u2019s delivering on what we kind of need in that area. But there\u2019s a future for both those boys here and Dufty hopefully as well if we can sort it out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fox League\u2019s Braith Anasta said Dufty had \u201creinvigorated his career\u201d under Bennett while Michael Ennis said the fullback\u2019s rise from rugby league obscurity was on the \u201cgreat stories this year\u201d.<\/p>\n

Wayne Bennett and Matt Dufty.Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cWe go back 12 months ago, he wasn\u2019t making the Warrington side,\u201d Ennis said. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe has a conversation with Ben Hornby, who is an assistant coach at Souths and had coached him in lower grades whilst he was at the Dragons, and he simply got an opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ennis explained why he felt Bennett had no choice but to elevate Dufty over Gray.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe difference is what Dufty brings is everything that Jye Gray brings in terms of that willingness to run and compete and threaten with that footwork but he\u2019s got this creativity,\u201d Ennis said. <\/p>\n

\u201cI thought he really stepped up and complemented (Cody) Walker and Ward with his creativity. I thought he was the best on the field tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters got an early clue that Dufty wasn\u2019t a spent force after 82 games for St George Illawarra in his first stint in the NRL.<\/p>\n

Walters said Dufty has played like a guy on his last chance to make it in the NRL and has displayed a never-say-die attitude. <\/p>\n

\u201cI was down in Wollongong with Fox for the trial game when he came back from Warrington, not even on a train and trial, he just started training with them and then he got the train and trial,\u201d Walters said. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe excelled in that game and you could just see the energy. This was his second coming in the NRL. Every time he\u2019s played for Souths he\u2019s been in everything good about them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rabbitohs win thriller | 06:39<\/p>\n

IVAN\u2019S ONE-WORD REPLY REVEALS \u2018CHINK\u2019 IN PENRITH\u2019S ARMOUR<\/p>\n

Even if it was far from convincing, the Panthers still look like the team to beat this year.<\/p>\n

But Thursday night\u2019s win over the Eels once again proved the competition favourites have a glaring weakness \u2013 and a telling one-word reply from Ivan Cleary showed he knows it too.<\/p>\n

Penrith\u2019s left edge has been lethal in attack all season, but it has been another story entirely in defence.<\/p>\n

That has been the case since Casey McLean and Blaize Talagi first formed a new-look combination for the Panthers last year, with Cleary even telling reporters late last year it was \u201cno secret\u201d teams were targeting Penrith on that side of the field.<\/p>\n

That has continued into 2026 and while McLean has developed more than Talagi, to the extent that he made his State of Origin debut, he has looked a bit underdone since returning from injury.<\/p>\n

Talagi, meanwhile, is starting to play with more physicality in defence after being consistently isolated by opposition teams early in the season but his decision-making under pressure remains an issue.<\/p>\n

The Eels tore Penrith\u2019s left edge apart early in Thursday\u2019s game, going through the line with ease to open up a 12-0 lead and Mitchell Moses went down that side again late in the piece to set up Parramatta\u2019s third try of the night.<\/p>\n

Henry scores amid controversy | 00:41<\/p>\n

Eels coach Jason Ryles admitted post-game they \u201chad a plan to target a part of the field\u201d and while he didn\u2019t specify which part it was, he didn\u2019t really need to anyway.<\/p>\n

The numbers spoke volumes to just how heavily Parramatta went after Penrith\u2019s left side, with McLean making 27 tackles compared to just nine for Paul Alamoti on the right.<\/p>\n

McLean, Talagi, Tom Jenkins and Isaiah Papali\u2019i were pictured regrouping after the game as time continues to run out for them to find an answer to their defensive vulnerabilities before the finals.<\/p>\n

When asked if he had concerns about the left-edge defence, Cleary simply replied: \u201cYes\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019d be fair, I suppose,\u201d he then added when asked if it has become an ongoing issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut if they\u2019ve been targeted for two years, we still remain the best defensive team. There\u2019s definitely some worries tonight, but on the balance, they can do better than that.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is obvious that Cleary doesn\u2019t want to make it too much of an issue publicly because it is important to have the likes of Talagi and McLean playing with confidence.<\/p>\n

The left edge meets post-game.Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n

But behind closed doors there is little doubting that left edge will be a key focus for Cleary ahead of September.<\/p>\n

For Talagi specifically, premiership-winning halfback Cooper Cronk said the young playmaker\u2019s role in attack is \u201cpretty straightforward\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe sits on the left hand side. He gets the ball when he\u2019s got an advantage. Either that, or he gets the ball in space because it\u2019s been created from Nathan,\u201d Cronk told foxsports.com.au.<\/p>\n

But all that means is that Talagi\u2019s defence needs to be up to scratch considering he doesn\u2019t have as much responsibility on the other side of the ball.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe one thing that Blaize probably needs to focus on for September is the defensive side,\u201d Cronk added.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf there is a chink in the armour it is the left side defence from Penrith and teams tend to attack him and Casey McLean at some stage.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a damn good player. We tend to judge halves particularly on how much attacking skill or scoreboard influence they can have whereas I think for Blaize and Penrith it\u2019d be more his defence that is the key for him in September.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ivan reflects on ‘first comeback’ win | 06:54<\/p>\n

\u2018UNHEARD OF\u2019: THE UNPRECEDENTED REALITY FACING STORM<\/p>\n

The Melbourne Storm are currently going through the most uncertain period in their proud 28-year history.<\/p>\n

Their 2026 horror story started the previous year when their top backrower Eli Katoa suffered a brain bleed in a Test match.<\/p>\n

He hasn\u2019t played all season along with State of Origin winger Xavier Coates while a number of their players have been out of form.<\/p>\n

Fox League\u2019s Michael Ennis said while injuries had been an issue, the Storm must accept they\u2019re not helping themselves and have gone away from principles which have made them a powerhouse in the NRL for the past 20 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir edge defence this year has just been so un-Melbourne like it\u2019s not funny. You go back and look at the great Melbourne sides and even last year, Melbourne have always been in the top two defensively,\u201d Ennis said.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you go into tonight and both edges had conceded 37 tries. That\u2019s unheard of from a Melbourne side.<\/p>\n

Storm top 8 hopes fade losing to Souths | 03:04<\/p>\n

\u201cAs much as you want to believe that Melbourne can do what Melbourne has done so many times, it\u2019s not happening. They just don\u2019t have it this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ennis felt that Jack Howarth and Nick Meaney haven\u2019t lived up to their 2025 form.<\/p>\n

But the bigger issue for the Storm isn\u2019t what happens for the rest of this season, it\u2019s what goes on in the next six months. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think there is some instability at Melbourne for the first time,\u201d Ennis said while pointing out that star five-eighth Cameron Munster has been given permission to talk to the PNG Chiefs before November 1.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is just some noise around Melbourne that is not always there. I think they definitely need to bring some (players) in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Earlier this year the club announced that coach Craig Bellamy had been diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disorder.<\/p>\n

Craig Bellamy\u2019s long-term future at the Storm has been talked aboutSource: Supplied<\/p>\n

There\u2019s been rumours that Bellamy may quit at the end of the season to focus on his health.<\/p>\n

If that happens, the club will officially enter a new era, which Kevin Walters said will create a new form of instability. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a lot of questions marks (over Melbourne). Craig has been there a long time and with that, and I was fortunate enough to play at the Broncos for a long time with the same coach, brings so much stability among the playing group and staff members,\u201d Walters said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone just gets in their own successful routine and goes about their work. But when there is change it always brings a little bit of confusion and untidy work sometimes. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt will be a big off-season for the Storm. Obviously if something happens to Craig and he decides (to step down) Billy Slater is parked there and ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bellamy gives Grant update | 08:59<\/p>\n

\u2018DEVASTATING\u2019 DOUBLE BLOW SPOILS ONE OF NRL\u2019S BEST STORIES<\/p>\n

Two major injuries have threatened to end Newcastle\u2019s season just weeks after they were touted as a top four contender. <\/p>\n

The narrow 23-22 loss to the Roosters on Friday night wasn\u2019t what has Knights fans losing hope.<\/p>\n

Their $13 million man Dylan Brown and breakout State of Origin forward Dylan Lucas are done for the season after suffering ACL and ankle injuries respectively. <\/p>\n

The Knights were in the process of completing a remarkable turnaround under new coach Justin Holbrook after a shocking 2025.<\/p>\n

But three-straight losses and injuries to key players has threatened the Knights becoming the story on the season in the NRL.<\/p>\n

\u201cNewcastle have been one of the great stories this year. Wooden spooners last year, a massive recruitment drive and he was the marquee man, Dylan Brown,\u201d Fox League\u2019s Michael Ennis said. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s devastating to see him go down and then Dylan Lucas who has been enormous for them. One of the best young players in the competition. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat left edge has been so threatening for Newcastle. With (Kalyn) Ponga not too far away and finals close, you thought Newcastle might be able to make a late run but that\u2019s going to halt their chances.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dylan Brown went down injured. (Photo by Scott Gardiner\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

Despite his $1.3 million per season contract, Knights fans would no doubt be happy with Brown\u2019s contribution in his first season at the club.<\/p>\n

From 15 games, he\u2019s scored two tries and had 11 try assists.<\/p>\n

Newcastle\u2019s top eight chances are now looking shaky after Canterbury\u2019s win on Saturday night. <\/p>\n

They will finish the round in seventh but are only two points clear of the ninth-placed Bulldogs. <\/p>\n

In welcome news, Kalyn Ponga should be back next week against the Broncos in Brisbane. <\/p>\n

GRAPHIC WARNING: Dylan Lucas Injured | 04:14<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Wests Tigers hit a new low on the weekend and a rival player has pointed out the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":825934,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[43,44,85,41,39,42,40],"class_list":["post-825933","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-sports","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/825933","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=825933"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/825933\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/825934"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=825933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=825933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=825933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}