5 Big Things: Everything we learned in NRL Round 12

Round 12 saw the NRL celebrate another Indigenous Round, with clubs showing off brilliant kits and pre-match ceremonies as players were given their final opportunities to impress prior to the announcement of the State of Origin squads for Game I. Here are 5 Big Things we learned from Round 12.

Panthers separating from the herd

Penrith again flexed their muscles and took down a storming North Queensland outfit 22-0 to win their 11th game of the season on Friday evening. They now sit four points clear of the second-place Storm heading into what has the potential to be a testing Origin period. North Queensland’s loss marked the end of a six-game losing streak, but they still sit firmly in the top four at the midway point of the season. As strong as North Queensland have been they were pretty thoroughly outclassed by Penrith who dominated possession and yardage and were never truly troubled by a Cowboys side minus Jason Taumalolo. Dylan Edwards scored a try, assisted on another, and ran for a game-high 240 metres en route to a trio of Dally M points, whilst Isaah Yeo also managed to bag a four-pointer to go along with 172 metres and 37 tackles. Front-rower James Fisher-Harris was also at his best, finishing the game with 220 metres from 20 carries and 26 tackles. For North Queensland, centres Valentine Holmes and Peta Hiku combined for 388 metres from 36 carries and broke nine tackles, whilst Reuben Cotter made an unbelievable 63 tackles without a miss. The Panthers will be without their Origin stars on Friday when they take on the last-placed Bulldogs, whilst the Cowboys will face the Titans on the Gold Coast.

Same old Titans

Leading 24-4 with a half-hour remaining, the Titans looked destined to end the Broncos’ six-game winning streak and kickstart their own journey up the competition ladder. Brisbane, however, went at a-point-a-minute over the final 30 to race away 35-24 winners and raise a whole lot of questions for the Titans. Despite being without Adam Reynolds for the second-straight week, Brisbane had no issue finding second-half points, with inexperienced halves-pairing Tyson Gamble and Ezra Mam steering the side around the park and allowing their strike men to go to work. Corey Oates was again terrific for the Broncos, finishing with a team-high 216 run metres from 18 carries and a try assist, whilst fellow winger Selwyn Cobbo continued his hot run of form, scoring a try and busting nine tackles. Patty Carrigan led the way in the middle, finishing with 142 metres from 17 carries and 27 tackles in a man of the match performance. In a first-half that saw three separate sin-bins and a period in which the Titans were playing two men short, the visitors managed to create a number of inroads across the field, with the likes of Jayden Campbell, Toby Sexton, and A.J. Brimson laying on points relatively easily. Powerhouse second-rower David Fifita even managed a spectacular, solo try with two of his teammates in the bin. The second-half, however, was a horror show for Justin Holbrook’s men. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui was terrific in a losing side, running for a game-high 271 metres – 129 of them post-contact – from 23 carries to go along with 31 tackles but looked dishevelled in the post-game presser, as the Titans slumped to their sixth loss in seven games.

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Where to now for the Warriors?

The Warriors have lost six of their last seven after an eight-point loss to Newcastle on Saturday and now sit just two wins ahead of the Bulldogs in last-place. In that same breath, however, they sit just two wins behind the Rabbitohs in eighth-place. So, where to now for the Warriors? Despite being without Addin Fonua-Blake, Josh Curran, and Wayde Egan, the Warriors snagged two tries in the opening eight minutes and looked primed for a big one before being outscored 24-6 over the final 70 minutes of the game. Newcastle poured on their biggest score since Round 2, despite the Warriors owning the yardage and possession battle. One could argue the Warriors were the stronger team for long stretches of the contest but lacked the polish and discipline to grit their way to a pair of competition points. 19-year-old Viliami Vailea is beginning to leave an imprint after an initial transition period into first-grade. Vailea ran for 101 metres from 9 carries against Newcastle and showcase some of his power and leg-speed to cross for a first-half try. Over the past fortnight, the Tongan-native has scored three tries, assisted on another, broken seven tackles and run for 202 metres. The re-inclusion of Tohu Harris after a long-term injury has also been a boost for the struggling Warriors, with the veteran back-rower running for a team-high 162 metres from 24 carries and making 41 tackles without a miss in 80 minutes. There are pieces of this team that are worth persisting with but, at this stage, there are too many factors – both internal and external – weighing the side down. In brighter news, they are only a month away from returning to Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland; they will face the Wests Tigers there in Round 16.

Tedesco ready for Origin

Any doubt over whether or not Roosters star James Tedesco would be ready for Origin has been abruptly dispelled after his man of the match performance on Saturday night in his side’s 36-16 win over Cronulla. Tedesco ran for a game-high 238 metres from 20 carries, scored a try, and laid on two others as his side raced away to a 20-point victory in the Shire. The 29-year-old is set to play his 17th Origin game next Wednesday and will do so with the (c) next to his name as NSW aim to win their fourth series in five years. Tedesco has scored seven tries over his past five games, to go along with a pair of try assists, 38 tackle breaks and 246 average run metres. In fact, Tedesco has not been held under 140 run metres all season and has not been held under 200 run metres in six games. There are few players in the world who exhibit an all-around game that can compete with Tedesco’s; his blend of conditioning, athleticism, skill and rugby league nous is exceptional. His role with the Blues should look slightly different to previous years particularly with Tom Trbojevic and Latrell Mitchell unavailable. He may be tasked with playing more of an organisational role in the Blues’ attack with perhaps more focus on his involvement. With the metre-eating duo of Brian To’o and Daniel Tupou alongside him, he may even have a rare opportunity to preserve himself out of yardage for attacking actions.

A new Dally M leader

Following a man of the match performance in his side’s 10-point win over Canterbury on Sunday, St. George Illawarra halfback Ben Hunt now sits atop the Dally M leaderboard halfway through the season. The veteran seven has been superb all season long for the Dragons, who sit on the cusp of the top eight with six wins and six losses. In a spine that has lacked any stability or experience for long stretches, Hunt has stood tall and single-handedly willed his Dragons to wins on multiple occasions. The 32-year-old is fourth in the NRL in try assists, fourth in line break assists, and third in kick metres, whilst ranking second among halfbacks for average possessions, second in offloads, and second in tackle busts. His involvement level has been outstanding for the Dragons all season long, whilst his fortitude and “follow me” attitude has inspired his teammates week in, week out. Hunt’s ability to rack up such impressive attacking stats whilst playing behind the fifth-worst yardage team in the premiership speaks volumes of just how impressive and influential he has been for the Dragons. On the Dally M leaderboard, he sits two points ahead of Penrith’s Isaah Yeo, three points ahead of Cronulla’s Nicho Hynes, and four points ahead of Parramatta’s Mitchell Moses and Melbourne’s Ryan Papenhuyzen. Hunt is looking to become the first Dragon since Trent Barrett in 2000 to take out the Dally M Medal. Jamie Soward, Darius Boyd, Benji Marshall and Gareth Widdop have all polled in the top three since then, but none managed to take it out. History may beckon for the brilliant halfback in red and white.

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