5 Big Things: Everything we learned in NRL Round 13

The first week of Origin-impacted football saw several big-time wins and raised more questions for those unable to compete with undermanned outfits. Here are 5 Big Things we learned from Round 13.

Taulagi responds

After being named in Queensland’s extended squad but losing out on starting wing spots to Selwyn Cobbo and Xavier Coates, North Queensland flyer Murray Taulagi put his best foot forward in his side’s 32-6 win on the Gold Coast. With the Maroons squad in attendance, the 23-year-old took 18 carries for 187 metres, broke four tackles, laid on a try and scored one of his own as his Cowboys nestled themselves further into the top four. Taulagi has quickly made a name for himself as a winger who is equally adept muscling his way out of yardage as he is over the try-line and will be knocking on the Origin door for years to come. The union product is one of only four wingers in the NRL this season to average 13 carries per contest and nine-and-a-half metres per run and is also equal-tenth in the premiership in tries scored. In a side full of big improvers, Taulagi has managed to stand out and, with just 43 NRL appearances under his belt, there is still a tonne of improving to do.

Fullback Averillo

Whilst Canterbury slumped to their 11th loss in 12 games, the play of newly-named fullback Jake Averillo surely opened some eyes. The 21-year-old took 10 carries for 105 metres, made a line break and assisted on one, and broke six tackles as the Dogs scored at least three tries for the third straight week. The numbers may not stand out but, for a side desperately in search of its next and preferably long-term fullback, there was some life with Averillo at the back. At 183cm and 92kg, Averillo has more size to him than incumbent Matt Dufty and possesses a skillset that has seen him spend genuine time in the halves. Modern-day fullbacks require a multi-faceted skillset and the size and physical attributes for their body to hold up for extended periods of duress. Interim coach Mick Potter is expected to name Averillo at the back again for this week’s clash against Parramatta, which will be an interesting test for the young outside back. Canterbury’s primary goal for the remainder of the season will be to avoid the spoon but it is critical that they simultaneously nurture their budding talent to give them a platform to work off heading into 2023.

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Manly adjusting to life without Tom

After news broke that Tom Trbojevic would miss the remainder of the 2022 season after undergoing shoulder surgery, many put a line through Manly’s top eight chances. The Sea Eagles, however, have won three of their six games this season without Trbojevic and remain within reach of the top eight after a dominant 44-12 win over the Warriors on Saturday night. With skipper Daly Cherry-Evans out on Origin duty, the Sea Eagles were led by acting fullback Reuben Garrick, who scored a pair of tries, took 15 carries for a game-high 204 metres, and broke five tackles, whilst Haumole Olakau’atu caused a tonne of damage down Manly’s right edge, scoring a try, running for 171 metres from 18 carries, and breaking seven tackles. Props Josh Aloiai and Marty Taupau ran for a combined 261 run metres from 29 carries, whilst Lachlan Croker made a game-high 39 tackles. The Warriors, meanwhile, slumped to their fifth consecutive loss as concerns surrounding their decision-makers begin rearing their head. They are scheduled to make a return to Auckland in Round 16 against the Wests Tigers but may find their season having all but slipped away by then. Tohu Harris, Reece Walsh, and Jazz Tevaga all showed signs of life but there is a lot of improvement to be done if they want to make a climb back up the ladder.

Savage’s growth

There has been plenty of discussion this season in regard to Xavier Savage’s place in Canberra’s first-grade side. He began the year in reserve-grade before alternating between the wing and the interchange bench but was given his first opportunity of the season in his preferred number-one jersey on Sunday afternoon against the Roosters. In his best outing of the season, the 20-year-old ran for a team-high 189 metres from 22 carries, scored a try, assisted on another and broke four tackles as the Raiders beat the Roosters for the first time since their 2020 Semi Final clash. With Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad expected to be sidelined for the next month, Savage should have ample opportunity to press his claim for the fullback spot on a full-time basis, and if his performance on Sunday is anything to go off, he is in with some shot. Whilst Savage was electric in good ball, his work out of yardage was equally encouraging; his diminutive frame took a battering coming out of his own end, but he continually put his hand up for more work. Savage is certainly a name to keep an eye on in coming weeks, with Canberra set to face Brisbane, Newcastle, and St. George Illawarra before a Round 17 bye.

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Kiwis middle core

James Fisher-Harris and Joseph Tapine have each enjoyed outstanding seasons and were two of the premiership’s best in this Origin-affected weekend. Fisher-Harris was dominant in Penrith’s 12-point victory over the Bulldogs, running for 161 metres from 19 carries and made 38 tackles, whilst Tapine finished with 186 metres from 19 carries and made 28 tackles in his side’s six-point win over the Roosters. Fisher-Harris, a Kohukohu-native, and Tapine, a Wellington-native, will both be a part of New Zealand’s formidable pack of middle forwards at the World Cup in England later this year. Whilst Origin talk is dominating the news at the moment, it will not be long until international football is in full-swing. Fisher-Harris and Tapine are expected to be joined by the likes of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, and Jesse Bromwich in a middle rotation capable of matching it with any nation. Outside of Australia, few countries can match New Zealand’s prowess and toughness across the park and, if they are to capture their first world title since 2008, their star-studded middle forwards will be at the forefront.

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