5 Big Things: Everything we learned in NRL Round 3

More football, more talking points; the premiership is beginning to take more of a shape and pundits are developing clearer pictures of what players and teams look like. There was a tonne of excitement and intrigue across the week. Here are 5 Big Things we learned from Round 3.

Captain Cam comes through again for Bunnies

At just 24, Cameron Murray has appeared in 106 NRL games, 12 finals games, seven Origin games, and a Test match and is now skippering his beloved Bunnies. His outing on Friday night against the arch-rival Roosters was a prime example of why the Mascot Jets junior is held in such high regard across the sport. In 77 minutes, Murray scored a try, assisted on a pair, made two line breaks, broke three tackles, took 17 carries for 152 metres and made a team-high 42 tackles. He possesses a mix of brilliance and consistency that few middle-forwards have replicated in recent years and that mix was on full display in his side’s 28-16 win over the Roosters. With both he and Isaah Yeo at the helm, NSW and Australia look set at the lock position for the next half-decade-plus.

Dylan Brown breakout?

Dylan Brown was subject to a degree of scrutiny last season after managing just two try assists across 21 games before his Eels bowed out in the second week of the finals. The 21-year-old has already doubled his try assists tally from last season through three games and was close to the best on ground in his side’s golden point victory in Melbourne on Saturday night. Brown has appeared more measured and decisive as a half to start the season and is already reaping the rewards. His defensive work has been at its usual, rock-solid standard, whilst he has found more success as a runner and an off-loader to start 2022. Brown has appeared in 57 games since he debuted as an 18-year-old and is looking to become one of Parramatta’s pillars moving forward. If the first three weeks of the season is anything to go off, Brown and the Eels could be in for some season.

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The rollercoaster Titans

Up 22-nil a few minutes prior to half-time, the Titans looked well on their way to a second-straight victory, having played some slick and calculated football against a wayward-looking Raiders outfit. They were controlling the middle of the field and their spine and outside-backs managed to pick holes in the Canberra defensive line when they shifted the ball. A 39th-minute Semi Valemei four-pointer kept the door ajar ever-so-slightly for the Raiders who clawed their way to an unlikely win off the back of an 18-nil second-half run. The 2021 Titans proved themselves to be all-too-adept at blowing leads and the fact that the same habit is rearing its head in 2022 is a major concern for Justin Holbrook and his staff. Last season, the Titans lost a game in which they led by 16 points, 56-24 against Manly, and a game in which they led by 22 points, 36-28 against Brisbane, all whilst managing to lose a trio of games by a single point. To lose another game in which they had a 22-zip first-half lead has to be demoralising. Considering how tight the race for a finals spot projects to be this season, dropping games like this are a tough pill to swallow.

North Queensland’s dazzling youth

The Cowboys’ name was tossed around quite a bit in pre-season wooden spoon discussions but, through three weeks, they have managed to silence some of that chatter thanks largely to some of their expectation-exceeding up-and-comers. Tom Dearden, Jeremiah Nanai, Tom Gilbert and Griffin Neame have all enjoyed bumper starts to 2022, whilst the likes of Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Murray Taulagi, and Heilum Luki have also given Cowboys fans cause for optimism moving forward. Much has been made of Dearden, especially after his high-profile exit from Brisbane and the young five-eighth has managed to put together the best three-game stretch of his career to start the season. The 21-year-old is currently equal-first in the premiership in try assists and line break assists, all whilst averaging the highest run metre tally of his career. Nanai, meanwhile, is one of three players who have scored four tries this season and is firming as a Rookie of the Year bolter, whilst Gilbert, Neame, and Luki have shown flashes at different stages for the second-placed Cowboys.

Lack of Staggs a concern for Brisbane

As their southern neighbours’ attempts to up superstar David Fifita’s involvement rate continue to fall relatively flat, the Brisbane Broncos find themselves in a similar situation with strike centre Kotoni Staggs. After appearing in just four games last season, many expected the 23-year-old to hit the ground running this season and prove why there are so many wraps on him north of the border. Staggs, however, has been unable to properly leave his mark on any of Brisbane’s opening three matchups and has struggled to involve himself. Whilst he has managed to display some quality ball-running and creation skills, the quantity has not been there; he has failed to score or assist on a try and has made just 19 runs across the three games. As dire as that may sound, he has managed eight tackle busts and a pair of line breaks from those 19 runs so it appears to be more a matter of boosting the quantity of his work rather than the quality of it. Staggs’ involvement will certainly be worth keeping an eye on in the coming weeks, as Brisbane look to build off a 2-0 start to the season.

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