5 Big Things: Everything we learned in NRL Round 4

We are now a month deep into the 2022 NRL season and with each week comes more action, criticism, entertainment and controversy. One team remains unbeaten and one remains winless. Here are 5 Big Things we learned from Round 4.

Wests Tigers can’t catch a break

Thursday night’s showdown between the Wests Tigers and the Titans on the Gold Coast was perhaps the most Wests Tigers game you will see. They scratched and clawed their way to a two penalty goal to one lead in the 68th minute and looked to poised to survive a clash in which they made 13 errors and conceded 11 penalties until 78 try-free minutes ended with them bungling a clean-up effort in their own in-goal for AJ Brimson to pounce on a match-winner. The result seemed unfair yet appropriate; neither side looked deserving of a win but considering the talent mismatch, it felt like it should have been the Wests Tigers’ night. Instead, they remain the only winless team in the premiership and are one of only two sides averaging less than 10 points per contest. There were a few impressive individual performances; North Queensland-bound Luciano Leilua looked likely on the right edge taking 12 carries for 124 metres to go along with four tackle breaks and an offload, whilst James Roberts enjoyed one of his best outings as a Wests Tiger running for 101 metres with four tackle breaks and a line break. 2022, however, has been a horror so far for the side and with clashes coming up against Cronulla, Parramatta, and South Sydney, they have some work to do.

Talakai at his destructive best

Cronulla wrecking ball Siosifa Talakai has not enjoyed the most conventional first-grade career to date but managed to put together one of the most damaging outside back performances in recent memory in his side’s 18-0 win over Newcastle on Friday night. Called in to replace the injured Connor Tracey, Talakai’s 21 carries resulted in 223 metres and an absurd 17 tackle breaks, to go along with a try, a line break assist, and a trio of Dally M points. To churn out numbers like that as a left centre against a red hot and experienced Dane Gagai is incredible and, if he goes anywhere near that type of production over the next few weeks, he may go a long way towards locking down the position permanently. With several of their stars enjoying outstanding starts to the season, Cronulla looked set to climb further up the ladder as they continue their transition into the Craig Fitzgibbon era.

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Yeo’s sensational form continues

Isaah Yeo’s outstanding start to the season continued in his side’s 26-12 victory over South Sydney in Friday night’s Grand Final rematch with the robust lock-forward awarded Player of the Match honours for the fourth time in as many outings. The 27-year-old took 19 carries for 172 metres and made 40 tackles in an 80-minute performance. Yeo sits outright first on the Dally M leaderboard and looks poised to make a run at a third consecutive Lock of the Year Award and perhaps then some. The Dubbo-native is averaging a career-high 156 running metres per contest in 2022, all whilst playing a pivotal role as an organiser in Penrith’s attack that was enhanced across Nathan Cleary’s three-week absence. Penrith has gone an insane 44-3 in the past 47 games Yeo has played and that form does not look like it will be dipping anytime soon.

Canterbury still a ways away

Much was made over the offseason of Canterbury’s recruitment drive – which properly kicks into gear next season with the arrivals of Reed Mahoney and Viliame Kikau – but, through the premiership’s opening month, it has become clear that there are still a number of holes that need plugging out at Belmore. A 44-nil drubbing at the hands of Melbourne wasn’t exactly unexpected but it was still disappointing for Trent Barrett’s men. Aside from their porous defence, the Bulldogs boast the premiership’s worst attack through four weeks, averaging just seven points per contest. Having finished with the premiership’s worst attack in 2021 and second-worst in 2020, it is undoubtedly concerning as they move forward. With clashes against both of last year’s grand finalists Penrith and South Sydney coming up, things aren’t getting any easier for the Bulldogs. A top eight berth never seemed like a realistic goal for this squad but Barrett will need to spur on some improvement as the year progresses to ease what will surely become a tonne of pressure.

St. George Illawarra’s disconnect

St. George Illawarra’s decision to take up Anthony Griffin’s option for 2023 prior to a ball being kicked in 2022 raised many an eyebrow and the opening month of the premiership has done little to alleviate concerns. The side has now lost 11 of its past 12 games and Griffin’s decision to pivot away from exciting youngsters Tyrell Sloan and Junior Amone after just three weeks in favour of a more “win-now” spine consisting of Moses Mbye, Jack Bird, Ben Hunt and Andrew McCullough ended in a 48-14 thumping at the hands of Parramatta. The club appeared to make their direction clear across the end of last season and the off-season, by moving on from Matt Dufty and Corey Norman and promoting Sloan and Amone, as well as re-signing Jayden Sullivan, Mat Feagai, and Max Feagai. Griffin surely predicted that there would be growing pains, as with all inexperienced spine players, but still persisted with dropping the pair just three games into the season. If the demotions came with player development in mind, then perhaps dumping Sloan into a reserve grade outfit that has conceded 180 through four games and allowing Amone to sit idly on the bench for 65-plus minutes as the NRL side got pummelled was not particularly conducive.

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