5 Things to Watch: Everything to keep an eye on in NRL Round 13

Whilst Origin talk is dominating the rugby league headlines, half of the NRL’s teams are still preparing for battle this weekend. Four NRL clashes will be played on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, before all eyes shift towards the big one next Wednesday night. Here are 5 Things to Watch in Round 13.

Fotuaika with a bit to prove

Titans prop Moeaki Fotuaika will be eager to retain his Maroons jumper after missing out on the squad for Game I and will look to put his best foot forward this Thursday night against the Cowboys. The 22-year-old has four Origin appearances under his belt but was not considered by first-year head coach Billy Slater for Game I of the series, despite putting up strong numbers across the board. Fotuaika one of just four props this season averaging at least 11 runs per game and 9.5 metres per run and is fifth among all starting props in percentage of carries exceeding eight metres. At Origin level, he has also managed to produce; he averaged 12.7 carries per game last series for 99.3 metres. Slater overlooked Fotuaika’s outstanding numbers, however, instead opting to reward the likes of Lindsay Collins, Reuben Cotter, and Patty Carrigan, who have impressed on more successful teams. Fotuaika will have his hands full this Thursday night, attempting to limit the involvement of Jason Taumalolo and the third-placed Cowboys, but will certainly be looking to play his way back into Origin consideration.

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New-look Penrith halves

If there is one week teams are willing to face Penrith, it is this week, with the near-perfect Panthers without Stephen Crichton, Brian To’o, Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai, Isaah Yeo and Liam Martin. Last season, two of their three regular season losses came without their Origin stars. Whilst their opponents Canterbury have won just the pair of game all season and just one of their past 11, they will enter the clash with some air of confidence and will be hopeful to ambush the first-placed Panthers. All eyes will be on the new-look halves pairing of debutant Kurt Falls and journeyman Sean O’Sullivan. The two have spent time this season with Penrith’s first-placed KOE NSW Cup side, so they certainly have a level of familiarity and synergy, but top-flight football is a different ball-game. Falls leads KOE NSW Cup in points scored and is second in try assists, whilst O’Sullivan helped lead Penrith’s NRL side to a trio of wins in Nathan Cleary’s absence at the start of the season. Whilst they are far from your ordinary reserve-grade halves pairing, replacing Cleary and Luai is a tall task, particularly with Yeo also missing. The Panthers will still enter the contest as clear favourites but are at their most vulnerable.

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Full-strength Dogs

Whilst Penrith are preparing for a clash minus a half-dozen of their Origin stars, the Bulldogs, Wests Tigers, and Warriors are the only three clubs without any players selected in Origin squads. This coming period is an opportune time for those sides to eye a climb up the ladder and, for the Bulldogs, it begins this Friday night in Penrith. Josh Addo-Carr and Matt Burton will still have their eyes set on playing their way into the squad as the series progresses, whilst several other Bulldogs are playing for contracts. With the likes of Reed Mahoney, Viliame Kikau, and Ryan Sutton set to join the club next season, 2022 was always going to be somewhat of a transitionary season. The current crop of players, however, still need to give their recruits something to work with and two wins from 12 attempts is not going to cut it. As dire as the situation has looked this season, there have certainly been bright sparks. Young outside backs Aaron Schoupp, Jake Averillo, and Jacob Kiraz have each shown what they are capable of, whilst Paul Vaughan and Luke Thompson have proven to be a strong front-row pairing. Raymond Faitala-Mariner’s return from a long-term injury layoff has also been a breath of fresh air for the Dogs.

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Schuster at five-eighth

Manly young gun Josh Schuster has been named in the halves for just the fourth time in his NRL career but, with his future likely lying in the position, we may be catching a glimpse this weekend when the Sea Eagles take on the Warriors. With Kieran Foran moving on from the club next season, this may well be a rehearsal for Schuster who has appeared in just three games this season due to injury. Many currently sit two points out of the top eight and will be without star fullback Tom Trbojevic for the remainder of 2022, whilst skipper Daly Cherry-Evans will be unavailable this week due to Origin duties. Schuster proved a revelation for Manly left season on the left edge, finishing the year with nine try assists and 65 average run metres. A big body with silky hands, Schuster is very much in the Wade Graham-mould and, whilst his experience as an NRL five-eighth is limited, he spent a lot of time playing the position as a junior. Finding success in the six-jumper is not just crucial to this weekend’s clash for Schuster but will be key moving forward due to his ambition to play there full-time in 2023 and beyond.

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Manu at fullback

Origin commitments have not hit the Roosters as hard in 2022 as they have in previous seasons – James Tedesco, Daniel Tupou, and Lindsay Collins are the only players set to miss Sunday’s clash against Canberra – but the next six weeks or so are set to be a challenging period regardless. Tedesco generally prevents us from seeing star centre Joseph Manu in the one-jumper but, in Canberra this Sunday afternoon, we will have an opportunity to see the Kiwi international at the back. The Roosters have won eight of their nine matches with Manu at fullback and their past six. In his past six games at the back, Manu has averaged nearly 21 carries for 215 run metres per game and has totalled four tries, four try assists, and 36 tackle busts. One could argue that Manu is one of the world’s most productive fullbacks who just happens to play behind arguably the most productive. Manu has managed to score six tries in his nine games at the back, although Canberra’s defence has tightened up in recent weeks. Given Manu’s supreme conditioning and high involvement rates at the back, expect another classy performance from the Roosters flyer.

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