Underdogs Upsetting
Around the grounds after NRL Round One
F. A. Loxton
AFTER AN EVENTFUL PRE-SEASON which featured Penrith falling short to St Helens in the World Club Challenge, and some promising form shown from the Manly Sea Eagles, all questions were answered in the official opening round of the NRL last weekend.
To start with, the Melbourne Storm had a strong win over the Eels, who struggled off a sub-standard Mitchell Moses performance. The grand finalists of last year felt the absence of Isaiah Papali’i and Reed Mahoney in their opening fixture, and Cameron Munster’s magic proved too much; although he suffered a compound dislocation which will rule him out for the coming weeks.
On Friday night, two close games provided much entertainment, with the Warriors overcoming the Knights who started strong with a try in the first minute. The main event of the night, however, was the later game. The Broncos, to the surprise of the Penrith crowd, had a strong win over the Panthers at home, off the back of an Adam Reynolds field goal, which sealed a seven point lead and victory. Despite a last minute try, Ivan Cleary’s men fell in, their fifth loss since 2021, they were notably missing Villiami Kikau and Api Koroisau.
Much anticipation came for the Bulldogs vs Manly clash on Saturday afternoon, with several stars debuting for Canterbury and Tom Trbojevic returning after an injury ridden 2022 season. Whilst Reed Mahoney provided some flair, Villiami Kikau had a limited impact, providing a viral chip which went out on the full as he still navigates the new Bulldogs system. Manly proved far too strong, with Tommy Turbo going in for their first try and Daly Cherry-Evans having a field day with three tries.
The Cowboys had a far closer fixture against a similarly over-performing Canberra Raiders side from last year, winning off the boot of Chad Townsend in the 75th minute. The Raiders were flustered, missing out on several huge chances to overcome the Cowboys, although the team were resilient, and battled hard in the heat of Townsville. At Shark Park, the Rabbitohs came out on top of Cronulla, with strong defense prompting two second half tries for Campbell Graham, who had a huge impact on the right edge.
Perhaps the round’s biggest upset however, was the Dolphins victory over a stacked Roosters side, in their first match in the NRL competition. With over 35,000 people filling a sea of red at Suncorp, the teams had a strong tussle and scores were even, 12-12, at half time. However, Felise Kaufusi inspired with tackles forcing turnovers, and Jamayne Isaako’s footwork broke the Roosters left edge, seeing the Dolphins have a huge win in their opening fixture. Luke Keary provided a spark late in the second half, but the Roosters efforts weren’t enough, with their left edge defense a clear weak point of which Wayne Bennett’s men utilized.
Finally the Titans had a promising win over the Tigers, inspired by a double from Phillip Sami. Wests’ new signings; Api Koroisau and Isaiah Papali’i showed some promise, although support around them was limited.
Overall, round one of the NRL premiership was filled with upsets and nail-biters, as this year’s season looks to be both exciting and unpredictable. Whilst the inclusion of the Dolphins saw the Dragons have a bye, all sides look to be leaving everything on the field, as new signings have struggles for successful teams, and opportunities for the underperforming sides of last year.