State of Origin is in the rear-view mirror and our attention has finally turned back to clubland for the home straight of the 2024 NRL regular season.
With just three wins separating fifth from fourteenth place on the ladder, I’ve zeroed in on a few clubs caught in that finals logjam with seven rounds to play.
5th – Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
The silver lining to Tolu Koula’s latest injury was an early return to fullback for Tom Trbojevic in NRL Round 19. His numbers read pretty nicely since that move; three tries, six try assists and four competition points for Manly.
We spoke at length to begin the year how the Sea Eagles were presenting a more balanced offence in 2024. ‘Turbo’ will always feature heavily in the best version of this Manly attack but they offered up some nice looks through Luke Brooks on the left and Daly Cherry-Evans on the right. For Manly to rack up 82 points in the past fortnight without Haumole Olakau’atu on the field is a testament to this – few teams threaten across the park like the Sea Eagles when they get it right.
They’re in the second tier of premiership contenders right now behind Penrith, Sydney and Melbourne but if this Manly squad can stay healthy they’re every chance of causing an upset or two in September.
7th – The Dolphins
Nathan Cleary stole the spotlight in a heroic return from injury in NRL Round 20 but the performance of young Isaiya Katoa is encouraging for Dolphins fans.
The Apprentice: Isaiya Katoa
Katoa is like nothing I’ve ever seen for his age. He plays far, far beyond his years.
He steers the ship and has done so for most of his 37 NRL games without playing a bad one."https://t.co/fdamTKa0vj
— Rugby League Writers (@rlwriters) July 21, 2024
We said on the Neds NRL Unpopular Opinions Podcast that Redcliffe only need to be there or thereabouts come finals time and Katoa and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow will do the rest. With five try involvements between them on Sunday – against the best defensive team we’ve ever seen in the NRL – has vindicated that call. Katoa’s ability to engage specific defenders in the line and create space for ‘The Hammer’ is one of the most repeatable and effective attacking actions in the NRL right now.
The Dolphins are still somehow flying under the radar as finals contenders which is exactly how Wayne Bennett would like it. If they can get a healthy Jeremy Marshall-King by September though, Redcliffe can cause some serious issues in Week 1 of the Finals.
10th – Canberra Raiders
Another returning halfback culminated in another much-improved performance as Jamal Fogarty’s Raiders snuck home against the New Zealand Warriors on Friday night.
The Raiders have long embraced a reputation as a gritty, effort based side but Fogarty adds some genuine class and polish to their attack – particularly to their end of sets. His importance in this Canberra roster is heightened by the lack of experience in the spine around him right now; Ethan Strange, Kaeo Weekes and Tom Starling have all enjoyed career years in 2024 but none of them are game managers or have experience making decisions under pressure. With Fogarty taking smart options throughout Canberra’s yardage sets however, we saw a more clinical version of the Raiders attack. His kicking game in particular was the difference in NRL Round 20, forcing errors or restricting the productivity of New Zealand’s back three.
Canberra have done well to stay relevant in the premiership race and now they have a halfback to guide them to the finish line. It’s a tough home stretch with games against six fellow finals contenders but if you were to back any NRL club to grind their way to an unlikely finals appearance, it would be Ricky’s Raiders.
11th – Brisbane Broncos
Adam Reynolds made a winning return from injury in NRL Round 20, steering Brisbane to a dominant win over a woeful Newcastle Knights outfit. Given the context of the season, that loss all but rules Newcastle out of playing finals while it keeps Brisbane – who still have a bye remaining – in the hunt.
Reynolds is a wonderful reminder that stats rarely paint the full picture in rugby league. A humble 55 running metres for one linebreak assist doesn’t read like much, but Reynolds’ influence can be found in and amongst his 51 receipts on Saturday night.
It’s no coincidence that Reece Walsh and Ezra Mam had their most productive games in weeks with Reynolds back in the driver’s seat. His ability to find spots on the field before firing a shot or find grass with his kicks on fifth tackle enabled Walsh and Mam to have positive involvements in attack.
Piakura breaks through the line 💪 #NRLKnightsBroncos pic.twitter.com/nCLXzBhxci
— NRL (@NRL) July 20, 2024
Walsh’s greatest asset as a player is his willingness to roll the dice – no matter the odds – and Reynolds is a halfback who can improve those odds throughout a contest. Walsh might make an error throwing the double cut-out pass or hitting a narrow short side the first three times, but he’ll get you on the fourth. He’s been down on confidence since the Joseph Sua’li’i incident but Walsh and the Broncos are a different prospect with Reynolds at the helm.
Written by Oscar Pannifex | rugbyleaguewriters.com