The Wahs Are The Real Deal and Will Never Get A Better Chance at a Title: The New Zealand Warriors lead the NRL premiership for just the sixth time in their history and they now get their best opportunity to win a premiership. The work Andrew Webster and Cameron George have done with the club since the dark days of Nathan Brown has been nothing short of remarkable and the team, for the first time ever, should be incredibly disappointed if they do not lift the Provan Summons Trophy in October. The Warriors have very much zagged when other teams zigged when it came to roster building, developing from within and prioritising depth over the recruitment of elite talent. The Warriors team are deep from top to bottom. The Warriors have lost their top three halfbacks and are still out beating Top 8 teams 45-26. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, a former Dally M Medal winner, is out as is Jackson Ford, who was the leading forward in the premiership over the opening three months. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad gets suspended and Taine Tuapiki has one of his best games. This team can just keep on rolling no matter who gets injured. They also tick every indicator premiership teams have: an elite defensive team, a Top 2 finish and a dominant differential. With Penrith fading and the Roosters far too flaky mentally, this is the Warriors’ title to lose.
Papa Deserved Better: There was a great deal of hype for Josh Papalii’s final home game as the Raiders legend bid farewell to Canberra. The performance put up for him was nothing short of a disgrace. An enthusiastic and entitled Raiders team butchered a massive lead to go down to a Broncos side that was sitting second last on the ladder. Papalii ranks among Canberra’s greatest players. The club drew a massive crowd. The game was well and truly in hand. But in a sign of massive mental weakness, Canberra completely capitulated in what should be regarded as one of the lowest points of the Ricky Stuart tenure. Papalii deserved better – so much better.
Expansion is Coming and The South is Still Favoured: Peter V’Landys last week confirmed that the NRL would announce the 20th team for the premiership before Christmas and made it very clear that the NRL would prioritise access to funds of at least $100m above all else. There are supposedly seven bids currently in the mix with five in New Zealand based in Christchurch, Hamilton and Wellington along with the Ipswich Jets and a Central Queensland bid. There is no question that the NRL’s preference is to add a second team to New Zealand. There is concern about the ability to raise funds though – and those that are involved. Wellington is absolutely no chance of getting a team and putting a team in Hamilton – not far from Auckland – seems like nothing but a ploy to get a reasonable South Island bid together. The NRL have already dismissed the attempts of right-wing political agitator and former NRL boss David Moffett and his bid while the Orcas lost a lot of credibility offering a rugby union official a coaching role. If New Zealand are to win a bid, it will need new leadership and a lot of money and some involvement from proper Rugby League people. The Ipswich Jets, at this stage, would have to be favoured. The Dolphins have been a tremendous success, Queensland can afford another team and the model of bringing an established up brings a level of safety. So the time is now in New Zealand if they want to bring a second team in because the options being offered up are no chance even with the NRL wanting to put a second team in.
Vale, Billy Smith: Rugby League lost one of its true greats last week with the passing of hard-nosed St George halfback Billy Smith. Smith burst onto the scene over the latter part of the great St George team that won 11 straight, playing in the last four premierships. He made his Australian debut in 1964 – just his second season in the top grade – and remained Australia’s first choice halfback for seven years, leading Australia to two World Cup wins as well as two Ashes successes. Only Keith Holman, Barry Muir, Tommy Raudonikis and Arthur Holloway started more games at halfback for Australia. Perhaps the greatest testament to his toughness, his resilience and his brilliance was the back half of his career though, after the curtain had come down on the great St George teams. Smith, along with Graeme Langlands, kept the Saints competitive, helping them play Grand Finals in 1971 and 1975 while captain reserve grade to a title in 1977. He will forever be the most capped St George Dragon. Smith rarely gets the accolades having spent his career surrounded by so many Immortals but Smith is deserving of their company – and will forever live in Rugby League immortality.
There Is No Proof Of Intelligence Inside The Bunker: We are three weeks out from the finals and after yet another season where The Bunker was a rancid stain on the game, they have managed to force themselves into relevance with not only some completely inept decisions but decisions that are starkly opposite to precedents that had been set earlier in the year. Whether right or wrong, bobbles required regaining control before the ground or touching an opponent. These were just starkly ignored by Ashley Klein, who awarded Jamayne Isaako a completely ridiculous try, and Grant Atkins, who confirmed a clear Dallin Watene-Zelezniak bounce. Gerard Sutton did the same with Chelsea Lenarduzzi in the NRLW. Wyatt Raymond disallowed a Mark Nawaqanitawase try that was identical in style that should have caused no question but certainly did because of the stupidity of decisions the previous 48 hours. This is to say nothing of the disruptor all of a sudden returning out of nowhere to the wishes of nobody. The NRL is thriving but the personnel that fill The Bunker are an embarrassment to the game and it is high time the game actually makes substantive change by running out these relevance-chasing plonkers who fancy themselves as the most intelligent figures in the game. The NRL needs to start again with The Bunker. The problem isn’t the technology. It is not the process. It is not the concept. It is the clowns that inhabit it.
Mal Is Mad and Killing The Bears: Peter V’Landys and the NRL recently reached out to the Perth Bears to offer the club to discuss providing the club salary cap concessions for signing a marquee player – an offer Meninga has reportedly rejected in what might be the dumbest thing a club has ever allowed. Meninga should not be making those decisions and regardless of how much he loves his very mediocre roster, rejecting a concession is just moronic.
Referee Gradings: This week’s gradings:
- Grant Atkins (A)
- Adam Gee (B-)
- Gerard Sutton (D+)
- Wyatt Raymond (C-)
- Todd Smith (B-)
- Liam Kennedy (c)
- Peter Gough (D-)
- Ashley Klein (D-)
The Willie M Team of the Week: This week’s team of the dopey and the deadheaded:
- Daniel Atkinson (Dra)
- Jed Stuart (Can)
- Moses Suli (Dra)
- Valentine Holmes (Dra)
- Brian Kelly (Par)
- Daly Cherry-Evans (Roo)
- Sandon Smith (New)
- Tevita Tatola (Sou)
- Reece Robson (Roo)
- Junior Paulo (Par)
- Jermaine McEwen (New)
- Kitione Kautoga (Par)
- Victor Radley (Roo)
- Harrison Graham (New)
- Moeaki Fotuaika (GC)
- Sean Keppie (Sou)
- Lindsay Collins (Roo)
Coach: Trent Robinson (Roo)
The 2026 Field Goal Update – 20: The meaningless field goal is back! And it wasn’t even meaningless in the greater sense of the word. In just his second game of first grade, Luke Hanson kicked a field goal to put the Warriors up 45-26. That field goal put the Warriors one point ahead of Penrith on differential and now have the Warriors top of the table. Jock Madden also slotted a beauty in the dying moments to give the Tigers the biggest upset win of the season against the Sydney Roosters.
Fun Fact #1: The Warriors 45-26 win over the Rabbitohs was the first time a 45-26 score has occurred in premiership history.
Fun Fact #2: Alex Johnston and Tom Jenkins are both tied on 28 for season top tryscorer. Only three other men have reached 30 tries in a season: Dave Brown, Ray Preston and Johnston.
Fun Fact #3: The New Zealand Warriors have played 804 of premiership football. This is just the sixth time they have been on top of the ladder. They have never been on top of the ladder for consecutive weeks.
Rumour Mill: AJ Brimson has been given permission to negotiate with other clubs despite being signed to the Titans until 2030. Canterbury would be the most logical destination but given how poorly the Bulldogs have managed their salary cap that deal would seem unlikely. Perth, North Queensland and Cronulla are his most likely landing spots. Hudson Young is expected to sign with PNG after he is free to talk on November 1.
The Coaching Crosshairs: Super League has been, quite frankly, stunning in two of its coaching moves over the last week with St Helens signing Kevin Walters and Castleford releasing Ryan Carr. Walters was signed despite decidedly average records at Catalans and Brisbane while Carr was punted after some rumoured behavioural issues that did not sit well with the HR team. Cas has recruited big next year so expect the Tigers to try to make a splash after going through eight coaches including four permanent ones since Darryl Powell moved on after eight years at the helm. It would be a tremendous opportunity for a leading NRL assistant – one Matt Ballin or Ben Hornby should be taking. The key take from the week though is the Australian job is now open and Ivan Cleary should be appointed as soon as possible.
Moronic Coaching Decision of the Week: The Wests Tigers pulled off the most unlikeliest of victories but even the commentary team has started questioning Benji Marshall’s use of his bench. The Tigers essentially played with 15 men, using only three subs, one of which was Bunty Afoa for 16 minutes. It is a decidedly stupid use of the bench.
Watch It: Watch the great Billy Smith at his very best with this wonderful compilation of some of his finest moments. Watch him here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHp5_wDWLkQ