This is your weekly dose of NRL truth-telling, as tipster and rugby league raconteur Nick Tedeschi tears through the good, the bad and the indefensible, with absolutely no regard for bruised egos.
The Mid-Season Report Card
We have reached the halfway point of the season so it is time for a mid-season report card.
Brisbane Broncos (D-)
Record: 5-8 (12th)
Assessment: Brisbane’s title defence has been utterly horrific, hampered at first by injuries but now just defined by mediocrity. Reece Walsh is playing with fear and not a lot of respect for his teammates. Ezra Mam has been going so bad he has been dropped. The pack has nearly all been hurt. They have just a single win against a Top 8 team – and have suffered the only loss to the Dragons. Title defences don’t get much worse.
Best Player: Payne Haas – Averaging 160m per game and 31 tackles per game.
Most Improved: Xavier Willison – Behemoth who has shown a big ticker to go with his big frame.
Most Disappointing: Adam Reynolds – Five try assists in 10 games is a very disappointing return for the veteran.
The Future: Va’a Semu – Showing promise as a line-bending forward.
Biggest Strength: Game breaking – There is no consistency but the Broncos have game busters even when down.
Biggest Weakness: Discipline – No team has conceded more penalties.
Season Outlook: Miss Top 8 – With the difficulty of their draw and the injury toll there will be no late-season run to title glory.
Canberra Raiders (D)
Record: 5-8 (13th)
Assessment: The Raiders come off a season where they were one of the luckiest teams in the NRL era on their way to an unlikely minor premiership. Regression has hit hard this year though and the stubborn Ricky Stuart has been late to the party in adapting to the way the game has changed. Switching Ethan Strange from left to right has not worked while Ethan Sanders is not the answer.
Best Player: Kaeo Weekes – Tryscoring has improved as has his workrate, running for 165m a game and most notably, ranking fourth in average tackle breaks.
Most Improved: Simi Sasagi – Has absolutely come from the clouds as a tackle busting machine and major edge threat.
Most Disappointing: Tom Starling – Leads the NRL in missed tackles and offering little in attack with just one try and two assists.
The Future: Ethan Strange – It’s sometimes hard to remember he is just 21 in his second year but his Origin debut showed what a special player he is.
Biggest Strength: Workrate – The Raiders have an incredibly tough pack that runs hard, tackles plenty and rarely gives opponents an easy path to the tryline.
Biggest Weakness: Defence – Ricky Stuart prides himself on defence but the Raiders have conceded 26 or more in nine of 13.
Season Outlook: Miss Top 8 – Got a relatively easy next month, just a single Top 4 opponent and two byes to come but too many deficiencies.
Canterbury Bulldogs (F)
Record: 4-8 (15th)
Assessment: Canterbury, frankly, have been an utter disgrace this season. Given the money spent on the roster, the Bulldogs should be far higher up the table but the persistent tinkering, the utter belligerence, the false deification of the football-manager-cum-delusional-dictator, the continued self-harm, the inability to understand how the game has changed, the poor communication, the misuse of players. After finishing last season in the Top 4, this season has been a complete and utter cluster of the Micheal Luck variety.
Best Player: Jacob Preston – One of the few players who could hold his head up high this season on both sides of the ball.
Most Improved: Enari Tuala – Consistently performs eating metres and finishing off professionally.
Most Disappointing: Connor Tracey – Hard to believe he got a two-year contract extension after proving himself the worst tackling fullback in the NRL to go with his one try assist.
The Future: Jack Underhill – Youngster with a great story who throws everything into it when given an opportunity from the bench.
Biggest Strength: Upside – They showed with their shock win over Penrith they can compete with the big dogs but they are so far off that usually it makes it difficult.
Biggest Weakness: Coaching and Roster Mismanagement – Ciraldo has done so much damage to the team while the club has spent a fortune yet doesn’t have a fullback, a halfback or a hooker of first grade quality, spent a fortune on a big prop as the game moved to mobile middles and has a million utilities, all of whom play no position well.
Season Outlook: Bottom 5 – The team is clearly confused and does not want to play for Ciraldo and Gould won’t fire him so we are at a stalemate.
Cronulla Sharks (C+)
Record: 7-5 (6th)
Assessment: Breaking news: there is nothing new to say about Cronulla. They are the same slightly above average team we have seen every year under Craig Fitzgibbon. They are 4-0 against teams 10th or worse and 2-5 against teams ninth or better. It is more of the same-same above averageness with limited upside that we have seen all year. Strong wins over Manly and New Zealand have given hints but really we know exactly what this team is all about.
Best Player: Braydon Trindall – His 15 try assists in 11 games has elevated him to the elite halves category.
Most Improved: Jesse Colquhoun – Gets through a mountain of work and showed a little bit more with the ball when put into a starting role.
Most Disappointing: Addin Fonua-Blake – Has gone from the game’s best prop to decidedly average with his Origin selection laughable.
The Future: Niwhai Puru – Showed to be more than capable when filling in for Nicho Hynes.
Biggest Strength: Reliability – Cronulla tend to win and win big in games they should do.
Biggest Weakness: Limited Scope For Improvement – Cronulla have long had issues running with the best teams in the competition and after doing nothing to their roster are unsurprisingly in the same position.
Season Outlook: Top 8 – Even draw on the way in and a senior roster should be enough to take them to the finals again though once more they aren’t good enough to get to a decider.
The Dolphins (B+)
Record: 7-5 (5th)
Assessment: The Dolphins once again started the season slowly with a disappointing opening – but four of those five losses came to teams currently in the Top 8 and included close losses to the two standouts of the premiership. Since they have put together five wins on end, scored more than 28 in each and conceded 14 or fewer in four of five. This team is legitimately good across the park with the only real weakness being the halves pairing.
Best Player: Herbie Farnworth – Herbie incredibly leads the NRL in both tackle breaks and offloads while running for 167m per game and scoring in every second game.
Most Improved: Selwyn Cobbo – The move to the Dolphins has done wonders for Cobbo, scoring eight tries in 11 games and earning a rep recall.
Most Disappointing: Morgan Knowles – Came to the NRL with huge wraps but despite a big motor has struggled with the pace.
The Future: Jack Bostock – His return off an ACL out of position has been unprecedented and he will be the centrepiece of the Dolphins backline soon.
Biggest Strength: Defence – The Dolphins are regarded as a flashy side but they have conceded 14 or fewer six times this season and more than 26 just twice.
Biggest Weakness: Isaiya Katoa – Katoa is serviceable but the role he is given does not match his abilities and his failure to record a try assist in the last three games is a worry.
Season Outlook: Top 4 – The Dolphins have added a stout defence to a flamboyant attack and can absolutely go as far as the Grand Final.
Gold Coast Titans (C-)
Record:3-9 (14th)
Assessment: There has been nothing overly romantic about what we have seen out of the Titans this year, who have little talent to work with. Josh Hannay is building something decent though with the defence much-improved and they come off their best win of the season against Brisbane. The 0-7 record against Top 9 teams with five of those losses by 14-plus.
Best Player: Jayden Campbell – The star half has six tries in five assists in 10 games and has been setting the tone in defence with some heavy hitting.
Most Improved: Arama Hau – Edge who has mixed form but at his best he is a complete wrecking ball.
Most Disappointing: AJ Brimson – Has so much talent but struggles defensively on an edge and his hands have let him down at key times.
The Future: Zane Harrison – Exciting young halfback who has shown he is up to NRL standard in his first month in the top grade.
Biggest Strength: Defence – The Titans have surprisingly been strong relative to their position, conceding more than 30 just twice this year.
Biggest Weakness: Attack – Gold Coast have been held to 16 or fewer nine times while they have just 2.3 try assists per game, 16th in the NRL.
Season Outlook: Bottom 5 – Josh Hannay is building a strong foundation but the Titans are years off competing.
Manly Sea Eagles (A-)
Record: 8-5 (4th)
Assessment: Manly’s season begins and ends with the decision to sack Anthony Seibold three games into the season and replace him with Kieran Foran, who was actually playing last season. The Sea Eagles showed little interest in playing for Seibold with his complicated messaging duly ignored. It was an immediate turnaround under Foran with eight wins in 10 games, conceding more than 18 just once and playing an exciting brand of football that can sustain itself in September.
Best Player: Haumole Olakau’atu – He has been an absolute beast since the coaching change. He has topped 170m in seven of his last eight with three games of 260m while no forward has more tackle breaks per game.
Most Improved: Ben Trbojevic – Seems a lot stronger this year with his edge running particularly effective on the left side.
Most Disappointing: Luke Brooks – Has improved since Kieran Foran took over but continues to take poor options with little understanding of the game.
The Future: Joey Walsh – Manly would want to create a clear path to a starting role because the highly-touted prospect has looked outstanding in two NRL games.
Biggest Strength: Kieran Foran – While the hatred for Anthony Seibold was obvious, the love for Foran is just as evident while the simplicity of his messaging has brought obvious rewards.
Biggest Weakness: Tom Trbojevic’s Health – Once again Trbojevic has played fewer than half their games and where he plays on his return will create some instability.
Season Outlook: Top 8 – Manly have a good run in with just four of 11 against Top 8 teams and if they continue their current form they will be in the mix for the Top 4.
Melbourne Storm (D+)
Record: 6-8 (11th)
Assessment: To label Melbourne’s season star-crossed would be a major understatement with the Storm having to deal with the sudden and unexpected retirement of Ryan Papenhuyzen, the major head injury to Eli Katoa, a stroke to Tui Kamikamika, the failed pursuit of Zac Lomax and the health news of Craig Bellamy. They have been defensively diabolical and aren’t getting enough from Cam Munster or those having to step up but do have troops returning.
Best Player: Sua Fa’alogo – There has been no more dynamic player at the Storm, having scored 12 tries, ranking seventh in metres per game with 193 and having the third most tackle busts.
Most Improved: Moses Leo – He has taken his opportunity with injuries to the Storm outside backs with seven tries in nine games.
Most Disappointing: Joe Chan – Had the opportunity to lock down a spot given Eli Katoa’s health but has been dire defensively and with his ball control.
The Future: Cooper Clarke – Young behemoth who plays without fear and while his defence needs improving he has the raw tools to be a rep player.
Biggest Strength: Class – The Storm still have the best coach in the history of the game and an incredible big three who know how to get it done.
Biggest Weakness: Depth – The Storm just don’t have the talent to compete at the level they are accustomed to once injuries hit as they have.
Season Outlook: Miss Top 8 – Melbourne have found some form with four wins in their last five but a brutal run in with seven Top 8 teams has them odds-against to make the finals.
Newcastle Knights (A)
Record: 8-5 (7th)
Assessment: Justin Holbrook has done a remarkable job turning an historically bad attack into one of the best in the NRL with essentially the same tools Adam O’Brien had. Form has been mixed but the backline is really clicking and the edges are very good. When Ponga and Brown have played the Knights have looked all over a Top 8 team.
Best Player: Dylan Lucas – The Knights edge has been outstanding in all facets, scoring six tries in his last six games, averaging 37 tackles a match, making at least three tackle breaks in half his games and surpassing 135m in his last three.
Most Improved: Trey Mooney – The big prop never really got an opportunity at Canberra but has been outstanding since moving to the Hunter with five tries and 22 tackle breaks.
Most Disappointing: Dane Gagai – Ranks eighth in missed tackles as the veteran continues to be a defensive target.
The Future: Fletcher Sharpe – The most dynamic player on the club is on the verge of Origin selection and is the player the club has to build around going forward.
Biggest Strength: Attack – The Knights rank fourth in scoring and that goes up when Kalyn Ponga plays, scoring 28-plus in all seven matches he has played with Justin Holbrook really delivering an attack that works.
Biggest Weakness: Reliance on Kalyn Ponga – Ponga has a rough health history and the club is overly-reliant on their No.1.
Season Outlook: Top 8 – The Knights have an even run home with six Top 8 teams and five games against opponents outside the Top 8. They have an attack that will win them enough games though.
New Zealand Warriors (A+)
Record: 9-3 (2nd)
Assessment: The Warriors were expected by smart judges to improve on the back of a very easy draw but this team is completely legit and will not be proven a fraudulent Top 4 team like Canberra last year. They have risen to second on the ladder on the back of consistency and a dominant forward game despite injuries to key backs. The Warriors are as well coached as any team, adapting better to rule changes than most.
Best Player: Jackson Ford – His numbers have been incredible this year, averaging 75 min a game with an output of 171.8m and 42.7 tackles with 29 tackle breaks.
Most Improved: Tanah Boyd – Now out for the season but had eight try assists in his first four games and looked a completely different player from the highly mediocre player of years past.
Most Disappointing: Luke Metcalf – Led the Dally M when going down with an ACL last season but has managed just two games in 2026 and is now off to the Dragons next season.
The Future: Young Forwards – The Warriors have a host of talented young forwards getting plenty of experience and getting better led by Tanner Stowers-Smith, Jacob Laban, Leka Halasima and Sam Healey, all aged 23 or younger.
Biggest Strength: Depth – The Warriors, simply, are never weakened because they have built a squad that can continually replace anyone who needs replacing.
Biggest Weakness: Halfback – Boyd is injured, Metcalf has one foot out the door and the club is now relying on a 30yo Te Maire Martin who has never really elevated to an elite level with just a 43% career strikerate.
Season Outlook: Top 4 and Grand Final – The Warriors are the real deal with a top two attack, a top two defence and a decent-enough draw on the way in.
North Queensland Cowboys (B-)
Record: 8-6 (9th)
Assessment: The Cowboys have been a hard team to get a grip on. They lost their first two games after a poor 2025 and looked set to sack Todd Payten before winning eight of 10 on the back of a redhot attack. The wins have been good but the losses have been dire and the Cowboys have dropped their last two on the eve of a much-needed first bye.
Best Player: Scott Drinkwater – Has 14 assists and seven tries, making him one of the most effective producer of four-pointers in the NRL.
Most Improved: Thomas Mikaele – The prop who has yet to score an NRL try is averaging 125.4m per game, an increase of over 60%, while doubling his tackle busting.
Most Disappointing: Jeremiah Nanai – The international has managed just two games this season as he has battled injury and poor form.
The Future: Jaxon Purdue – Has had issues defensively but his movement and ability to accelerate will serve the Cowboys well when he shifts to fullback next season.
Biggest Strength: Creating Indecisiveness – The Cowboys get opponents making decisions more than any other team, leading the NRL in line engagements at 18.6 per game.
Biggest Weakness: Tackling – The Cowboys rank second worst in missed tackles per outing, which has led to them conceding 30-plus in six games.
Season Outlook: Miss Top 8 – The Cowboys probably only need four more wins to make the Top 8 but have a brutal run over the next six on the schedule, playing five teams above them and a desperate defending premier.
Parramatta Eels (D-)
Record: 4-8 (16th)
Assessment: Hopes were incredibly bullish on the Eels this year in some quarters with the laughable narrative that Jason Ryles was turning the club around but a historically poor defence combined with some key injuries and a completely underwhelming roster has left Parramatta anchored in the bottom four.
Best Player: Jack Williams – One of just three Eels to play every game and has done jobs on an edge and in the middle with his workrate and reliability a high-point in a poor season.
Most Improved: Jordan Samrani – Played just six games at writing but topped 200 metres in two of his last three with some bullocking running.
Most Disappointing: Jonah Pezet – Utterly moronic signing on a one-year gap season whose defensive frailties were exposed over the first five weeks before an injury hit and a NSW Cup future awaited.
The Future: Isaiah Iongi – Injury has curtailed his season a little but he is one of the few players on the books with any notable upside.
Biggest Strength: Mitchell Moses – The halfback has not had a good year but he is one of the few players with legitimate class on the roster.
Biggest Weakness: Defence – The Eels are conceding 33.92ppg, have not allowed fewer than 20ppg and lead the NRL in missed tackles with 39.1 misses per game.
Season Outlook: Bottom 5 – The Ryles era will make no headway this season.
Penrith Panthers (A+)
Record: 12-1 (1st)
Assessment: Penrith have been as close to perfect as any team ever has been in the NRL era at the halfway point of the season. They are just operating at a different stratosphere than every other team. Nothing more needs to be written. This is Rugby League Mozart.
Best Player: Nathan Cleary – The star No.7 is gapping the field in the Dally M Medal, leads the try assist count and has five tries.
Most Improved: Tom Jenkins – The winger was not even selected on the Tuesday before Round 1 but now has 20 tries in 13 games and is zeroing in on the record for most multi-try games in a season.
Most Disappointing: Blaize Talagi – Talagi has been decent enough with the ball but his defence is the weakness of the Penrith line, missing 3.3 tackles per game.
The Future: Casey McLean – The centre is only 20 but already has 25 tries in 41 NRL games and has now made his Origin debut.
Biggest Strength: Defence – Penrith’s strengths are as long as this article but like all their great seasons, their defence leads the way. Penrith concede 12.62ppg, five points fewer than the second best defensive team.
Biggest Weakness: The Fates – Only horrific luck can stop the Panthers from marching to their fifth premiership in six seasons.
Season Outlook: Premiers – Penrith are far and away the best team in the NRL and show no real signs of weakness.
St George Illawarra Dragons (F)
Record: 1-12 (17th)
Assessment: It has been a diabolical season for the Dragons, who are all but locked in for the wooden spoon. Shane Flanagan has already been sacked. The roster is in disarray with players needing to be moved on as soon as possible. While there is some hope with the young pack, the backline is an embarrassment with outside backs overpaid and underperforming and the roster devoid of halves thanks to the former coach trying to protect his son. One of the worst seasons of the NRL era.
Best Player: Toby Couchman – The young prop has been a bright spot in an incredibly dark season, showing both work ethic and an ability to bend the line.
Most Improved: Loko Pasifiki Tonga – The hulking prop has run for over 110m in three of his last five while he has four straight multi-tackle break games.
Most Disappointing: Valentine Holmes – The veteran international centre has been downright embarrassing this year, a turnstile in defence who is showing zero passion for the jersey.
The Future: Kade Reed – Debuted on Anzac Day and only has two games under his belt but is already the best half on the Dragons roster.
Biggest Strength: Young Pack – The Couchman brothers, Dylan Egan, Hamish Stewart and Loko Pasifiki Tonga have proven themselves a foundation to build around.
Biggest Weakness: The Worst Backline in History – It is hard to envisage a worst backline in the NRL era and certainly not one paid as handsomely as the likes of Holmes and Gutherson.
Season Outlook: Wooden Spoon – If the Dragons win two more games it will be a monumental achievement.
South Sydney Rabbitohs (C+)
Record: 6-6 (8th)
Assessment: South Sydney are a team that present both on paper and to the eye as an elite team but unfortunately for those in the Burrow there is more than a hint of Cronulla about the Bunnies. Souths are 2-5 against Top 9 teams and 4-1 against teams ranked 10th or worse. Souths are well-coached, full of rep players, able to score points but there is something missing and with an over-reliance on Latrell Mitchell and the upset the Jai Arrow news has caused, Souths probably aren’t shaping as genuine title threats.
Best Player: Latrell Mitchell – The star shifted to the centres this year and it has been an elite move with Mitchell scoring 11 tries, setting up a further seven and ranks top 15 in tackle breaks.
Most Improved: Tallis Duncan – He struggled to lock a starting spot down last year but has been one of Souths’ best this season.
Most Disappointing: Jack Wighton – Veteran who has become a serious defensive liability.
The Future: Talanoa Penitani – We only saw his debut before he picked up a hamstring injury but boy did he looks a ready-made top grader.
Biggest Strength: Their Left-Side – Souths score 57% of their tries down their left and concede just 28% down that corridor.
Biggest Weakness: No Halfback – Three players have donned the No.7 for Souths this year and none are good enough to drive Souths to the decider.
Season Outlook: Top 8 – Assuming Souths get Latrell Mitchell back soon, they have the class to make the playoffs but don’t seem good enough to go much further.
Sydney Roosters (B)
Record: 8-4 (3rd)
Assessment: Most teams would be fairly happy sitting third on the premiership ladder but 8-4 is par for a team not only primed for a title tilt but with a closing window and pressure on the veteran coach to deliver. The upside is there: a winning streak of five where they scored at least 28. Shocking losses to the Cowboys and Storm in recent weeks though has exposed their vulnerabilities. The ability is there but the execution needs some refinement.
Best Player: James Tedesco – The 2025 Dally M Medal winner’s form has shown no form of slipping, winning back his Origin fullback jersey while leading the NRL in average metres and ranking Top 10 in tackle breaks.
Most Improved: Hugo Savala – Shifting from halfback to centre is highly uncommon but Savala looks like a seasoned three-quarter, scoring six tries in eight starts.
Most Disappointing: Angus Crichton – The Australian international and imminent code defector has one foot in his union boat shoes already given his mammoth drop in form, particularly in attack.
The Future: Sam Walker – Walker has not taken a backward step with the arrival of Daly Cherry-Evans and was not only rewarded with his Origin debut but was the best on the field.
Biggest Strength: Potency – The Roosters team on paper is full of class and when everything is clicking, few teams are harder to stop with the Roosters ranking first in post-contact metres, second in tackle breaks and first in supports.
Biggest Weakness: Handling – Nearly all of the Roosters troubles this year have been issues of self-harm with a lack of concentration and a lack of discipline hurt the Chooks at key times.
Season Outlook: Top 4 – The Roosters have the roster that can go all the way and pose the biggest threat to Penrith … but they are a long way off that at present.
Wests Tigers (C-)
Record: 6-6 (10th)
Assessment: After pulling themselves up from the bottom of the table last season, the Tigers seemed to be on the up with five wins in the first seven games including a highly impressive win over the Warriors in New Zealand. There has been arguably no team worse in the comp since Round 9 though with four horrific defensive showings. There have been some excuses but the Tigers are returning to their natural selves.
Best Player: Alex Twal – Normally just a workhorse until this season but while he has maintained big minutes and his tackling rate, his run game has become very good and he ranks top six in offloads.
Most Improved: Kai Pearce-Paul – The shift from Newcastle has been a positive one with his usage in attack better than it was under the hapless Adam O’Brien.
Most Disappointing: Heamasi Makasini – 18yo who came into the season with a huge boom but has been well out of his depth as he has gone in and out of the team.
The Future: The Fainu Brothers – Samuela has been a breakout star over the last 12 months, Sione is having his best season, Latu is settling in and the club is seemingly chasing the jailed Manase.
Biggest Strength: Their Middle – Terrell May and Alex Twal have been two of the best middles while Api Koroisau is a fantastic director of traffic with a similar work ethic.
Biggest Weakness: Defence – The Tigers have conceded 44 or more in four of their last five as their old habit of collapsing has well-and-truly returned.
Season Outlook: Miss Top 8 – The Tigers play six teams above and six below but their turnaround in form will be tough to turn back given their injury toll.
Luke Keary Is A Once-In-A-Generation Analyst
It is incredibly rare that television analysts in any sport give an honest view of the sport they are covering and is as rare as an edible sandwich at Subway when the analyst is fresh off playing. So we should be absolutely treasuring the work of Luke Keary, who has been utterly ruthless in some of his assessments. He utterly decimated Valentine Holmes and his substandard form early in the season and on Sunday totally castrated both Jarome Luai and Sunia Turuva, lambasting them for what has claimed to be achieved at the Tigers by them both and what has actually been achieved. It was as scything as it was honest. It is sweet relief to get someone offering an honest opinion without fear of offending someone he played with or against.
Everybody Hates Raymond
Wyatt Raymond’s position in The Bunker needs to be permanently revoked after the laziest decision in the history of the sordid Sanctuary of Morons. He had surprisingly nailed a decision just minutes earlier when disallowing an Ed Kosi try that had been awarded with the ball clearly first grounded on the sideline for anyone who knows how to identify a shadow and view a side-on camera. That goodwill ended on the ensuing set when Manly scored a try off a clear Ben Trbojevic knock on that simply wasn’t looked at out of laziness. Raymond – and the many others in the Bunker around him and there are many – just didn’t look at the play-the-ball. The Bunker exists purely to avoid howlers yet the NRL continually gives a pass to those who allow them. On-field referees can be afforded some leeway for human error. The Bunker cannot. Howlers should not exist. It is time to eliminate all the officiating management and totally overhaul the personnel in The Bunker, totally eliminating anyone involved now.
The Willie M Team of the Week
This week’s team of strugglers and stragglers:
- Scott Drinkwater (NQ)
- Mat Feagai (Dra)
- Sunia Turuva (Tig)
- Bronson Xerri (Bul)
- Faaletino Tavana (Tig)
- Jarome Luai (Tig)
- Ethan Sanders (Can)
- Jacob Saifiti (New)
- Tom Starling (Can)
- Fonua Pole (Tig)
- Mavrik Geyer (Tig)
- Jack Gosiewski (Bri)
- Reuben Cotter (NQ)
—————————————— - Tallyn Da Silva (Par)
- Soni Luke (NQ)
- Josh Kerr (Dra)
- Morgan Smithies (Can)
——————————————
Coach: Benji Marshall (Tig)
Referee Gradings
This week’s gradings:
- Adam Gee (D+)
- Ashley Klein (C+)
- Gerard Sutton (C)
- Wyatt Raymond (C-)
- Jarrod Cole (B-)
- Grant Atkins (B)
- Liam Kennedy (C-) – full respect to Liam Kennedy’s belligerence, now barely blowing a penalty or set restart after being dumped for awarding nearly 30 in a game.
- Todd Smith (B-)
The 2026 Field Goal Update – 12
Adam Reynolds became the first player this season to kick two field goals in a season when slotting a field goal to put Brisbane ahead, a lead they ultimately could not keep in a 28-23 loss.
Fun Fact #1
There have been just four 28-23 scorelines in premiership history with the Titans-Broncos just the second instance since 1974.
Fun Fact #2
Two matches in UK senior professional Rugby League history have finished 1-1: a 1980 Championship match between Workington and Hull KR and a 1982 Premiership Trophy match between Leigh and Warrington.
Fun Fact #3
Two games have finished 84-1 – and York finished with a field goal on each occasion. Both games were this century.
Rumour Mill
Wests Tigers are remarkably set to make a play for former Manly hooker turned jailbird Manase Fainu, the brother of Samuela, Sione and Latu. Gold Coast have pulled out of signing Jesse Arthars less than 48 hours after playing and exposing the winger. Tyrell Sloan will almost certainly depart St George Illawarra with Super League the most likely destination though the Cowboys are not out of the running.
The Coaching Crosshairs
The pressure is mounting on Broncos coach Michael Maguire after a diabolical title defence should see the club miss the finals, following a very similar pattern his time at South Sydney, where they fell off a cliff very quickly primarily due to not wanting to climb the mountain again under the rigorous conditions Maguire imposes. If Maguire – and clubs – have any self-awareness they will realise he is a short-term coach who should sign two-year deals with clubs close to winning and get them over the top before moving on to another mercenary job. Cronulla should be calling now.
Moronic Coaching Decision of the Week
Dean Young persisting with Clint Gutherson, Valentine Holmes and Dan Atkinson. We all know Young wants to win the job but he has to do something for the Dragons future and part of that should be sticking with Tyrell Sloan, giving young Dragons outside backs an opportunity and allowing them a chance by bringing in a No.6 that can actually kick the ball.
Watch It
With the World Cup of another sport kicking off this week, we go back to 1968 to watch the key clash between Great Britain and France on a muddy Carlaw Park in Auckland. The game gets off to a flyer with a short kick not travelling 10m before an attempt at penalty goal from halfway travels about 35m. Watch this mud-caked classic below.