Blow that whistle ref
The NRL exploded in a mountain of penalties this round. Thirty were blown in the Melbourne and Cronulla game, and then 24 in the Souths vs Canterbury game. It has annoyed commentators and sparked debate about whether this torrential rise of the whistle is reducing entertainment and killing the spectable. But simply all the officials are doing is enforcing the rules and following direction from head office. Coaches and players are on notice to clean up their games. If they do the right thing, and don’t infringe, they won’t be pinged. Simple.
Smith is human
Cameron Smith is not God, he is not untouchable or a protected species. For the past decade Smith has been seen by many to be given a free ride, holding a special sway over referees as the Melbourne, Queensland and Australia captain, as well as president of the Rugby League Players Association and one of the best-ever players to grace a rugby league pitch. But on Friday Smith was final sin-binned – the first time in his 362 game, 16-year career. The hooker was marched for back-chat during the Storm’s loss to Cronulla. The best bit about it? The standing ovation he received as he reluctantly left the field. NRL fans certainly have a sense of humour.
Grudge match
The Storm vs the Sharks is turning into a real grudge match. The two grand-finalists in 2016 have developed an intense rivalry that is only growing. On Friday they played out a gritty 14-4 encounter, interrupted by several stoushes. Paul Gallen against Will Chambers, Wade Graham on Billy Slater, there is no love lost across the two team’s XVIIs. This is great to see and long may it continue. What is rugby league without a little hate?
Canberra crushed
A problem in the nation’s capital just became a crisis. Manly handed Canberra its fourth loss of 2018, giving the Green Machine a record of four defeats from four games. This was by far the worst of them as the Raiders were dominated completely by the Sea Eagles. In the first three rounds Canberra were right in every game, which were very tight contests that just slipped out of their grasp at the death. But on Saturday they were belted by a club reeling from a salary cap crisis. The Raiders were down on enthusiasm, woeful in defence and devoid of ideas. To make matters worse, news has broken about nightclub incident that allegedly Jack Wighton was involved in. If it keeps going like this Ricky Stuart is in huge trouble.
Movers and shakers
The Dragons and Warriors keep on defying the pundits and keep on winning. Even the absence of Shaun Johnson couldn’t stop the Kiwis knocking off the Roosters in Sydney. While it is all smiles at Kogarah and Mt Smart Stadium, it is not so great at Parramatta after another loss. It’s also tough going at Belmore as the Doggies racked up defeat number three. Canterbury were very good for 65 minutes against Souths but fell away in the dieing stages. Dean Pay’s rescue job with the blue and whites needs more time.
