#KiwiNRL Encyclopedia: Round 23
Ain't nothing like stuntin' on your ex.
Rabbitohs vs Bulldogs
The 13
Rabbitohs: Bryson Goodwin, Zane Musgrove.
Bulldogs: Chase Stanley.
Bench
Rabbitohs: Haters.
Bulldogs: Sam Kasiano, Raymond Faitala-Mariner, Francis Tualau.
Doc's Word
We've got a new contender to cover Shaun Johnson folks; Chase Stanley! Yeah, nah, that's not quite as exciting as Kodi Nikorima or Te Maire Martin is it? With his coaching tenure at the Bulldogs on the line, Des Hasler has turned to Stanley to play a key role at halfback and it doesn't seem like the smartest move. This does add a very weird twist to the Kiwis halves situation, even though Stanley is never going to be considered for selection in the halves, as we'll have three #KiwiNRL halves this weekend; Stanley, Nikorima and Martin.
So, while you're wasting so much energy on the Warriors, there's so much more #KiwiNRL funk to enjoy. The #KiwiNRL Encyclopedia is here to offer that funk, to guide you through just how strong the #KiwiNRL stocks are and how deep they are. Stanley might be a terrible selection at halfback, but the fact that we will have three #KiwiNRL halves this weekend (and Fa'amanu Brown played in the halves last weekend giving us four last weekend) represents how strong #KiwiNRL is. Don't let accept any negative vibrations from people regarding rugby league in Aotearoa based on what the Warriors are doing, there's so much more to #KiwiNRL than the Warriors and this #KiwiNRL Encyclopedia is here to let y'all know that the takeover is real ... and glorious.
Eels vs Knights
The 13
Eels: Brad Takairangi, Kirisome Auva'a, Manu Ma'u.
Knights: Shaun Kenny-Dowall.
Bench
Eels: Kenny Edwards, Suaia Matagi, Peni Terepo, Frank Pritchard, Josh Hoffman.
Knights: Danny Levi.
Doc's Word
The return of Peni Terepo gives Parramatta a serious dose of oomph off their bench, in conjunction with Kenny Edwards' footwork and Suaia Matagi's up the guts running. When coming off the bench, you want impact and efficiency, which is exactly what Matagi offers and he ran for 146m off 13 carries in just 39 minutes last week. Combine that with Terepo's 71m off 7 carries in 32 minutes and you've got two forwards running over 10m/carry and taking plenty of carries in limited game time.
With Edwards sliding back to the bench this week, these three will trouble Newcastle's young forwards around half-time with power, footwork and enthusiasm. That'll provide quick ruck speed and Parramatta should flourish from the impact offered by their #KiwiNRL bench.
Broncos vs Sharks
The 13
Broncos: Jordan Kahu, Kodi Nikorima, Adam Blair, Alex Glenn.
Sharks: Sosaia Feki, Gerard Beale, Fa'amanu Brown.
Bench
Broncos: Herman Ese'ese, Benji Marshall.
Sharks: Sam Tagataese.
Doc's Word
Last week Fa'amanu Brown was in the halves, this week he's back at hooker with James Maloney returning for duty. This is a nod to Brown's versatility and he's proving himself difficult to drop as he'll start ahead of James Segeyaro, with Segeyaro set to offer some x-factor off the bench. Brown is predominantly a half, as is Brisbane Broncos hooker Ben Hunt, giving us a low key battle between to halves who can play hooker. Hunt has the speed and running game, while Brown's left boot gives him a couple of points via his kicking game.
Dragons vs Titans
The 13
Dragons: Jason Nightingale, Leeson Ah Mau.
Titans: Kevin Proctor.
Bench
Dragons: Taane Milne.
Titans: Nathaniel Peteru, Leivaha Pulu, Paterika Vaivai.
Doc's Word
Gold Coast Titans have found themselves in a spot of bother and with Leivaha Pulu moving to the Warriors next season, I'm intrigued about how coach Neil Henry uses Pulu with the Titans out of Finals contention. This could be an opportunity for Henry to ease younger forwards into the squad, or invest more minutes to forwards who will take on greater responsibility next season. One of those is Nathaniel Peteru, who looks impressive but doesn't get many minutes and he'll be in line for a promotion soon enough.
Storm vs Roosters
The 13
Storm: Jesse Browmich.
Roosters: Joseph Manu, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Isaac Liu.
Bench
Storm: Kenny Bromwich, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Jahrome Hughes.
Roosters: Sio Siua Taukeiaho.
Doc's Word
RIP Joey Manu...
Despite Manly rollin' over the Roosters last week, Isaac Liu was at his best and continues to thrive with consistent minutes at lock. Liu had 127m off just 11 caries in 49 minutes , putting Dylan Napa's output to shame (83m off 12 carries in 67mins). This week Liu and his #KiwiNRL middle comrades Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Sio Siua Taukeiaho will be up against the Bromwich bros and Nelson Asofa-Solomona, giving us a fantastic #KiwiNRL battle through the middle.
I'll be intrigued by what Liu dishes up here, especially facing off against Dale Finucane. Liu is in a almighty two-game stretch having played against Jake Trbojevic last week and Finucane this week. Although Manly were too slick for the Chooks, Liu held his own against Trbojevic and he'll be out to put some footwork on Finucane this week while also mopping up the middle defensively. There's a sneaky possibility that Liu's form in a well-performing Roosters team could see him come into contention for the Kiwis, so this is mandatory #KiwiNRL viewing.
Panthers vs Cowboys
The 13
Panthers: Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Corey Harawira-Naera, Moses Leota.
Cowboys: Te Maire Martin, Jason Taumalolo.
Bench
Panthers: Sione Katoa, James Fisher-Harris, Dean Whare, Sitaleki Akauola.
Cowboys: Braden Uele.
Doc's Word
Moses Leota earned a promotion with Trent Merrin out injured, yet he's not quite doing the same job as Merrin as Leota plays limited minutes. Leota's minutes get shared between Sione Katoa, James Fisher-Harris and Bryce Cartwright, but obviously it's the #KiwiNRL angle I like here. Katoa and Fisher-Harris are very different players, with Katoa playing as a mobile lock with Peter Wallace playing 80 minutes at hooker and Fisher-Harris adding power to Penrith's middle.
The mobility of Katoa and Fisher-Harris could help Penrith slow down Jason Taumalolo as they will cover the inside channels and be able to handle Taumalolo's footwork (as good as anyone can). The conundrum for coach Anthony Griffin is whether he gives up some size for mobility, or vice versa and he'll have to balance out the offensive benefits with the defence.
Warriors vs Raiders
The 13
Warriors: All but Blake Ayshford, Jacob Lillyman, Ryan Hoffman.
Raiders: Jordan Rapana, Joseph Tapine.
Bench
Warriors: All the boys.
Raiders: Jeff Lima, Erin Clark.
Doc's Word
Ricky Stuart continues to tinker with Joseph Tapine and this is a product of the threat Tapine offers on an edge. This week Tapine will move to the right edge and Elliott Whitehead shifts to lock, allowing Tapine to play on what I reckon is his favoured edge and start to build a comination with Joey Leilua and Jordan Rapana. Perhaps this could be a crucial coaching decision from Stuart as Tapine's size and skill will see him draw in two defenders and offload to Leilua, or Tapine can easily skip to the outside of his defender and create an overlap.
Leipana don't need much time or space to work their magic and Tapine's going to give them plenty. Meanwhile Whitehead slots into the middle where his passing ability will be an asset and he's not quite as dynamic as Tapine, so he'll graft his way through the game and lead via his work rate.
Tigers vs Sea Eagles
The 13
Tigers: Esan Marsters, Malakai Watene-Zelezniak, Tuimoala Lolohea, Matt McIlwrick, Elijah Taylor.
Sea Eagles: Martin Taupau.
Bench
Tigers: Michael Chee-Kam, Josh Aloiai, Ava Seumanufagai.
Sea Eagles: Lewis Brown, Addin Fonua-Blake.
Doc's Word
I'd be confident in making a case for Martin Taupau as the best prop in the NRL right now. Taupau averages 16 carries and 168m per-game, meaning he averages over 10m/carry and also averages a whopping 3.7 offloads/game. Last week Taupau had 203m from 18 carries in just over a half of footy (44mins) with a cheeky 3 offloads squeezed out as well, which should have Tigers fans slightly concerned about what Taupau's gonna serve up as he returns to Leichardt Oval to face his former club.
Tuimoala Lolohea probably won't have to worry about tackling Taupau - Manly could send Taupau running out wider which would cause all sorts of problems for the Tigers - but Lolohea will have to deal with Frank Winterstein (see RIP Joey Manu). As expected, Lolohea's game is developing nicely with more time alongside Luke Brooks and Lolohea continues to build a case for partnering Brooks in the halves next season despite Josh Reynolds' arrival (do it Uncle Ivan).
Lolohea didn't make any errors last week and only kicked twice while Brooks kicked 14 times as he's the conductor of the Tigers attack. This frees up Lolohea to run the footy; Lolohea had 9 runs vs Brooks' 7 despite Brooks having far more touches of the footy (26 vs 58). This is exactly the sort of balance that Lolohea thrives in and it's going to be interesting to see how influential Lolohea's funk is against a strong Manly defence.
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