This week, we look at the Dolphins’ amazing start to their first NRL season, discuss whether rugby league is easily the toughest sport on earth, and scratch our heads over a ridiculous use of the sin bin.
Hits Dolphins Win Big and Surprise the World
The Dolphins hit the Roosters right on the beak, which was the hardest hit of the first round. No one, not even Wayne Bennett and his players thought the Dolphins would beat the Roosters in their first game, and not even they would have thought it would be so easy. The Dolphins ran out onto Suncorp Stadium in front of more than 32,000 fans because they were just more hungry than their more popular opponents.
At halftime, with the score tied at 12, they ran off, having been the better team. Out of the dummy half, Jeremy Marshall-King was playing his best game ever. He picked and chose when to help and tackled hard to keep the ruck stable.
Felise Kaufusi, a second-row veteran, was in charge of defense. In the second half, he went even harder on the Roosters, knocking them down with hard hits that shook the ball and made the crowd cheer.
Just six minutes after halftime, Connelly Lemuelu crashed over to give the Dolphins their first-ever NRL lead, which got the fans on their feet. The next try was set up by Kaufusi. He passed the ball to Brenko Lee, who flipped it to Jamayne Isaako. Isaako took a huge step inside and broke the Roosters’ ankles to score. Even then, there was a feeling that the Roosters would somehow rush home to win the competition points.
Another try from Isaako put the Dolphins out of reach, and the Roosters couldn’t catch up because of how hard the Dolphins were defending. It was a huge surprise and a great way for the Dolphins to start out in the NRL.
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Definitely the Hardest Game on The Planet
I’ll gladly argue with anyone that, besides combat sports, rugby league is the hardest sport that people do. It’s easy to forget what these finely-tuned athletes go through for our entertainment. Every muscle, bone, and sinew was constantly being tested and strained as the animals charged into each other.
On Thursday night, as the Storm and the Eels fought hard, Cameron Munster grabbed Clint Gutherson’s right hand after tackling him. He looked upset. He still helped with the next tackle, but he quickly left the field with a trainer following him.
The Storm sheds said before halftime that the star five-eighth had a compound dislocation of his ring finger, but there was still a 50% chance he would come back. I don’t know what kind of pain relief, bone manipulation, and bandaging went on in the CommBank Stadium basement, but Munster was back on the field for the start of the second half.
He then tricked his way to a crucial try, and he kept being dangerous for the next 40 minutes and into extra time. Without him, it’s unlikely that the Storm would have beaten the determined Eels.
In other games that night, players left the field with dislocated shoulders, cuts on their heads, and concussions. Just another top-level game of rugby league. There must be a better way to make money.
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Half of A Young Rabbit Stands Tall
Eight minutes into the match between the Sharks and the Rabbitohs, Cronulla winger Ronaldo Mulitalo was heading to the left corner for the first try of the night. With a big smile on his face, Mulitalo got ready for his happy dive over the finish line. The Rabbitohs halfback, Lachlan Ilias, flew at the Sharks winger out of nowhere and knocked the ball out of his hands. It was the best example of giving your all, even when you know what will happen.
When the Rabbitohs went on the attack a few minutes later, Ilias broke through the defense, fell to his knees, got back up, and scrambled over for a four-pointer. The young Souths halfback, who is going to have a big year, was just getting started on a game-winning performance.
MISSES
Do Short Drop-Outs Make It Worth the Trouble?
Short drop-outs from the goal line are very popular, but there are some basics that must be kept in mind. For one thing, you can’t let too many of your players go after the ball and leave no one to defend if the chase doesn’t work.
With 22 minutes left in the game against the Raiders and the Cowboys ahead 18-12, they tried a short drop-out. Even though they hadn’t touched the ball since the halftime break and the Raiders were rushing home, it made sense for them to try. Scott Drinkwater’s kick was perfect, but Kyle Feldt and Peter Hiku both went for the ball, and Chad Townsend was also in the mix. Feldt dropped the ball, Hiku fell down, and the Raiders’ Jack Wighton picked it up with no one in front of him.
The converted try tied the score at 18 and set off a crazy finish to the game, with Townsend’s field goal putting the Cowboys ahead.
At Leichhardt Oval, the Titans showed that they need to work on their short drop-outs by kicking two of them clear over the sideline for penalties right in front. When they work, they’re great, but when they don’t, they can cost a lot.
Broncos Upset Premiers Because of A Costly Mistake
On Friday night, Brisbane’s first try was scored because Stephen Crichton made a terrible mistake on defense. When the Broncos were down to their last tackle and he was on his own line, he ran through looking for an interception that wasn’t there.
Adam Reynolds, a smart Broncos halfback, pretended to kick before throwing the perfect pass to Herbie Farnworth, who was running at an angle past Crichton’s outstretched arms. The Panthers’ numbers were set up perfectly, and all Crichton had to do was pick his man. The Broncos won the game by one point, and the Panthers looked out of sorts as they started the defense of their championship with a loss.
Fans Get Angry Over the Sin Bin for Faint Touch
It didn’t take long for people to start shaking their heads because of some stupid bunkers calls. With six minutes left in the first half of their game against the Bulldogs, the Sea Eagles’ Reuben Garrick made a break down the left wing. As the defense closed in, Garrick put in an awkward centering grubber, which caused Tom Trbojevic to stop chasing the bobbing ball so he wouldn’t run it over. Kyle Flanagan, a halfback for the Bulldogs, was right behind him. He put his hands up to prepare for a collision with Trbojevic. As the ball bounced away, the Manly fullback fell to the ground.
The bunker thought Flanagan had broken a rule, so they put him in the sin bin for ten minutes. In slow motion, it was clear that Flanagan hadn’t even straightened his bent elbows, which would have been a clear sign of a push in the back.
While the Bulldogs were short a player, Manly scored two tries to make the score 18-6. In the second half, the Sea Eagles were much better than the Bulldogs, and the game was never really in doubt. But the Bulldogs had no chance of winning after those ten minutes of scrambling to defend in the hot weather.
