NRL The Tackle, Round 11 likes & dislikes: Why NSW Blues cannot pick Tom Trbojevic, Kalyn Ponga demands Maroons Origin jersey

DISLIKES

TURBO SUFFERS ANOTHER EMBARRASSING LOWLIGHT

Tom Trbojevic has suffered another embarrassing lowlight that sums up exactly why NSW coach Brad Fittler just can’t pick the superstar Manly fullback for the upcoming State of Origin series.

After an uninspiring first half against the Sharks where champion former Queenslander Cooper Cronk declared Trbojevic was “operating at three-quarter intensity”, it was then exposed when the former flying machine was absolutely burnt for speed by Sharks back rower Briton Nikora.

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It was hard to believe and sad to watch as Turbo was lost in Nikora’s wake as he set sail down the sideline before offloading to Jesse Ramien for another Cronulla try.

Cronk had earlier told Fox League as the players returned from the halftime break: “He just seems like he is operating at three-quarter intensity, 80 per cent, and just getting the job done.

“When you are operating at 100 per cent Trbojevic is breaking tackles, making line breaks and setting up (tries).”

The Origin teams are picked following next weekend but at this point it is impossible to see how Trbojevic can get a start ahead of South Sydney’s inform Campbell Graham.

REAL REASON EELS’ PREMIERSHIP HOPES ARE UNRAVELLING

Brad Arthur is kidding himself complaining that a lopsided 10-3 penalty count somehow robbed his team in the 26-18 loss to Canberra.

With the Eels now sitting 14th on the ladder after 11 rounds, the reality is the premiership window is rapidly closing on last year’s grand finalists.

But if Arthur wants to point the finger at the predicament the Eels find themselves in as they prepare for Friday night’s showdown with competition frontrunners South Sydney, Arthur should be directing his frustration to the Eels’ retention and recruitment department and not blaming the refs.

You didn’t have to be a genius to know letting go of the likes of Reed Mahoney, Isaiah Papali’i, Marata Niukore, Ray Stone and Oregon Kaufusi was always going to leave Parramatta in a vulnerable position.

And it is no use getting the sooks now when a couple of 50/50 calls don’t go your way because they go against every team on a weekly basis.

On this occasion there were certainly contentious decisions that went against both teams, but without question the two toughest calls went against Ricky Stuart’s Raiders.

The first was the decision to sin bin Corey Horsburgh for a ‘love tap’ on Ryan Matterson.

But then not to sin bin Junior Paulo for the cannon ball that forced Joe Tapine from the field was gobsmacking.

The NRL bang on about trying to get rid of all types of dangerous tackles yet they let this one slide through to the keeper.

Meanwhile, Tapine was forced from the field and returned with his knee heavily bandaged.

And on that front the Eels’ Bailey Simonsson also escaped a sin bin for a hip drop on Jordan Rapana.

In relation to Arthur’s post match rant, you could see the mystified reaction from league greats Mal Meninga and Cooper Cronk when they spoke on Fox League.

Meninga pointed to the fact the Eels only completed at 68 per cent to the Raiders’ 89 per cent, while Cronk put the blowtorch on the Eels’ kicking game in the absence of Mitchell Moses.

The fact is this was a cracking end-to-end game of footy and the Eels did well to stay in the contest as long as they did without their star playmaker Moses.

But it was also their own mistakes at critical moments that cost them every bit as much as a few 50/50 judgments.

I just thought it was just poor form to sit after the game making out refereeing calls was the difference. If it was Ricky blowing up about the same things we all know he’d cop an absolute hammering. The reality is the better team on the night won.

GUTHO GETS A QUICK DOSE OF KARMA

Still on the Eels, it didn’t take long for karma to bite Clint Gutherson on the bum in the desperate final minutes.

The Parramatta captain didn’t hide his frustration when Will Penisini put in a wayward kick that went dead as the Eels tried to come up with a last ditch attempt to save the game.

Sure, Gutherson had sparked the movement and it was understandable he was filthy that Peninsini’s play didn’t work out.

But should a skipper stand there and call out a teammate like Gutho did for everyone to see?

Gutherson sure got his receipt soon after when he dropped the ball dead in his own end when he took a bit of a sneaky look after some bone crunching Canberra defence.

I guess it just showed mistakes can happen to the best of them.

WHY HAS SMITH BECOME ROOSTERS’ LATEST SCAPEGOAT?

First Sam Walker is singled out as the problem at the Sydney Roosters. Now some people are targeting Brandon Smith like he is the issue in the wake of the 48-4 capitulation to the Panthers.

The talk is the Roosters are apparently happy with the former Melbourne Storm star off the field, but it’s football on the field that is the issue.

Fair dinkum, that will do me.

I reckon it all points to a bigger problem at the Roosters, and that is that the players have lost confidence in the system.

Let’s remember when Smith was on the open market he had every club in the game chasing him.

But had Smith signed at the Dolphins or Cowboys, or any of the other clubs, would he be struggling like he is right now?

Or is it a crisis in confidence stretching across the park?

How anyone thinks Trent Robinson’s chopping and changing of the halves has not impacted a player who has never been a regular NRL dummy half is also beyond me.

The Roosters have now used three different halves combinations in the last five weeks, while Smith was put on the bench for the Panthers game to make way for Jake Turpin to start.

No disrespect to Turpin but there is no comparison when it comes to their footballing ability.

Aside from Billy Smith, who is only two games back from almost a year on the sidelines with a knee injury, and the ever-consistent Lindsay Collins, there haven’t been too many other shining lights at the Roosters lately.

So there is no use singling out Smith as the only problem.

No doubt the Roosters have had some big losses in personnel in recent years with the likes of Cooper Cronk, Boyd Cordner, Jake Friend and Mitch Aubusson. But all clubs go through the same thing and they all have to evolve.

Look at arch rivals South Sydney who lost Greg Inglis, Sam Burgess and John Sutton all within the space of a year and it hasn’t slowed them down. Throw in Adam Reynolds.

But right now the Roosters remain so far off the pace that the football they are playing just does not reflect the power of their roster.

WHY SUAALII IS NO NSW SAVIOUR

Talk of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii being back in contention for NSW Origin selection has to be a gee-up.

Based on his last two performances for the Roosters, Suaalii should count himself lucky if he is playing NRL this week and not dropped back to the Bears, let alone competing for a vacant Blues wing spot.

The over-hyped teenager’s defence was hopelessly exposed by Penrith coach Ivan Cleary who made rugby’s $5m investment look second rate, with Scott Sorenson having a field day.

SIN BIN MADNESS NEEDS URGENT ATTENTION

The NRL has to stop this madness when it comes to what constitutes a sin bin and what doesn’t in relation to a hip drop tackle.

How can the bunker rule Pat Carrigan warranted a sin binning for the incident involving Nelson Asofa-Solomona.

But then the match review committee comes out the following day and doesn’t even issue a charge.

Then you see players not sin binned for similar tackles in other games, or in the case of the Dragons Toby Couchman he wasn’t even penalised.

No wonder the players, coaches and the fans are so bloody confused.

It is completely destroying the credibility of the bunker how it is playing out in the minute because they are clearly not on the same page as the match review panel.

That’s certainly understandable, because we’re all confused what constitutes a hip drop.

But until they work it out surely they should just tell the bunker put the player on report, tell the ref to blow a penalty, and leave it to the match review to sort out the charge.

It’s not rocket science.

‘HOOK’ SHOULDN’T BE ONLY PERSON ON OUTER AT DRAGONS

You can only imagine what sort of reception St George Illawarra fans will have ready for Jack Bird and the rest of the Dragons when they return to their spiritual home of Kogarah to take on the Roosters on Friday night.

Bird said last week the fans “don’t know much about footy”.

“They’ve got a lot to say about people on the field. I don’t think they’ve ever played a game of footy,” Bird said.

Then you watch the Dragons dish up a performance like they did against the Cowboys.

What’s that old saying … pot, kettle, black.

Seriously, it was such an immature and disrespectful comment from Bird in the first place.

But given the way the Dragons are playing at the minute, having lost their last six games, it just makes it all the more laughable.

LIKES

PONGA FINALLY DELIVERS KNOCKOUT ORIGIN BLOW

Kalyn Ponga has potentially delivered the knockout blow to in form Brisbane Bronco Reece Walsh’s hopes of wearing the Queensland No 1 jumper this year.

In a breathtaking display, the star Newcastle captain answered his critics by inspiring the Knights to a 46-26 win over the Gold Coast Titans.

In doing so it also put to bed any concerns hanging over Ponga being ready to play Origin this year following his early season concussion injury.

Ponga went into the game knowing he needed a big performance to get back ahead of Walsh in the fullback debate.

But the man of the match from last year’s Origin series decider certainly responded to the pressure like champions do.

He scored a super solo try when he stood up Titans speedster Jayden Campbell, while Ponga’s silky skills laid on two more tries. He finished with seven runs for 116m that also included four tackle busts, a line break and line break assist.

David Fifita also did his case for an Origin call up no harm with a barnstorming two-try effort when he charged for 222m.

STORM BIG GUN ISSUE PRE-ORIGIN WARNING

Big players win big games and haven’t Queenslanders Harry Grant and Cameron Munster fired a warning shot to NSW ahead of this year’s State of Origin series.

The way they responded to lead the Storm to a 24-16 victory over the previous ladder leading Broncos was inspirational stuff.

Especially coming off the back of the belting the copped off the Rabbitohs at Magic Round.

It was also another insight into what a wonderful coach Craig Bellamy continues to be as he gets ready to make a final call on his future this week.

The Broncos were brave to stay in the contest on the back of three sin binnings and the injury to Adam Reynolds.

But there is no doubt how the Storm got themselves up for this game to play so physical and with such passion also showed the Broncos the work they have ahead.

WHAT IS A SIN BIN FOR THIRD-MAN IN?

I loved seeing Melbourne’s halfback Jahrome Hughes chase after and tackle Tom Flegler when the big Bronco prop was having a moment off the ball with Harry Grant.

Coming on the back of Latrell Mitchell giving Grant a working over last round, it was at least good to see the Storm sticking up for their star hooker this time around.

But in saying that, it just further confuses what constitutes a sin bin for being-third man in when you see Hughes not even get penalised for this.

Yet Corey Horsburgh gets marched for his little shove on Ryan Matterson.

Seriously, it’s all as clear as mud.

FOGARTY SHOWS WHY RICKY’S RAIDERS ARE ON THE RISE

A few weeks back it looked like the Canberra Raiders were a club on the nose in the wake of Jack Wighton’s decision to turn down massive money to sign with South Sydney.

But how about the way Ricky Stuart has saved the Raiders’ season from potentially being derailed with a run of five wins now proving why Canberra should remain a destination of choice.

And another bloke who deserves a wrap is the late Peter Mulholland given how many young players are really starting to come of age in this squad.

The likes of Horsburgh and Hudson Young, and what about the excitement machine Matt Timoko who, if he was playing at a Sydney club or for the Broncos, would be getting far more air time than he is right now?

But without question the star in the win over Parramatta was the underrated Jamal Fogarty, who set up three tries with kicks including the game clincher, while he also kicked a 40/20 and at one point had to have a dislocated finger repaired on the run.

How tough are these blokes?

BUNNIES DESERVE TO BE PREMIERSHIP FAVOURITES

Wests Tigers were anything but disgraced despite going down in a 20-0 shutout to the Bunnies.

There is no doubt the Tigers still have a bit of work to go, especially when they get into the attacking 20m zone.

But you certainly can’t question the effort the players are putting in for Tim Sheens, and this young fullback Jahream Bula just looks a class act who will only get better with time.

As for Jason Demetriou’s Rabbitohs, they will go into Friday night’s class against the Eels as the now undeniable premiership favourites on the back of six straight wins.

Don’t forget against the Tigers they had Tom Burgess ruled out during warm up with a back injury.

But they never missed a beat with Campbell Graham confirming why he has to be in the NSW team with another superb performance.

NRL’S MOST UNASSUMING HERO

Jarome Luai was understandably the man of the moment following the Panthers’ big win over the Roosters given all the talk about his battle with Nicho Hynes for the NSW No 6 jumper.

Two rounds back it was a legitimate debate as to whether Hynes had done enough to get a call up ahead of the Blues incumbent.

But after his performance against the Chooks, Luai just has to stay healthy against the Broncos and he should get the call up.

Meanwhile, there’s no question who will be wearing the NSW No 13 jumper after Isaah Yeo came up with another performance that just doesn’t get the credit he deserves.

From the wonderful chase down of James Tedesco to that deft Crossfield kick for Brian To’s try, the Panthers co-captain has just got it all.

COWBOYS ARE BACK

Another player who looks primed for the upcoming Origin series is Cowboys flyer Val Holmes.

He was tremendous with 15 runs for 163m against the dreadful Dragons, while on the other edge young backrower Heilum Luki is really starting to find his groove, charging for 152m from 14 runs including two tries.

DON’T ALLOW JOHNSON BECOME WARRIORS’ REYNO

The reinvention of Shaun Johnson has been one of this season’s most inspirational comeback stories.

Johnson put in another cracking performance in the 24-12 win over the Dogs.

And while you wouldn’t knock the bloke for at least talking to Wests Tigers, who are keen to get him for the next two seasons on a reported $1.2 million deal, how could the 32-year-old seriously consider leaving the Warriors given how he is playing under Andrew Webster?

The word is the Warriors are hoping he stays on a year-to-year basis.

I hope they work it out because it would be such a shame to see the Warriors lose a favourite son in similar circumstances to how Souths lost Adam Reynolds.

Originally published as NRL The Tackle, Round 11 likes & dislikes: Why NSW Blues cannot pick Tom Trbojevic, Kalyn Ponga demands Maroons Origin jersey