How did you enjoy those five days of footy over the Easter break?
That probably depended on the fortunes of your team. The long weekend delivered it’s share of surprises, and there were unhappy fans of a number of clubs after disappointing performances.
And unfortunately, the NRL’s casualty ward continued to grow.
Easter’s Mixed Team Fortunes
Huge momentum shifts, unexpected results and disappointing performances. The weekend had it all.
* The Roosters fell agonisingly short in their late comeback against the Panthers, losing 22-16 on Thursday night. In reality, Penrith were always in control against a disjointed Roosters side. The Panthers outside backs stole the show, with the Western Sydney powerhouse covering the loss of superstar halfback and captain Nathan Cleary extremely well.
* Friday’s Queensland Derby between the Broncos and Cowboys saw the first surprise result of the weekend. Reece Walsh watched from the stands as his injury ravaged Broncos side managed an unlikely win against the premiership frontrunners
Reece Walsh
* A sin-bin and injury woes made the Bulldogs effort to run down the Bunnies a bridge too far in the traditional Good Friday match. After a big win against the Titans the week before, the Dogs crashed back to earth 20 – 16 against the out of form Rabbitohs.
* It was far from a classical rugby league clash, but there was plenty of joy for the Dragons when they upset the Sea Eagles on Saturday. The joint venture side extended their run of victories over Manly in Wollongong, whilst the Sea Eagles have now lost in consecutive weeks after a strong start to the season.
* The Titans continued to discover new lows, leaking another thirty points in their loss to the Dolphins. This was despite jumping out to an early 10 to nil lead.
* Things looked grim early for the Warriors as they faced a determined Knights in Auckland. However, after losing Luke Metcalf, the Warriors held on for a 20-12 victory. As for the Knights, they are yet to recapture their form from late last year.
Luke Metcalf
* The second instalment of Easter Sunday footy gave Ricky Stuart reason for agitation when his Raiders capitulated in a 36 to 22 defeat. After witnessing his side complete one of Rugby Leagues historic “chokes”, Stuart expressed extreme disappointment with all 17 players. When asked his opinion about Matthew Timoko’s performance, the head coach simply stated “Don’t be giving praise to people who don’t deserve it”.
* Finally, Easter Monday resulted in despair for the Eels as they suffered yet another one point loss at home against the Tigers. In their last CommBank Easter Monday clash with Wests back in 2022, it was Jackson Hastings who kicked the winning field goal. This time it was Aidan Sezer who provided the one pointer. But when it came to headlines, it was a rookie who stole the show. Despite spending ten minutes in the sin bin for a hip drop tackle, young five eighth Lachlan Galvin was instrumental in engineering the Tigers fightback against the team that he once aspired to play for.
The Individual Highs And Lows
* Luke Metcalf
Luke Metcalf was one of the biggest stories this week after signing a $500k extension with the Warriors. His move across the ditch has proven to be beneficial for his career after his previous struggles to lock down a first grade spot.
However, heartbreak struck as the 5/8 was forced to leave the field against the Knights with a broken leg. Undergoing surgery a mere two days ago, Metcalf is expected to miss up to five months of football. It’s most unfortunate for a player who was aiming to replicate his exceptional form from last season.
* Zac Lomax
It was yet another week of headlines for Zac Lomax
This time, it was good news for the disgruntled Dragons centre/winger who moved a step closer to his goal of finding a new home when the Dragons surprisingly agreed to release him from his 800k a year deal at the end of this season.
Many experts have tipped the Parramatta Eels as the most likely landing spot for the Dragons flyer, but there are doubts whether the Eels or any other NRL club can afford Lomax on his current salary.
Under NRL rules, no club is allowed to sign him this season for less than the amount he is being paid by his current club. The Dragons look likely to stick to their guns of not subsidising any of his contract. Will there be an Eel or two sent on their way in order to potentially let Lomax in?
Zac Lomax
Looking Ahead
Will Round 5 see a continuation of fluctuating fortunes or will the fate of sides become more obvious?
My game to watch is the clash between the Dolphins and Tigers at Suncorp Stadium. It’s shaping up to be one of the most interesting contests of the round, as both teams aim to win their third game of the season. Each side is looking to build momentum, with encouraging victories across the last couple of rounds.
Can the Tigers succeed with yet another halves combination, with Jayden Sullivan in for Lachlan Galvin, and Latu Fainu to debut?
For the in-form Dolphins, their backline of Tabuai-Fidow, Isaako, Averillo, Farnworth and Bostock has speed to burn. An equal share of possession will make them a defensive challenge for the sixth placed Tigers.
The long weekend might be behind us, but the regular footy feast continues.
Nat
Nat, don’t forget that NRL players are paid from 1st November, so effectively Lomax has already received nearly 6 months of his $800K, meaning a club would only need to pay $400K for the remainder of this year with the subsequent years open to change.
I believe that Parra can afford him, for the rest of this season, but what would Lomax be willing to accept moving forward? Is he an 800k player? We signed Waqa Blake on that size contract but the Panthers kicked in a high percentage.