The Roosters’ rookie halves helped upset the Sharks, while Tom Trbojevic struggled for Manly and Isaiah Iongi is saving the Eels from their brutal Gutherson call.
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Here are the biggest NRL Talking Points to come out of Round 12.
ROOSTERS HALVES SHINE IN BOILOVER BEATING OF SHARKS, AMID UNCERTAINTY
The Sharks were heavy favourites to beat the Roosters with a difference of five Origin representatives to zero between the two teams.
However, the Roosters cruised to a 42-16 victory on the back of a masterclass from their halves Hugo Savala and Sandon Smith — the latter of whom is now being linked with an exit from the club at the end of the year, with Smith touted to join the Cowboys. With Daly Cherry-Evans touted to arrive next season and Sam Walker to return from injury, there is also some doubt over Savala’s future at the Tricolours, with Perth flagged as a potential suitor.
Savala had his best game in first grade to finish with 41 run metres, a linebreak assist, three try assists and a try, while Smith had a linebreak assist, a try assist and 14 points off his boot in another assured display.
Cooper Cronk believes the key to the pair’s success is their drive to work hard.
“They are two good kids and all you want in young players, whether it is a front-rower or a half or a fullback is work ethic,” Cronk said.
“They come in and they get taught a lot of things pretty quickly and you just want to see people work harder than the average and then they will fast-track.
“But there has been glimpses of Sandon Smith, he dominated on ANZAC Day and against Penrith he had a good performance.
“Hugo Savala against the Broncos with his kicking game in the second half, but I think they put together for a large chunk of the 80 minutes against the Sharks and they should be very proud.”
However, Mal Meninga believes there is another area of their game that is separating the pair from other young halves in the NRL.
“Their work ethic is great, but what I like about them and certainly Hugo is his calmness and his composure, particularly under pressure to get those kicks away,” Meninga said.
“That’s a really good trait to have and obviously his composure is excellent.”
Walters noted the pair have a long history of playing together in the juniors and have a good rapport on and off the field.
“You can see there is a good energy between them as well as a halves combination,” Walters said.
“They obviously like playing with each other. They played a lot of junior football together and now they are getting the opportunity together in first grade.
“That’s a dream for those two to come through the way they have and then playing on the big stage and now they are starting to dominate.”
However, Cronk believes the influence of senior players in James Tedesco, Victor Radley and Daniel Tupou, who scored a double, can’t be underestimated.
“It probably helps having Tedesco, Radley and Tupou there doing their thing,” Cronk said.
“When you are a young player, you just want the experience to lead the way and show you how to do it and you don’t have to be forced to do it straight away.
“They have been able to do it through the senior leaders, tonight particularly. They did a really good job and a good balance between youth and experience.”
– Mark St John
Teddy dominates ‘full-strength’ Sharks | 02:11
SHARKS BLOW HUGE CHANCE AGAINST UNDERSTRENGTH CHOOKS
The Sharks were red hot favourites to beat a Roosters side missing five Origin stars, but never looked likely in a convincing 42-16 loss that cost them a chance of breaking into the top four.
The Sharks looked like a genuine title contender after beating the Storm last week, but came crashing back to earth with a convincing loss.
Michael Ennis noted no one gave the Roosters a chance of knocking off the full strength Sharks.
“The Sharks had won five of their last six games and knocked over the heavyweights the Storm last week,” Ennis said.
“They came here full strength unaffected by Origin, but couldn’t get the job done.
“They came here full of confidence, but it was the enthusiasm of this young Roosters side.
“No one came here tonight thinking the Roosters were going to win.
“The Roosters jumped the Sharks early and Cronulla’s discipline out of yardage was poor. They came up with basic fundamental errors.
“Cronulla just couldn’t get it right tonight, fundamentals errors and they just gifted the Roosters field position.”
Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon believes his side copped a good old fashioned reality check against the young Roosters side, who played with more desperation and fight.
“It was (disappointing), back to earth with a thud that’s for sure,” Fitzgibbon said.
“They were terrific and then the energy they started with caught us on the hop and then discipline, field position and points and we couldn’t get that back up and never looked like making it back up to be honest.
“I thought they out-enthused us the whole night.
“We sort of felt like it might be coming with Radley’s 150th, a couple of debutants and Origin players missing, so you know they were going to be up and I just didn’t think we were up for the fight really.”
Consistency has been the Sharks’ strength this season, but they saved their worst performance for a game they should have one.
“We have been really consistent this year. We have been in every game, except for tonight.”
Fitzgibbon conceded his side were nowhere near ready to match the Roosters on the night, but stopped short of making excuses for his team, preferring to credit the opposition.
“It was largely their performance would be one and then two maybe coming down after last week,” Fitzgibbon said.
“But I don’t want to make excuses to be honest. We got outperformed and it was a real attitude check for us that we are going to have to work on.
“We have got a bye and a lot of guys need to dust themselves off and come back ready for business.”
The Sharks now have a bye followed by a blockbuster clash with the Warriors at home that they need to win to stay in touch with the top four.
– Mark St John
Mulitalo & Henry hit with suspensions | 00:29
NO MOSES? NO PROBLEMS! HAWKINS STEPS UP FOR EELS
It’s usually all over red rover for the Eels when Mitchell Moses is out but Dean Hawkins has shown he is more than capable of steering the ship whenever the superstar No.7 is unavailable.
The Eels have been punished in the past for not having a ready and able halfback waiting in the wings, which is why new coach Jason Ryles got straight to work ahead of this season and recruited reserve grade veteran Hawkins.
While Hawkins didn’t have a whole lot of joy when filling in for Moses earlier in the season, he certainly took his latest opportunity with both hands.
The 26-year-old amassed four try assists and two linebreak assists in the Eels’ dominant 30-10 win over the Sea Eagles. He looked in control from start to finish and his kicking game, running game and passing game was on show.
The statement performance came after the Fox League panel challenged him pre-game to fill the big shoes of Moses, who was unavailable due to Origin duties.
“We thought he needed to step up, but I didn’t think he was going to be the player that dominated,” Greg Alexander said post-game.
“Dean Hawkins, four try assists. He outplayed Dylan Brown — Brown was just a passenger. He was the second buddy in the combination.
“Hawkins, he did the job.”
Hawkins is affectionately known as ‘Footy Dean’ with the nickname referencing a Youtube account he started as a kid that had videos on it of him practising footy skills.
The nickname seems to ring true to his character — someone that just loves hi footy. The Matraville junior has over 90 reserve grade games under his belt, led to the Rabbitohs to a NSW Cup premiership and State Championship in 2023 and was the NSW Cup Player of the Year that same season.
While he’s yet to cement himself as a week-in, week-out starting halfback, he’s proven that he can be the go-to man to fill a hole in the halves — and that’s something the Eels have lacked since releasing Jake Arthur to Manly.
Ryles was overjoyed to hear in the press conference that Hawkins had racked up four try assists against the Sea Eagles and was glad the reliable playmaker got his moment to shine.
“That’s ‘footy Dean’, God love him,” Ryles said.
“He’s come in and we’ve (now) actually got a bit of a foundation with our game style, where earlier in the year he came in and we were sort of working on that.
“After Mitchell came in we bettered down on some things and the role was a bit clearer, it was good to give him (Hawkins) another opportunity to come in, in that situation.
“He does all the little things well, he works really hard on his game and it was good to see him get the rewards on the field.”
– Darcie McDonald
No Moses, no worries for Eels! | 02:47
IONGI’S EMERGENCE SHOWS EELS MADE RIGHT FULLBACK CALL
Another stellar performance from Eels fullback Isaiah Iongi has added weight to the argument that the club were right to allow Clint Gutherson to depart and join the Dragons.
Iongi scored a try, ran for 185 metres, had a line break and four tackle breaks in Parramatta’s 30-10 win over Manly at CommBank Stadium on Friday night.
Greg Alexander, who followed Iongi’s journey closely in his early years coming through at Penrith, pointed out that while the Eels struggled at the start of the season, the 21-year-old was showing promising signs.
“I think you got an idea of it very early in the season, even though the Eels weren’t winning, Isaiah was playing good footy,” Alexander said.
“He just kept getting himself involved in the game and running the ball and even though things weren’t happening for the Eels, it was a good sign, his first month of footy, and he’s built on it very quickly.
“You’ve got to say the development has happened pretty quickly.
“He doesn’t sit back and wait for the game to come to him.
“He is the modern day fullback that loves to get his hands on the ball.”
Earlier in the season, some observers referred to Dragons recruit Gutherson as being the buy of the year.
But Michael Ennis said those who thought the Eels, who lost their first four games of the season, were missing Gutherson might have jumped the gun.
“(Gutherson) came flying out of the blocks at the Dragons and obviously Parramatta, a couple of heavy losses to start the season,” Ennis added.
“It was easy for everyone to quickly look and go, ‘boy, they’re missing Gutherson, aren’t they?’
“(But) he’s (Iongi) developing beautifully for them, he really is. He’s so athletic.
“He’s got the ability to get in and work like (Panthers fullback Dylan) Edwards but then he’s got that footwork and speed and balance and his ability to stay in and around the middle forwards and capitalise on offloads and then trouble tired defenders and then at the same time, he’s got that strength to be able to shrug them off and beat them.”
Kevin Walters was also glowing in his assessment of the 21-year-old.
“He moves quickly across the ground too doesn’t he,” Walters said.
“He’s not an overly big man but he gets across the ground quickly which puts the defenders immediately under pressure because he can be at you and in your space before you even recognise it.
“Straight away, his mindset, when he catches is attack, ‘how can I attack here?’ That’s what I like about him.”
– Daniel Ramus
Ryles speaks on Papalii debut | 06:24
COMMENTATORS DIVIDED ON FORM OF TOM TRBOJEVIC
Experts were split on the performance of Manly fullback Tom Trbojevic in the Sea Eagles’ 20-point defeat to the Eels.
Trbojevic had 20 carries, ran for 161 metres, had a try assist and a line break assist, and while those statistics sound impressive, he only had one tackle bust.
The 28-year-old returned from an MCL injury in Round 8, but his form since then wasn’t good enough for him to earn selection in the NSW State of Origin team.
Kevin Walters noticed Trbojevic wasn’t at his “tackle busting” best.
“Normally, he’s such a threat with his tackle busting, like one-on-one,” Walters said.
“I don’t want to have a go at him because he’s a great player but for Manly to be at their best, they need Tom at his best.
“Manly are struggling a bit which means their best players are struggling a little bit as well.
“He’d be bitterly disappointed.
“He’d be feeling the pinch, certainly.”
But Michael Ennis didn’t agree with Walters and came to Trbojevic’s defence, believing the signs are there that the Manly fullback, who didn’t have any strapping on Friday, is moving better.
“There were a couple of times on tackle four when the set wasn’t going anywhere that he put his hand up to carry the ball hard,” Ennis added.
“Then I thought close to the line there was a moment in the second half where Dylan Walker got a good shot on him, but he came off the back fence and just launched trying to score those tries that we’ve seen him do and that was Tom playing without fear.
“I thought there were some real positives in his game tonight.”
– Daniel Ramus
“We were so good six days ago!” | 04:34
DOLPHINS PRODUCE BEST-EVER WIN AS KATOA SHINES AGAIN
The Dolphins produced arguably their best ever win after upsetting the Bulldogs 44-8 on their own turf with Isaiya Katoa again the star of the show.
Matty Johns believes the big win over the ladder leading Bulldogs, who had lost only once all season was up their with their best ever.
“That could be one of the Dolphins’ finest wins since coming into the competition, that’s a massive win,” Johns said on the Late Show with Matty Johns.
Bryan Fletcher believes the Dolphins strangled the Bulldogs out of the contest in the forwards and Katoa’s kicking game was the icing on the cake.
“They struggle to win in Sydney, I think that was only their third or fourth win,” Fletcher said of the Dolphins.
“The Dolphins deserve all the plaudits they get because they were brilliant. The kicking game was spot on, their forwards they played together and hunted as a pack. It was a perfect performance.”
Nathan Hindmarsh believes the Dolphins played to the atrocious conditions better than the Bulldogs.
“The Dolphins handled the conditions a lot better,” Hindmarsh said.
“The forward pack of the Dolphins were outstanding.
“They used their forwards a lot more. Usually we talk about the Dolphins using their speed on the edges, but they used their forwards very well.”
“They kept it simple,” Justin Hodges agreed.
“With the players that are out and the conditions, the Dolphins just played better wet weather football.”
Johns is a massive fan of Katoa and compared him to Nathan Cleary after another dominant display.
“We don’t want to become the Isaiya Katoa network because we wrap him every week, but another masterclass,” Johns said.
“In the first half he controlled the game with his kicking and the second half he just dominated with his playmaking. He was outstanding.
“This is high praise because Cleary has won four comps in a row, but there is so much Cleary about him with his composure for such a young bloke.
“It is not all about money but it is an indication of where halves sit in the competition and if he’s off-contract right now, there is a $100,000 going on top of his contact every time he plays.”
Fletcher agreed Katoa plays with a maturity well beyond his years.
“We seem to be talking about him every week and for good reason because he is 21 and he is running this team like he is a 31-year-old,” Fletcher said.
“Every week we keep wrapping him and whether it is his short kicking game or long kicking game, his ball playing or just being in the right place at the right time, he is one hell of a player.”
– Mark St John
Dolphins belt Bulldogs in heavy rain | 02:33
BULLDOGS’ ACHILLES HEEL EMERGES AMID LINKS TO GALVIN: ‘DON’T NEED HIM’
The Bulldogs were again exposed in wet conditions in their 44-8 loss to the Dolphins, which saw their Achilles heel emerge for the second time this season.
The Bulldogs have only lost two games all year, but they were both thrashings in pouring rain and Bryan Fletcher believes it is an area they need to address.
“We know one thing about the Dogs, they don’t like the wet. One loss against the Broncos and now the Dolphins,” Fletcher said.
“They just didn’t handle the conditions.”
However, Nathan Hindmarsh believes the Bulldogs should be given some slack, given they had three players out due to Origin and much more injured, especially in their pack.
“You can forgive the Bulldogs a little bit because they are missing a lot of their key players at the moment, be it through Origin or injury,” Hindmarsh said.
“But there was a lot of errors in the Dogs early which cost them a fair few points.
“They had a lot of missed tackles. I think they had three times as many missed tackles as the Dolphins.”
The loss came amid the news Tigers five-eighth Lachlan Galvin will join the club on a three and a half year deal, but Justin Hodges believes signing him could do more harm than good.
“I reckon he will upset the Dogs because they don’t need him,” Hodges said.
“When they get all their players back they don’t need him.
“If they bring him there, there is going to be a lot of noise around it and a lot of pressure and they are going pretty good the Dogs.”
Matty Johns warned the Bulldogs against playing Galvin at halfback.
“I don’t know but he is not a pure No.7,” Johns said when asked if Galvin would play halfback.
“The Toby Sexton situation if we are talking about going to the Dogs next year, Toby is a pure No.7 and he was not at his best tonight, but the last 12 months he has been fantastic.
“Matty Burton is a No.6 or a centre or a No.1 or maybe even a No.13.
“I look at Galvin as a No.6/No.13. I think he will evolve into being a loose forward, like a ball playing No.13.
“So if he does go to the Bulldogs, I don’t know what that means. I don’t know if they still hang on to Sexton.
“I’m not sure about the dynamics, but one thing is for sure, Gus is a massive fan.”
– Mark St John
Ciraldo makes “no excuses” after loss | 02:29
KNIGHTS SHARPE AS EVER
Knights coach Adam O’Brien’s decision to put Fletcher Sharpe to fullback came under the microscope ahead of his side’s clash with the Panthers.
With Kalyn Ponga picked at the back in Billy Slater’s Queensland side, a spine reshuffle was always looming for Newcastle.
However, after a 2024 season spent mixing and matching in the halves, many were sceptical moving Sharpe from five-eighth was the right move.
“Same thing with moving Fletcher Sharpe back to fullback. He’s killing it at five-eighth, why would you move him?” league legend Steve Roach said.
“I know Kalyn’s not there this week but I don’t get it … to weaken one position to strengthen another.”
However, the halves pairing of Tyson Gamble and Jack Cogger were able to stand tall.
And with that duo pulling the strings, Sharpe was everywhere and scored the first try of the afternoon after spotting space behind the ruck.
Adding to his four-pointer, he also ran for 227 metres, broke a staggering 18 tackles and sliced through Penrith’s defensive line four times.
Speaking in the post-match press conference, O’Brien made it clear he was confident Sharpe can be just as effective wearing the No.6.
“He can do that in the front line as well for us, it’s just a change of mindset from the whole team around what we are chasing,”
“He was unreal. We’ve known that all along, there’s always plenty of opinion from the outside on what we should be doing.
“But we’ve always known that Fletcher will go in there and he will compete… geese they compete hard.
“I know a lot will be written and it will be ‘under strength Penrith’ but seven of our best players were out.”
Meanwhile, back rower Dylan Lucas scored a hat-trick in the first half and O’Brien said: “There wasn’t a better player on the field than Dylan Lucas”.
O’Brien has been under immense pressure this season and his side currently sit in 16th on the NRL ladder, jumping ahead of the Panthers after their Round 12 win.
However, the Newcastle mentor made it clear his squad are simply going about their business as a “united” front.
“We are a tight knit playing group, staff. All our staff are connected to our leaders and our whole squad,” he said.
“We have shared tough times before together and we have learnt, so this isn’t anything new to us.
“We knew that by being united that is our best chance. We are not out of it yet, there will be more written about us.
“We just have got to focus putting in performances like that more often.”
– Tom Sargeant
