We’re three rounds into the season, and plenty of big NRL narratives have already developed — but are we buying them or not?
The Gold Coast Titans have been backed off the map to collect the wooden spoon this season after just two games. An over-reaction, or will the punters be right?
It’s never to early to talk State of Origin or potential Game I teams and there’s a star Panther knocking on the door of a debut Blues jersey.
Meanwhile, South Sydney are in an early hole and the talk of the NRL world. Could a backline switch spark a form resurgence?
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Welcome to foxsports.com.au’s Buy or Sell, where we give a verdict on the big, burning narratives in the NRL.
Penrith built to withstand turbulence | 01:38
South Sydney should shift Latrell to the centres
It’s been a horror start to 2024 for one of the NRL’s proudest clubs, and a loss to the Bulldogs on Good Friday will turn an already bad season into a nightmare.
Souths are 0-3, and are in dire need of a result. They get their best chance so far this season to get into the winners circle when they host the Bulldogs on Good Friday.
Defensively, the Rabbitohs have been dreadful. All over the park.
Latrell Mitchell has proven on many occasions that when he’s at his best, he is one of the most damaging players in the game, however whatever good he’s doing with ball in hand this season is being ruined by his defensive shortcomings.
“You look at the great fullbacks in our game and their there before the play is there. They pre-empt it, they are moving before the ball goes, they are on the bike,” Braith Anasta said this week on NRL360.
“He gets caught out a lot in defence, he’s very rarely in the frame at the last second when there’s a try or when he’s got an opportunity to save a try.
“That’s where he needs to improve on.”
It was rumoured this week that Souths coach Jason Demetriou was plotting a switch to his backline for the Bulldogs clash, with Mitchell to move into the centres to accomodate impressive young gun Jye Gray
However, coach Jason Demetriou has resisted the urge to make a change, and Mitchell will don the No.1 jersey against the Bulldogs.
NRL legend Gorden Tallis said on Monday night that Mitchell is better off in the centres
“The fullback has become an effort role where Latrell is a strike weapon. He’s powerful, give him the ball eight times a game and see what he does instead of all that running,” Tallis said.
“They run more than any other player in the game the fullbacks. Do we want him doing that or do we want him to be a strike player?”
It’s hard to argue with.
On top of that, we’ve seen Mitchell dominate the Origin arena in the centres as well as win two premierships playing that position.
The move, plus the addition of a livewire in Gray could be the spark this struggling team needs to save their season.
VERDICT – BUY
‘Latrell is a strike weapon at centre’ | 01:54
Broncos fans should be worried
Since the 62nd minute of last season’s NRL grand final, not a lot has gone right for the Broncos.
After having to stew over one of the great grand final choke jobs all off-season, as well as say farewell to star centre Herbie Farnworth, the promising Keenan Palasia and Origin forwards Tom Flegler and Kurt Capewell, the Broncos were disappointing in their season opener in Las Vegas against the Roosters.
Kevin Walters’ men would bounce back with a win over the out of form Rabbitohs before a heavy loss to the Panthers.
In that time, Reece Walsh, Payne Haas and Brendan Piakura have all suffered injuries which will keep them on the sideline for the next month or so.
A Queensland Derby against the high flying Cowboys await, and while the Broncos will get up for that despite all the growing casualty ward, a 1-3 start is very likely.
With all of that said, it’s a long season. Even if the Broncos are behind the ledger come Round 9, when Walsh, Haas and Piakura are expected to be all back on deck, there’s still plenty of time to turn the season around.
There’s too much class on this team not too.
Is there cause for slight concern? Of course. However, it’s not as dire as some may believe and definitely no reason for the panic button to be pressed … yet.
VERDICT – SELL
Walsh’s richest extension | 01:18
Izack Tago is a State of Origin smokey
Tago has arguably been the best centre in the competition through the first three weeks of the season.
The talented 21-year-old was needed to step up this year in the absence of Stephen Crichton, and he’s done that and more, averaging 173 metres a game, recording 21 tackle busts, eight linebreaks and three tries.
He’s run for the most metres of all centres, with Queensland three-quarter Val Holmes next best, while his 21 tacklebusts is second only to teammate Brian To’o.
Against the Eels two weeks ago, he had 249 metres and a whopping six linebreaks.
Tago’s name was thrown around as a potential replacement for Tom Trbojevic in the Blues side for Game III last year, however that spot was given to Bradman Best.
Best excelled in the arena, helping the Blues save a 3-0 whitewash.
Tago has only improved over the off-season and to the eye, his form has been far and away better than Best’s to start the season. It should be no contest if a centre spot came down to those two.
However barring injury, Tom Trbojevic and Latrell Mitchell are probably pencilled in as the Game I centre pairing for the Blues with Stephen Crichton breathing down their necks.
Had James Tedesco started the season poorly, perhaps his fullback spot would be up for grabs, which Trbojevic would in turn shift into, however it appears the Roosters star will be one of the first picked.
There’s every chance injuries will affect the Blues and Maroons this season, and that would have to be the case for Tago to get a look-in.
With that said, if he keeps his tantalising form up, he will make it hard for NSW selectors to ignore him, despite who is ahead of him in the pecking order.
VERDICT – BUY
The Titans will collect the wooden spoon
The smart money after three rounds suggest that Titans coach Des Hasler, at his first season at the helm, will be winning his first ever wooden spoon.
We’re willing to pump the breaks on that possibility.
The Titans are $17 into $2.75 favourites to finish the season dead last on the premiership ladder, and after two heavy losses to the Bulldogs and Dragons plus the brutal injury to captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, it’s not hard to see why.
Fa’asuamaleaui is a massive loss in more ways than one, but this Titans team is still stacked with talent.
They’ve got AJ Brimson, Jayden Campbell is a future star, and even without Tino, they have Moeaki Fotuiaka and David Fifita in the forward pack.
The lack of a decent halfback is obviously a concern, but this is not a wooden spoon side. Improving in defence and the effort areas is a start. Those can be fixed.
Hasler has a huge task ahead of him, but we’re confident he will turn things around, starting this weekend against the Dolphins.
VERDICT – SELL
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The Raiders will play finals
Despite the huge loss of Jack Wighton in the off-season, the Raiders are a better team in 2024 than they were in 2023.
Of course, the Green Machine fought and scrapped to just make the top eight last season, with their season cruelly ended by red-hot Knights in the first week of the finals.
Ricky Stuart-coached sides can never be counted out, but many (including us) didn’t give them a hope of making noise this season before a ball was kicked, believing the loss of Wighton would be too big to overcome.
It’s too early to declare whether the pundits will be right, but if you were to ask us now based on what we’ve seen, we’ll have them in the eight at the end of the year.
They are well-balanced, super tough defensively, they have proven they can put on points and their forward pack comprising of Joe Tapine, Hudson Young and the emerging Zac Hosking have been excellent. Origin forward Corey Horsburgh is still to return as well.
Running five-eighth Ethan Strange has been the perfect foil for halfback Jamal Fogarty, who owns one of the best kicking games in the league and is doing a great job leading this team around the park.
They lost to the Warriors last week, but weren’t helped with a couple of suspect Bunker decisions and had to do a stack of tackling.
Remember, this team has made the finals in three of the last four years with less talented rosters.
Write them off at your own peril.
VERDICT – BUY
Young surges Raiders to upset Knights | 02:06
The Cowboys need to re-sign Kulikefu Finefeuiaki
This exciting back rower looks the goods, and the vast majority of Cowboys fans will be hoping their club can re-sign him sooner rather than later.
Finefeuiaki made his first start of the season against the Dragons last Saturday, and despite having to leave the field for a HIA, the 20-year-old impressed, scoring a try and looking dangerous with ball in hand.
His motor needs to improve, but that will come with time and game experience.
Prior to the start of the season, it wasn’t clear how big his role would be in 2024, as he was sitting behind Luciano Leilua, Jeremiah Nanai and Heilum Luki, but he’s now been thrust into the starting line up with Leilua now at the Dragons while Luki is set to miss the next month with a syndesmosis injury.
With the Cowboys erring on the side of caution with veteran Jason Taumalolo and another forward in Coen Hess out for the season, Finefeuiaki has been given every chance to record some high quality minutes on the edge and in the middle.
With Nanai being well-paid by the Cowboys, it is believed that the club will either re-sign Finefeuiaki or Luki.
Both players are out of contract at the end of this season, although Luki has a player option for 2025 which has yet to be exercised.
While Luki is the more well-rounded player at this stage, his recent injury problems have to be a concern. Additionally, Finefeuiaki seems to have more upside.
It’s no surprise to hear other clubs are circling the 20-year-old, and some of these cashed up teams could very well blow North Queensland out of the water with a big money offer, but the Cowboys should be doing everything in their power to keep Finefeuiaki in Townsville.
VERDICT – BUY
#Buy #Sell #NRL #storylines #opinion #Des #Hasler #Latrell #Mitchell #centres #Izack #Tago #South #Sydney #Rabbitohs #Brisbane #Broncos #Canberra #Raiders
