The Dolphins upset title heavyweights the Roosters to reach on the NRL stage in type, whereas Cameron Ciraldo’s Bulldogs did not stay as much as the hype in a spherical of intriguing outcomes to kick off the 2023 season.
The Panthers have been shocked at house and Souths’ premiership discuss solely grew louder after they made an announcement with two key areas of their sport displaying they’re the actual deal this season.
Read beneath for all the large speaking factors from Round 1!
Watch each sport of each spherical of the 2023 NRL Telstra Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Wayne SMILES as Phins rating 22 in a row | 00:59
WAYNE’S DOLPHINS UPSET ROOSTERS IN EPIC BOILOVER
The Dolphins shook up the sport with an upset 28-18 victory over many professional’s title favourites the Roosters to announce themselves on the NRL stage in type.
Braith Anasta believes the Dolphins would have shocked lots of people with their first up efficiency and so they might do rather a lot higher than many predicted in 2023.
“Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins in there first ever game have won, not many gave them a chance,” Anasta mentioned.
“Against all odds an incredible performance from the new club and they have delivered on the biggest stage against one of the premiership heavyweights. What a victory.”
Corey Parker lauded the influence of the Dolphins’ senior gamers in confirming what the membership’s DNA will probably be constructed on from their very first efficiency.
“Great scenes,” Parker mentioned.
“You see some pure elation from the team, who over the summer would have worked so hard.
“A lot of people wrote them off. I was one of them. I thought the Roosters would turn up and just be too classy and get the job done.
“But the Dolphins, we talked about what their DNA looked like. We talked about what would a Dolphins team look like and they have gone out there this afternoon and competed.
“But more importantly they have bashed and barged and physically gone after the Roosters right from the outset.
“Tom Gilbert and Felise Kaufusi were just brilliant to start the game and they just went on with it.
“Kaufusi was exceptional. If you are looking for leaders a lot of people said these experienced players their best football is behind them, but what they were able to bring was that experience and we saw that first hand. They were terrific.”
Michael Ennis believes the Dolphins would have earned many admirers for the way in which they went about it in opposition to the Roosters
“Unbelievable. Historic day at Suncorp for the Dolphins, to knock over one of the genuine heavyweights,” Ennis mentioned.
“Many people have got the Roosters winning the competition this year and on day one they [the Dolphins] make a statement led by their experienced men.
“I thought Felise Kaufusi was outstanding today along with the Bromwich brothers. Marshall-King terrific around the ruck, I thought he was a threat all day. O’Sullivan and Katoa combined nicely.
“But all in all, simply the way they out enthused them, out competed them and came up with some brilliant tries.
“Geez they have won over some fans. 30,0000 out there today and they turned it on the Dolphins. What a day.”
MORE NRL NEWS
‘CAN’T GIVE IT AND NOT TAKE IT’: Wayne has crack at journos in wild presser
BIG HITS: Enforcer’s brutal show publicizes Dolphins’ DNA in boilover
WHISPERS: ‘Significant’ value in Fifita transfer; Manly’s intelligent ploy to maintain star
‘WHY ARE THEY HIDING THAT’: NRL’s ‘incredible’ change in Dally M overhaul
Dolphins Press Conference | 07:40
NEW-LOOK DOGS FAIL TO LIVE UP TO HYPE
One of probably the most intriguing sides to look at in Round 1 was the Bulldogs. Between Cameron Ciraldo on the helm and the acquisitions of Viliame Kikau and Reed Mahoney, there was rather a lot to love in regards to the membership’s new period.
An exhilarating trial win over the Raiders gave followers a style of what they might count on in 2023 — thrilling soccer. Except what the Dogs dished up in opposition to Manly on Saturday seemed nothing prefer it.
The assault was clunky and the halves struggled to take management of the facet with Matt Burton particularly having an off day. It was not the beginning the playmaker needed after inking a monster new four-year deal value $3 million.
Burton’s 40/20 try went out on the complete and he made the weird choice to go to Kikau on the fifth deal with, leaving the second-rower to kick — just for it to exit on the complete.
Fox League analyst Michael Ennis referred to as the play “ridiculous” and declared the Dogs’ halves “have to be better.”
He added that the “thought process” behind the workforce’s assault was “bewildering”and suspected that Ciraldo can be “frustrated.”
Ciraldo was capable of finding the positives within the efficiency, however declared a number of the attacking selections have been “unacceptable.”
“We lacked cohesion at times around that area and around a lot of other areas as well,” he mentioned.
“We’re a new team, we had three debutants today and five guys making their club debut.
“We’re going to get better every week but today there were some things that we didn’t do well and are unacceptable for us moving forward.
“But I still think we showed a hell of a lot of grit there at times to defend our tryline, stick together and stay in the contest physically. There were a lot of lessons learned.”
Controversial sin-bin pricey for Dogs | 01:06
SOUTHS MAKE SCARY STATEMENT AS RIGHT EDGE SHINES
Souths have lengthy had the very best attacking left facet within the sport, however the growth of their proper edge and their improved defence has sounded an early title warning.
Souths coach Jason Demetriou believes the evolution and stability in his proper edge can assist take the facet to a different stage in 2023 after their 27-18 win over the Sharks.
“I think our right side really grew last year,” Demetriou mentioned.
“I think at the back end of last year we were as dominant or as dangerous on our right edge as we were on our left.
“The evolution of Keaon Koloamatangi and Campbell Graham has only added to that and I thought Izaac Thompson was good tonight.
“I think the big thing is we have got some stability on that edge and we had a lot of changes, but we have sort of found who that edge is.
“They have spent some time in the pre-season training together and they nailed it tonight. They were very good.”
Demetriou additionally revealed that Souths have made a degree of basing their sport round their defence in 2023, which as soon as added to their sensible attacking sport could make Souths very laborious to beat.
“We want to build our season on defence,” Demetriou mentioned.
“We make no secret about that and I thought two tries from kicks we can deal with them a bit better, but other than that we were pretty clinical defensively.
“They struggled to break our line and if we keep doing that we know we have got points in us.”
Another space that would take Souths to the title is the evolution; of their halfback Lachlan Ilias, who put in his greatest efficiency in first grade in opposition to the Sharks.
“I don’t know, it is up there he was good,” Demetriou mentioned when requested if that was Ilias’ greatest efficiency.
”He wasn’t good and I didn’t suppose he was going to be. I didn’t suppose anybody was going to be it’s Round 1. ”But he’s a primary grader. He has a longtime first grader and he is aware of the way to play footy and I assumed he recognized some areas that we might exploit within the first half and within the second half they have been fairly scientific in going after it.”
Ilias’ defence was particularly sturdy and if he continues in that kind, Souths gained’t have loads of chinks of their defensive armour.
“That effort in the first half that was a big play,” Demetriou mentioned of Ilias’ defence.
“”We went up the opposite finish and scored as nicely, however I’ve watched him do that each one pre-season. I’ve seen him make these efforts and each week and I wasn’t shocked to see him put it in.”
Souths outlast Sharks in epic conflict | 02:51
BRONCOS’ DEFENCE STUN NEW-LOOK PANTHERS
Brisbane’s defence clinched their first win in Penrith since 2009 due to flawless reads from Kotoni Staggs and a few determined goal-line efforts.
Staggs made his presence identified along with his kick-pressure and a brutal shutdown of Jarome Luai, with the star centre making 19 tackles in his 57 minutes.
Adam Reynolds and Billy Walters additionally got here up trumps with a late try-saver on Luai because the new-look Panthers struggled to search out the killer blow.
“It’s a great moment,” Broncos legend Gordon Tallis mentioned in regards to the win on Fox League.
“I think it’s the first time in a couple of years I’ve seen so much resilience on their tryline in defence. I don’t know how many sets the Panthers had 20 metres out (from full time).
“It was one of those moments where Brisbane dug deep. Penrith had their chances, they threw everything at them and I think it’s a moment where the Broncos believed in themselves.”
Penrith’s lack of hooker Api Koroisau and three-time Dally M Second-rower of the Year Viliame Kikau was felt laborious on Friday evening with Michael Ennis mentioning that the Panthers’ assault seemed “one-paced” with out them.
Broncos buck the development to beat Panthers | 01:35
“Just watching that left hand side, I know we’re going to talk about the losses of Koroisau and Kikau all season, but they’re just a little one-paced,” Ennis mentioned.
“Jarome Luai looks a little lost at the moment, a couple of times he’s opted to take on the short side and (Luke) Garner’s been a little flat-footed. The timing is just not there yet.”
Panthers legend Greg Alexander conceded that this was all the time going to occur after farewelling two of their most vital gamers.
“I think everyone realises that this season was going to be different,” Alexander mentioned.
“This isn’t 2022 or 2021, this is a different Penrith side, they are coming off two premiership wins.
“But the challenge is enormous and take the two players who have now moved onto other clubs, Kikau and Koroisau.
“Doesn’t matter how you sugar-coat it, they are massive losses and it will take them time.”
Panthers pair get heated after loss! | 00:25
KOROISAU BENCHED AS TIGERS’ NEW ERA OFF TO ROCKY START
The Tigers have been hoping for a brand new daybreak on the membership underneath Tim Sheens, however their first up 22-10 loss to the Titans at house supplied little hope to their lengthy struggling followers.
Sheens made the perplexing choice to bench his key recruit and skipper Api Koroisau in a transfer that clearly didn’t have the specified impact.
The ploy labored within the lead-up to the finals final yr for the Panthers, however that they had a stacked workforce, which the Tigers don’t.
To play your largest and costliest signing and certainly one of your key playmakers off the bench after naming him captain isn’t the type of message Sheens ought to be sending to the Tigers trustworthy from Round 1.
Sheens supplied an evidence for his confounding name in his press convention.
“Joe Ofahengaue and Api (Koroisau) haven’t played a game and both of them are coming of injuries,” Sheens mentioned.
“Jake (Simpkin) has played two games so we started with him and put Api on and Joe the same.”
Sheens was pressed on whether or not he would choose to play his captain off the bench once more subsequent week.
“Let me get over what has just happened before I start thinking about that,” Sheens bristled.
It is a good query as a result of the Tigers can’t afford to get off to a sluggish begin after holding excessive hopes for his or her season following a shrewd recruitment drive.
The Panthers clearly missed Koroisau’s affect in opposition to the Broncos on Friday evening and the Tigers can’t get the very best out of him if he’s on the bench.
Granted, he might have been underdone, nevertheless it sends a poor message bringing your captain off the bench to start out the season in a house sport they’d have been trying to win to make an announcement early.
Sheens additionally wouldn’t decide to star English import John Bateman taking part in subsequent week.
“I won’t commit too much on that. John’s just landed, basically, he’s settling in, still doesn’t know the players,” he mentioned.
“I’m not going to push him if we don’t think he’s ready. If it was a grand final this week he’d have played, put it that way.
“But we’ve invested four years in him and I’m not going to ruin the opportunity early by pushing him through because we’ve lost a game.”
Tigers Press Conference | 08:28
LITTLE-KNOWN EELS RECRUITS DELIVER
With a number of massive identify gamers departing the Eels, together with Isaiah Papali’i and Marata Niukore, Arthur was determined for his low season recruits to ship.
Despite taking place to the Storm in a golden-point thriller, J’maine Hopgood and Matt Doorey stood tall.
Hopgood performed all 84 minutes of the competition and recorded a staggering 55 tackles to go along with 164 working metres from 21 carries and 6 offloads.
Arthur spoke extremely of the previous Panthers efficiency, slotting into the No.13 jersey and excelling in solely his tenth NRL look.
“He was strong, really strong, in 84 minutes, that is tough in Round 1 for any middle,” Arthur mentioned.
“And he probably hasn’t done a lot of it, done it at NSW Cup level, but it is a different speed and different intensity in the NRL.”
Doorey, who joined the Eels from the Bulldogs, additionally earned reward from his new coach, forging a partnership with Will Penisini on the proper facet of the sphere.
“There’s some positives out of it, I thought Matt Doorey tried really hard,” Arthur mentioned.
“I thought all those blokes who got their chance stepped up.”
Meanwhile, Jack Murchie and Jirah Momoisea additionally made their debuts within the blue and gold jersey.
Murchie, who departed the Warriors within the low season, ran for 100 metres with 38 post-contact metres off the bench, additionally recording a powerful 29 tackles.
Despite Harry Grant stealing victory in additional time, Arthur remained steadfast his workforce had alternatives to take the factors and break Bellamy’s good first spherical document.
“I feel like we did enough and put ourselves in positions to win that game,” Arthur mentioned.
Get all the most recent NRL news, highlights and evaluation delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!
Storm sink Eels on opening evening | 03:33
INCREDIBLE PLAY PROVES GRANT CAN DO IT ALL
Replacing Cameron Smith was all the time going to be a tall job however Melbourne rapidly discovered its answer with one of many league’s most harmful one-two punches.
Former Storm ahead Dale Finucane described it as “two for the price of one” when chatting with NCA Newswire again in 2021.
“Brandon and Harry have a dynamic running game and craft around the ruck as well,” Finucane mentioned on the time.
“They bring different strengths. Brandon’s ability to play lock as well frees up the time for Harry to play at hooker. It has been a really good headache for Craig to have since the start of the year but a really good dynamic for our team.”
With Brandon Smith shifting to the Roosters this yr although, the Storm would as an alternative should lean much more closely on Grant to supply an identical spark.
Grant did simply that on Thursday in opposition to Parramatta, with an instinctive run out of dummy-half seeing the Melbourne hooker rating the game-winning strive in golden level.
What made the play much more spectacular was the actual fact Grant had performed for your complete 84 minutes, making 54 tackles within the course of.
Thursday evening’s sport was a scrappy affair, one which was not essentially conducive to the fast-paced type of sport Grant thrives in.
But Grant nonetheless discovered a approach to threaten the road within the second half earlier than doing all of it himself and proving he generally is a match-winner even with out Smith’s presence via the center.
“It came down to Harry Grant playing 80 minutes in the middle, with no Brandon Smith and what a play,” Gorden Tallis mentioned on Fox League.
Harry GRANT’S Melbourne GP victory! | 00:45
COWBOYS SPINE SHINES AS TOWNSEND DELIVERS KNOCKOUT BLOW
The Cowboys have one of the settled spines within the NRL and it confirmed in a good contest down the stretch in opposition to the Raiders on Saturday.
Reece Robson was distinctive out of dummyhalf, Tom Dearden dominated along with his working sport and Chad Townsend got here up with the match successful subject aim.
The Cowboys weren’t at their greatest, however their backbone was in a position to preserve calm and get the outcome when the sport was on the road.
Mal Meninga believes the Cowboys are simply dealing with issues higher when momentum goes in opposition to them and so they don’t panic.
“They are a good footy team at the moment,” Meninga mentioned.
“They just keep winning those big moments and momentum swings against them.
“That field goal was enormous.”
Dearden seemed harmful each time he ran the ball and completed with 82 run metres from 9 runss to go along with 4 deal with busts.
Cowboys steal 1 level victory vs Raiders | 00:57
“He has been excellent,” Meninga mentioned.
“We always talk about his ball running ability, but today he made four tackle breaks in the first half.
“How strong is he? He is putting the defences under pressure at the moment.
“He is playing terrific footy.”
Townsend admitted the Cowboys didn’t play at their greatest, however he confirmed a relaxed head to get the workforce again into good subject place and slot the match winner when the sport was on the road.
Despite their second half wobble, Cooper Cronk believes the Cowboys backbone is simply carrying on from the work they did final season.
“Their spine looks very slick,” Cronk mentioned.
“Drinkwater two tries, Robson was very strong as well, so they look like they have just taken up off what they did last year and continued on.”
“The RLPA and NRL don’t trust coaches!” | 01:13
MARTIN STUNS IN WARRIORS DEBUT
While Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad earned lofty reward after an unimaginable efficiency on return to the Warriors, one other man was key for New Zealand in response to Andrew Webster.
The Rookie coach identified low season recruit Te Maire Martin as a key participant for his facet this season and couldn’t communicate greater of the five-eighth.
Martin recorded a strive help and two line break assists, taking part in a large hand in Nicoll-Klokstad’s essential second half strive.
“Te Maire is just a competitor, one of those guys that everyone wants to play with,” Webster mentioned.
“He’s just had a baby, missed a couple of days of training, but you are going to see some really good stuff from him in attack.
“I think he’s going to be really important for us, I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Te Maire for a long time.”
Warriors captain Tohu Harris, who himself was spectacular within the first sport of the season, additionally labelled Martin one of many facet’s “best competitors”.
“He is certainly really calm, but he has the other side to him too, last two minutes of the game and he is flying out of the line trying to tackle Lachie Miller,” Harris mentioned.
“He’s one of our best competitors, he shows that in moments but he does have that calm side to him and seems to take the right option a lot of the time.
“As a half that’s a great trait to have.”
CNK steps and stars for Warriors | 00:44
WARRIORS DEFENSIVE RESILIENCE RETURNS
In 2022, the Warriors had the worst defensive document of any NRL workforce, permitting their rivals to run in 700 factors.
In their first spherical conflict, defence rained supreme because the New Zealand facet made 295 tackles, 34 greater than the Knights in a 20-12 win.
Rookie coach Andrew Webster acquired his NRL profession off to a successful begin and already noticed a shift in attitudes from his outfit.
“I am proud of the boys, to get Round 1 done and win… it was pretty cool out there,” Webster said.
“We made it hard for ourselves but there was three big chunks of resilience we showed tonight.
“We kept turning up for each other and that was the most pleasing part.”
“The boys are already talking about it in there, there is already a hell of a lot of growth in what we want to do.
“If you think about you get away with two points, and have that resilience in so many parts of the game.
“In Round 1 no one is every going to be perfect, even though you feel really good about it going into it.
“Just really pleasing we dug in, I think we did it against Melbourne in the trial so it’s not a fluke, if we keep going it looks like it is going to be our DNA.”
Captain Tohu Harris additionally mentioned it’s “different being back home” and likewise pointed to a shift within the tradition of the membership, having completed in fifteenth and twelfth within the final two seasons.
“There was a huge difference in terms of that resilience, and that want to compete and turn up for each other,” Harris mentioned.
“If we have players like Charnze who turns up in that one moment, and that one moment that could have flipped the other way.
“If we have players who can turn up, that just builds confidence, builds the teams resilience and that is infectious.”
Warriors’ successful begin in Wellington | 01:00
HOLBROOK’S WORD TO OFF-CONTRACT FIFITA
Titans coach Justin Holbrook revealed he pulled celebrity David Fifita apart within the lead as much as their Round 1 conflict in opposition to the Tigers.
Holbrook instructed Fifita to “knuckle down” as he didn’t need the backrower’s contract scenario to grow to be a distraction for his or her Round 1 conflict.
The 23-year-old is off contract on the finish of the season and is at present weighing up whether or not to re-sign with the Titans or head again to the Broncos.
A call is anticipated within the coming weeks and Holbrook mentioned Fifita can take so long as he likes so long as it doesn’t influence his soccer.
“There was a lot of talk this week which isn’t ideal for him or us going into Round 1,” Holbrook mentioned.
“He’s been in this position since November where he’s been (on the open market) and no one really spoke a lot and then Round 1 came around and everyone wanted to talk about it.
“Early in the week we chatted about it, I said ‘Mate we’ve got to knuckle down, we can’t afford to slip up Round 1 and use it as an excuse’ and to Dave’s credit he came out on the Friday session and trained really well so he gave the players and myself a lot of confidence that it wasn’t going to be an issue tonight and it clearly wasn’t.”
Fifita completed with 162 metres from 17 carries, 5 deal with busts, one linebreak, one strive help and he made 27 tackles but in addition missed six.
“We all know how dangerous he is with the ball but he had to do a mountain of defence today and we didn’t have much ball so credit to Dave that he got on with the game and had a big impact,” Holbrook mentioned.
“In terms of when the decision is, I don’t know, as long as he plays well that’s the main thing for us.”
Brimson the silencer at Leichhardt Oval | 00:35
Titans captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui mentioned he has “100 per cent” been in Fifita’s ear about staying on the membership however mentioned he would respect his choice both approach.
“Everyone knows what David is capable of and we want him at the club and it’s on him to make that decision but he knows that I support him and his family no matter what,” he mentioned.
“But hopefully he stays because seeing what he can do tonight he’s only going to get better and it’s going to be awesome for our year.”
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
