Find somebody who predicted this NRL ladder after three rounds and we’ll discover you a liar.
It proved one other weekend of upsets and after simply three weeks the 2022 ladder has been nearly flipped the wrong way up.
The outcomes left the Broncos and Dolphins on prime of the ladder heading right into a mouth-watering very first ‘Battle of Brisbane’.
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 >
That conflict needs to be simply as fiery because the Roosters and Rabbitohs who produced fireworks at a packed Allianz Stadium on Friday evening.
Grand finalists Parramatta are actually 0-3 and the final time that occurred they collected the spoon, however the Eels gained’t be ending seventeenth if the Wests Tigers have something to say about it.
The Storm produced a second straight shocker and fell to the Titans, whereas the Warriors upset the Cowboys to snap a 13-game shedding streak in Australia.
The Bulldogs are within the prime eight for the primary time in years, whereas Ricky’s Raiders acquired off the mark in 2023 with a ninth straight win over the Sharks.
Here are the largest speaking factors out of Round 3.
BRONCOS AND DOLPHINS SET UP EPIC BATTLE OF BRISBANE
In their wildest goals, NRL officers couldn’t have imagined the inaugural ‘Battle of Brisbane’ being a top-of-the-table conflict.
But right here we’re.
The undefeated Broncos and Dolphins will do battle at a sold-out Suncorp Stadium on Friday evening following their sensational begins to the season.
The Dolphins dispatched the Knights 36-20 on Friday evening within the membership’s first highway journey, earlier than Brisbane produced a surprising end to beat the Dragons 40-18 on Saturday evening.
Broncos coach Kevin Walters gained 5 premierships in a decade taking part in underneath Dolphins’ maestro Wayne Bennett.
But their relationship shall be placed on ice after they meet for not solely bragging rights however outright prime spot on the ladder.
Bennett has already declared there’s “no pressure” on his facet this week and that the NRL’s latest rivalry would be the “easiest game in the world to coach”.
Walters was loath so as to add any gasoline to the fireplace when he was peppered with questions concerning the conflict after his facet beat the Dragons on Saturday evening.
Walters famously banned the point out of ‘New South Wales’ when he was Queensland coach in 2019, and he appeared to make use of the identical tactic on the Dolphins throughout his post-match press convention on Saturday, earlier than bizarrely declaring the golf equipment aren’t rivals.
“I guess that’s why the Dolphins were put in Brisbane, to create that rivalry, but we’re not rivals of the Dolphins – we’re the Broncos. That’s our club, that’s who we are and that’s our mindset, we are the Broncos.”
NRL nice Cooper Cronk and Kangaroos captain Mal Meninga dissected Walters’ response on Fox League’s panel of specialists.
“Kevvie didn’t want to go anywhere near talking about the Dolphins, which I think is a smart move,” Cronk stated.
“It’s a big test for Kev and his coaching in how he handles Wayne this week and gets his troops up.”
The Dolphins shall be with out enforcer Felise Kaufusi – who has been their most inspirational participant – until they problem and overturn his three-game ban.
Meninga has recognized the coaches for many years and backed each to have their gamers firing on Friday evening.
“I think Wayne will try and take the pressure off his players, that’s the way Wayne deals with the big games,” Meninga stated.
“He’ll come up with something throughout the week that will take a lot of attention away from the team and the media will jump on it.
“Kevvie will keep things light, he’s got a great sense of humour, just to take the pressure off because the game itself will pump the players up – it’s already a sell-out crowd.
“That’s fantastic and the players thrive in that environment. It’s about trying to keep a level head and keep them right so when they go over that white line so that they’re ready to play.”
Broncos Press Conference | 07:11
TIGERS FACING SECOND SPOON AS BATEMAN’S DEBUT FALLS FLAT
The solely factor hotter than Belmore on Sunday afternoon was the blowtorch being utilized to the Wests Tigers after an hour of ineptitude noticed them lose 26-22 to the Bulldogs, who nearly threw it away in 5 minutes of insanity.
Losing back-to-back video games at Leichhardt Oval was unhealthy sufficient, however they someway acquired worse with a downright dreadful show towards the Dogs which was softened by three tries in 4 minutes that someway arrange a grandstand end.
This was a crew spruiked as one of many greatest improvers in 2023, however they’ve proven nothing within the opening three rounds to recommend they’ll do higher than their picket spoon end from final 12 months.
It took greater than 60 minutes for David Klemmer to register the Tigers’ first line-break, and it appeared to spark them into life with Luke Brooks scoring one and establishing one other in a startling burst that nobody noticed coming.
The assault earlier than that was so unhealthy that Tim Sheens determined to hook winger David Nofolauma which prompted an epic backline reshuffle that noticed Adam Doueihi go to fullback and allowed Brandon Wakeham to shine within the halves.
But Sheens refused to clarify the choice in a weird post-match press convention.
Star recruit John Bateman, who signed on a deal price about $800,000 a season, additionally made his membership debut, however could have been left sidelined for one more week if it wasn’t for Isaiah Papali’i’s suspension in keeping with Tim Sheens.
Sheens was determined for the English worldwide to encourage his troops to their first win of their 2023 marketing campaign, however the 29-year-old backrower struggled.
Across the 80 minutes, Bateman ran for less than 70 metres and made three errors, conceding a singular penalty.
He additionally bombed the Tigers’ finest probability at a four-pointer within the first half, grubbering the ball by the road earlier than he fumbled the grounding.
While Bateman didn’t show to be an enormous contributor, skipper Apisai Koroisau spoke extremely of his management on the sector and Sheens revealed he doesn’t even know each play the Tigers run.
“Yeah it was awesome, his chat out there was incredible, he is a proper leader, coming into this squad you can see he is a true competitor,” Koroisau stated.
“Everyone was trying to push him early, but he had just come from overseas and didn’t have much of a pre-season, so we pulled him in when we thought he was ready.”
Let’s Trot! – 2 males, 3 passes.. 95M TRY | 00:48
SCHUSTER BURSTS OUT OF THE BLOCKS
Sea Eagles younger gun Josh Schuster was sensational within the first sport of into his long-awaited change from the backrow to five-eighth.
Schuster arrange three tries in a 34-30 win over the Eels, however none higher than a cheeky chip near the road which noticed Tom Trbojevic rating.
The 21-year-old missed the beginning of the season with a calf criticism and was partnering captain Daly Cherry-Evans within the halves for simply the second time in his NRL profession.
“Schuster was the best player on the field,” Matthew Johns stated on Fox League.
“In rugby league, you get what you deserve, and all off-season Schuster has been training his backside off. He’s fitter, he’s moving better, he’s more focused.
“You can see tonight, he was terrific.”
Bryan Fletcher added: “He’s good to watch. He’s not going to be perfect every week — he’s going to have errors in him, because that’s the way he plays.
“You need an X-factor to win the competition — Souths have got Latrell, Chooks have got Teddy. This kid here, at 21 years of age, and the size of him… if Seibold can just get him to dummy and run.”
Queensland legend Gorden Tallis – who wasn’t a fan of Schuster transferring into the halves – additionally referred to as on the younger gun to focus extra on his working sport.
“He’s 100 kilos … I think he’s still got to back his running game first,” Tallis stated.
“Wally Lewis said it best, ‘Run first, pass second, kick third.’
“He’d be a handful just running the football.”
Johns continued: “A couple of years ago, he was the player I enjoyed watching most in the competition.
“He goes so straight into the line, that’s what results in the no-look passes, because he’s so direct.
“Last year, he wasn’t in tip-top shape, and it happens with talented young players. Suddenly, they start to focus more on the flair rather than the bread and butter. Tonight, you see him back, and he’s focused. What a performance.”
Manly maintain off Eels in WILD ending! | 03:04
COWBOYS FADE OFF INTO THE SUNSET, AGAIN
The Cowboys pale after a quick begin for the third week in a row, this time shedding to the Warriors 26-12 regardless of main 12-6 early.
North Queensland failed to attain after the 14th minute because the Warriors piled on 4 unanswered tries to win it comfortably.
In their season opener the Cowboys raced to an 18-0 after 35 minutes towards the Raiders, however they solely held on for a 19-18 win through a Seventy fifth-minute discipline objective.
The following week they led the Broncos 8-0 after 20 minutes earlier than shedding 28-16, and the development continued towards the Warriors.
A “disappointed” Cowboys coach Todd Payten admitted his gamers have been missing belief in each other defensively.
“The three parts you have to get right, we haven’t ticked one,” Payten stated.
“Our ball control isn’t good enough, our discipline isn’t good enough and if those two aren’t right you’ve got to scramble hard and defend your line.
“We’re conceding far too many points and not giving ourselves an opportunity to win the game.
“Parts of it there’s a lack of trust in one another, we’re too kind on the ground and allow the opposition to play the ball far too quickly, which puts our team under pressure.”
Cowboys captain Chad Townsend shot down ideas it got here all the way down to complacency after their gorgeous 2022 season, however acknowledged there are issues.
“We’re just not getting the job done for the full 80 minutes. Our starts have been great, usually it’s the opposite,” he stated.
“It’s about a bit of accountability for all of us, for guys to get our jobs done for longer periods and we spoke about that in the pre-season.
“It was a classic case of that tonight, we didn’t get some big moments right and were forced to defend a lot and the Warriors capitalised.
“Losing a few guys this week puts a bit of a dent in your cohesion and the way you play.
“But we’re working really hard with our attack and we have full confidence with our plan and the style the coaches give us, we’ve just got to do it for longer periods, simple as that.
“We just have to get back to training well and preparing well, that’s where our consistency came from last year.”
Warriors pull off shock win towards Cows | 00:41
PEZET LIVES UP TO THE HYPE IN STUNNING DEBUT
Young gun Jonah Pezet’s NRL debut was one to recollect for the rising star, regardless of happening to the Titans.
Eagle-eyed NRL followers will keep in mind the 20-year-old halfback making a reputation for himself within the 2022 Under 19s Origin sequence.
Pezet was named man of the match and recorded a staggering 4 attempt assists, main NSW to a convincing 32-4 victory.
Experienced coach Craig Bellamy had clearly seen sufficient handy the younger gun an NRL debut and he was referred to as in as a late change for Tyran Wishart.
Pezet was in every single place within the first half, recording a try to two attempt assists in his first 40 minutes of first grade, burning Aaron Schoupp to cross for a four-pointer.
“What a moment for the 20-year-old, wasn’t much happening but he got an offload… Pezet in game one is away,” Fox League’s Warren Smith stated.
“He put Aaron Schoupp in the chair didn’t he, and from that point he couldn’t match it… pretty pumped about it as well, sensational scenes.”
Speaking at halftime, halves companion Jahrome Hughes stated the younger gun was “really confident in himself” and had the power to again himself, even on debut.
“Pezet has had a wonderful start to his NRL career,” Fox League’s Corey Parker added.
Pezet’s influence was restricted within the second interval, however Melbourne’s choice to let second-string playmaker Cooper Johns depart the membership has clearly been vindicated.
Pezet might also now be a robust possibility for Bellamy’s No.14 spot, with Tyran Wishart having performed within the function to begin the season previous to Cameron Munster’s damage.
According to Bellamy, Munster will sit out for yet one more spherical, giving Pezet one other probability to shine within the beginning facet.
Rivals may also possible be watching carefully, with each Munster and halfback Jahrome Hughes signed long-term, blocking Pezet’s path to common beginning first grade.
Pezet SPLITS Titans in dream debut | 00:45
HAAS SAVES BEST FOR LAST TO INSPIRE COMEBACK WIN
The Broncos produced their most dominant half of soccer in years they usually did it whereas solely utilizing their finest participant for the primary and final 10 minutes of it.
Superstar prop Payne Haas got here off within the fiftieth minute then returned to the sport within the seventieth and Brisbane scored six tries throughout these two 10-minute shifts.
Haas performed an instrumental function within the comeback 40-18 win over the Dragons.
“He’s turned the game on its head in the last five or six minutes through sheer force and physicality, he is an absolute weapon,” Mick Ennis stated within the 78th minute.
“He looks like a machine, he just never looks fatigued. 176 metres again and he looks like he could play another full game. What a phenomenal athlete, just phenomenal.”
Haas completed with 198 run metres from 18 carries, two linebreak assists, one deal with bust and two offloads, whereas additionally making 21 tackles.
“It’s pretty special for us (to be undefeated), not making the finals last year was a big wake-up call for us. We’ve been working really hard in the pre-season and finally it’s showing,” Haas stated on Fox League.
“Patty (Carrigan), we’re best mates and train hard next to each other and I feel like we know each other’s in and outs, playing off Patty it’s pretty easy. Happy with the second half there.
“I think we’re capable of big things (this season). We were pretty close last year but just weren’t good enough so we’re learning from that and building.
“Everyone could see how good we can play footy last year but we just dropped off at the end of the year. Obviously it’s our choices away from the field too and how we look after ourselves and how we train. I don’t think we trained as hard at the back end of the year, we took the foot off the accelerator.”
Broncos coach Kevin Walters stated that Haas’ second stint proved game-changing.
“He played big minutes, he always does for us but he was pretty gassed so we gave him a decent spell on the sidelines,” Walters stated.
“But he really broke the game open with his ball-running, how strong he is, and a couple of offloads… he showed his class.”
It’s solely Round 3 however the 23-year-old already appears on monitor to win his fifth straight Paul Morgan Medal as Brisbane’s participant of the 12 months.
Broncos late-game surge seals win in R3 | 02:09
SHARKS STRUGGLING AS HALVES HEADACHE LOOMS
Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon penned an enormous contract extension over the summer time, incomes a brand new deal till 2027 on the again of his gorgeous rookie 12 months final season.
But it’s been a sluggish begin to 2023 with out his finest participant – Nicho Hynes – and heading into Round 4 Cronulla have produced only one win to sit down twelfth on the ladder.
“I understand there’s no Nicho and Trindall is playing some great football but the Sharks have not been themselves in the first three weeks,” Matty Johns stated.
“They got the win against the Eels last week but their defence let them down. It’s only early season but there’s things in their game that Craig Fitzgibbon would be disappointed with.”
Nathan Hindmarsh then declared the Sharks “definitely lost” and pointed to their ultimate set with the sport on the road as proof.
“They needed to score four points to level it and they had a set to get down the field but they were just stock standard plays one after the other,” Hindmarsh stated.
“They couldn’t find anything in the whole set, not one offload, nothing, they didn’t try anything different.”
Hynes returns subsequent week however one of many few positives for Fitzgibbon has been how properly halfback Braydon Trindall has performed in his absence.
The reigning Dally M Medallist will return from a calf damage towards the Dragons on Sunday, which may go away five-eighth Matt Moylan within the firing line.
But Fitzgibbon revealed he could not even must make the robust choice name with Trindall selecting up an ankle damage towards the Raiders.
“Nicho is coming back into the team but Braydon has done exceptional,” Fitzgibbon stated.
“That’s why we re-signed him, we believe in him for the future, how long can a young half stay up at that level is another debate but he’ll be part of our team whether it’s a utility or he might not.
“We’ll get to the team selections later in the week but we have faith in him.”
Raiders land first win towards Sharks | 02:24
STAR DUO’S ‘ENORMOUS’ STATEMENT IN ROOSTERS WIN
When the Roosters have been down 10-nil, coach Trent Robinson knew precisely who to show to — Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Brandon Smith.
Waerea-Hargreaves, who returned from a calf damage, and Smith each began the sport on the bench earlier than having a direct influence after they have been injected within the twenty fourth minute.
Smith scored the Roosters’ first attempt of the evening when he darted out of dummy half and tricked the defence with a show-and-go.
“If you ever want to make a statement to your new team, do it in the biggest grudge match of the season,” Cooper Cronk stated.
“Crafty from Brandon Smith at dummy half… For a guy that makes his career out of fighting over a loose piece of meat, he’s gone after it with some silky skills.
“Brandon Smith has just arrived at the Sydney Roosters.”
The shift in momentum was apparent from that time on as Waerea-Hargreaves rolled up his sleeves and acquired by a mountain of labor.
The star prop took 9 runs for 70 metres in simply 16 minutes with legendary ahead Gordon Tallis saying: “He just wanted to turn this ship around and he did.”
Greg Alexander declared the distinction the pair made on the facet as “enormous,” whereas Michael Ennis stated the Roosters “looked miles off the pace” till they got here onto the sector.
Roosters rally to take out rivals | 04:04
RICKY STUART SEES HIMSELF IN FIERY REDHEAD
Canberra coach Ricky Stuart has revealed he sees numerous himself in Corey Horsburgh, who starred towards the Sharks with the primary double of his profession.
The two-try hero doubled his profession tally on Sunday evening and was additionally concerned in a fiery trade with Royce Hunt which noticed the Sharks prop binned.
Horsburgh had been pestering Hunt for many of the match and pushed him over following a scrum within the 53rd minute.
Hunt jumped straight again to his ft and went after Horsburgh – who invited a punch – and the large man then threw out his left arm.
The commotion disrupted Cronulla’s line of defense and one minute later it was none apart from Horsburgh who crossed to provide the Raiders a 24-10 lead.
Horsburgh, 25, debuted for Canberra in 2019 however has come into his personal in recent times and grow to be an integral a part of the Green Machine pack.
“Corey Horsburgh’s a very emotional kid. And I have the same type of personality. And I understand. It can let you down on the field. I know it let me down as a player,” Stuart stated.
“Corey’s working really hard on controlling his emotions.
“I think he’s maturing and developing into a player who understands what his emotions can do to his game.
“They can also help his game, too … when he’s got his emotions right he’s a massive help for our team.”
Hunt throws first PUNCH of 2023 season! | 00:50
– with Andrew Jackson and Nic Savage
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
