Latest news with #LukeMetcalf
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jett Cleary thwarts Taylan May as young gun takes big step out of brother's shadow
Jett Cleary didn't miss a beat on Sunday as the Warriors' NSW Cup extended their winning streak to 12. The younger brother of Panthers superstar Nathan Cleary, Jett has been handed a massive opportunity to shine at the Warriors after a season-ending injury for NRL halfback Luke Metcalf. Tanah Boyd has been tasked with stepping up from NSW Cup to NRL level, which in turn has seen Cleary promoted from Jersey Flegg (Under-21s) to NSW Cup. The 20-year-old played his third NSW Cup game of the season on Saturday, and showed he belongs in the higher level. Starting at halfback, Jett steered his side to a 22-14 victory over the Magpies - the club's 12th on the trot in reserve grade. The first-placed Warriors will play the seventh-placed Bears in Round 20 with a chance to create history for the club. The record for most-consecutive wins in NSW Cup is jointly held by Parramatta (2005) and Cronulla (2013), who both won 13 in a row. With a historic streak on the line, Cleary showed no signs of nerves on Sunday. He had a hand in three of the Warriors' four tries, including a brilliant off-load close to the ground and a stunning moment on the fourth try in which he spread the ball wide by kicking it off the ground rather than picking it up. But his finest moment came in defence late in the game. Taylan May, who is attempting to make a comeback with the Wests Tigers after being dumped by the Panthers, scored a hat-trick in a stellar performance that would have impressed first-grade coach Benji Marshall. And Cleary denied him a try assist with a desperate play in the dying stages. May made a break and then chipped over the top of the fullback, but Cleary came from the clouds to knock the ball dead when it looked like the Magpies were certain to score. May completed his hat-trick after the ensuing line drop-out, but Cleary's desperation caught the eye of keen observers. The 20-year-old is trying to make a name for himself away from the pressure and weight of expectation at Penrith. A Panthers junior, Jett split from brother Nathan and father Ivan when he signed a three-year deal with the Warriors last year. He said he's keen to forge his own path and doesn't want it to look like he's riding on the coat-tails of his family members. With Metcalf out for the season, Cleary now has an opportunity to show he belongs at the higher level of NSW Cup. Boyd has been brilliant in reserve-grade in 2025, and continued his stellar form at NRL level on Saturday. In his first opportunity in the Warriors' No.7 jersey in first-grade, the veteran starred as the Kiwi team ended a two-game losing streak with a 34-14 victory over the Wests Tigers. Boyd joined the Warriors this year after six seasons with the Titans, but had to bide his time in the reserves. RELATED: Sam Walker linked to rival NRL club amid news about dad and uncle Panthers star hit with ban over illegal act that injured Parra player He kicked well and had a key try assist on Saturday. "He's been frustrated inside, but he hasn't showed it externally, not once," coach Andrew Webster said. "I just said, 'That's a real test to your character, that the team aren't seeing you kicking stones and the team are actually seeing you working hard, and you're making the rest of the club better'. He was a big part of why the NSW Cup team have won 12 in a row, then plays a big part when he gets his opportunity tonight, so just really proud of his character more than anything else."
RNZ News
09-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
NZ Warriors hand keys to Tanah Boyd, as Te Maire Martin proves too valuable on bench
Tanah Boyd has had to wait until Round 19 for his Warriors debut. Photo: Tertius Pickard/ Warriors v Tigers Kickoff 4pm Sunday, 13 July Go Media Stadium, Auckland Live blog updates on RNZ Sport Te Maire Martin's newfound versatility appears to have cost him a starting spot in the NZ Warriors halves against Wests Tigers on Sunday. Handily placed at fourth on the NRL table, the Auckland club suffered a potentially crippling blow when star halfback Luke Metcalf ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in his knee against Brisbane Broncos two weeks ago. He will now sit out the remainder of the 2025 campaign. Coach Andrew Webster has turned to newcomer Tanah Boyd as Metcalf's replacement , as they [ emerge from two losses and a bye week] to take on a dangerously unpredictable Tigers outfit at Go Media Stadium. Boyd, 24, has previously logged 69 appearances for Gold Coast Titans and has been a driving force in a Warriors reserves team riding an 11-game winning streak in NSW Cup competition. He's waited patiently for his club debut. "We're really disappointed for Luke, but excited about the next chapter," Webster said. "I think [Boyd] has just got himself so NRL ready. "We're really confident in his ability and he's just got to be himself - he plays a different style to Luke - and we know, if he does that, we'll be in good shape." Martin, 29, was the other obvious candidate for the role and started there for North Queensland Cowboys in the , but has instead been retained as a utility off the interchange bench , where he has started his nine games for the Warriors season. His value was perfectly shown against the Broncos, when he entered the game as an concussion-check replacement for Wayde Egan at hooker, switched to fullback at half-time and then stepped into Metcalf's spot late in the contest. "If you've got the keys to the car and then lose your fullback halfway through the game, you don't want Te Maire to go to [fullback]," Webster explained. "You need the guy at No.7 to stay there. "That's what we want Tanah to do and he deserves it, because he's played well. I don't think many teams have a guy like Te Maire, who can play [fullback], centre, hooker, lock and half, and do such a great job." Martin is in the final year of his Warriors contract, but far from being discouraged at his current role, he seems refreshed by the opportunity to develop new skills. "It's actually pretty fun, learning new roles - keeps it exciting," he told media last month. "It's probably the most fun I've had. "Even though I'm playing my least minutes, I'm learning a lot and enjoying the company around me." Before voting went behind closed doors, Metcalf led the Dally M Medal standings for the competition's Most Valuable Player and was also the Warriors' leading tryscorer for the season with eight. Boyd offers a very different proposition. "Every halfback has to have the keys, but he drives the car different," Webster said. "That was pretty corny, wasn't it, but that's just the way it is. "He's completely different - they both pass well and kick well, but Tanah can kick the cover off the ball and he's an organiser. "Luke Metcalf is one of the fastest halves in the game - Tanah's not slow, but he's not express. He's very much an organiser and likes to touch the ball all the time." Tanah Boyd kicks a winning field goal against the Warriors in 2022. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ Boyd has often played his best against the Warriors. In 2022, he kicked a Golden Point field goal, as the Titans prevailed 27-26 at Mt Smart, setting the seal on the Warriors' worst-ever season. "I remember, we played them here on Anzac Day last year and he kicked us to death," Webster recalled. "The Titans beat us here at home [27-24] and he was exceptional that day." When Des Hasler took over the coaching reins at Gold Coast, Boyd crossed the Tasman to join the Warriors on a one-year contract, but took up his player option for next season without playing a single minute in first grade. "He's a competitor," Webster observed. "He talks and talks and talks and talks… he'll yap your ears off. "He's a team guy and hasn't played one game for us, but has probably been one of the best culturally this year." Sadly, Metcalf's latest mishap continues a run of injury in his three years at Warriors, after hamstring niggles delayed his 2023 debut until the 12th round, then curtailed his season before the team's playoff run. He missed most of 2024 with a broken leg. "Once he got over the disappointment, in his own words, he's very motivated to have the operation, get back and get ready for next season," Webster said. "Unfortunately, he's had a lot of experience at this, so he's very resilient and tough. "We're really confident he'll get back to his best, but at this moment, I think he needs to take some time and, when he comes back to the group, you'll see a real team guy. He'll make our group better, once he's had a little break." The Warriors were already reeling from the loss of co-captain Mitch Barnett, who suffered a very similar injury , trying to back up from the State of Origin opener in June. Warriors: 1 Taine Tuaupiki, 2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3 Adam Pompey, 4 Rocco Berry, 5 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6 Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7 Tanah Boyd, 8 James Fisher-Harris (c), 9 Wayde Egan, 10 Jackson Ford, 11 Leka Halasima, 12 Marata Niukore, 13 Erin Clark Interchange: 14 Te Maire Martin, 15 Jacob Laban, 16 Demitric Vaimauga, 17 Tanner Stowers-Smith Reserves: 18 Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, 20 Sam Healey, 21 Bunty Afoa, 22 Edward Kosi, 23 Kurt Capewell Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
The Advertiser
09-07-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
A dramatic change at the top sets the tone for the most super of Sundays
If ever the NRL needed the team that seems to fascinate the masses - Wests Tigers - to stand up and be counted it's when they play the Warriors in Auckland on Sunday. A Tigers win would be a sensational start to a three-game schedule on the final day of round 19 because it would very much signal game back on in the battle to make the all-important top four going into the finals. And the two teams currently best placed to break into the top four in the run down to the finals - which are also the two teams any other top-four team would most hate to see there - are due in action later the same day. Sixth-placed Penrith are away to Parramatta in Sunday's second game and the round will then wrap up with fifth-placed Brisbane away to the Gold Coast. Please forgive me for using the pay-TV catchcry, but it really does shape as a Super Sunday. Either the Warriors are going to strike a blow in their desperate bid to hang on to a top-four spot, with the Broncos and Panthers and maybe even one or two others to keep coming, or they're going to become even more vulnerable than they already are. The top four was looking like a lock after round 16, when a six-point gap had opened up between the third and fourth-placed Melbourne and the Warriors, both on 24 points at the time, and the rest of the field. But the competition dramatically changed shape only one round later. It wouldn't have been so bad for the Warriors had their round-17 loss to Brisbane been the worst thing that happened to them that day, but it wasn't. Their star halfback, Luke Metcalf, went down with a season-ending knee injury, which followed on from their NSW State of Origin prop Mitch Barnett having experienced the same fate four rounds earlier. The Warriors had the bye in round 18, which at least for the time being protected what the Broncos had reduced to a four-point advantage over fifth, and now they return to action. But, let's face it, the Warriors are cooked as far as being a genuine chance of winning the premiership is concerned. Even if they still make it to the top four from here, which would be a fine effort, they're not going to have what it takes to go all the way from there. They would be doing very well just to win a game in the finals. The bookmakers have already written them off and they're not taking any real risks when they quote them at $34. None of the top-three teams ahead of this weekend's round - Canberra, on 30 points, and Melbourne and Canterbury, both on 28 - are going to be anywhere else but in the top four going into the finals. It's just a matter of where exactly they're going to be placed and finishing in the top two is very important because of the home-ground advantage it brings those teams in the first week of the finals. But the real interest from now is how the rest of the top eight is going to pan out, with every team down to 12th, definitely, and maybe even right down to 15th still a chance of making the finals from here. I mean, you'd need a vivid imagination to picture any team among Newcastle, Wests Tigers and Parramatta, all on 16 points and four points outside of the top eight, being there come finals time, but it's possible. Tenth-placed Cronulla and the seventh-placed Dolphins, both on 20 points, play each other at Sharks Stadium on Friday night, so one of them has to advance to 22 barring a draw. So, too, will eighth-placed Manly, which has the bye. And if the worst-case scenario develops for the Warriors and they lose to the Tigers and the Broncos and Panthers both win, that would leave the Warriors on 26 and the Broncos and Panthers coming to get them on 24 and 23, respectively. Have you got it in you, Wests Tigers, to help blow this thing wide open? Penrith were in last place on nine points after round 12 and we had to at least consider the possibility that coming off four straight premierships they might actually miss the finals. But much of the competition table has remained compressed all season and even though they were running 17th the Panthers were still only three points outside of the top eight. They haven't lost a game since and in doing so have added another layer of interest to the competition. MORE NRL NEWS After being routinely at or near the top of the table all along during that quartet of premiership-winning years could they come from where they were after round 12 to win it again? And, having made it back into the top eight, could they win it from the bottom half of the finals draw? Well, now we can't rule out the possibility of them making the top four again, which would be a phenomenal effort. IT's going to be fascinating to see how it all pans out at Canterbury over the rest of the season. Their starting halfback Toby Sexton and hooker Reed Mahoney are both leaving the club at the end of the season and their star mid-season recruit Lachlan Galvin is on the bench. The player tipped to be their starting hooker next year, Bailey Hayward, is at lock. That's how the team has been named for the game against North Queensland at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Saturday night anyway. How it looks by the time the finals come around, we'll have to wait and see. If ever the NRL needed the team that seems to fascinate the masses - Wests Tigers - to stand up and be counted it's when they play the Warriors in Auckland on Sunday. A Tigers win would be a sensational start to a three-game schedule on the final day of round 19 because it would very much signal game back on in the battle to make the all-important top four going into the finals. And the two teams currently best placed to break into the top four in the run down to the finals - which are also the two teams any other top-four team would most hate to see there - are due in action later the same day. Sixth-placed Penrith are away to Parramatta in Sunday's second game and the round will then wrap up with fifth-placed Brisbane away to the Gold Coast. Please forgive me for using the pay-TV catchcry, but it really does shape as a Super Sunday. Either the Warriors are going to strike a blow in their desperate bid to hang on to a top-four spot, with the Broncos and Panthers and maybe even one or two others to keep coming, or they're going to become even more vulnerable than they already are. The top four was looking like a lock after round 16, when a six-point gap had opened up between the third and fourth-placed Melbourne and the Warriors, both on 24 points at the time, and the rest of the field. But the competition dramatically changed shape only one round later. It wouldn't have been so bad for the Warriors had their round-17 loss to Brisbane been the worst thing that happened to them that day, but it wasn't. Their star halfback, Luke Metcalf, went down with a season-ending knee injury, which followed on from their NSW State of Origin prop Mitch Barnett having experienced the same fate four rounds earlier. The Warriors had the bye in round 18, which at least for the time being protected what the Broncos had reduced to a four-point advantage over fifth, and now they return to action. But, let's face it, the Warriors are cooked as far as being a genuine chance of winning the premiership is concerned. Even if they still make it to the top four from here, which would be a fine effort, they're not going to have what it takes to go all the way from there. They would be doing very well just to win a game in the finals. The bookmakers have already written them off and they're not taking any real risks when they quote them at $34. None of the top-three teams ahead of this weekend's round - Canberra, on 30 points, and Melbourne and Canterbury, both on 28 - are going to be anywhere else but in the top four going into the finals. It's just a matter of where exactly they're going to be placed and finishing in the top two is very important because of the home-ground advantage it brings those teams in the first week of the finals. But the real interest from now is how the rest of the top eight is going to pan out, with every team down to 12th, definitely, and maybe even right down to 15th still a chance of making the finals from here. I mean, you'd need a vivid imagination to picture any team among Newcastle, Wests Tigers and Parramatta, all on 16 points and four points outside of the top eight, being there come finals time, but it's possible. Tenth-placed Cronulla and the seventh-placed Dolphins, both on 20 points, play each other at Sharks Stadium on Friday night, so one of them has to advance to 22 barring a draw. So, too, will eighth-placed Manly, which has the bye. And if the worst-case scenario develops for the Warriors and they lose to the Tigers and the Broncos and Panthers both win, that would leave the Warriors on 26 and the Broncos and Panthers coming to get them on 24 and 23, respectively. Have you got it in you, Wests Tigers, to help blow this thing wide open? Penrith were in last place on nine points after round 12 and we had to at least consider the possibility that coming off four straight premierships they might actually miss the finals. But much of the competition table has remained compressed all season and even though they were running 17th the Panthers were still only three points outside of the top eight. They haven't lost a game since and in doing so have added another layer of interest to the competition. MORE NRL NEWS After being routinely at or near the top of the table all along during that quartet of premiership-winning years could they come from where they were after round 12 to win it again? And, having made it back into the top eight, could they win it from the bottom half of the finals draw? Well, now we can't rule out the possibility of them making the top four again, which would be a phenomenal effort. IT's going to be fascinating to see how it all pans out at Canterbury over the rest of the season. Their starting halfback Toby Sexton and hooker Reed Mahoney are both leaving the club at the end of the season and their star mid-season recruit Lachlan Galvin is on the bench. The player tipped to be their starting hooker next year, Bailey Hayward, is at lock. That's how the team has been named for the game against North Queensland at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Saturday night anyway. How it looks by the time the finals come around, we'll have to wait and see. If ever the NRL needed the team that seems to fascinate the masses - Wests Tigers - to stand up and be counted it's when they play the Warriors in Auckland on Sunday. A Tigers win would be a sensational start to a three-game schedule on the final day of round 19 because it would very much signal game back on in the battle to make the all-important top four going into the finals. And the two teams currently best placed to break into the top four in the run down to the finals - which are also the two teams any other top-four team would most hate to see there - are due in action later the same day. Sixth-placed Penrith are away to Parramatta in Sunday's second game and the round will then wrap up with fifth-placed Brisbane away to the Gold Coast. Please forgive me for using the pay-TV catchcry, but it really does shape as a Super Sunday. Either the Warriors are going to strike a blow in their desperate bid to hang on to a top-four spot, with the Broncos and Panthers and maybe even one or two others to keep coming, or they're going to become even more vulnerable than they already are. The top four was looking like a lock after round 16, when a six-point gap had opened up between the third and fourth-placed Melbourne and the Warriors, both on 24 points at the time, and the rest of the field. But the competition dramatically changed shape only one round later. It wouldn't have been so bad for the Warriors had their round-17 loss to Brisbane been the worst thing that happened to them that day, but it wasn't. Their star halfback, Luke Metcalf, went down with a season-ending knee injury, which followed on from their NSW State of Origin prop Mitch Barnett having experienced the same fate four rounds earlier. The Warriors had the bye in round 18, which at least for the time being protected what the Broncos had reduced to a four-point advantage over fifth, and now they return to action. But, let's face it, the Warriors are cooked as far as being a genuine chance of winning the premiership is concerned. Even if they still make it to the top four from here, which would be a fine effort, they're not going to have what it takes to go all the way from there. They would be doing very well just to win a game in the finals. The bookmakers have already written them off and they're not taking any real risks when they quote them at $34. None of the top-three teams ahead of this weekend's round - Canberra, on 30 points, and Melbourne and Canterbury, both on 28 - are going to be anywhere else but in the top four going into the finals. It's just a matter of where exactly they're going to be placed and finishing in the top two is very important because of the home-ground advantage it brings those teams in the first week of the finals. But the real interest from now is how the rest of the top eight is going to pan out, with every team down to 12th, definitely, and maybe even right down to 15th still a chance of making the finals from here. I mean, you'd need a vivid imagination to picture any team among Newcastle, Wests Tigers and Parramatta, all on 16 points and four points outside of the top eight, being there come finals time, but it's possible. Tenth-placed Cronulla and the seventh-placed Dolphins, both on 20 points, play each other at Sharks Stadium on Friday night, so one of them has to advance to 22 barring a draw. So, too, will eighth-placed Manly, which has the bye. And if the worst-case scenario develops for the Warriors and they lose to the Tigers and the Broncos and Panthers both win, that would leave the Warriors on 26 and the Broncos and Panthers coming to get them on 24 and 23, respectively. Have you got it in you, Wests Tigers, to help blow this thing wide open? Penrith were in last place on nine points after round 12 and we had to at least consider the possibility that coming off four straight premierships they might actually miss the finals. But much of the competition table has remained compressed all season and even though they were running 17th the Panthers were still only three points outside of the top eight. They haven't lost a game since and in doing so have added another layer of interest to the competition. MORE NRL NEWS After being routinely at or near the top of the table all along during that quartet of premiership-winning years could they come from where they were after round 12 to win it again? And, having made it back into the top eight, could they win it from the bottom half of the finals draw? Well, now we can't rule out the possibility of them making the top four again, which would be a phenomenal effort. IT's going to be fascinating to see how it all pans out at Canterbury over the rest of the season. Their starting halfback Toby Sexton and hooker Reed Mahoney are both leaving the club at the end of the season and their star mid-season recruit Lachlan Galvin is on the bench. The player tipped to be their starting hooker next year, Bailey Hayward, is at lock. That's how the team has been named for the game against North Queensland at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Saturday night anyway. How it looks by the time the finals come around, we'll have to wait and see.
RNZ News
01-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
NZ Warriors star Luke Metcalf to miss remainder of NRL season with knee injury
Luke Metcalf is helped off the field against Brisbane Broncos. Photo: Tertius Pickard/ NZ Warriors star Luke Metcalf is out for the rest of the NRL season, after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee against Brisbane Broncos last weekend . Metcalf, 26, was cut in half by a perfect tackle from Broncos second-rower Brendan Piakura in the second half and had to be helped off the field. Coach Andrew Webster was not optimistic about his prognosis after the game. Subsequent scans have confirmed the worst - the same injury that also claimed co-captain Mitch Barnett last month. Webster will now likely turn to either Te Maire Martin, who has played a interchange utility role this season , or newcomer Tanah Boyd, who has yet to make his debut for the Warriors. After 69 first-grade games for Gold Coast titans, Boyd, 24, has waited for his chance at his new club, helping the reserves to top of the NSW Cup competition. Whether as a starter or off the bench, he will likely get his chance now. Metcalf led the Dally M Medal standings halfway through the current season, when judging goes behind closed doors. No player has maintained their halfway lead to the end of the season since 2017, when Melbourne Storm hooker Cam Smith took out the NRL Most Valuable Player crown. Fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad will also miss the next month, with a mild lateral collateral ligament sprain in his left knee, after colliding awkwardly with Broncos centre Gehamat Shibasaki, as he scored on half-time. He is due back for the Gold Coast Titans game on 26 July, and will likely be replaced by understudy Taine Tuaupiki. Webster is also juggling players in the wing position, with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak sidelined 4-6 weeks with an ankle complaint. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
News.com.au
01-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
NRL Round 18: Teams Talk and Live SuperCoach Q&A
With weeks to prepare for the final big bye round of the season the vast majority of SuperCoaches should be sitting pretty heading into round 18. That's even with the Jacob Kiraz and Gehamat Shibasaki Origin selection curveballs. All of which is leading up to a surprise confession - I'm not trading this week. Which is not to say that there are no good buys this week. Those of you who own Luke Metcalf can choose from one very good half, two somewhat risky five-eighths and one very risky five-eighth/fullback. Elsewhere, in the popular trades to dissect there's a CTW I very much like (but possibly prefer others later), a second-row I very much like (but definitely prefer others later) and a CTW cheapie who I think buyers may regret. Let's dive in! BUY/SELL ANALYSIS The very good CTW - and the guys I'd possibly prefer to wait for … Mark Nawaqanitawase: The Roosters 'rookie' keeps doing spectacular things in attack, has scored nine tries in his past seven games, and has match-ups against the battling Wests Tigers and Dragons in his next two matches. So, 'why do you prefer others', you might ask - and even if you didn't I will tell you. How many CTW do we need? Let's start with the fundamental question - do we need more CTW. By this stage of the season I am willing to bet (all are in over 80% of teams currently ranked in the top 10%) you own the following CTWs: Dylan Lucas, Reuben Garrick, Herbie Farnworth and Jacob Kiraz. You also almost certainly own late season Broncos money maker Josiah Karapani. That leaves two CTW slots to fill. And, perhaps more pertinently, you also almost certainly have three gun fullbacks, at least three gun halves and almost certainly eight, but at a minimum seven gun FRF/2RF combined. We only have four reserve slots. Assuming your fullback is largely locked into one, then that leaves three. I'll almost always want my half to take another. The gun forwards are doing their job providing a safe 70 (ish) PPG - let's assume you have Terrell May/Payne Haas locked into FRF and Eliesa Katoa/Keaon Koloamatangi/AN Other locked into 2RF. That's your five starters. Around those you'll have others - and I think there are two forwards we should definitely target post-Origin - but with the CTW cohort performing so well I think it is fair to suggest that you will be saving two reserve slots for them. So in answer to my own question: I think we definitely need five and strongly desire six quality CTWs. Is 'Marky Mark' one of the CTW we need? This hurts me to my Rooster Booster core - but I say no. Barring injuries I have Nawaqanitawase outside my top-four CTW. That means I am playing him as a reserve based on match-ups. And the match-ups are not great. After the aforementioned Tigers and Dragons the Roosters' draw toughens right up. From round 20 onwards the draw goes like this: * Rd 20 Sharks (Away) * Rd 21 Storm (Home) * Rd 22 Manly (Away) * Rd 23 Dolphins (Away) * Rd 24 Bulldogs (Home) * Rd 25 Eels (Away) * Rd 26 Storm (Away) * Rd 27 Souths (Home) The Sharks are not travelling great, but still have the sixth best record defending against CTW. He's a play there but with risk. The Storm are never a great team to play against. Rounds 21 and 26 are No Play. Manly at home is tough, and are equal 9th at defending CTW, I'd still say he's a play - but again with risk. The Dolphins can be a little hit and miss but I feel the injuries have finally become too much - play. The Bulldogs have the best defence in the league - no play. They will still win games but I expect teams to score okay there. Even away he's a play. The Eels are a play. Which leaves round 27 against Souths. This game is always a, pardon my french, shitshow. There's be high hits, sin bins and no matter their respective places on the radar either team could win. Play - but risky. That's two strong plays, three risky plays and three no plays. Not great. Chuck in rounds 18 and 19 and that's four plays, three risky plays and three no plays. That's better. But I prefer the two men below. Once Origin is over I will be chasing one or both of Zac Lomax and Val Holmes. I'm already waaaaay over Tom's laughable 300 word limit for this story so won't do a deep dive into their respective draws. But rest easy knowing that in my opinion they have roughly the same number of Play/Risky and No play games as Mark N. But the crucial difference is that both Lomax and Holmes are goalkickers. That job provides a 10-12PPG buffer for each men and so makes them more reliable even in 'risky' games. Holmes has scored 60+ in 85% of games. Lomax has scored 60+ in 80% of games. Nawaqanitawase has scored 60+ in just 67% of games. Conclusion: As tempted as I am by Nawaqanitawase, I really do think we're better off waiting till after Origin III and buying Lomax and/or Holmes to finish the position. The very good 2RF - and the guys I'd prefer to wait for … Jacob Preston is the second most popular buy of the week. And while I do not oppose it - it's hard to knock a forward who has scored five times from his past seven games and has the fifth best average at his position - I still think that the better option is to wait until after Origin III and target either Hudson Young or Angus Crichton. Young has a better base than Preston and at least as good a try scoring potential. The Canberra left edge has scored triple figures four times (Preston once) and 85+ three other occasions (as has Preston). Unavailable for selection this week due to Origin, then on a bye in round 19, Young then has an enviable draw (though the round 24 bye is not ideal) with five matches against bottom-eight teams, four which are at home, and three of which are against cellar dwellers the Knights, Tigers and Eels. Crichton is more of a gamble. Currently averaging fully 13PPG less than his 2024 output, the Roosters left-edge forward has scored just one try so far this year. That will change. Available for less than $600K, in under 5% of teams and with a pedigree of going big when he scores, I think the Mighty Angus is the 2RF POD who could win you a H2H battle late in 2025. A DISCLAIMER Now, I realise that maybe those buying Preston or Nawaqanitawase this week plan to ALSO get the likes of Lomax/Holmes/Young next week. In which case go for it. But if it is an either/or scenario then you know my position. The Luke Metcalf replacement options … Jahrome Hughes: The Storm halfback has been rather rocks or diamonds this year with three tonnes (and one 90+) to his name but also three under 50 in the past five games alone. Melbourne's medium-term draw is great (Cowboys (without Origin stars), Knights, Manly, Roosters and Eels. But their draw to finish the season - Broncos, Panthers, Bulldogs, Roosters and Broncos - is not. MEDIUM BUY Ethan Strange: The Canberra five-eighth has the second-best 3RA of any 5/8|HFB and as mentioned above the Raiders draw (other than still having two byes left) is good. I do feel that Strange has made the most of what has been a very soft recent draw. RISKY BUY Ezra Mam: The Broncos five-eighth has been good on his return from suspension. Good not great. I prefer Hughes or Strange. PASS Kaeo Weekes: Speaking of rocks or diamonds, the Canberra fullback posted his third triple-figure score of the season last weekend. However, in the weeks before that big score, Weekes went 25, 45, 24 and 29. PASS The CTW cheapie we don't need … Jed Stuart: 'Ricky's son' has scored a try in each of his NRL games so far which is a fair strike rate. He also upped his workrate last week making 16 runs and 11 tackles (with two misses) both numbers a big lift on his debut. What I don't love is that despite scoring tries in each match Stuart has scored just 45 then 44 points. Despite the negative BE and the aforementioned draw, I just don't think Stuart has the SC game we need from a late cheapie. PASS
