‘Best team of last 50 years’ poised after Cleary party; maligned DCE move saves Chooks — Crawls

It was wonderful vision watching Nathan and Ivan Cleary smack bang in the middle of Wahs Land cheering and applauding as Jett capped off his memorable NRL debut with four try assists.

What a great memory for a young halfback carrying the weight of expectation that comes with the Cleary surname.

But as composed as Jett was in the Warriors’ 46-32 win over the Knights, let’s be fair dinkum about one other thing that stood out over the second last round before the finals.

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That is, it was big brother Nathan’s masterclass in the Panthers’ 24-10 win over the Bulldogs on Friday night that was undoubtedly the standout performance over the weekend.

It was also another reminder why the greatest rugby league team of the last 50 years is ready to strike again.

The champion playmaker has now set the stage for Penrith to win a fifth premiership in six years.

And Sam Walker’s likely season-ending syndesmosis injury has only strengthened their grip, dealing the Roosters a massive blow on the eve of the finals.

The Panthers might be more predictable than the Wahs, Roosters and Dolphins, but that is also what makes them so bloody hard to beat.

They are just like a well-oiled machine where every player not only knows his job but goes out and gets it done.

But then you have the best player in the game pulling the strings.

Cleary’s perfectly weighted towering floater early in the second half which bamboozled Connor Tracey and allowed Liam Martin to pounce, summed up their performance perfectly.

Big players owning big moments.

Dylan Edwards was also outstanding, as was Casey McLean who produced some huge defensive plays, including a cracking try-saver on Matt Burton, while scoring a crucial try.

It was the perfect tune-up for finals footy.

SAIFITI SEND OFF WILL ROCK KNIGHTS

The Warriors remain Penrith’s biggest threat after taking down the Knights eight-tries-to-six.

It’s just unbelievable how there is now only a single point margin in for and against between the Warriors and Panthers at the top of the ladder after 26 rounds.

But it must be said Newcastle put up a brave fight to stay in the game as long as they did despite having Jacob Saifiti sent off in the 12th minute.

No question it was a reckless high tackle and it warranted a send off.

I still felt for Saifiti who put his hand up straight away and took ownership of his mistake.

But it’s another huge setback for the Knights who also lost young rampaging backrower Francis Manuleleua with what looked a serious elbow injury.

Don’t forget Dylan Lucas is already gone along with halfback Dylan Brown.

But just to make it through to the finals is a great effort from last year’s wooden spooners.

DOLPHINS EMERGE AS GENUINE CONTENDERS

As for the Dolphins, they’re not just smokies anymore.

They’re genuine contenders after handing the Roosters back-to-back defeats.

Factor in the Dolphins beat the Warriors 26-24 in round 17, while they lost to the Panthers by a point back in round seven.

Even before Walker went down in the 52nd minute, the Roosters were already 20 points down with Isaiya Katoa and Kodi Nikorima in total command.

And what a footballer Max Plath has become.

He not only knows how to ball play and score a try, but some of his defensive efforts were just massive in this game.

Throw in the performance of Selwyn Cobbo, Herbie Farnworth and Jack Bostock who also came up with some tremendous moments.

ROBBO’S CALL TO SIGN DCE PROVES A MASTERSTROKE

Trent Robinson’s decision to bring Daly Cherry-Evans to the Roosters has just been proven a masterstroke.

At the start of the year plenty of people, including me, questioned why the Roosters would seemingly put Hugo Savala’s development on hold after the season he had last year just to bring in a 37-year-old to partner Walker.

Well, how’s this for irony?

With Walker now sidelined, it will be Savala partnering Cherry-Evans in the halves when the Roosters need him most.

And I’m certainly not about to write off their premiership hopes because Walker is missing.

Not when they still have a playmaker with the experience and composure of Cherry-Evans calling the shots.

Just look at what the Warriors have managed this year despite losing Tanah Boyd, Te Maire Martin and Luke Metcalf along the way.

Every contender has had to deal with major injury setbacks.

Now it’s the Roosters’ turn.

This also presents a huge opportunity for Savala.

He’s done a terrific job in the centres, but stepping into the halves for the finals is an entirely different challenge.

I still reckon the Roosters have the best overall roster and they get Victor Radley, Daniel Tupou and Angus Crichton back this week to take on Souths.

But there is now a massive question hanging over their premiership campaign given the loss of Walker, who is just that special player who can create something from nothing.

And at 37, can Cherry-Evans keep producing week after week when the intensity goes through the roof in the finals?

GALVIN STEPS UP, CRICHTON BELONGS IN CENTRES

To their credit, the Bulldogs were also brave going down to the Panthers.

And Lachlan Galvin deserves another wrap.

He’s been the Dogs’ best all year and Galvin again produced some terrific moments, including two try assists.

While the Dogs won’t be playing finals footy this year, Galvin has shown exactly why Cameron Ciraldo has picked him to build his team around.

Now they just need to play him in his right position at five-eighth next year, and find a genuine halfback to take some heat off.

As hard as Stephen Crichton has tried to adapt to the playmaking role, the two grubbers he put dead were another reminder why he belongs in the centres.

UNWANTED EEL UPSTAGES SHARKS’ MILLION-DOLLAR MAN

While Craig Fitzgibbon owns a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, he also has a pretty mean right cross.

But as frustrated as Fitzy obviously was when he smashed that TV monitor after Tom Hazelton’s sin bin for a hip drop (making it a 7-1 penalty count), you can only imagine how he felt watching his $1 million halfback Nicho Hynes get completely upstaged by Parramatta’s unwanted playmaker Ronald Volkman.

Let’s remember, while Nicho is one of the highest-paid players in the game, Volkman doesn’t even have a club for next year.

I know Hynes wasn’t the only Shark to put in a shocker on Sunday.

But he’s paid the big bucks to deliver when it matters.

There is talk Braydon Trindall could be back for this week’s clash against the Storm.

Obviously there is a risk involved after he dislocated his shoulder only a fortnight ago against the Raiders.

But it’s now painfully obvious, even to the TV monitor, that the Sharks have no chance in the finals without Trindall.

‘ALMOST AS DYSFUNCTIONAL AS DARK DAYS UNDER SEIBOLD’

Just when you thought things couldn’t get any more embarrassing for the Broncos, out comes leaked information over the weekend about the club’s much-anticipated internal review.

Seriously, I just shook my head at the timing of this.

After the week of drama surrounding Adam Reynolds’ disastrous farewell ended in a humiliating 46-20 loss to the Storm, some bright spark had a light bulb moment and apparently decided this was the best way to try and contain the bushfire that has been burning out of control at Red Hill.

But leaking selective information after the most tumultuous week of their season isn’t going to put out the fire.

If anything, it just reinforces the suspicion that the people running the joint don’t know how to put the fire out.

Among the findings revealed by The Courier Mail’s Peter Badel was that not only is Michael Maguire safe, but the review is believed to have found Broncos players “had no issue with being pushed hard at training”.

The story also reported the Broncos executive claimed they had “not fielded a single complaint about Maguire”.

And remember, this is supposedly “the most comprehensive review in the club’s history”.

I should mention the report also claimed Broncos bosses were presented with a preliminary list of about 14 recommendations designed to overhaul the football program.

I can’t wait to see what those recommendations include given none of the players apparently have an issue with Madge.

While the Broncos won’t collect the wooden spoon this year, you could make a legitimate argument they are almost as dysfunctional now as they were during the dark days under Anthony Seibold.

I know that sounds over-the-top for a club that won the premiership less than 12 months ago.

But the past seven days have shown just how far the Broncos have fallen.

REYNO’S FAUX PAS CAPS OFF FORGETTABLE FAREWELL

As for Thursday night, what an absolute shambles.

Both Reyno and Payne Haas deserved so much more respect than what the club dished up.

The fact Reynolds also forgot to mention Madge in his post-match speech, only to apologise on Instagram the next day, just capped it all off.

JENKINS ‘NO TRY’ EXPOSES WHY BUNKER NEEDS REBOOT

Benji Marshall was probably within his rights to blow off a bit of steam at his post match media conference about some of the contentious calls that went against the Tigers in their loss to the Cowboys.

But let’s not kid ourselves that it’s only teams in the bottom half of the ladder copping some tough calls this year.

Just look at the no-try ruling that could end up costing Tom Jenkins the leading try-scorer award, after the Bunker ruled Jacob Kiraz had caught the ball cleanly _ and then lost it _ before his feet even hit the ground.

As Ivan Cleary said after the game: “Did it pass the pub test that one? It’s ridiculous.

“If he caught the ball, with no-one around him, in the air and dropped it, what would happen?”

When you’ve got a coach of Cleary’s standing questioning the decision, along with a stack of respected former players, you know something isn’t right.

Even though they will tell us that is how the rule is now interpreted.

When everyone watching at home can see the obvious, but the Bunker somehow rules differently, that’s when you know the game has a problem.

DID MANLY JUST UNEARTH THE NEXT CODY WALKER?

Can’t wait to see what Kieran Foran does next year when he has Luke Brooks, Joey Walsh and Clayton Faulalo all fighting to wear the No 6 jersey.

You can now throw Onitoni Large into the conversation as well after the gun teenager came off the bench to make his debut in the big win over the Dragons.

We all know Walsh is a freak talent, and Large comes with similar expectation, while Brooks was having a terrific season before injury struck.

But surely Foran has to find a place for Faulalo somewhere in his starting side.

And with Turbo at fullback, five-eighth looks a pretty good fit for the 26-year-old.

Faulalo had 13 runs for 151 metres and a try against the Knights last round.

He backed that up against the Dragons with four runs for 104 metres, a try and three try assists before his night was cut short by a head knock.

Faulalo can also play in the centres.

But watching what he can produce with the ball in his hands, he has the potential to become an absolute star at five-eighth.

And as a former five-eighth himself, you can bet Foran won’t be underestimating what he has seen so far.

Faulalo’s age shouldn’t count against him either.

Don’t forget Cody Walker didn’t make his NRL debut until he was 26.

EMOTIONAL TRIBUTE BRINGS FANS FROM ALL CLUBS TO TEARS

Have we ever witnessed a more emotional or inspiring moment in rugby league than the scenes involving Jai Arrow on the Gold Coast on Saturday?

From Wayne Bennett helping Jai put on his socks in the dressing rooms before the game, to big Tino Fa’asuamaleaui embracing him in the tunnel just before the teams walked out, it was incredibly powerful.

Then there was the beautiful vision of Cody Walker walking alongside Jai as they went on the field and sharing a laugh.

And when Cam Murray replaced Jai, Murray found a way to channel that emotion into an unbelievable first-half performance.

Sometimes rugby league gives you moments that are bigger than wins and losses, and I have not spoken to a single person who didn’t watch that with a tear in their eye.

Everyone involved deserves enormous credit for the compassion and respect they showed Jai and his family.

It was also wonderful to see Latrell Mitchell back on the field and wearing a smile.

He’ll be better for the run heading into this week’s showdown with the Roosters.

While Jai will again get the chance to lace up the boots and celebrate his 100th game for the Rabbitohs.

Given the fierce rivalry between these two clubs, the fact they’ve been able to put that aside to give Jai this moment is just fantastic.

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