Roosters star Angus Crichton and Raiders young gun Xavier Savage were among the many NRL players that returned to the field over the weekend in New South Wales Cup.
The Bulldogs’ injury crisis will force Cameron Ciraldo to dip into his reserves — and there’s one metre-eating, tackle-busting beast that should be the first cab off the rank.
Meanwhile, the Panthers’ next generation of talent put on a show and it was raining tries in Brisbane.
Read on for the latest Reserve Grade Wrap.
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Retaining Edwards & Luai a ‘challenge’ | 00:51
ALL EYES WERE ON
Angus Crichton was in the headlines over the weekend after making his return to the field following his bipolar diagnosis.
Cichton played the full 80 minutes for the Roosters in NSW Cup. He came close to scoring, but finished the game with 96 running metres, six tackle busts, two offloads and 22 tackles with three misses.
The Jets clearly had a target on the 27-year-old, whose last game was for the Kangaroos in the World Cup, but his class was easy to see.
Nathan Brown featured in the same game in what was his first appearance since making an early-season switch from the Eels. Brown played 60 minutes in the second row, finishing with a linebreak assist, a tackle bust, two offloads and 120 running metres, while also making 28 tackles with three misses.
Dylan Napa also played his first game of the season after signing with the club. The towering prop finished with 72 metres, two tackle busts and 33 tackles with three misses in his 37 minutes.
Paul Momirovski returned to the field from a head knock suffered during pre-season. Momirovski played for the Roosters’ other feeder side, North Sydney Bears and celebrated with a try, a try assist, two linebreaks and 105 running metres.
Meanwhile, Naufahu Whyte dropped back to Cup after not getting any minutes off the bench in the Roosters’ loss to the Sharks. Whyte was raring to go and exploded with a linebreak, two tackle busts and 210 running metres — 98 post-contact — while also making 28 tackles with four misses.
Penrith’s Luke Garner returned from a rib injury in NSW Cup over the weekend. Garner played the full 80 minutes, finishing with 136 running metres, two offloads and 26 tackles with four misses.
Still on returns, Xavier Savage played his first game since fracturing his jaw in a pre-season trial. Savage played on the wing after deciding between he and Ricky Stuart that it would be the best position to ease back in and get his confidence up. Savage scored the first try of the day but otherwise had a relatively quiet game, finishing with a linebreak, 77 running metres and six tackles with zero misses.
The Bulldogs haven’t been in any hurry to throw rugby convert Jeral Skelton into first grade but with their injury list growing, it could finally be time for Skelton to shine.
The 24-year-old put on a show in the Dogs’ 28-6 win over the Eels, notching up 253 running metres, a linebreak and 12 tackle busts — four of them alone during a rampaging 50-metre run in the lead-up to a try. He also made six tackles with zero misses while playing on the wing.
Jacob Kiraz and Jake Averillo have joined the lengthy injury list in Belmore which already includes star winger Josh Addo-Carr.
Skelton was formally part of the Rugby 7s setup before joining the Bulldogs mid-2022 on a train-and-trial. He was upgraded to a two-year Top 30 deal over the off-season.
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STANDOUTS
It was a dominant display from the defending premiers with 11 of Penrith’s starting 13 making over 120 running metres.
Young fullback Isaiah Iongi set up two tries in the 48-16 win over the Knights. He also got two linebreaks, two linebreak assists, nine tackle busts and ran for 188 metres.
New recruit Jack Cogger had his best game since joining the club, scoring a try, setting up another, getting a linebreak, a linebreak assist and running for 130 metres. Cogger, who has been switching between five-eighth and halfback to ensure he’s ready to fill in either position in NRL, also made 15 tackles with zero misses.
Reigning NSW Cup Player of the Year Kayal Iro was at his destructive best in Newtown’s 40-18 win over the Roosters. Iro set up a try, got a linebreak, a linebreak assist, seven tackle busts and ran for 221 metres. That’s just the norm for the 23-year-old, who is on a development deal with the Sharks. If the Eels are on the hunt for an ‘x-factor’ outside back, perhaps Iro could be their man. He’d have a much clearer path to first grade at Parramatta too.
Connor Tracey was a late addition at fullback and left his mark on the game, getting a try assist, three linebreaks, two tackle busts and 141 running metres.
Second-rower Charbel Tasipale bagged a double for the Jets, ran for 125 metres and made 30 tackles with five misses.
Canberra’s Trey Mooney produced a real captain’s knock in their 20-18 win over the Dragons. The 20-year-old, who started at prop, scored two tries in six minutes, got two linebreaks, six tackle busts and 138 running metres, while making 27 tackles with four misses.
Train-and-trialist Hohepa Puru was an absolute machine for the Raiders, punching out 80 minutes at lock and running for 170 metres, while making 59 tackles with just one miss. No wonder he’s been dubbed the fittest player at the club.
Joshua James is proving to be real find for the Raiders. The 21-year-old Brisbane product joined the club last season but couldn’t nail down a spot in the 17. He’s featured in every game this season so far and really took control at No.7 on Sunday. James set up a try, got three linebreak assists, three tackle busts and ran for 89 metres. He also came up with several big tackles.
Gutho & Sivo link up for a double | 00:37
Blake Wilson had a huge game on the wing for the Bulldogs, bagging a double, getting two linebreaks, seven tackle busts and running for 217 metres.
The fingerprints of Lebanon international Khaled Rajab were all over the Dogs’ win with the five-eighth scoring a try, setting up another, getting a linebreak, a linebreak assist, five tackle busts and running for 172 metres.
The Bears bounced back from their Round 6 loss with a 40-14 win over the Rabbitohs. Winger Junior Pauga scored a double, set up a try, got three linebreaks, 13 tackle busts and ran for a game-high of 256 metres.
Halfback Ben Stevanovic had his best game for the club, scoring a try, setting up two more, getting a linebreak, two linebreak assists and running for 71 metres.
Meanwhile, prop Regan Hughes — a civil engineer away from footy — was at his rampaging best. Hughes score a try, set up one, got three linebreaks, seven tackle busts and 146 running metres. He also made 17 tackles with zero misses in his 34-minute stint off the bench.
Centre Ali Leiataua was a big contributor in the Warriors’ 40-30 win over Blacktown. Leiataua scored a try, set up two, got a linebreak, two linebreak assists, five tackle busts and 96 running metres. He also made 18 tackles with zero misses.
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Western Clydesdales centre Bessie Toomaga scored 24 of their 44 points with two tries and seven conversions from seven attempts. Toomaga also got a linebreak assist, four tackle busts and 248 running metres.
CQ Capras prop Bailey Butler had a day out against Norths Devils. Butler scored a double, got two linebreaks, 10 tackle busts and ran for 171 metres. He also made 20 tackles with four misses.
Fellow prop Aaron Pene also had a big game for Sunshine Coast with a try assist, a linebreak assist, 176 metres and 20 tackles with zero misses, while the Falcons’ second-rower Louis Geraghty set up two tries and ran for 130 metres.
It was raining tries in Brisbane over the weekend. Brisbane Tigers’ Solomona Faataape scored a hat-trick in his side’s win on Saturday, while Tweed’s Ryland Jacobs also got a hat-trick at BMD Kougari Oval the next day. But Souths Logan’s Jack Smith topped them both at Davies Park with five tries — four of them in the space of 17 minutes — in the Magpies’ 60-4 win over the Dolphins.
SPOTTED
A host of Roosters players cheered Crichton on in his return to the field including Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Lindsay Collins. Coach Trent Robinson was also there with his assistants Brett Morris and Matt King.
With all the talk being around Crichton, Napa and Brown, fans might have missed the return of Sharks back — and one of the nicest guys in the game — Matt Ikuvalu. It’s been seven months since Ikuvalu suffered a patella tendon rupture in last year’s NSW Cup preliminary final. He played his first game of the year in Newtown’s win over the Roosters and celebrated with a try in the 35th minute.
