Big wins, thrillers and send-offs! Rugby League never fails to deliver. Round 8 was no different. Here are 20 talking points from another incredible round of football.
1. Karl Lawton's tackle-gone-wrong was a send off. It was an accident and no one in the game could have accused Lawton or trying to injure Cameron Murray but the fact remains it was a textbook spear tackle. Anyone who suggested the referee "ruined the game" on Friday night... He had no choice.
2. I believe coaches are getting a little bit clever with the make up of their benches. Not every side needs a utility player. So many late changes and switches. I completely understand how an impact player can change games, but sticking to the three middle forwards and a player who can play out wide or in a creative role seems the way to go.
3. Prior to the Sunday early game a mate of mine tweeted that Newcastle would go last if the Storm won by 40 points or more. The Storm are so good that you almost felt it was a certainty they would cover the line. 40 points? The gap between the good and bad sides is mammoth.
4. The Cowboys continue to defy the critics. Scott Drinkwater has been their best player since his return to first grade. That said, the Hammer was so impactful during his short stint on Saturday night you have to think he needs to be there somewhere. If I'm Peta Hiku I'm training doubly hard this week.
5. The Eels have so many injuries in the outside backs. That said Brad Arthur has taken their in form number six and blunted him completely by moving him to the centres. Why do coaches insist on taking their most impactful players and moving them? Surely Jake Arthur or Bryce Cartwright can fill in at centre for a week or two?
6. Can we please start the discussion to end this "top 30 until Round 10" rule that plagues the game? Why can't Zac Cini, on a development deal, play for the Eels now but in two weeks it's fine? The rule exists so teams cannot stockpile talent on development deals but you can't honestly tell me there is a situation where a club could add four development players who are genuine stars.
7. Joseph Manu, widely regarded as the game's best centre, was barely sighted for 78 minutes on Saturday. Then he created the potential match winning try for Joseph Suaalii. The carry on after the "try" was embarrassing for a player who ran five times for 40 metres against the team entering the round in 16th spot. He was humbled by Matt Burton after the try was (correctly) taken away.
8. Nicho Hynes had the worst game of his career this Thursday night. Fans of other teams were quick to write him off despite this being the club's third game in 11 days and Hynes still being fairly new to the role. Come on now! I'm the king of hyperbole but Hynes has been immense for the Sharks and has completely transformed them despite his inexperience. Players have bad games.
9. How did everyone score Shaun Johnson's performance this past weekend? For 82 minutes he was barely sighted only to ice the game with the match-winning field goal. Johnson now has two golden point field goals this season yet has been super quiet otherwise. They pay him to win games, hard to argue he's achieved that.
10. Anyone who saw that televised NSW Cup game on Saturday afternoon will have noticed Terrell May's monster effort. This is why we need NSW Cup televised more. He had 200 run metres across 20 carries and bullied the Bulldogs up the middle. I'd be shocked if his name wasn't being discussed this Monday morning by teams for 2023.
11. This past weekend saw the NFL draft take place. I absolutely love the draft. The spectacle, the reactions, the last-minute trades. That said, every year it creates talk of whether or not the NRL needs a draft. The answer is no. No! No! No! We do not. Yuck!
12. The New South Wales centre spot is the hottest debate in Origin right now. I'm writing the names Zac Lomax, Bradman Best, Jack Wighton, Clint Gutherson and Siosifa Talakai out right now. This leaves Stephen Crichton, Campbell Graham and Matt Burton. For mine Crichton is the clear choice right now.
13. Matt Moylan has been really good for the Sharks in 2022 but for his agent to demand a two-year deal is a little cheeky considering his injury history.
14. Anyone stating they "don't know what the six again calls are even for" the referee literally yells the infraction, it's then repeated by the ground announcer and a graphic comes up on the screen. You can't avoid it even if you tried.
15. The gap between the Panthers and Storm to the rest is astronomical right now. The Cowboys are overachieving, the Sharks and Eels are losing games they shouldn't, while Manly, the Roosters and Bunnies are wildly inconsistent. Outside of the top two the rest of the spots in the eight are so open.
16. It was great to see the Bulldogs get a win on Saturday evening. Outside of Sharks games I don't really ever have a man in the fight but to see a side go winless for so long is very difficult. Their fans deserved that. It could kickstart a run for the Dogs.
17. Although they're each on two wins, I'd much prefer to be the Tigers right now than the Titans or Raiders. The Titans look like a side who have never even met each other while the Raiders have forgotten how to win a game of rugby league. Meanwhile the Tigers, although often outclassed, seem to largely be competing.
18. Devastating news this past week as Ash Taylor was forced into early retirement due to an ongoing hip injury. Taylor burst onto the scene at the Titans and was looked destined for Origin honours at one time. I really hope he can transition into a coaching role.
19. In far more positive news, the NRL announced the biggest rep round in history. The Women's State of Origin is always a marquee fixture and will be joined by a monster clash between Tonga and New Zealand. Samoa and the Cook Islands will clash before PNG and Fiji face off. With the World Cup coming up these games should be ruthless. Can't wait!
20. The Dragons now have three straight wins. I did not have this on my bingo card after their 24-12 loss to the Bunnies in Round 4. At one and three it looked like a long season for the Red V. Incredible what a week can do in rugby league.
