CROSS FORUM NRL 2023 Round 18 Discussion

[Big Pete]

Cronulla Sharks vs. St George Illawarra Dragons
PointsBet Stadium, Thursday 29 June 2023
Kick Off: 7:50pm

CRONULLA SHARKS

1. William Kennedy 2. Sione Katoa 3. Jesse Ramien 4. Siosifa Talakai 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Matt Moylan 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Oregon Kaufusi 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Braden Hamlin-Uele 11. Briton Nikora 12. Teig Wilton 13. Dale Finucane

14. Cameron McInnes 15. Thomas Hazelton 16. Jack Williams 17. Wade Graham

18. Connor Tracey 19. Mawene Hiroti 20. Toby Rudolf 21. Braydon Trindall 22. Jesse Colquhoun

ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS

1. Tyrell Sloan 2. Mathew Feagai 3. Tautau Moga 4. Zac Lomax 5. Mikaele Ravalawa 6. Jayden Sullivan 7. Ben Hunt 8. Francis Molo 9. Jacob Liddle 10. Blake Lawrie 11. Ben Murdoch-Masila 12. Jaydn Su'A 13. Jack de Belin

14. Talatau Amone 15. Michael Molo 16. Toby Couchman 17. Jaiyden Hunt

18. Ryan Couchman 19. Moses Mbye 20. Zane Musgrove 21. Max Feagai 22. Billy Burns

Warriors vs. South Sydney Rabbitohs
Go Media Stadium, Friday 30 June 2023
Kick Off: 6:00pm

NZ WARRIORS

1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Rocco Berry 4. Adam Pompey 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Luke Metcalf 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Wayde Egan 10. Bunty Afoa 11. Jackson Ford 12. Josh Curran 13. Tohu Harris

14. Dylan Walker 15. Mitchell Barnett 16. Bayley Sironen 17. Tom Ale

18. Freddy Lussick 20. Brayden Wiliame 21. Ronald Volkman 22. Kalani Going 23. Zyon Maiu'u

SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS

1. Blake Taaffe 2. Alex Johnston 3. Isaiah Tass 4. Campbell Graham 5. Richard Kennar 6. Cody Walker 7. Lachlan Ilias 8. Tevita Tatola 9. Damien Cook 10. Hame Sele 11. Keaon Koloamatangi 12. Michael Chee Kam 13. Cameron Murray

14. Siliva Havili 15. Shaq Mitchell 16. Davvy Moale 17. Thomas Burgess

18. Tyrone Munro 19. Taane Milne 20. Dean Hawkins 21. Peter Mamouzelos 22. Jacob Gagai

Melbourne Storm vs. Penrith Panthers
Marvel Stadium, Friday 30 June 2023
Kick Off: 8:00pm

MELBOURNE STORM

1. Nick Meaney 2. William Warbrick 3. Reimis Smith 4. Justin Olam 5. Xavier Coates 6. Cameron Munster 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. Tariq Sims 9. Harry Grant 10. Christian Welch 11. Trent Loiero 12. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 13. Josh King

14. Bronson Garlick 15. Alec MacDonald 16. Tui Kamikamica 17. Kane Bradley

18. Tyran Wishart 19. Tom Eisenhuth 20. Chris Lewis 21. Sualauvi Faalogo 22. Jonah Pezet

PENRITH PANTHERS

1. Dylan Edwards 2. Sunia Turuva 3. Izack Tago 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Brian To'o 6. Jarome Luai 7. Jack Cogger 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. James Fisher-Harris 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo

14. Soni Luke 15. Lindsay Smith 16. Spencer Leniu 17. Jaeman Salmon

18. Zac Hosking 19. Matt Eisenhuth 20. Luke Garner 21. Tyrone Peachey 22. Thomas Jenkins

Canberra Raiders vs. Gold Coast Titans
GIO Stadium, Saturday 1 July 2023
Kick Off: 3:00pm

CANBERRA RAIDERS

1. Sebastian Kris 2. Albert Hopoate 3. Jarrod Croker 4. Matthew Timoko 5. Jordan Rapana 6. Jack Wighton 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Pasami Saulo 9. Zac Woolford 10. Joseph Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Elliott Whitehead 13. Corey Horsburgh

14. Tom Starling 15. Emre Guler 16. Nick Cotric 17. Ata Mariota

18. Brad Schneider 19. Danny Levi 20. Matt Frawley 21. Xavier Savage 22. Peter Hola

GOLD COAST TITANS

1. AJ Brimson 2. Alofiana Khan-Pereira 3. Brian Kelly 4. Aaron Schoupp 5. Phillip Sami 6. Kieran Foran 7. Tanah Boyd 8. Moeaki Fotuaika 9. Sam Verrills 10. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui 11. David Fifita 12. Joe Stimson 13. Isaac Liu

14. Jayden Campbell 15. Erin Clark 16. Jaimin Jolliffe 17. Chris Randall

18. Iszac Fa'asumaleaui 19. Jojo Fifita 20. Kruise Leeming 21. Klese Haas 22. Jacob Alick

North Queensland Cowboys vs. Wests Tigers
Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Saturday 1 July 2023
Kick Off: 5:30pm

NORTH QLD COWBOYS

1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Semi Valemei 3. Valentine Holmes 4. Peta Hiku 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Tom Dearden 7. Chad Townsend 8. Jordan McLean 9. Reece Robson 10. Coen Hess 11. Luciano Leilua 12. Jeremiah Nanai 13. Reuben Cotter

14. Jake Granville 15. Griffin Neame 16. Jamayne Taunoa-Brown 17. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki

18. Jason Taumalolo 19. Kyle Feldt 20. Sam McIntyre 21. Jack Gosiewski 22. Zac Laybutt

WESTS TIGERS

1. Jahream Bula 2. David Nofoaluma 3. Brent Naden 4. Starford To'a 5. Junior Tupou 6. Daine Laurie 7. Brandon Wakeham 8. Stefano Utoikamanu 9. Jake Simpkin 10. David Klemmer 11. Isaiah Papali'i 12. Shawn Blore 13. John Bateman

14. Tallyn Da Silva 15. Fonua Pole 16. Alex Twal 17. Asu Kepaoa

18. Alex Seyfarth 19. Will Smith 20. Tommy Talau 21. Justin Matamua 22. Aistasi James

Brisbane Broncos vs. The Dolphins
The Gabba, Saturday 1 July 2023
Kick Off: 7:35pm

BRISBANE BRONCOS

1. Reece Walsh 2. Corey Oates 3. Kotoni Staggs 4. Herbie Farnworth 5. Selwyn Cobbo 6. Ezra Mam 7. Adam Reynolds 8. Keenan Palasia 9. Billy Walters 10. Payne Haas 11. Brendan Piakura 12. Xavier Willison 13. Patrick Carrigan

14. Tyson Smoothy 15. Corey Jensen 16. Kobe Hetherington 17. Martin Taupau

18. Jesse Arthars 19. Deine Mariner 20. Jock Madden 21. Tristan Sailor 22. Logan Bayliss-Brow

THE DOLPHINS

1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 2. Jamayne Isaako 3. Euan Aitken 4. Valynce Te Whare 5. Tesi Niu 6. Isaiya Katoa 7. Sean O'Sullivan 8. Jesse Bromwich 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 10. Herman Ese'ese 11. Felise Kaufusi 12. Kenny Bromwich 13. Ray Stone

14. Josh Kerr 15. Mark Nicholls 16. Connelly Lemuelu 17. Kodi Nikorima

18. Max Plath 19. Harrison Graham 20. Poasa Faamausili 21. Brayden McGrady 22. Kurt Donoghoe

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs vs. Newcastle Knights
Accor Stadium, Sunday 2 July 2023
Kick Off: 2:00pm

CANTEBURY BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS

1. Hayze Perham 2. Jacob Kiraz 3. Jake Averillo 4. Paul Alamoti 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Khaled Rajab 7. Matt Burton 8. Max King 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Tevita Pangai Junior 11. Jayden Okunbor 12. Jacob Preston 13. Kurtis Morrin

14. Harrison Edwards 15. Ryan Sutton 16. Franklin Pele 17. Jackson Topine

19. Reece Hoffman 20. Kyle Flanagan 21. Corey Waddell 22. Braidon Burns 23. Raymond Faitala-Mariner

NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS

1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Dominic Young 3. Enari Tuala 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Tyson Gamble 7. Jackson Hastings 8. Daniel Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Leo Thompson 11. Tyson Frizell 12. Lachlan Fitzgibbon 13. Adam Elliott

14. Kurt Mann 15. Jacob Saifiti 16. Jack Hetherington 17. Mathew Croker

18. Dylan Lucas 19. Brodie Jones 20. Lachlan Miller 21. Jack Johns 22. Adam Clune

Manly Sea Eagles vs. Sydney Roosters
4 Pines Park, Sunday 2 July 2023
Kick Off: 4:05pm

MANLY SEA EAGLES

1. Reuben Garrick 2. Jason Saab 3. Brad Parker 4. Tolutau Koula 5. Christian Tuipulotu 6. Josh Schuster 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Taniela Paseka 9. Lachlan Croker 10. Toafofoa Sipley 11. Haumole Olakau'atu 12. Kelma Tuilagi 13. Jake Trbojevic

14. Ben Trbojevic 15. Josh Aloiai 16. Ethan Bullemor 17. Aaron Woods

18. Jakob Arthur 19. Morgan Harper 20. Ray Tuaimalo-Vaega 21. Karl Lawton 22. Sean Keppie

SYDNEY ROOSTERS

1. James Tedesco 2. Daniel Tupou 3. Billy Smith 4. Joseph Manu 5. Joseph Suaalii 6. Luke Keary 7. Sandon Smith 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves 9. Jake Turpin 10. Lindsay Collins 11. Victor Radley 12. Naufahu Whyte 13. Nathan Brown

14. Drew Hutchison 15. Terrell May 16. Siua Wong 17. Fletcher Baker

18. Junior Pauga 19. Corey Allan 20. Zach Dockar-Clay 21. Nat Butcher 22. Dylan Napa

 

[Big Pete]

The teams are in ahead of Round 18.

Not a lot of news other than it's shaping up to be a quality weekend of footy. I think even the Sharks/Dragons game has potential considering the history between both clubs and the Sharks complacency.

Either way, you're watching a Top 4 contender, and potentially the debut of another Couchman. I can see him and Toby having a similar trajectory as the Saifiti twins and they'll become a mainstay of that Dragons pack in the years to come.

I'd say the biggest selection news comes out of Brisbane and Sydney. Brisbane have been well and truly exposed without Capewell and Riki and they're now down to playing prop forwards in the backrow. I think Willison was the right call, but it's a huge gamble and it's a big ask coming up against Bromwich and Lemuelu.

Before the season, I saw the Broncos-Dolphins splitting the results. Granted, I also had the Broncos finishing below the Tigers so clearly I haven't got the best read, but this is a huge game in the context of their season.

Sydney are facing a similar issue with Victor Radley being called into play in the second row. They've also brought in 19-year old Siua Wong who they have big raps on and he's a player to keep an eye out for as well. This feels like a bounce back game for the Roosters, but the return of Jake Trbojevic and Kelma Tuilagi would have to give the Sea Eagles fans some hope.

 

[NZWarriors.com]

St George could win this.
Sharks are solid but they just aren't good enough to win the comp.

 

[NZWarriors.com]

Soft by the Sharks.

 

[Fozz]

Ravalawa pumping those little legs but still looks like he was very slowly jogging.

 

[Harry Sack]

Hunt to be suspended for 4 weeks for making contact with the referee.

For those not watching, kicked the ball and copped Atkins right in the melon. Was glorious

 

[kman]

Isn't Hunt kicking it into the ref from his own half meant to be a scrum to the dragons?

 

[NZWarriors.com]

 

[NZWarriors.com]

Dragons are pathetic. None of them even wanted to jump.

 

[NZWarriors.com]

OMFG what were the Dragon players doing? No one jumped, school boys play better than that.

 

[Mustafur]

That was soo poor, no effort to stop the try or catch the ball.

 

[Fozz]

Can Moga even jump? He's got the knees of an 80 year old.

 

[Harry Sack]

Can Moga even jump? He's got the knees of an 80 year old.

Moga has knees?

 

[Mustafur]

Can Moga even jump? He's got the knees of an 80 year old.

He has had like 3 ACLs since he left us.

 

[NZWarriors.com]

Dragons are basically pulling their own pants down, bending over and saying "have at it boys".

 

[NZWarriors.com]

Second half will be a massacre

 

[NZWarriors.com]

That might be the most Charlie Brown kicking a football defence I've seen from Lawrie.

 

[NZWarriors.com]

how long before Cooper Cronk says this could get very ugly very quickly?