CROSS FORUM NRL Round 1 - Las Vegas

[Sproj]

To'o out for Panthers.

Also Talagi is in the reserves. I wonder if he regrets leaving Parra.

 

[mitch222]

To'o out for Panthers.

Also Talagi is in the reserves. I wonder if he regrets leaving Parra.

He is injured I'm pretty sure and still recovering from his shoulder surgery

 

[Big Del]

To'o out for Panthers.

Also Talagi is in the reserves. I wonder if he regrets leaving Parra.

The fella who played #7 for the Panthers is an impressive kid .
Very well spoken .

 

[Big Pete]

Canberra Raiders vs. Warriors
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas), Sunday 2 March 2025
Kick off: 10:00am (AEST)

CANBERRA RAIDERS

1. Kaeo Weekes 2. Savelio Tamale 3. Matthew Timoko 4. Sebastian Kris 5. Xavier Savage 6. Ethan Strange 7. Jamal Fogarty 8. Corey Horsburgh 9. Tom Starling 10. Joseph Tapine 11. Hudson Young 12. Zac Hosking 13. Morgan Smithies

14. Owen Pattie 15. Simi Sasagi 16. Josh Papali'i 17. Ata Mariota

18. Danny Levi 19. Trey Mooney 20. Ethan Sanders 21. Chevy Stewart 22. Jed Stuart

NZ WARRIORS

1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Taine Tuaupiki 3. Ali Leiataua 4. Adam Pompey 5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck 6. Chanel Harris-Tavita 7. Luke Metcalf 8. James Fisher-Harris 9. Wayde Egan 10. Mitchell Barnett 11. Kurt Capewell 12. Marata Niukore 13. Erin Clark

14. Dylan Walker 15. Jackson Ford 16. Demitric Vaimauga 17. Leka Halasima

18. Samuel Healey 20. Te Maire Martin 21. Eddie Ieremia 22. Bunty Afoa 23. Edward Kosi

Penrith Panthers vs. Cronulla Sharks
Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas), Sunday 2 March 2025
Kick Off: 2:30pm

PENRITH PANTHERS

1. Dylan Edwards 2. Casey McLean 3. Izack Tago 4. Luke Garner 5. Paul Alamoti 6. Jack Cole 7. Nathan Cleary 8. Moses Leota 9. Mitch Kenny 10. Lindsay Smith 11. Scott Sorensen 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo

14. Daine Laurie 15. Isaiah Papali'i 16. Matt Eisenhuth 17. Luron Patea

18. Brad Schneider 19. Mavrik Geyer 20. Jesse McLean 21. Luke Sommerton 23. Blaize Talagi

CRONULLA SHARKS

1. William Kennedy 2. Samuel Stonestreet 3. Jesse Ramien 4. Kayal Iro 5. Ronaldo Mulitalo 6. Braydon Trindall 7. Nicho Hynes 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Blayke Brailey 10. Oregon Kaufusi 11. Briton Nikora 12. Teig Wilton 13. Cameron McInnes

14. Daniel Atkinson 15. Siosifa Talakai 16. Braden Hamlin-Uele 17. Thomas Hazelton

18. Tuku Hau Tapuha 19. Mawene Hiroti 20. Billy Burns 21. Jayden Berrell 22. Hohepa Puru

Sydney Roosters vs. Brisbane Broncos
Allianz Stadium, Thursday 6 March 2025
Kick Off: 7:00pm (AEST)

SYDNEY ROOSTERS

BRISBANE BRONCOS

Wests Tigers vs. Newcastle Knights
Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Friday 7 March 2025
Kick Off: 5:00pm (AEST)

WESTS TIGERS

NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS

Dolphins vs. South Sydney Rabbitohs
Suncorp Stadium, Friday 7 March 2025
Kick Off: 7:05pm (AEST)

THE DOLPHINS

SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS

St George Illawarra Dragons vs. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Netstrata Jubilee Stadium Saturday 8 March 2025
Kick Off: 4:30pm (AEST)

ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS

CANTEBURY BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS

Manly Sea Eagles vs. North Queensland Cowboys
4 Pines Park, Saturday 8 March 2025
Kick Off: 6:35pm (AEST)

MANLY SEA EAGLES

NORTH QLD COWBOYS

Melbourne Storm vs. ParramattaEels
AAMI Park, Sunday 9 March 2025
Kick Off: 3:05pm (AEST)

MELBOURNE STORM

PARRAMATTA EELS

 

[Big Pete]

I'm still not a fan of the Las Vegas experiment. The first Team List Tuesday used to be one of my favourite days and trawling through all the team-lists across all three grades was like Christmas had come early. Now we get this weird split round where the games may as well be played on the moon and we twiddle our thumbs until the real thing starts. Meanwhile the media and all the content creators love it because they get a free trip out of it.

Raiders - I'd come around to the idea of 4. Ethan Strange 6. Ethan Sanders, but I spose LA wouldn't be the best environment and Sanders has every opportunity to make it happen. Tamale gets the first crack at the wing spot, can he make it his? Pattie also gets rewarded with a bench spot - he's a long term project at the club, can he justify the club's faith in him?

Warriors - Shocked with the lack of TMM. I've never understood the fascination with CHT - did somebody just like his name? Never understood it, like Hingano I'm still waiting to see something. Interesting that they've gone with the two younger bench forwards. They'll have their hands full against Papalii and Mariota and I think that's where the biggest point of difference will come from.

I'm expecting the Warriors to take no prisoners early on and play direct. They'll be really physical looking to create errors and hope by the 20-30 range the game will open up and Walker will be able to steer the team well. I think Egan has to charge here, play tight and when there's one marker, the halves are going to have to push up.

Panthers - No To'o is a big loss and both McLean and Alamoti will have to work over-time to make up the difference. Lane playing in the centres in Round 1 makes me cry - you've had all pre-season and you don't have faith in any of your depth backs to get the job done? Is somebody chopping onions?

Big audition for Cole. It's one thing to be the back-up, another to be the #6 and he'll have to rise to expectations. Yeo, Cleary and Edwards will do most of the work, Cole just has to take his opportunities and make a nuisance of himself. He can't afford to be a wallflower, he's got to make an impression and show his worth. Otherwise it'll be onto the next guy.

Sharks - They've got a great opportunity to make a strong impression here. If they can get everyone dialled in, they'll be able to set themselves apart and claim two points very few teams will be able to acquire off Penrith. They just can't afford to get lazy - they have some extremely talented players who just make lazy bone-headed efforts and it's in the big games they get found out. Fortunately this is just Round 1, so every team is complacent, even Penrith so they may be able to grow from it.

Finucane for AFB is one of the upgrades of the century on paper - will it come to fruition? Or will we get the AFB who could get frustrated and flustered easily at the Warriors?

I expect Penrith to challenge Cronulla early and try to force them into error and establish an early lead. Cronulla will have to mitigate the damage and get on the board ASAP. That left edge in particular will be the favoured option for the Sharks and they'll be looking to put Mulitalo into space as often as possible.

 

[BroncsFan]

The loss of To'o on top of losing Turuva... makes it even bigger.

One of the real keys to penrith's game is the run meters of the back 3 and suddenly 2 of them are gone.

Edwards will obviously get through his work and Tago helps out as well, as do all the back 5 to get their hitups in, but there will be a lot of pressure on Alamoti and McLean to pick up the slack. Also it's not just about hitups and meters, To'o and Turuva are great at getting quick play the balls as well.

I think penrith could be vulnerable in this game. Cleary coming in straight off shoulder surgery (has he done anything this preseason?), meters missing from the back 3 and in recent times they can be slow starters.

On the other hand the Trindall and Nicho combo actually looked cohesive during the trials. They didn't play together all that long, but for once it felt like Trindall was getting Nicho the ball when he needed it and picking his spots to attack when it was his turn.

 

[Santa]

The loss of To'o on top of losing Turuva... makes it even bigger.

One of the real keys to penrith's game is the run meters of the back 3 and suddenly 2 of them are gone.

Edwards will obviously get through his work and Tago helps out as well, as do all the back 5 to get their hitups in, but there will be a lot of pressure on Alamoti and McLean to pick up the slack. Also it's not just about hitups and meters, To'o and Turuva are great at getting quick play the balls as well.

I think penrith could be vulnerable in this game. Cleary coming in straight off shoulder surgery (has he done anything this preseason?), meters missing from the back 3 and in recent times they can be slow starters.

On the other hand the Trindall and Nicho combo actually looked cohesive during the trials. They didn't play together all that long, but for once it felt like Trindall was getting Nicho the ball when he needed it and picking his spots to attack when it was his turn.

You've convinced me to switch my tip to the Sharks!

 

[BroncsFan]

You've convinced me to switch my tip to the Sharks!