A thrilling round of rugby league has ended. It was fast-paced and high-scoring, with each match averaging 50 points. It’s sure to be a tough act for round six of the NRL season to follow.
Here’s everything you need to know heading into round six of the NRL Fantasy season.
NRL Fantasy Round 6 preview
When does Round 6 kick off?
Thursday 11 April, 8:00 pm AEDT
Newcastle hosts the Roosters to open round six of the NRL season. Both sides will be hoping for drier conditions after competing in two of the soggiest matches in rugby league history at the weekend.
Trent Robinson’s side will look to bounce back from a disappointing round five loss against the Bulldogs. The Roosters’ second half was exceptional, but their first was arguably their worst 40 minutes in recent memory, allowing the Bulldogs to enter half-time 26 points up.
Robinson will be unable to call on James Tedesco (746k I 12.7%) and Dom Young, with the former out with concussion symptoms and the latter suspended for a high shot on Blake Taaffe, while Sam Walker could be a doubt.
They’ll face a Newcastle side high off a dominant round five victory against the Dragons. Kalyn Ponga (705k I 24.3%) was back to his best, while the Jackson Hastings and Jack Cogger halves experiment worked perfectly in the wet. Dylan Lucas, in for the injured Tyson Frizell, was brilliant too.
Best buys
Sam Hughes (278k I 38.2%) MID
Scott Drinkwater (708k I 5.1%) WFB
Stefano Utoikamanu (627k I 0.9%) MID
Matt Burton (592k I 2.6%) HLF
Best sells
Dom Young (604k I 4.0%) WFB
Stephen Crichton (501k I 6.5%) CTR
Kurt Mann (550k I 1.9%) MID
Zac Laybutt (520k I 1.6%) CTR
Deine Mariner (462k I 16.4%) WFB
Latrell Mitchell (757k I 16.6%) WFB
Team list Tuesday highlights
Knights v Roosters, Thursdaty 7:50 pm AEST
Newcastle has made no changes to their round five side. Jackson Hastings and Jack Cogger remain in the halves after impressing in their first showing together against the Dragons. Tyson Frizell remains out, meaning Dylan Lucas retains his place on the Knights’ right edge.
Michael Jennings has been named by Trent Robinson, making his 300th NRL game, which will go uncelebrated by the NRL. He starts in the centres, with Joey Manu (671k I 14.9%) shifting to fullback in place of James Tedesco (668k I 9.9%). Conor Watson starts in the halves for Sam Walker. Angus Crichton retains his starting role.
Melbourne v Bulldogs, Friday 6:00 pm AEST
Craig Bellamy’s only change is demoting Jack Howarth to the reserves for Tepai Moeroa. Otherwise, Melbourne’s 17 is untouched.
For Cameron Ciraldo, Stephen Crichton moves to fullback in place of Blake Taaffe. Jacob Kiraz moves back into the centres, with Josh Addo-Carr returning to the wing alongside Conor Tracey, who’s named despite being reported as injured.
Kurt Mann is out with a fractured hand, with Jaeman Salmon (378k I 37.3%) promoted to start and Josh Curran (596k I 25.2%) named in the back row. With Harrison Edwards also sidelines, Bailey Hayward is named to debut from the bench alongside the returning Poasa Faamausili and NRL Fantasy cheapie Sam Hughes (302k I 38.4%), who played 44 minutes from the bench last week.
Broncos v Dolphins, Friday 8:00 pm AEST
A huge in for Brisbane and NRL Fantasy players everywhere with Reece Walsh (659k I 15.5%) named for an early return from his face injury suffered against Penrith. Tristan Sailor moves to the bench, alongside the returning Fantasy cheapie Xavier Willison (311k I 29.3%). Jock Madden wears the number seven jersey in place of Adam Reynolds. Deine Mariner’s injury means Corey Oates returns to his natural spot on the wing.
For the Dolphins, Herbie Farnworth’s shoulder injury has opened the door for Tesi Niu to play in the centres. Thomas Fleger is named despite injury concerns, but Felise Kaufusi misses out.
Warriors v Sea Eagles, Saturday 3:00 pm AEST
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (617k I 18.4%) returns to the centres and Kurt Capewell is back in the back row for Andrew Webster’s Warriors. Jacob Laban maintains his place on the bench with Bunty Afoa out.
Concussion means Manly’s Reuben Garrick misses this clash, forcing Ben Trbojevic (362k I 62.4%) to shuffle into the centres and Corey Waddell comes into the back row. Whether this is simply due to Burbo’s versatility or a sign his position in the back row isn’t as safe as once perceived remains to be seen.
Parramatta v the Cowboys, Saturday 5:30 pm AEST
Rookie and NRL Fantasy cheapie Blaze Talagi (324k I 24.4%) has lost his place in the Parramatta lineup, making way for Daejarn Asi in the halves for the Eels following their devastating round five loss to the Raiders. Junior Paulo is named to start, though that will likely change on gameday.
In a huge boost for Parramatta, Bryce Cartwright is back from his rib injury.
For the Cowboys, there’s one enforced change, with Tom Chester coming into the centres in place of Zac Laybutt, who suffered an ACL injury against the Titans.
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Rabbitohs v Cronulla, Saturday 7:35 pm AEST
The biggest game of Jason Demetriou’s coaching career has brought with it changes to South’s 17, some forced, others not so much. Exciting rookie Jye Gray comes in for the suspended Latrell Mitchell (712 I 15.0%) at fullback, with Tyrone Munro moving onto the wing for his first game of the season and Peter Mamouzelos named at hooker at the expense of Damien Cook (769k I 8.0%), who drops out of the side altogether.
There is no place for Tallis Duncan (357k I 3.7%) in Demetriou’s side either, with Sili Havili and Davvy Moale (306k I 8.0%) joining the bench. Not only does Demetriou need the two points, he needs his players to look like they’re playing for him.
Unfortunately, they face a Cronulla outfit fresh off a bye and strengthened by several key returns, namely Briton Nikora, who resumes his place in the back row. Toby Rudolf and Braden Hamlin-Uele are firming for a return from the reserves. Kayal Iro retains his centre spot, with Sifa Talakai named on the bench.
Wests Tigers v St George, Sunday 4:05 pm AEST
Benji Marshall will be without John Bateman, who’s out with a concussion. His absence sees Alex Seyfarth start in the back row. Samuela and Latu Fainu are both out, with Justin Matamua and Asu Kepaoa joining the bench.
For Shane Flanagan, Hame Sele’s return sees Jack De Belin drop to the bench and Michael Molo out of the side. Tom Eisenhuth, who’s averaging 45 in NRL Fantasy, has been named to start at lock but could trade places with Blake Lawrie on game day. Retaining a consistent starting spot could see Eisenhuth come into most NRL Fantasy sides, with more minutes for him leading to more points. Crucially for NRL Fantasy, Zac Lomax has been named on the wing, as opposed to fullback, where he finished their round five loss to the Knights.
Raiders v Titans, Sunday 6:15 pm AEST
With Jordan Rapana out, Ricky Stuart has resisted the urge to shift Seb Kris to centre, opting instead to unleash young gun Chevy Stewart, who many expected to be Canberra’s starting fullback this season. Zac Hosking, one of NRL Fantasy’s standout performers at the beginning of the season, is back in the back row. No Corey Horsburgh means Morgan Smithies (582k I 6.3%) could be in for big minutes again.
Despite their attack looking better with AJ Brimson at five-eighth, there’s been no halves reshuffle for Des Hasler’s Titans this week, with Tanah Boyd and Kieran Foran named there and Brimson remaining in the centres. David Fifita will start on the left edge and Klese Haas will play lock for the second consecutive week.
In 50 minutes at lock in round five, Haas averaged 53, though a try inflated this score. However, the green shoots are there for Haas becoming a strong NRL Fantasy point of difference.
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Round 6 preview notes
Storm down Brisbane in Thursday night shootout
Melbourne and Brisbane are two of the competition’s best sides and it showed at AAMI Park, meaning everyone knew this clash would be entertainment personified. Ryan Papenhuyzen (567k I 44.8%) was quiet, but Melbourne’s returning halves, Jahrome Hughes (716k I 2.1%) and Cameron Munster (754k I 2.4%) inspired Bellamy’s side to victory.
Eli Katoa (664k I 1.7%) played like a man possessed by the spirit of Sonny-Bill Williams, scoring twice, running for 125 metres and making 32 tackles. On the other edge, Shawn Blore showed promising signs in his second match of the season. This should worry Joe Chan owners.
An injury-hit Brisbane was dealt another blow, with captain Adam Reynolds unable to finish the game. In his wake, Ezra Mam stepped up and may be given the side’s keys with Reynolds on the sideline. Patrick Carrigan (787k I 13.4%) once again got through a mountain of work.
Dogs hang on against resurgent Roosters
At 26-0 going into half-time, Bulldogs fans could’ve been excused for relaxing with the belief their side was home and hosed against a 12-man Roosters outfit. That they weren’t was as much a symptom of their own second half sloppiness as the Roosters simply remembering who they were and how they played.
Matt Burton (592k I 2.6%) grabbed a hat-trick, including the match-sealing try while playing in the centres for an injury-riddled Dogs side. Viliame Kikau was destructive in the first half, though suffered a potential leg fracture in the second that severely hindered his performance. Sam Hughes’ (278k I 38.2%) increased minutes also resulted in increased NRL Fantasy output which is positive for the many players who own the young Bulldogs prop.
With Sam Walker off for a HIA, Luke Keary was instrumental in the Roosters’ fightback, setting up two tries, creating space for his outside men and kicking the ball exceptionally. Joey Manu’s shift to fullback at James Tedesco (746k I 12.7%) expense increased his involvement, and the Roosters’ threat around the ruck, while Angus Crichton, back in the starting side, looked at his best.
For Cameron Ciraldo, that first half represents his side’s ceiling, while the second half is their floor. He’ll want more of the former and none of the latter when they travel to Melbourne in round six.
Newcastle put on a clinic against ordinary Dragons
Jackson Hastings and Jack Cogger can work in the halves. Who’d have thought? The pair were instrumental in steering the Knights through testing wet weather conditions against the Dragons. Perhaps their most crucial contribution was freeing Kalyn Ponga to be Kalyn Ponga (705k I 24.3%).
Newcastle’s pack outmuscled the Dragons’, with Dylan Lucas putting in a standout performance in place of the injured Tyson Frizell. A try to Lucas was the exclamation mark for a performance that included 116 run metres, 41 of which came post contact, and 43 tackles. A true workhorse, Adam O’Brien must find a way to include him more.
For the Dragons, they never seemed in the fight, making 18 errors and conceding five penalties while completing just 65% of their sets. A low completion rate and errors are natural in wet conditions but they can’t be deemed acceptable by Shane Flanagan, whose decision to switch Tyrell Sloan and Zac Lomax (620k I 2.2%) could be interesting if it becomes a permanent fixture from round six onward.
Warriors confirm Souths are the NRL’s worst side
No one should’ve been surprised at this outcome. The Warriors, well-drilled and highly motivated, against the Rabbitohs, lost, directionless and dishevelled. Shaun Johnson (785k I 17.8%) and Wayde Egan (574k I 4.1%) were brilliant, Jackson Ford’s (667k I 1.9%) exceptional start to the season continued, while Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad smashed it in in his first game of the season. In fact, there wasn’t a bad Warriors performance.
For the Rabbitohs, the opposite is true. Did anyone have a good game? No. Latrell Mitchell (757k I 16.6%) faces three weeks on the sidelines for his stupidity in elbowing Johnson in the first half. There’s a lot wrong at the Bunnies, and in a few weeks, we could look back on this performance as the straw that broke Jason Demetriou’s NRL coaching career.
Fortress Brookie shows out for DCE’s milestone
No Manly Sea Eagle has played more first grade games for the club than Daly Cherry-Evans (736k 8.8%). Against Penrith, DCE made it 310 NRL games for Manly and 165 wins. He was involved in everything good about the Sea Eagles, scoring once, setting up another and kicking for nearly 600 metres. Vintage.
Luke Brooks and Tom Trbojevic (660k I 19.5%) were lively too, while Taniela Paseka seemingly remembered how big he was. The elephant in the room is the Tolu Koula try before half-time. For over a century, that’s been ruled as a knock on. For some reason, that trend shifted at Brookvale over the weekend.
Penrith enters a round six bye two points from the top of the table. Nathan Cleary (940k I 28.2%) will soon be back and they’ll return to being the indomitable force we’ve grown accustomed to.
The Dolphins are top of the table!
After five rounds of the NRL season, Wayne Bennett’s Dolphins lead the table. At the heart of their post-round one rebound has been the reintroduction of Isaiya Katoa (439k I 3.6%) into first grade. At such a young age, Katoa’s halfback play is mature and assured, though not absent of the flashy plays when required.
Herbie Farnworth and Thomas Flegler look set for spells on the sidelines. Continuing their performances without those two will be a momentous test of character for Wayne Bennett’s side.
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Cowboys bury the struggling Titans
The Titans are bad. But they were less bad against the Cowboys than they were last week. 22 points, all scored in the second half, show there’s a footy team buried somewhere deep in Des Hasler’s side, he must figure out how to unlock it.
Sam Verrills excelled from the bench, while Beau Fermor and Jayden Campbell (453k I 6.0%) performed well. It’s not a coincidence their attack improved with AJ Brimson more involved at five-eighth. Is the centre experiment over? And if so, at whose expense?
For the Cowboys, they should be disappointed they didn’t win this by more, and hold the Titans to less. Losing Zac Laybutt to an ACL injury hurt, but they persevered well. Reece Robson (697k I 11.1%) and Reuben Cotter (643k I 29.5%) were inspirational through the middle, but the Cowboys’ main man, Scott Drinkwater (708k I 5.1%), was instrumental, scoring twice, assisting another, making three line breaks and assuming kicking duties after Chad Townsend’s controversial sin binning.
Ricky’s Raiders record resounding win over Parramatta
There is something about this Canberra Raiders team. They’re not the flashiest or the most extravagant, but they love the fight. And when the other team doesn’t love the fight, Canberra blow them away.
Jamal Fogarty’s (741k I 20.0%) career year continued, while Joseph Tapine and Morgan Smithies (563k I 5.8%) laid a fantastic platform for their backline to go to work. Matt Timoko, fresh from signing a contract extension, scored twice and showed why the club went hard for his signature, while Ethan Strange (326k I 52.4%) continually goes from strength to strength in first grade.
What Canberra seemingly lack in X-factor is more than compensated by their physical dominance and ability to complete the rugby league one percenters better than any side in the competition. They’re tough, they’re resilient, and when the chance comes, they’re capable of scoring in many ways.
