Sonny Bill Williams ... celebrates for Sydney Roosters against Canterbury Bulldogs at Allianz Stadium. Source: Mark Evans / News Limited
In his weekly column, Fox Sports expert and Canberra assistant coach Brett Kimmorley offers his thoughts on round six of the 2013 NRL Premiership season.
Sydney Roosters v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at Allianz Stadium
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This may have been billed as a grudge match but that never really got off the ground. Sonny Bill Williams made an outstanding play with his first touch, providing a magnificent cut-out pass for his winger, scored two tries of his own and he has class beyond that as a powerful, hole running back-rower. He would have walked away from the match proud of how he handled the pressure and with his head held high against a Bulldogs outfit that struggled. Many tipped the Bulldogs to win the grand final this year but poor errors and slow starts are hurting them.
Brisbane Broncos v North Queensland Cowboys at Suncorp Stadium
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The local derby wasn't a high scoring game but that doesn't mean that it wasn't a quality match. Scott Prince is starting to show the fans the reason why he was brought to the club, he added a lot of options in attack as did Corey Norman. Norman is settling into the role of fullback very well while Corey Parker produced some nice offloads to create some second phase play. I thought Johnathan Thurston was extremely good on a losing side while it was terrific to see Clint Greenshields back in the NRL following a stint in England. It shows younger players can go to England and come back to make an impact on the NRL.
Newcastle Knights v Penrith Panthers at Hunter Stadium
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It is amazing to look at the names that were on the field for this game yet the match managed to have no excitement at all. This was just two sides trying to grind out an ugly win. The Panthers have been struggling to score points which isn't being helped by a changing halves combination. This game summed up a Wayne Bennett coached side, he is willing to win messy, he likes no fuss and has brought a lot defensively to the club. I must admit, I expected a lot more from the Knights' attack. If you look at their roster, they have some real athletes in their squad, so I hope they are more enterprising in the future. That would be a better way of winning two points rather than the dower performance we saw on Saturday.
South Sydney Rabbitohs v Melbourne Storm at ANZ Stadium
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This game certainly lived up to its hype. It was played at a fast pace and had the feel of a grand final qualifier. These two sides are a prototype of each other. They both have similar men in key positions but it came down to which club knew the other better. I thought South Sydney's big frame in the forwards would have hurt Melbourne but the Storm turned up for the entire 80 minutes. Defensively they were brilliant on their try line. Adam Reynolds was rushed but he handled the occasion well, he will come out of the game a better player. The difference for the two sides was Cooper Cronk. The Storm blows me away by how good they are at taking their one opportunity and capitalising on it.
Canberra Raiders v Warriors at Canberra Stadium
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This game didn't reach any great heights until after half-time. A few errors from Canberra allowed the Warriors to race ahead but the return of Terry Campese lifted the home side. Campese's class allowed the team to build pressure and create chances. For two weeks in a row the club has showed they have enormous character to fight until the end. Edrick Lee's try with two minutes to go typified the belief they have to come from behind. The Warriors looked like they were trying to slow the play down and get a gritty win but Josh McCrone moving to hooker added deception around the ruck and Tom Learoyd-Lahrs led from the front in a well fought performance.
Manly Sea Eagles v Cronulla Sharks at Brookvale Oval
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This was a lot closer than I expected. I thought Manly's quality halves along with Brett Stewart at the back would have kicked out to a big win when they got in front but the Sharks were determined. I don't know if the Sharks were ever going to win the game but some spectacular tries kept things entertaining. Manly's near unbreakable right edge was finally penetrated so that will give the Sharks a lot of confidence. Daly Cherry-Evans was brilliant but their unknown forwards in Justin Horo, Tom Symonds and Brenton Lawrence bring enthusiasm to the side which allows their stars to add the polish. Unfortunately while Cronulla are missing Todd Carney and Michael Gordon is injured they will struggle to match it with the top sides.
Wests Tigers v St George Illawarra Dragons at Sydney Cricket Ground
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While it was a low scoring affair, you couldn't help but think the Dragons were home. They are playing a brand of football that works for them and getting high completions rates. Trent Merrin produced another magical performance and I hope NSW pick him for Origin because I can see him being a real x-factor for the Blues. The Tigers were 12-0 down and ended up having an opportunity to win the game but they didn't take their chances and Jamie Soward's left foot proved to be the difference. The Tigers will walk away knowing the game was theirs for the taking but the Dragons were the more dominant side and deserved to win. On a side note, I question why these teams had to use a new football for their match. I know it is heritage round but when you only have a few days to practice with the ball I'd like to hope both sides weren't disadvantaged by using a different football.
Gold Coast Titans v Parramatta Eels at Skilled Park
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Talk about a thriller. With the representative scene around the corner it is great to see so many of our stars hitting form. Jarryd Hayne is playing consistently well while Chris Sandow is beginning to find a nice balance between structure and adlib football. Ryan Morgan showed last week against the Sharks that he has pace on the edge and backed it up again this week. I don't think Ricky Stuart will be too upset by the loss, he will just be looking for some consistency from his side. Both sides weren't overly confident they were going to win the game so took the penalty goals when they were on offer and after a fast comeback by the Titans it was a player who wasn't meant to play who stole the show. I changed my tip to the Eels when I thought Albert Kelly wasn't playing. I thought they may have struggled to score points but John Cartwright's faith in recruiting Kelly has been re-paid. It was good to see Beau Henry play well and be perfect with the boot. Having stood down Dave Taylor for disciplinary reasons, Jamal Idris played very well in his place on the edge and expect to see him eventually make it a permanent move.
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