NRL 2021: What we learned from round 12

Chris Danks, Lachlan McKirdy and Brendan Bradford

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NRL 2021: What we learned from round 12 image

While the final round of public Dally M voting has now concluded, leaving assumptions but no concrete answers - surely, surely this is Nathan Cleary’s year - the eight NRL games dished up far more definitive takeaways.

Not all of them are particularly palatable.

Below, Sporting News brings you up to speed on the talking points from the weekend.

WHEREVER ANTHONY MILFORD’S FUTURE IS, IT’S NOT AT RED HILL

Before we confirm what most have suspected this year, treat yourself to some pre-2015 Anthony Milford highlights.

That is a man playing the game he loves with the same kind of reckless abandon the Youtube content creator has applied to copyrighted footage.

The Anthony Milford that was hooked from Brisbane’s Thursday night loss to Melbourne is not, and has not for a long time, been in the same postcode as the electric talent that arrived in Red Hill in 2015 possessing a rare talent to make a defensive line give up their innermost secrets at the mere suggestion of footwork. 

Perhaps it was the - easy to say now - exorbitant contract. Perhaps it was the Thurston comparisons or a combination of the two leading to a dearth of self-confidence that seemingly can’t be contained, let alone quelled.

Milford will find a spot with another NRL team because he’s just that good - it’s a matter of consistency, not talent. He won’t be the first player that needed a career refresh to emerge from a downward spiral.

He’s 26 and, should he decide to, has much to contribute at the right price. Just not with the Brisbane Broncos.

REECE WALSH IS GOING TO BE A STAR, IF WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT ALREADY

He's been the talk of the town for weeks but Reece Walsh showed yet again in Townsville on Friday night just want the Broncos are missing out on. 

His solo try to sprint 80 metres down the touchline, tip-toeing to avoid the chalk, will be on the highlight reel for years to come. As will Heilum Luki's incredible chase that almost stopped him. 

It's a testament to Nathan Brown and the Warriors how well they have used Walsh since he has been placed into the starting team. 

Every attack seems to go through him and he looks particularly dangerous on the right edge when he can skip along the defensive line. 

And it says a lot when their skipper Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is happy to play on the wing to accommodate the kid who is set to carry on his legacy for the Warriors. 

There's a sense of unpredictability when Walsh gets the ball and his ability to put on a step or throw a perfect cut-out pass will leave oppositions guessing for the next decade. 

He could be in some judiciary trouble for a stray elbow on the Cowboys' Mitchell Dunn, but it was a minor note on an otherwise positive night for the 18-year-old. 

HAVE THE TIGERS FOUND THE KEY TO UNLOCKING JIMMY THE JET?

After an extended injury layoff, James Roberts returned to the Wests Tigers line-up and produced his best performance of the season. 

The secret? It was his first time playing on the wing since July 2013 for the Penrith Panthers. 

He finished with two tries, 110 run metres, three tackle breaks and two line breaks as the Tigers were too good for the Dragons, winning 34-18. 

A lot of the attention after the match was on the outstanding performance of Daine Laurie, and rightly so. However, it was fantastic to see Roberts back to some of his best. 

There was clearly a plan from the Dragons to avoid kicking to him as well, Roberts only had six kick return metres for the match. The Dragons didn't want to take a chance. 

Roberts has played 137 of his 156 NRL matches at centre. Could Michael Maguire's move be the catalyst for him to re-find the form that saw him play for the NSW Blues in 2018?

And if nothing else, how good is it seeing a smile on James Roberts' face?


BULLDOGS PROVIDE A GLIMPSE INTO HOW TO BREAKDOWN THE PANTHERS?

The Penrith Panthers were paying $1.01 to defeat the Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon. 

Many expected it to be a walkover. The undefeated Panthers would be too good for the team with only one win to their name to start the year. 

And if you were to look at the final score, you would probably think that was the case. 

However, the Panthers had it anything but their own way in the opening half. If it wasn't for an errant offload from Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, it would have been 4-0 at the break. 

A highlight of the opening 40 minutes was the Bulldogs rushing up on Penrith's expansive attack on the edges. 

A feature of the Panthers' play has been their ability to find space out the back, but for the most part the Bulldogs managed to shut that down. 

They certainly didn't look great in attack, but Canterbury's defensive intensity in the first half shows just what you need to do for 80 minutes to beat the Panthers this year. 

Understandably, Penrith may have been a bit complacent coming up against the Bulldogs which could account for the slow start. But nonetheless, it will force Penrith's rivals to take notice. 

Speaking about the performance post-match, Penrith's Stephen Crichton admitted it wasn't the sort of performance the Panthers wanted to produce. 

"The boys came out to play. We knew it was a grind but we had to weather the storm for the first 20 minutes and see how well they go," Crichton said on Fox League post-match.

"We knew on the edges they were going to come out hard and try to hit us outside in. We just had to wait a bit longer and get the ball to our edges. 

"But we had a few mistakes on the edges but we'll polish it up throughout the week hopefully for next week."

Time will tell whether other teams adopt a similar method to the Bulldogs but we're sure Ivan Cleary won't be too worried after wrapping up their 12th win in a row to start the year.

FULL-STRENGTH BUNNIES STILL A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH

The statistics say that if you concede 50 points in a match, you aren't going to win the Premiership this year. 

But back to full-strength on the South Sydney Rabbitohs could be the team that finally breaks that hoodoo. 

With Cameron Murray returning to the side, Souths looked a different team. It wasn't necessarily down to Murray's impact but their structure improved with him on the park. 

Their lethal left-edge attack had a field day against Blake Ferguson, both Dane Gagai and Alex Johnston finishing with a hattrick. 

While Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker both played their hand expertly in some silky smooth set plays. 

There's no mistaking the Eels are a contender this season, so for the Bunnies to put a 38-20 win on the board is a massive morale boost after a disappointing month of footy. 


JOEY MANU THE GLUE HOLDING ROBINSON'S ROOSTERS TOGETHER

Joey Manu is the Roosters' unsung hero this season. 

With injuries, retirement and suspension decimating Trent Robinson's team, Manu has been a constant and dependable.

The Kiwi is able to fill in anywhere, and he was asked to do that again in Saturday night's win over the Raiders. 

Named at centre, Manu switched to the halves when Sam Walker was ruled out and ended up having a stint at fullback when James Tedesco went off briefly through injury. 

Big enough to bully the game's best centres, but as skillful as the best playmakers, Manu isn't just moved around to fill gaps. Invariably, he makes a positive impact wherever he plays. 

On Saturday, he finished with two tries, a try assist, and 108 run metres as well as 18 tackles and a tackle break. 


JOHNSON AND MOYLAN TO SAVE CRONULLA'S SEASON? 

Cronulla's attack has been sputtering and stumbling at times in 2021, but coach Josh Hannay may have just found the answer in a new halves combination. 

Shaun Johnson at halfback partnered Matt Moylan at five eighth for the first time this season, and it paid off handsomely. 

Playing off the back of some dominant work by the Sharks forward pack, Johnson controlled the action and Moylan was dangerous with every touch. 

The win is Cronulla's fourth of the season, but sees Hannay's side jump to 11th on the table. 

The coach said he wants Johnson and Townsend to remain in the halves for the rest of the year, with an unlikely spot in the finals still a possibility. 

"I hope for Shaun and Matt as our halves combination, that's a sign of things to come," Hannay said.  

"They haven't played a lot of football together.

"The hope is we saw a good performance there this afternoon, let's hope we see some more of that."

SOME PEOPLE SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED SOCIAL MEDIA

10-0 down to an in-form Manly, not many would have given the under-strength Knights much of a shot on Sunday evening.

Led by their front-rowers and strong performances from stand-in halves duo Phoenix Crossland and Connor Watson, Newcastle ended the Sea Eagles' three-match winning streak with an 18-10 win.

Sean Keppie and Marty Taupau were both sin-binned in the loss for the Sea Eagles and one punter got carried away in his feedback.

In a now-deleted Instagram story, Keppie shared a series of disgusting messages he'd received in the wake of the loss.

Seriously, the filth he was being sent would make your skin crawl.

It shouldn't need mentioning, but if you abuse players on social media, you're an absolute germ.

Chris Danks, Lachlan McKirdy and Brendan Bradford