Knights’ secret weapon as Blues bolter emerges; don’t be fooled by Dogs’ mind games — Crawls

I have never seen an NRL player get more 50/50 calls go his way than Bulldogs skipper Stephen Crichton.

For some time now Crichton has been jokingly referred to as a “protected species”, or the “Teflon Bulldog”.

Watch every game of every round of the NRL Premiership Season LIVE with no ad-breaks during play on FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.

Even when he’s on the losing team, Crichton has an uncanny knack of coming up trumps when it comes to getting the rub of the green on contentious calls.

It happened again in the Bulldogs’ shock loss to Newcastle over the weekend with more baffling decisions that went Crichton’s way.

Newcastle coach Justin Holbrook would be within his rights to contact the NRL referees’ boss this week just to clarify that Crichton still plays by the same rules as every other player in the game.

Go back and look at the forward pass from Crichton that hit Matt Burton on the melon when Jacob Kiraz scored late in the game.

Even allowing for the fact the Bunker is not allowed to rule on forward passes, Kevvie Walters spoke for the majority in the Fox League commentary box when he questioned how it was not called back by the match officials on the field.

That of course came on the back of the Knights losing their captain’s challenge for a stripped ball by Sandon Smith also involving Crichton.

On that occasion there was no question Smith had his hand on the ball.

But replays clearly showed that Crichton let go of the ball in what looked an obvious attempt to milk the penalty.

How the Bunker determined there was a stripping action from Smith I’ll never know.

They’ll tell us this was just one of those 50/50 calls we see every game, and it could have gone either way.

Put that to a pub test and see what results come back.

Throw in the number of times Crichton got away with slowing down the ruck.

It reminds me how Cameron Smith used to get away with pretty much whatever he wanted at the peak of his powers when it came to ‘ruck control’.

There was also a crucial moment in last week’s win over the Raiders where Crichton also made a blatant ruck infringement involving Xavier Savage.

That was late in the game and cost the Raiders vital tackles in great field position when the match was still in the balance.

Once again, luck was on Crichton’s side.

Just as it was back in round one in Vegas when Crichton escaped the sin bin for that dangerous high shot on young Dragons winger Setu Tu.

Sure, Tu was falling in the tackle, but there is supposed to be a duty of care from the defender — and Crichton clearly hit him high and with force.

Not so much as a fine from the match review committee.

What makes it worse is that there have been numerous similar incidents in previous years.

There was the grubby face massage on Ryan Papenhuyzen last season that caused widespread outrage (Crichton was not only not penalised but escaped with a $1000 fine).

On another occasion he dangerously led with his knees trying to stop Dragons winger Christian Tuipulotu from scoring (he also escaped with a fine on that occasion).

What about when Crichton jammed his nose into Kyle Flanagan’s mouth when Flanagan was pinned to the ground.

Flanagan copped a four-match suspension for biting, Crichton again the ‘victim’.

While the incidents on the weekend didn’t involve dirty tactics, it’s just another series of examples that creates this perception that the ‘Teflon Bulldog’ is a “protected species”.

READ MORE

TALKING POINT: Seibold’s final selfless act before axing; Madge’s last laugh after Broncos bust-up

‘NOT OK’: Flanagan set for long lay-off after hospital release for ugly KO that scared dad

KNIGHTS ENFORCER BEATING DOWN BLUES’ DOOR

The Knights’ brave win would have to have stung Adam O’Brien who was watching on from the Bulldogs’ coaching box where he is now in charge of Canterbury’s attack.

After four rounds the Dogs have scored the least points of any team with 45 in total.

That puts them well below the bottom four teams on the ladder including the Dragons (68), Titans (62), Raiders (67) and Sea Eagles (60).

Don’t forget the Knights didn’t have their star playmakers Kalyn Ponga and Dylan Brown.

But they played tough and with the type of passion and commitment that the club was once famous for.

I know it is only early in the season, but Holbrook looks to be doing a tremendous job reinstalling old values.

And it is really on show in the way the rejuvenated Jacob Saifiti is leading from the front.

The 29-year-old is in as good if not better form than he was when he broke into the NSW Origin team some years ago.

If he can keep it up he’ll banging down Laurie Daley’s door to come back into contention this year.

Saifiti was also great in the upset win over Manly.

CIRALDO’S MIND GAMES

As for the Bulldogs, once again the heat is on their halves after Cameron Ciraldo switched Crichton to five-eighth and Matt Burton into the centres.

But don’t be fooled by Ciraldo’s mind games.

It just continues to mask the real problem which is Lachlan Galvin at seven.

While Galvin finished with huge running metres (17 runs for 148m), it doesn’t change the fact the Bulldogs continue to lack direction in key moments.

Whether it’s Galvin, Burton or Crichton playing six, Sean O’Sullivan is the only genuine halfback among them.

Surely he must start at seven, at least until young gun Mitchell Woods is ready to go.

TAG-TEAM COACHING SOLUTION TO GIVE MANLY BACK ITS DNA

Here’s a left-field solution for Manly in the race to replace the sacked Anthony Seibold.

How about tag teaming Kieran Foran with Brad Arthur like how Wests Tigers allowed Benji Marshall to do his apprenticeship under Tim Sheens.

The difference here would be that Arthur is still only 51, so he’s a lot younger than Sheens was when he returned to coach the Tigers aged in his 70s.

But with Arthur’s experience and Foran’s understanding of Manly’s DNA, it has the potential to get this club back on the road to success in the long term.

The reality is whoever takes over from Siebold inherits a mess regardless.

So the club is going to have to give their next head coach time to get the roster back in shape.

Matt Ballin obviously also has Manly DNA and there has been a huge push within to bring the current Broncos’ assistant back for some time.

Even though Ballin has worked at several clubs as well as on the Queensland Origin coaching staff, I still wonder if Ballin has the runs on the board to take over such a troubled club, even allowing for his history at Manly.

Mick Ennis also has strong support and at least he knows all the problems the club has right now given he was one of Seibold’s assistants last year.

But again, does he have the necessary experience to navigate the political minefield that is Manly?

It’s a huge gamble.

For mine, I reckon Arthur’s experience and what he did at Parramatta through a salary cap crisis and constant boardroom upheaval to not only rebuild the team but take them to a grand final makes him the standout candidate.

He also had a great relationship with Foran from back when he was Geoff Toovey’s assistant before taking Foran to the Eels.

It would be worth considering teaming them up for at least the next three years if Arthur and Foran would be open to the idea.

That would allow Foran time to do his coaching apprenticeship and not to make him the next young coach Manly throws under the bus.

DIABOLICAL DRAGONS MAKE IT EIGHT STRAIGHT DEFEATS

It was awful watching Kyle Flanagan get stretchered off in the Dragons’ loss to the Titans.

Everyone in the game would be hoping Flanagan makes a safe and speedy recovery.

But there is still no sugar-coating how bad the Dragons’ attack was.

In a match befitting of an early wooden spoon showdown, the Titans did everything in their power to lose this one — but still did enough to get out of jail against an opposition that again offered very little in attack.

That leaves the Dragons dead last on the ladder after four rounds, while it makes it eight straight defeats given they dropped their final four games last season.

It also raises further questions about the club’s decision to hand Shane Flanagan a contract extension towards the end of last season.

While no one argues Flanagan knows what success looks like, having won a comp at the Sharks a decade ago, the Dragons appear to be going backwards in his third season in charge.

BENJI HAS TIGERS ROARING BACK ON ROAD TO SUCCESS

Back to Benji, and he is starting to look comfortable and confident in the job.

That win over the Warriors also shows why the Tigers can play finals footy this year.

In the absence of Jarome Luai, Jock Madden was terrific.

I loved how when Benji was questioned about Luai’s absence before the game on Fox League, he turned the conversation instantly to focus on why he had faith in Madden.

It wasn’t until after the game Benji revealed Madden had missed his grandfather’s funeral to stay with the team.

No wonder the coach was so proud.

Adam Doueihi also again showed what a massively underrated player he is.

Seriously, if that was Nathan Cleary or Jahrome Hughes who played like Doueihi did against the Warriors we’d all be waxing lyrical and talking him up to be the next Immortal.

Now Doueihi gets the chance to do it against Mitchell Moses when the Tigers take on the Eels on Easter Monday.

On what we saw from the Eels in their loss to the Panthers, they Tigers should start favourites in this one.

REECE WALSH OFFICALLY REDISCOVERS HIS SWAGGER

It was great vision watching Reece Walsh strut back onto the field for the start of the second half in the Battle of Brisbane with the swagger of a rock star while chewing his gum.

It said everything about the confidence and cockiness that is driving the Broncos’ superstar fullback despite all the recent off-field dramas.

The NRL’s reigning champs have shown unbelievable mental resilience to put the past two weeks out of their minds and come up with tremendous back-to-back wins over the Storm and Dolphins.

Michael Maguire also deserves a big rap for getting them up after Ben Teo’s sensational walk out.

From 14-0 down in the grand final rematch, they scored 18-straight points to keep the Storm scoreless after half time.

Now they held off the Dolphins with Walsh, Pat Carrigan and Adam Reynolds the standouts.

Carrigan was enormous in the absence of Payne Haas, while Reynolds took a clear points victory over the Dolphins’ young hotshot Isaiya Katoa in Reynolds’ return from the rib injury.

As for the Dolphins, they were just so clunky in attack I thought it was a miracle they stayed in the contest as long as they did.

CLASSY DCE SHOWS MANLY WHAT THEY LET GO

Daly Cherry-Evans was all class in his return to Brookvale.

Even though the locals booed him every time he touched the ball, DCE never showed any signs of taking it to heart.

He just got on with the job the Roosters have employed him to do.

It’s still too early to know if the partnership with Sam Walker is going to get them where they want to go, but DCE still showed Manly what they lost.

It’s leadership the club could do with right now.

THE CAM SMITH STAT THAT WOULD EMBARRASS STORM’S NEW ‘BIG THREE’

I found an interesting stat last week that highlighted in Cameron Smith’s 430-game career the Storm only ever gave up a 14-point lead twice.

Once was early in Smith’s career in 2004 against the Broncos, the next not until 2019 against the Raiders.

No wonder Craig Bellamy was so “frustrated” after blowing another double-digit lead against the Cowboys.

It’s becoming a worrying trend.

Let’s hope we see a response from Melbourne’s new ‘big three’ of Cam Munster, Jahrome Hughes and Harry Grant when they take on Penrith this Friday night.

After blowing a 14-0 halftime lead in the grand final, they did the same in last round’s grand final rematch.

Now they are reeling after butchering another lead in the 28-24 loss to the Cowboys.

Meanwhile, the Panthers produced another scintillating performance in their 48-20 win over the Eels.

BIG RED’S BRAIN EXPLOSION COSTS RAIDERS

You’d hope Ricky Stuart gives Corey Horsburgh a massive pull through after another brain explosion cost the Raiders in the loss to the Sharks.

The Raiders’ discipline has been an issue all season, and Horsburgh is never far from the trouble.

It was again on show when Horsburgh was marched to the bin for a first half professional foul.

I love the way the Raiders play when the likes of Xavier Savage and Keao Weekes get going.

But it just does your head in watching them continually shooting themselves in the foot.

Last year’s minor premiers are now 15th on the ladder after four rounds, and they have only themselves to blame.

As for the Sharks, Craig Fitzgibbon would have plenty to be happy about given how they bounced back after back-to-back losses to the Dolphins and Panthers.

Braidon Trindall was again superb, as was Will Kennedy.