Workhorse Watch Rd 16
I’m speechless. I am without speech. Simon Mannering made 70 tackles on the weekend. 70! And he had 10 runs to go with it giving him a total of 80 involvements. Unfortunately he didn’t get the metrage required for a double workhorse which mean he only scored 4 points for his effort. I almost feel like he should get a double workhorse anyway, I mean, c’mon, 80 involvements!
Sam Burgess came within two involvements of a double-double after some heavy criticism from Paul Crawley in Friday’s Daily Telegraph. Crawley highlighted some telling stats which included the fact Burgess has only making 3 line breaks this season compared to the 2 per game he averaged in 2014. Crawley also reported that his metrage was down from 164 metres per game to 140 this season. According to Champion Data his metres are not that dissimilar to 2014 but in the first 14 games of that year Burgess had 19 workhorse tries compared to 13 this year, in the same number of games. I’m willing to give Burgess more than a passing grade here given the changes to the stat interpretation this season and the fact the only game Burgess has missed out on a workhorse was the game where he was stretchered off at the SCG. In any event, Burgess was back to his best against the Panthers with a 2 tries, a workhorse try and a double metre eater. NRLCEOs will hoping Crawley makes it a weekly article.
It drew the ire of fantasy fans when I pointed it out last year ago but it remains true, the Canberra Raiders are better off without Shaun Fensom. As loved as he is, you can’t deny the facts. In the opening 10 games of the season (of which Fensom played in all of them), the Raiders won 4, drew 1 and lost 5. Since then, Fensom has played just one game (Round 12) but the Raiders have won 4 from 5. These are the facts and they are indisputable. It means Canberra’s workhorse stocks are at an all time low with Elliott Whitehead the only player consistently scoring workhorse tries but with the Raiders knocking on the door of the top four, there is no reason for Ricky Stuart to change what is currently working.
I didn’t pen a song this week but another workhorse champion has announced his retirement with Nathan Friend saying that 2016 would be his last. Friend has played the role of the wise veteran over the last two years and has not been utilised as the workhorse tackling machine from years gone by. That being said he did finish last year with 10 workhorse tries (including 5 in the last 5 games) and it was only 2014 when Friend scored 21 workhorse tries for the season and the year before that, 19. And who can forget that amazing pass while flipped upside down last year, spectacular! Nathan Friend, one of the workhorse greats!
Workhorse of the Week:
Trent Merrin: Mannering might have set some records this week but Merrin delivered the best workhorse value with a double workhorse try thanks to 69 involvements. The Panthers back rower collected his second double workhorse of the season and also managed to pick up his first ever double metre eater.
WORKHORSE PACK OF THE WEEK
- Aiden Tolman: 43 tackles + 24 hitups = 67
- Michael Ennis: 47 tackles + 9 hitups = 52
- Ryan James: 35 tackles + 23 hitups = 58
- Trent Merrin: 45 tackles + 24 hitups = 69
- Sam Burgess: 36 tackles + 22 hitups = 58
- Simon Mannering: 70 tackles + 10 hitups = 80
- Mitch Rein: 44 tackles + 8 hitups = 52
- Issac Luke: 41 tackles + 9 hitups = 50
CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR
Kevin Proctor: 29 tackles + 10 hitups = 39
Dale Finucane: 28 tackles + 11 hitups = 39
Josh Jackson: 26 tackles + 13 hitups = 39
Albert Vete: 26 tackles + 13 hitups = 39
Kyle Turner: 30 tackles + 9 hitups = 39
Darcy Lussick: 24 tackles + 15 hitups = 39
James Tamou: 27 tackles + 12 hitups = 39
STATS PER MINUTE
It’s not often a player has 60 involvements and can’t crack the Workhorse Team of the Week but such is the case for Travis Waddell. Waddell had 60 involvements in 80 minutes (0.75 SPM) for his second workhorse try in as many games but will now return to the interchange bench following the return of Andrew McCullough.
While Greg Bird was left to cool his jets on the sideline during the Titans/Raiders game, no such punishment came the way of Joel Thompson in the Dragons’ game against Newcastle the day before. While Bird was pinged on two occasion which led to his time in the bin, Thompson escaped his mix up with Brendan Elliott in the 42nd minute. Thompson’s open palm shot was far more blatant in my mind than Bird’s but by escaping punishment he was able to accumulate his best NRLCEO score of the season. Thompson crossed for his first try of the year just moments after the incident with Elliott and by game’s end he had a workhorse try thanks to 43 involvements in 80 minutes (0.54 SPM), something he wouldn’t have got with 10 in the bin.
It was great to see Robbie Rochow back on the field after a long lay off through injury. Rochow played 56 minutes and had 37 involvements (0.66 SPM). I read with interest this week that Rochow is still waiting for the Knights to come back with an offer for next season after Rochow rejected their initial offer of a contract extension at the beginning of the year. Given Rochow’s run of injuries lately and the fact they had already tabled one offer, it doesn’t really surprise me that the Knights haven’t returned with another one yet but given coach Nathan Brown’s cries of inexperience in his side, having a strong defender with over 70 games for the club under his belt like Rochow seems like a no-brainer.
Plenty happening in the Panthers’ pack at the moment. Chris Grevsmuhl scored his first workhorse try in Panthers colours (0.75 SPM) but given he probably had a point to prove against his old club, that form may not continue. Reagan Campbell-Gillard scored his first workhorse try in Round 14 and was just 2 involvements off against Souths. His stats per minute was down on the week before (0.81 compared to 0.98 in Round 14) but it’s great to see him averaging more minutes in the last two weeks than he was prior to his workhorse breakthrough.
Meanwhile James Fisher-Harris made his return to the Panthers line up after being a late inclusion. Fisher-Harris played 26 minutes and only had 13 involvements (0.50 SPM) but it’s worth remembering that in his last full game (Round 10) he scored a workhorse try with 52 involvements in 66 minutes (0.79 SPM). Throw in Peter Wallace who’ll be staying at hooker following the departure of James Segeyaro and Isaah Yeo who has scored a workhorse try in each of his last three games and there is plenty to choose from in the Panthers pack beyond Trent Merrin.
Geoff Adams
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