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Workhorse Watch – Round 5

Geoff Adams

Apologies for the delay in this week’s edition but like the NRL Physio, I too have been busy featuring on a new TV show. It’s called UV2RL Five-0 and it stars me and perennial fantasy footy battler, Hamish Neal. Neal and his Mannering Park Mavericks are riding high with five wins to start the season alongside yours truly and the Castle Hill Rams. Neal is notorious in fantasy football circles for his obscure picks that leave people simultaneously scratching their heads and being thankful he’s picking nuffies so they don’t have to. But this season he’d picked up some real gems including Slade Griffin (38 tackles, 5 runs) and Cameron Murray (33 tackles and 9 runs) to pack down alongside perennial keepers Aaron Woods, Damien Cook and Jason Taumalolo. Other players within the Mavs ranks this year include Herman Ese’ese (averaging 40 involvements per game) and Jai Arrow who he’s been backing for two seasons now and is finally seeing some rewards with the Titans forward taking NRLCEO Dream Team Player of the Week honours.  

Hamish also has Damien Cook and I can only apologise to all NRLCEOs who have him for laying it on far too thick last week and causing one of the all time the great commentator’s curses. The Rabbitohs hooker was blitzing it over the opening month with four straight double workhorses and then I had to open my big mouth. Cook finished with ‘just’ 43 involvements but he did run for a near career best 134 metres in the Bunnies’ loss to the Dragons.

Cook’s shortfall leaves Paul Gallen to remain safe as arguably the greatest workhorse of all time (for now) with his record of five straight double workhorse tries remaining intact. The Sharks veteran scored his third workhorse try of the season and ran for a season best 161 metres in Cronulla’s loss to the Roosters. Gallen’s numbers have progressively increased over the last three weeks so a double workhorse must surely be around the corner.

 

Workhorse of the Week:

Issac Luke was the sole player to score a double workhorse try this week, his first since Round 9 last year. With just five rounds down, Luke is already a third of the way to matching his 2017 total. Maybe there still is something to my ‘Playing for a Contract’ Theory.

 

WORKHORSE PACK OF THE WEEK

  1. Aaron Woods: 40 tackles + 13 hitups = 53
  2. Issac Luke: 40 tackles + 13 hitups = 53
  3. Adam Blair: 47 tackles + 5 hitups = 52
  4. Nathan Brown: 42 tackles + 17 hitups = 59
  5. Angus Crichton: 44 tackles + 14 hitups = 58
  6. Paul Gallen: 36 tackles + 20 hitups = 56
    .
  7. Cameron Smith: 61 tackles + 6 hitups = 67
  8. Matt Gillett: 47 tackles + 9 hitups = 56

 

CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR

Tevita Pangai Jr: 29 tackles + 10 hitups = 39

Reagan Campbell-Gillard: 32 tackles + 9 hitups = 39

Viliame Kikau: 25 tackles + 14 hitups = 39

George Burgess: 31 tackles + 8 hitups = 39

 

STATS PER MINUTE

Can anyone confirm that it wasn’t George Burgess who landed in the No Cigar Club but rather brother Tom? Tom Burgess had gotten back-to-back 39 involvement efforts over rounds 3 and 4 with Round 5 a chance for him to really stamp his authority on the unwanted title. However it was twin brother George who ended up on 39 this week but he did it in 39 minutes (1.00 SPM). Tom meanwhile had a paltry 30 involvements in 49 minutes (0.61 SPM).

Still on the Rabbitohs and Mark Nicholls is getting awful close to his first workhorse try after notching up 38 involvements in 41 minutes against the Dragons (0.93 SPM). There were promising signs at the beginning of the year but going into Round 5 the former Storm and Raiders player had played just 84 minutes of football, for the season! Nicholls will feel unlucky not to be getting more of a go with Sam Burgess and now Cameron Murray out of the team, but if he sticks at that work rate, eventually the workhorse tries will come with time.

Then there were ten. Jake Friend couldn’t maintain his good start to the season failing to score a workhorse try for the first time since Round 14 last year leaving ten players with a perfect start for the year (Peter Wallace, Ryan James, Aiden Guerra, Josh McGuire, Matt Gillett, Matt Eisenhuth, Angus Crichton, Jake Trbojevic, Andrew Fifita and Daniel Alvaro). Friend played just 45 minutes (down from his average of 68 minutes) and had 31 involvements.

 

JUST QUICKLY:

What gives with South Sydney’s build up to this week’s game against the Roosters?

They posted a video this week where they opened up their ‘Book of Feuds’ which reads nothing more than a book of chips on shoulders. In the video, their hostility towards their local rivals centred on the old chestnut that they lack the ‘culture, tradition and heritage’ of Souths and that such a thing cannot be bought.

What a load of drivel.

I’m not a Roosters fan so I’m not going to defend them but I am an opposing fan who has been in attendance at a Rabbitohs home game and had to sit through what was essentially a propaganda film against my own team. Rivalry is great but I feel so detached from these videos as they try to downplay every other team in league and spark inflated and imaginary hatred towards EVERY team in the league. Like I said, rivalry is great but a hero is only as good as the villain and when every ‘chapter’ in your book of feuds looks to denigrate the achievements of your opponents, it leaves yours looking pretty hollow.

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Geoff Adams

Geoff Adams is the foremost authority on Workhorse Watching. A past time no one else does mind you. Get the lowdown on all things workhorse related including Stats Per Minute.
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Geoff Adams

Geoff Adams is the foremost authority on Workhorse Watching. A past time no one else does mind you. Get the lowdown on all things workhorse related including Stats Per Minute.