NRL Round 10 Review: Breaking Down The Bulldogs Comeback, Penrith's Pet Play & Mid-Field Dropouts

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What a round of footy. No lead, outside of the obvious one, was safe throughout Round 10 as every game proved to be a thriller.

We’re not a lot closer to determining a significant premiership favourite with the Bulldogs mounting an impressive comeback to stay at the top of the NRL ladder before the Storm hung 64 points on the Tigers at home.

The Titans coming back to beat the Knights just about sums things up at the bottom - any team is capable of beating the other right now.

Round 11 can’t come soon enough.

What's to come this week:

• How The Bulldogs Mounted Their Comeback

• Quick Play-the-Balls

  • Teddy v Papenhuyzen For Blues #1?

  • Panthers Pet Play

• Setting Up For A Shot: Mid-Field Dropouts

• Try Time: Looking Long & Playing Short

Big Takeaway From the Week: How The Bulldogs Mounted Their Comeback

Tackle one can make or break a set of six. First up here, we’re breaking down what makes for the biggest talking point of the week.

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs found themselves 20-0 behind at halftime of their Round 10 clash against the Canberra Raiders, but used a minor adjustment to unlock their most dangerous attacking weapons on the edge after the break.

Ricky Stuart knew stopping Stephen Crichton and Viliame Kikau would be the key to victory.

The Raiders did a great job of stopping the two throughout the first half.

Here, on their right edge, you can see Jamal Fogarty at three man and Matt Timoko at two get up off the line and stay up while Matty Nicholson works hard from the inside. It allows them to get a good read on the lead and make the tackle.

On their left edge, the Raiders jammed from the outside. With Bailey Hayward digging deep into the line, Seb Kris is able to make a read on the player out the back. With Savelio Tamale following him in to put pressure on Crighton, the Bulldogs can’t get the ball to the outside quickly enough to beat the covering Raiders defence.

However, you could see early into the second half that the Bulldogs first receiver was moving the ball on earlier. They shifted the ball to generate momentum here.

While this ends with a pass to ground, the Bulldogs are on the front foot and ready to pull the trigger again.

The quick shift back puts Connor Tracey outside the four-man running straight at Ethan Strange three-in. With the lead inside Seb Kris, Crighton is provided with the time and space to make his move¹ .

Closer to the line, it made the difference down the left edge as Matt Burton could attack the space around Fogarty without the inside help.

This comes from a set start after Tracey was held up over the line. It’s something the Bulldogs were able to speak about during the break before executing to perfection.

By moving the ball on quickly rather than digging into the line, Burton took possession outside Nicholson, who couldn’t close the space inside Fogarty quickly enough. Unlike in the earlier shifts, Fogarty backtracks to buy time. In doing so, he drags Timoko in with him, which allows Burton to play Kikau into a simple two-v-one.

They performed the same play again later in the match for Kikau to score this time.

Again, it’s an early pass that makes a big difference.

Burton is outside the four-man with time and speed to burn and attack Fogarty’s inside shoulder. Bronson Xerri’s lead holds Timoko beside his halfback, and Kikau sells a dummy this time to stroll over.

The Bulldogs climbed to the top of the NRL ladder behind their defence, but the attack is catching up. With weapons across the field and a variety of ways to deliver the ball, they’re able to make adjustments to the cues presented in front of them.

Quick Play-the-Balls

We’re generating momentum through the middle of the article with a couple of quick carries.

Teddy v Papenhuyzen For Blues #1?

There is every chance this Blues fullback debate will only be held among fans.

Coaches like an incumbent. It’s the easy decision. However, James Tedesco and Ryan Papenhuyzen are demanding consideration. They’re demanding selection for me.

Tedesco is one of the best fullbacks in New South Wales Blues history. His form is good enough to be there in the upcoming series, and his experience is the trump card in any close selections.

But is it close?

Dylan Edwards hasn’t done enough to walk into the jersey. He’s struggled behind a disappointing Penrith Panthers side without the creativity of other top-tier fullbacks in the game. Meanwhile, Papenhuyzen might be a tier or two in front of the lot right now.

His ability to play at speed on the edges can match that of Queensland, whether it’s Reece Walsh or Kalyn Ponga at the back. There isn’t a player in the NRL right now that can break a game under fatigue wide open with the ball or in support like Papenhuyzen.

It will be interesting to see how Laurie Daley approaches the selection. I expect to see Edwards at the back, but as a neutral, I hope to see Papenhuyzen.

Panthers Pet Play

The Penrith Panthers, regardless of their ladder position, are always cooking something up. Right now, it’s the early kick for their centre.

We saw them use it against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in Round 1.

Note Will Kennedy filling in at A down the shortside on this occasion.

In Round 10, however, the Panthers switched things up and used a scripted tap set to do it.

Penrith start with two hitups, but where the second ends up isn’t an accident.

It puts them into the middle of the field with a 5:5 split. The key is Scott Drinkwater at A on the Cowboys’ left side, using Nathan Cleary as an indicator. Note Isaah Yeo with his hands up demanding the ball from dummy half, too.

With Mitch Kenny first shaping right before bouncing left, he’s able to send Drinkwater further from where the Panthers plan for the ball to end up, and Thomas Jenkins scores a well-constructed variation to what is becoming a Penrith pet play.

Setting Up For A Shot: Mid-Field Dropouts

Teams play to points with the following tackle in mind. Here, I’m touching on something to watch next week as we try to keep ahead of things happening on the field.

The mid-field dropout is one to keep an eye out for all season from here. I don’t think we’ll see it a lot, though.

While the open space in the middle of the field appeals with a threat like Jahream Bula chasing the ball, Melbourne quickly exposed the flaws.

In a perfect world, Bula would come down with the ball or land on the opposition player who does. However, this isn’t a perfect world, and what a bouncing ball does to the defensive line is a significant advantage to the attacking team.

Triangles are a horror movie for defensive coaches in the NRL. You can see them everywhere for the Wests Tigers in this scenario.

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