NRL Round 9 Review: That Obstruction, Knowles Passing & Brown Looking Like A Halfback

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NRL Film Room - Round 9 Highlights

Quick Hits

The Feature Reel: Try of the Week

The Dolphins are struggling to score points in the same way they did last season, but showed a few positive signs in Round 9.

Morgan Knowles, in particular, seemed to have more influence on how the Dolphins moved the ball across the field. His pass under pressure is excellent and sets Isaiya Katoa up to play Kulikefu Finefeuiaki through half a gap.

The general concensus seems to be that Knowles has disappointed since his arrival to the NRL, but having proven himself as a strong defender through the middle, is finding his feet - and hands - in attack. It might be what the Dolphins need to unlock Katoa’s deception out wide where there is less risk of the defence jamming outside him.

Finekeuiaki can’t quite get over the try line here, but the damage to the Storm defensive line has already been done.

Melbourne is left with a prop at three-man down the shortside, the winger at two, and five-eighth tight.

Katoa shapes to go to the open side. It’s likely to be part of the Dolphins flow to head back to the long side behind a tight block around the ruck - especially on the last tackle. However, seeing the signs, Katoa flips late, holds his depth to invite the jam, and puts Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow one-on-one with a desperate Cameron Munster.

Round 9 Super Sunday Notes

Knights v Rabbitohs

“Ponga Is Terrorising Them!” Kalyn Ponga returned for the Newcastle Knights in Round 9, and this team looks genuinely good. I wasn’t ready to say as much following their early-season wins, and didn’t think I would get here so quickly upon Ponga’s return, but here we are…

As well as Ponga played, Dylan’s Brown’s influence seems to get glossed over when his fullback is causing so many problems for the defence out wide. Jake Duke’s claim that “Ponga is terrorising them” isn’t wrong, but that space in which he was allowed to do so came from a very halfback-like play from Brown.

With three middles in front of him, Brown is able to skip across the B defender and use a drop to hold him up. With it, Brown is into C with a lead inside Cody Walker at three-man.

Brown’s work puts Ponga into a three-v-one situation on the edge with plenty of room to move. While the Knights weren’t able to turn the shift into points on that play, the chaos it caused in the defensive line help to score on the next one.

Sharks v Tigers

Sharks Jam In Defence: The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks struggled against the North Queensland Cowboys swing attack in Round 8. Siosifa Talakai, in particular, had his lateral movement tested a few times.

Wests Tigers had similar success early on, with both tries coming from breaks either side of the makeshift centre. However, when the Tigers lost Adam Doueihi to a shoulder injury, the Sharks were able to make the adjustments to the more direct style Wests play with Jock Madden on the field.

It’s Jarome Luai here, but the trends rang true throughout the game on both sides. When the Tigers put a lead inside the three man, and with Sunia Turuva wide on the block out the back, the Sharks edges were agressive in their jamming defence.

A lot of the Tigers’ best work this season has come from a direct approach through the middle. Madden straightening for Douehi out the back. Douehi’s threat as a runner shrinking the defence for Luai on the second layer. But now nine weeks in and with plenty of video for opposition teams to break down before a game, we might see more teams jam on the Tigers. Especially with Doueihi looking set for a stint on the sidelines.

Panthers v Sea Eagles

That Obstruction: Ivan Cleary said exactly what I was thinking at the time, so I’ll let him explain it.

It’s not Wyatt Raymond’s fault that he isn’t across the finer details of the defence, and the specific approach the Penrith Panthers take to defending the edges. His claim that the obstruction “had no bearing on the try being scored” reflects, not only his lack of understanding, but the ridiculousness of him being expected to have it to make a decision.

Nathan Cleary being - quite clearly - impeeded stops him from applying pressure on Luke Brooks, and influences the decision of the two defenders outside him.

Centimetres end up determining whether or not Lehi Hopoate scores in the corner, and Cleary being able to get across the field would have likely closed that gap.

Right decision or not¹ , there is far too much pressure on officials to understand the intricaies of the game if they’re determining the impact on a defensive line while coming to a decision. We once had former players providing that IQ in the Bunker, but they became a cost-cutting measure and have never returned…

Obstructions will never be consistent. Even people well-versed in the details of the game will disagree on some. However, “no bearing” in this case is wrong and having officials make those calls will only promote more inconsistency in the decisions.

Another Cleary Quote: This time on Joey Walsh following his first grade debut.

Player Spotlight - Alex Twal

Who saw this coming from Alex Twal in his age 29 season…?

Benji Marshall has worked wonders to take one of the most consistent, but no frills middles in the NRL, and turn him into a genuine lock forward fit for the current era.

Twal is passing through the middle, but not before he threatens the line by carrying the ball himself for 50 more metres per game than he did in 2025. He’s breaking more tackles, and if the defence doesn’t win the contact, Twal has let go of 18 offloads in eight games already this season after throwing 22 in 23 games in the last one.

The Tigers are one the up thanks to the development of the youngsters, but it’s the veteran who has taken the biggest and most unexpected leap this season.

The Pipeline - Jordan Miller

Looking beyond the bright lights of the NRL to the lower grades, one player caught my eye this week.

Jordan Miller has only played two NRL games and those came back in 2024, but he’s memorable for his size. At 131 kg and 192 cm he’s a mountain of a man, particularly at Jersey Flegg level.

Sacked by the Wests Tigers, the 21-year-old has found himself at the Parramatta Eels where he’s using his size to dominate near the line.

It remains to be seen whether or not he can kick on and add to his two NRL appearances. The speed of the current game won’t help his chances. Still, he’s in the mix for Parramatta’s reserve grade side with a couple of games there this season already.

But having just seen him in person and how difficult he is to handle with the ball, he’s worth keeping an eye on as an injury bug seems to hit Parramatta every week.

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