FLYERS RACING TOWARDS TRY RECORD
One of the oldest try-scoring records successful the modern crippled is nether siege arsenic we caput towards the climax of the season.
Wonder-kid Phil Blake bagged 27 tries for Manly backmost successful 1983, the astir tries successful a azygous play since the 1950s.
Many thought that Blake's stunning tally whitethorn ne'er beryllium bettered successful the defence-based modern era, but times person changed nether the NRL's caller rules.
Souths flyer Alex Johnston , presently retired injured, is wrong touching region of Blake with 24 tries connected the Rabbitohs' deadly near edge.
And Storm superstar Josh Addo-Carr (21) and Manly duo Jason Saab (19) and Tom Trbojevic (18) are besides blistery connected Blake's trail.
PEARCE IS NEWCASTLE'S SHINING KNIGHT
He whitethorn not person the flair of Tommy Turbo oregon Nathan Cleary, but determination is nary uncertainty that Mitchell Pearce is Newcastle's make-or-break man.
Pearce played conscionable his seventh crippled of an injury-plagued play against the Broncos connected Thursday night, but showed his people to steer the Knights home successful a scrappy affair.
Pearce scored a try, acceptable up different and made 4 tackle breaks and 20 tackles successful a good all-round display.
With Pearce successful the team, the Knights are batting astatine a 71 per cent triumph rate, arsenic compared to conscionable 44 per cent without him.
Sadly, the lucifer proved a communicative of 2 halves - Brodie Croft, who I wrote past week was acceptable to beryllium chopped escaped by the Broncos, was hooked with 20 minutes to play successful what whitethorn person been his last crippled for Brisbane.
PNG STAR MAY SNAP-UP DALLY M GONG
Not galore Papua New Guinea players person won Dally M Awards down the years, but I'm tipping 1 this season.
Justin Olam, calved successful Chimbu Province, has been outstanding week-in, week-out for the Storm.
A powerhouse runner successful onslaught and pouch dynamo successful defence, Olam has go 1 of the astir feared centres successful the NRL and whitethorn good triumph Centre of the Year.
He bagged a effort treble successful the hard-fought triumph implicit Manly connected Saturday nighttime and volition beryllium a cardinal antheral successful Craig Bellamy's conflict program for the finals.
BULLDOG SHAPES AS STORM'S NEXT REBOOTED STAR
How bully volition Nick Meaney beryllium astatine the Storm adjacent season?
The gangly fullback has had a good play successful a struggling Bulldogs broadside this season, scoring 7 tries, mostly playing fullback.
His four-pointer against the Tigers connected Sunday, which helium started and finished, was a ripper.
On the extremity of the Storm backline adjacent season, replacing Josh Addo-Carr, I'll beryllium amazed if helium doesn't triple that tally.
DUFTY'S X-FACTOR MISSING FOR DISMAL DRAGONS
With Ben Hunt gone for the season, the Dragons needed to rotation the dice and prime the unpredictable Matt Dufty successful Friday night's shocker against the Raiders.
We each cognize Dufty has immoderate flaws successful his crippled but helium besides has pace, flair and creativity - and each 3 were sadly lacking successful the nonaccomplishment to the Raiders with Hunt missing.
It volition beryllium absorbing to spot if manager Anthony Griffin goes to Dufty this week aft 4 consecutive losses - but past the Dragons are up against the Storm, successful a crippled that could enactment the last nail successful their finals coffin.
NRL Highlights: The Raiders clasp disconnected the Dragons successful an important triumph - Round 21
RABBITOHS ICON WAS BAFFLED BY MODERN KICKERS
Around 30 years ago, I visited erstwhile Souths large Eric Simms successful his humble Redfern flat to bash a communicative astir beingness since his retirement.
We spoke astir galore things but the 1 enactment that stuck with maine everlastingly was his views connected the caller - astatine that clip - around-the-corner soccer-style kicking method that had travel into fashion.
Simms - and conscionable astir each different Aussie goalkicker since 1908 astatine that clip - was an old-fashioned "toe poker"; yet inactive managed to people much than 1800 points successful a distinguished career.
"I conscionable don't cognize however they bash it," Simms told maine with a wry grin respective times. "I tried it erstwhile … the shot conscionable dribbled on the ground."
So it's ironic that Simms' point-scoring grounds astatine Souths yet fell past play to Adam Reynolds, an around-the-corner benignant kicker.
Sadly, Simms, who present lives successful a nursing home, was wholly unaware of the record.
He has terrible dementia and according to his loved ones, hardly remembers adjacent playing football.
NEW HEADGEARED HERO FOR WARRIORS
The Warriors person exceeded expectations successful caller weeks and 1 of the large reasons for that is the signifier of unheralded guardant Josh Curran.
Headgeared Curran was superb arsenic the Warriors enactment a immense dent successful Cronulla's finals hopes with an upset 18-16 win connected Saturday afternoon.
Curran ran for much than 100 metres, acceptable up a captious effort for Reece Walsh and made 35 tackles, including a mates of try-savers.
The 22-year-old, who played 1 crippled for the Roosters earlier joining the Warriors, has travel connected successful leaps and bounds this play and is present a cardinal antheral successful the Warriors' line-up.
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