If the Eels are on the hunt for a versatile player that has a bit of ‘X-factor’ about them, then perhaps Blake Taaffe’s performance for the Rabbitohs New South Wales Cup could be of interest to them.
Taaffe, who comes off contract at the end of the season, can’t squeeze into Souths’ NRL side but he showed his class in Cup over the weekend.
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Meanwhile, Daine Laurie, David Nofoaluma, Joe Ofahengaue and Dominic Young all had a chance to respond to being dropped. Some delivered and others did not.
The Bulldogs unleashed a new signing, who shone in the forward pack, while a versatile Bronco returned from injury to play his first game of the season.
Read on for the latest Reserve Grade Wrap.
‘No excuse for it’ Aloiai to make amends | 01:31
ALL EYES WERE ON
Rabbitohs fullback Blake Taaffe showed off his versatility, slotting in at five-eighth and proving to be key to their 26-12 win over Blacktown. Taaffe scored a try after setting up two earlier in the game. He also got a linebreak, three linebreak assists and ran for 141 metres.
With no room for him in the NRL side, you have to wonder whether he could be a potential option for the Eels, who are set to hit the market for an X-factor player that could play off the bench.
Knights winger Dominic Young kicked off his reserve grade stint on a high with a try in the 13th minute, reaping the reward of some good lead-up work from five-eighth Ryan Rivett. Young finished the game with 135 running metres and 12 tackle busts, but he also had two handling errors.
It probably won’t be enough to win his spot back in the NRL side, given his replacement Greg Marzhew shone in their win over the Raiders.
Wests Tigers trio Daine Laurie, Joe Ofahengaue and David Nofoaluma also had a point to prove after being dropped by Tim Sheens.
Laurie lost his NRL No.1 jersey to Adam Doueihi and returned from injury via the bench. But after just nine minutes against the Storm on Friday night, he backed up for the Magpies on Saturday at Lidcombe Oval in their loss to the Bears.
The 23-year-old set up a try in the 62nd minute and then scored in the 78th minute as part of the Magpies’ fightback that fell short. He also got a linebreak, eight tackle busts and 157 running metres.
Ogahengaue and Nofoaluma were left out of Sheens’ 17 completely.
Ofahengaue played 65 minutes at prop for the Magpies and got through a fair emoung of work, finishing with 132 running metres, two tackle busts and 33 tackles with three misses. Nofoaluma got 116 running metres and looked a shadow of his best.
Speaking of the Tigers, recently released Kitione Kautoga made his Bulldogs’ NSW Cup debut after signing with the club on a development deal last week. The 20-year-old starred in the second row scoring two tries, getting a linebreak, three tackle busts and running for 90 metres. He also made 17 tackles with four misses.
Still on the Bulldogs, cult hero Josh Reynolds set up a try, got three tackle busts and ran for 108 metres in a performance that might land him the bench utility role in Cameron Ciraldo’s NRL side after Nu Brown suffered an elbow injury. Reynolds did, however, miss six tackles.
And young gun Karl Oloapu continues to make a mark on reserve grade, scoring a try for the Dogs, getting a linebreak and making 24 tackles with just one miss.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary will have to get creative to replace bench hooker Soni Luke, who failed his HIA last week. Back-up half Jack Cogger is an option — he set up a try, ran for 89 metres and made 15 tackles with one miss at No.7 in the NSW Cup’s side loss to the Eels.
There’s also young hooker Luke Sommerton, who’s graduated from Jersey Flegg this season and is on a train-and-trial. He played 66 minutes at hooker and finished with 87 running metes, a linebreak and 32 tackles with no misses.
Broncos forward Kobe Hetherington played his first game of the season after rupturing his biceps in December. Hetherington ran for 181 metres and made 25 tackles with just one miss in Wynnum Manly’s 50-6 win over Ipswich.
Meanwhile, Titans half Toby Sexton is benefiting from his time in reserve grade. Tanah Boyd bat him to the No.7 jersey this season but Sexton is keeping the pressure on him with some mature and dominant performances for Tweed. Sexton scored a try, ran for 86 metres and forced a dropout in their win, while also playing a hand in a few other tries.
Elsewhere, Talatau Amone is still biding his time in NSW Cup after being cleared to play a couple of weeks ago. He set up a try, got a linebreak, two tackle busts and ran 108 metres as well as forcing a dropout in the Dragons’ loss to Newtown.
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Matterson regrets choosing suspension | 01:57
STANDOUTS
Take a bow Jayden Berrell, who was everywhere in Newtown’s win on Sunday. The 27-year-old hooker set up four tries, got five linebreak assists, forced a dropout and ran for 108 metres, while also making 41 tackles with three misses.
His teammate Tom Hazelton also had a blinder with the 24-year-old prop bagging a double, getting three linebreaks 10 tackle busts and 189 running metres. The 198cm, 116kg Golburn product also made 25 tackles with two misses.
Jake Arthur set up two tries and finished with just under 100 running metres in the Eels’ win over reigning NSW Cup premiers, the Panthers.
Bears centre Toa Mata’afa bagged a hat-trick and ran for 175 metres in his side’s 36-26 win over the Magpies, while Jacob Gagai — younger brother of Dane — ran amok at fullback for the Bunnies, finishing with two linebreaks, six tackle busts and 291 running metres.
Moala Graham-Taufa bagged a hat-trick in the Warriors’ win on home soil over the Bulldogs. The former Rooster also got three linebreaks, seven tackle busts and 133 running metres. His centre Rocco Berry delivered the goods for two of those tries and also got two linebreak assists.
As mentioned earlier, livewire Knights five-eighth Rivett set up Young but he also got another try assist, a linebreak, a linebreak assist and ran for 81 metres against the Raiders.
Fellow Knight Jack Johns was enormous with 200 running metres, five tackle busts and 39 tackles with two misses, but it wasn’t enough with Canberra’s Trey Mooney levelling the scores with a try in the 78th minute. Veteran centre Jarrod Croker slotted the matchwinning conversion with 30 seconds left on the clock.
Broncos young gun Deine Mariner was electric for Wynnum Manly. The 19-year-old centre scored four tries, got four linebreaks, eight tackle busts and ran for 123 metres.
Wynnum Manly’s second-rower Kitron Laka bagged a double and set up another, while halfback Josh Rogers had his fingerprints on everything, setting up four tries, getting three tackle busts, forcing two drop outs and running for 170 metres.
PNG Hunters fullback Morea Morea was impressive again, scoring a hat-trick, setting up another try, getting two linebreaks and seven tackle busts to go with his 161 running metres.
Brisbane Tigers winger Max Lehmann scored three tries — including the matchwinner — and also got two linebreaks, eight tackle busts and 174 running metres.
Elsewhere, young playmaker Thomas Weaver set up four tries in Tweed’s win, while Burleigh halfback Guy Hamilton had the ball on the string with three try assists and a 40/20. He did however have some defensive issues, missing 11 tackles.
And CQ Capas prop Bailey Butler had plenty to cheer about in his side’s win, scoring two tries in four minutes, getting a linebreak, and four tackle busts, while also running for 197 metres — 100 post-contact.
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Yeo remains a Panther long term! | 00:37
SPOTTED
James Gavet is back from the Super League and played off the bench for the Warriors’ NSW Cup side on the weekend. The 33-year-old, who played 76 NRL games across stints with the Bulldogs, Tigers, Broncos, Warriors and Knights, returned home to New Zealand last year to play for his junior club. He showed his experience in the Warriors’ win over the Bulldogs, finishing with 145 running metres, four tackle busts and 18 tackles with zero misses in 46 minutes.