The NRL can be a tough watch throughout the State of Origin period, but tries on debut make up for it every time.

Despite the old heads and those in charge of the game not always seeing the value in scrums as an opportunity for excitement, attack coaches are making it more obvious every week. I, for one, am loving it.

This is great. Add it to the rotation for this week if you want to finish it knowing more about footy.

My review for Round 10:

NRL Analysis: Magic Round Preview - How the Knights can improve in attack - Moses is back - A Lewis Dodd sighting? - Penrith's errors

There was once a time when we had former players with some footy IQ in the Bunker to help in those situations.

Sometimes, it is as simple as counting missed tackles to break down a try… The third try, however, doesn’t even feature one, but it does contain a couple of different defensive errors that won’t show up on the stats sheet or SuperCoach scores. MORE: www.rugbyleaguewriters.com/p/nrl-analys...

That’s a Titans v Raiders first half if I’ve ever seen one.

This try has everything for the footy nerd: Detail, follows a script from a set start and is executed to perfection.

Big day of footy ahead but there are always a few things in keeping a closer eye on.

After everything that's happened over the past four seasons the idea of a Penrith form slump seemed as likely as pigs flying or hell freezing over.

How the Roosters treat their goal-line defence is something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks, but Nawaqanitawase's desperation to get home gave Brimson a clear passage to the line.

No April Fools jokes here… Just quick play-the-balls, goal line defense and a counter attack opportunity.

Unlike the first two weeks, there were some positives for Parramatta in that one. They're getting as much as they can out of Zac Lomax by having him attack in the centres and defend on the wing. It's something to work with moving forward, at least.

A bit of Panthers playbook to this Bulldogs attack today. Putting a lot of work into the Eels middle, keeping patient in good ball and making the most of their chances when they come on the edge. Very promising.

This is the Wests Tigers "Their first try out of the break feels like one that might sum up the Wests Tigers by the end of the year."

We've been waiting a long time to see the new-look Wests Tigers spine in action. I took a few notes on the good, bad and head-scratching moments.

Paul Crawley targeted Will Kennedy after Round 1 which had me thinking more about fullback positioning and the pros and cons of the various approaches. Premium 🔒

Apologies to the subs. I needed the extra day after illness to get this out, but I enjoyed putting it together. Cory Paix Island is filling up & I had to cover that Storm try...

Close to a perfect 40 minutes from the Storm there. Circled the Parra left edge early and played on the back of dominance through that channel. Capped it off with a beauty for the scrum nerds. The number of defenders being left on the ground is a huge concern for Parramatta.

Footy is back, and I've got a few thoughts on the season ahead: - Dragons Attack - Zac Lomax’s Move - Harry Grant’s Career-Best Season - The Non-Ballplaying Forward - Quick Player Notes

I've got a few takeaways from the weekend, but there's one I'll monitor all season: Play-the-ball before points. Who, where and what does it do to the line?

Really impressed with the quality of the Bar TV Sports stream at the moment. Hopefully it holds as more games run on the site at the same time...

Competition Trend: Scums become a major focus in attack. We’ll start to hear about ‘set piece’ a bit more in rugby league with scrums being an edge-of-your-seat play on good ball.

Huge news for the footy nerds out there. “It will provide NSWRL TV subscribers the opportunity to watch all matches from NSWRL Junior Representatives Competitions and NSWRL Major Competitions in 2025.”

I think the Sharks have got a good one on Hohepa Puru. Would be a nice fit to allow Hynes to play a little bit wider at times. + Utoikamanu, Skelton, Sloan, Dodd & Tamale

The Penrith Panthers are four-time defending premiers, but we're going back to the 2021 Preliminary Final to break down one of their best-ever plays.

Anybody reading this over the break is in for a treat. Great insight into Ivan Cleary’s process as a coach and the foundations of the Penrith Panthers three-peat. Highly recommend.

Not sure what it will mean for the NRL broadcast, but based on my experience with DAZN yesterday, it’s a bit of a worry.

It didn’t make the article in the end, but this tackle and the treatment after it just about sums up the second test between the Kiwis and Kangaroos in 1985.

Having grown up in a suburb of Auckland that hasn’t had a team feature in the top grade since 1945, I'm not very familiar with old-school rugby league. So, I went down a YouTube rabbit hole to 1985 and wrote a few words about it.

Putting a few words on this together for tomorrow. The commentary is comedy for Kiwis and the game is ugly, but overall entertaining and interesting to watch through a 2024 perspective.

Some NRL analysis for your Saturday morning 👇 + a Super League young gun & other good footy reads

What you'll see here: - Reece Robson lands with the Sydney Roosters - Player To Watch: Junior Nsemba - NRL Offseason Podcast Schedule - Content Corner - Other NRL Notes

What Lewis Dodd can bring to the South Sydney Rabbitohs "A bit like Ilias throughout his time in first grade, Dodd will be relied upon heavily to make his mark with his boot from day one."

Off-season rugby league content at its finest.

I'm still a Lachlan Ilias believer. At the very least, he's worth a shot for the Dragons. There have been glimpses. His development has been hampered by injury and Covid, too. He's one to watch early on in the 2025 NRL season.

Moving Chairs In November We’re not often blessed with a lot of big-name player movement at this time of the year, but the Dragons have triggered a spree of moving chairs ahead of the 2025 NRL season.

Elite off-season content from @jackcronin.bsky.social. open.substack.com/pub/sezerspa...

At the 2000 World Cup Australia beat Russia 110-4 but that's just the start of the story. One of my favourite yarns I've written for a while, shout out to all my guys at the Moscow Magicians www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11...

Top 10 moments from the Pacific Championships It’s been a long week without footy on TV already.

“There is no way that the international game will ever be as big as Origin in terms of a one-off (or three-off, I guess) event. But it doesn't need to be, and that's not a yardstick that we should use going forward.” www.espn.com.au/nrl/story/_/...

Who has the NRL Starter Pack sorted?

This is the place now? Isaiya Katoa announced himself on the International Rugby League stage last week. I broke down that game-winning set and looked into why it can act as a blueprint for the final against the Kangaroos. www.rugbyleaguewriters.com/p/pacific-ch...

ICYMI: Sam Tomkins scored a beauty to send Catalans Dragons through to the Super League Grand Final. I broke down the try and two failed field goal attempts leading up to it in a little more detail here:

“Is praying two of the same four teams make every major final so you can pay your bills the way out of this ghetto, this cycle of poverty?” Seeing clubs cheer for a St Helens win really does go a long way to summing up the problems in Super League. www.patreon.com/posts/905373...

A new one for NRL.com: The Knights are flying and while Ponga's change back into the #1 jersey is the big talking point, I've attributed a lot of their success to the lack of change... www.nrl.com/news/2023/09...