RED AND BLACK REPORT 2023: EDITION NO.4

April 18, 2023 / Will Evans

RED AND BLACK REPORT 2023: EDITION NO.4

April 18, 2023 / Will Evans

The Red and Black Report shines a spotlight on Canterbury Rugby League products featuring in Australia’s elite and lower-grade competitions.

NRL

Burnham Chevaliers junior Jazz Tevaga continues to play a prominent role in the Warriors’ 2023 resurgence.

The 113-game NRL veteran started at lock in Round 6 against Newcastle, tallying 43 tackles and 111 running metres, while he ran on at prop in the win over North Queensland in Round 7 and produced an enormous 47 tackles and 115 metres.

Hornby product and Brisbane second-rower Jordan Riki is in hot tryscoring form, following up his two-try display against Wests Tigers in his 50th NRL game in Round with four-pointers (and 90-plus running metres and 30-plus tackles) against Canberra and Gold Coast in the past two weeks.

But the 23-year-old is sweating on results of a groin scan after picking up an injury during the ladder-leading Broncos’ 43-26 defeat of the Titans on Saturday.

Aranui Eagles junior Jamayne Isaako’s prolific 2023 season on the wing for the fledgling Dolphins rolls on, leading the NRL’s pointscoring charts with 78 and sitting just one try off the competition lead with eight.

The 26-year-old Kiwis and Toa Samoa Test rep scored a spectacular first-half hat-trick in the Round 6 upset of the Cowboys in Townsville and added four goals to become the first player for the NRL’s newest club to score 20 points in a match. Isaako was a strong contributor in the Round 7 loss to Souths, running for 179 metres and recording five tackle-breaks. So far this season he is averaging 173 metres a game, and has racked up nine line-breaks, 28 tackle-breaks and a try assist.

Burnham Chevaliers junior Kodi Nikorima has answered the Dolphins’ halves injury crisis in impressive style, playing a solid role at five-eighth in the victory over the Cowboys – albeit despite spending 10 minutes in the sin-bin for a lifting tackle.

Nikorima was on fire in the first half as the Dolphins led Souths 14-6 at halftime last Thursday, setting up the first try and causing plenty of headaches for the Rabbitohs’ right edge defence. But his former club rallied to win 36-14.

Hornby Panthers product Fa’amanu Brown is eyeing a Round 11 return from the dislocated elbow he suffered in Canterbury Bulldogs’ Round 4 loss to the Warriors.

NSW CUP

Aranui Eagles junior Daejarn Asi has featured at fullback in Parramatta Eels’ last two NSW Cup matches. He produced two try assists in a 10-6 win over Western Suburbs in Round 6 and recorded a line-break assist in the Round 7 loss to Canterbury, running for well over 100 metres in both games as the utility-back pushes for an NRL call-up.

Former Canterbury age-group and Papanui player Tahi Baggaley is producing some strong performances off the Warriors’ NSW Cup bench, making nine runs for 73 metres and 22 tackles in a big win over Newcastle in Round 6 and seven runs for 58 metres and 21 tackles in a high-scoring victory against Blacktown on Sunday.

Ex-Halswell Hornet Joseph Taipari has developed into a key player at five-eighth for Sydney Roosters’ reserve grade line-up. He had a line-break and try assist in the Round 6 shutout of Canberra, while he ran for 68 metres and made 15 tackles (no misses) in a convincing loss to Newtown on Saturday.

QLD CUP

Redcliffe Dolphins sorely missed their hooker and captain, Northern Bulldogs product Sheldon Pitama, as they crashed to a 60-4 loss to Souths Logan Magpies on Sunday.

JERSEY FLEGG CUP

Linwood Keas tyro Leo Nasio made his Jersey Flegg debut for Wests Tigers on Saturday, coming off the bench in a 34-20 loss to St George Illawarra.

SG BALL

Halswell front-rower Tanner Stowers-Smith skippered the Warriors to a season-closing 20-10 win over Manly in a Round 2 catch-up match at Pukekohe on April 8.

The Warriors finished a creditable ninth of 16 teams with a 4-5 record in their return to the SG Ball competition. Linwood hooker Makaia Tafua also played a prominent role in the team’s campaign.

HAROLD MATTHEWS CUP

Northern five-eighth Bronson Reuben and Hornby second-rower Sosaia Alatini featured in Canterbury Bulldogs’ 25-18 week one finals win over Canberra Raiders.

The pair will be hoping to line up in this weekend’s semi-final against Penrith Panthers.

 

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