We are just five weeks out from the announcement of the NSW and Queensland teams for this year’s State of Origin opener on May 27.
And the bad news for the Blues is that the Bulldogs have again exposed Nathan Cleary’s kryptonite.
In a game that also marked Lachlan Galvin’s coming of age, the game’s best player came crashing back to earth with a giant thud in the Panthers’ shock 32-16 loss.
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I can’t remember a game in Cleary’s distinguished club career where the champion halfback has appeared as rattled as he clearly was in his 200th milestone match, especially in the first half.
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‘They were getting ready for Origin’ | 05:11
It wasn’t just his kicking game that was off.
Some of Cleary’s passing options were just gobsmacking (like the Harbour Bridge pass that went to no one), while his general decision-making made you look twice to make sure it was in fact Cleary wearing the Panthers’ No 7 jumper.
Of course, even the greats are entitled to the occasional off game.
But after the form Cleary had started this season in, this was just such a massive shock to everyone who was watching.
You can only imagine what rival Origin coaches Laurie Daley and Billy Slater would take away from it.
For Slater, it would have confirmed that even the best halfback of his generation can still be made to look vulnerable when he is put under the type of defensive pressure the Bulldogs applied.
For Daley, it’s a timely reminder that Cleary is not invincible, and the Blues will need to work extra hard to make sure this year’s series doesn’t end in more disappointment for Cleary and NSW.
It was only last week the eighth Immortal Andrew Johns came out and said he didn’t think Cleary would leave the NRL until he has “owned” Origin.
That of course came after reports surfaced Cleary could stand to earn $2 million-a-season if he was to take up an offer to play for Hull KR in the Super League.
I can’t wait to see Cleary’s response when Origin finally rolls around because you just know that he’ll go into this series as the most scrutinised player regardless of what happens between now and then.
The one thing you can also guarantee from Cleary is that no player will work harder to try and make sure what happened against the Bulldogs doesn’t happen again in Origin.
GALVIN FIRES BACK
On the flip side, how good was Galvin?
For all the justified criticism of how the Bulldogs’ attack has struggled since Galvin replaced Toby Sexton, this proved the 20-year-old is indeed a very special talent who is only going to get better with the more football he plays.
His combination with Jacob Preston was top shelf, tearing the Panthers’ left edge defence of Blaize Talagi and Casey McLean to shreds.
It also showed why Preston is winning support for a starting NSW back row spot this year with the likes of Hudson Young, Liam Martin, Angus Crichton and Haumole Olakau’atu in the mix.
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Bulldogs prop Max King also deserves special mention for the courage he showed to get up and play the ball _ without trying to win a penalty _ after copping a high shot from McLean that we’ve since learnt left King with a broken jaw.
While McLean was eventually sin binned, the fact King got immediately to his feet meant it did not even draw a penalty during the run of play.
While that may have upset Bulldogs fans on the night, it’s actually a great thing for the game at a time when most players will stay down if they get the slightest tap to try and milk a penalty.
WHY TIGERS ARE NOW GENUINE TITLE CONTENDERS
Wests Tigers are not just a feel-good story.
The Tigers are genuine title contenders.
Recent history shows that if a team is placed in the top four after six rounds most often they don’t just end up playing finals, but finishing in the top four.
On the back of their 42-22 smashing of the Newcastle Knights, the Tigers are now joint competition leaders.
That is four wins from five games with their only loss to the Rabbitohs in round two (they also had the bye).
So heading into the Tigers’ round seven clash against the Broncos this Saturday, even if they don’t win the Tigers would need a massive 50-plus points differential swing against them to lose their spot in the top four after seven rounds.
Last year the top four after six rounds was Canterbury, Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra. The Broncos of course played the Storm in the grand final, while the Raiders were minor premiers and the Bulldogs finished third.
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The season before it was Cronulla, Melbourne, Canberra and North Queensland. Eventual premiers Penrith were sixth at that point, beating the Storm in the grand final, while the Sharks finished fourth, the Cowboys fifth, but the Raiders missed the eight.
In 2023 the top four after six rounds was Brisbane, Penrith, Melbourne and Dolphins. That was the year the Panthers beat the Broncos in the grand final, the Storm made the prelim final, while the Dolphins missed the eight.
But you get the point?
The Tigers aren’t just the story of the moment.
They have now put themselves in a position where they command respect.
Not only is the brand of footy Benji has them playing full of fun, flair, energy and excitement, it is also winning football.
On what we saw from the Tigers against the Knights it just confirms that the players are starting to realise that anything is possible no matter where they are attacking on the field.
Sunday’s game wasn’t just a clash between a perennial basket case and last year’s wooden spooners.
It was a clash between two teams that went into the round placed in the top four, and the Tigers won comfortably.
No doubt the Knights were missing some handy players in Kalyn Ponga, Dylan Brown and Bradman Best.
But Jarome Luai is also the Tigers’ $1.2 million marquee man.
And the thing about the Tigers this year is that they no longer look for excuses, they find answers.
The answer in Luai’s absence has been Jock Madden.
If Luai is fit for the Broncos, I maintain I’d play him in the halves with Madden and move Adam Doueihi to the centres.
Whatever way Benji goes, it’s a great headache to have.
Api Koroisau, 31, is also still playing as good a football as we’ve seen from him in years, while Doueihi is an absolute marvel for a bloke who has come through three knee reconstructions.
While the Broncos were brave in the loss to the Cowboys without Reece Walsh, Ben Hunt and Adam Reynolds, the Tigers have the talent and the tenacity to cause an upset here.
You don’t have to be a Tigers to be enjoying this.
It reminds me of watching the Raiders last year.
And the Raiders ended up winning the minor premiership before their luckless run in the finals.
The Tigers are every bit as capable to be the giant killers of 2026.
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EELS FANS HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE FILTHY
Parramatta is hands down the most disappointing team of the 2026 season so far.
Before a ball was kicked, I along with many had predicted the Eels to finish top eight on the back of the way they finished off last year after the return from injury of Mitchell Moses.
But they are going backwards at an alarming rate, and their fans had every right to boo them off the field after their 52-10 capitulation against the Titans.
It was the Eels’ worse loss at home since way back in 1995 (the day Darren Lockyer debuted in the 60-14 thumping by the Broncos).
But this time it wasn’t the Broncos putting the cleaners through Parra, it was the Titans, a team who entered the round without a previous win this season.
It leaves the Eels with 220 points conceded in six games, at an average of 38 points a game.
Even allowing for a rotten run of injuries, as Jason Ryles said post match that is still no excuse for the lack of “desire” that was clearly missing on Sunday.
The Eels now take on the Bulldogs this Sunday in what is shaping up as a must-win if they want to save their season.
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LATRELL’S BAD HABITS CONTINUE TO COST BUNNIES
An AC shoulder injury to Jye Gray has left Wayne Bennett with a headache as to whether or not he moves Latrell Mitchell to fullback for this Saturday’s clash against the Dragons.
But from what we saw in the 36-34 loss to the Raiders in Perth, Latrell doesn’t have the fitness levels or the motivation to return to the No 1 jumper any time soon.
The Rabbitohs were their own worst enemies again with Latrell central to some key moments that put his team under pressure.
Whether it was another wayward pass or some dodgy kicks, Latrell just didn’t seem to have his mind on the job.
And it ruined some individual moments of brilliance that Latrell can always seem to manufacture.
It seems every week this season Latrell’s overall commitment has come under scrutiny, and his bad habits are getting a bit tiresome for many Souths fans. You can only imagine what some of his teammates might think privately.
RAIDERS SHOW SIGNS OF LIFE
As for the Raiders, they got away with the win but they are nowhere near the level that took them to last year’s minor premiership.
Still, the brilliant try Kaeo Weekes scored _ when the flying fullback raced 98m and beat seven Souths defenders _ just highlights the raw talent in Ricky Stuart’s team.
If they can take down the Storm in Canberra on Friday night it will be another step in the right direction, although they are still 15th on the ladder after six rounds with only the Eels and Dragons below them.
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WARRIORS ON RISE, STORM ON SLIDE
The Warriors are a team that have proven they are not in this to make up the numbers.
But unfortunately the same can’t be said of Melbourne slumped to their fourth straight defeat on the back of a really disappointing 38-14 loss.
At the start of the season I tipped the Storm to finish top four, although I thought they would struggle to go all the way after the heartbreak of losing back-to-back grand finals.
But it’s clear they just don’t have the depth to make a charge for this year’s premiership.
Factor in that they will lose Cameron Munster and Harry Grant to Origin in the coming months, along with a few others.
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Outside of the salary cap scandal of 2010, this will be the toughest challenge of Craig Bellamy’s coaching career to lift the Storm off the canvas.
In contrast, the Warriors are a team on the rise with an exciting blend of youth and experience.
The Warriors also look like a side that have such a great connection, while the Storm are playing like strangers.
COWBOYS MAKING BIG MISTAKE LETTING DRINKWATER WALK
It’s just crazy the Cowboys are willing to let Scott Drinkwater walk out the door.
As promising a talent as Jaxon Purdue is, we saw in the thrilling win over the Broncos why Drinkwater remains the conductor of the Cowboys’ attack with a try and two try assists along with a cracking field goal.
At 28, some think Drinkwater’s best days might be behind him.
But it’s worth remembering he is the same age as Nathan Cleary, who he played alongside in the halves for the Australian Schoolboys in 2015.
Yet people say Cleary’s best years are still ahead of him.
Whether Drinkwater ends up at the Dragons or Perth Bears, he would be enormous for either.
The knock on Drinkwater is always that his defence can let him down.
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But with the ball in his hands, he is still as dangerous as any fullback in the game.
That’s now four straight wins for the Cowboys (including taking down both last year’s grand finalists Brisbane and Melbourne) after they opened the season with back-to-back losses (against the Knights and Tigers).
It goes to show the players are still fighting for Todd Payten who has surely done enough now to at the very least last the season.
TIME FOR FLANNO TO MAKE TOUGH CALL
Shane Flanagan continues to live in denial ahead of the Dragons board meeting on Tuesday when a decision should be made on the under fire coach’s future.
But if Flanagan does survive to name his team for Saturday’s clash against the Rabbitohs, surely it’s time to make the toughest call of all and drop his son Kyle and give young Kade Reed a go.
After slumping to the Dragons’ six straight defeat to start the season, I found it to be an interesting comment at the media conference when Flanagan noted that while his players were “obviously playing for me”, “Tommy (Trbojevic) is probably the difference in the end”.
While there is no doubt Turbo played a huge role in Manly’s win, there is no doubt the kicking game of Jamal Fogarty also exposed the Dragons’ halves who were put to shame when it came to closing out sets.
It’s worth pointing out that two of the Dragons’ three tries came from Luciano Leilua taking a quick tap and diving over and another from dummy half Jacob Liddle.
Even allowing for the fact they came back from 16-0 down, they sure had some ‘lucky’ calls in the first half when they had a 6-1 penalty count and led the set restarts 4-2.
That amounted to an 87 per cent split of possession at one point.
Meanwhile, Reed scored two tries in the Dragons’ 52-12 win over Manly in NSW Cup.
I know the kid is still only 19, but it’s worth giving him at least a crack to see if he is ready to take the next step in his career.
It can’t be worse than what the Dragons are producing at the moment.
BURTON’S GRUBBY TACTIC SET BAD EXAMPLE
Back to the Bulldogs, and how Matt Burton wasn’t penalised for intentionally baulking Cleary when the Panthers’ co-captain was attempting a crucial conversion with the match still in the balance is an absolute farce.
One of the first things kids learn in junior footy is that you are not allowed to disrupt the kicker with unnecessary movements behind the try line.
Yet Burton was spotted throwing the ball into the air just metres away from the goal posts as Cleary lined up a shot when the scores were locked at 16-all.
As it turned out Cleary’s kick hit the post directly alongside where Burton was standing.
Cleary should have been granted a penalty in front of the posts that would have given the Panthers an 18-16 at that point.
What makes it worse is that Burton even conceded to the Sydney Morning Herald after the game it was intentional: “I didn’t think he’d miss that. I was cheering. I thought he would have been watching the ball, not watching that [tossing the ball]. It must have worked.”
Yet we are entitled to question how the referee, two touch judges and the bunker officials missed it.
But it was picked up straight away by eagle-eyed viewers who started posting about it on social media.
I even have an old footy mate who is not on any social media send a text straight away saying: “See that grub chucking the ball up and down behind the posts as Cleary kicked?”
Imagine if that tactic now catches on in junior footy and young referees are left to wear the repercussions.”
And it’s not the first time in recent weeks the Bulldogs’ win-at-all-costs attitude has been exposed for pushing the boundaries of what is considered playing in the spirit of the game.
It was only last round they were penalised for not forming a scrum in time in an obvious ploy to stop Souths from scoring a try with six players out of the defensive line.
ROOSTERS FLY UNDER THE RADAR
The Roosters aren’t getting a lot of headlines at the moment, but their come-from-behind 34-22 win over the Sharks shows they are another team more than capable of making a statement as the season rolls on.
Sam Walker and Daly Cherry-Evans are starting to look more comfortable in each other’s company every week, while James Tedesco is having another great season, finishing with 20 runs for a massive 270 metres in this game.
In comparison, the Sharks have the talent and look great when everything is going their way.
But they just can’t seem to handle adversity whenever the blowtorch is applied to them.
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