Talking Points, Round 27, Roosters, James Tedesco, Broncos, Reece Walsh, Bulldogs, Lachlan Galvin, finals, Panthers

The Roosters are in form heading into finals, but a legend has a concern, while the Bulldogs face a dilemma amid Lachlan Galvin’s arrival.

Meanwhile, the Sharks have a huge decision to make regarding their highest-paid player, who is in danger of missing the club’s elimination final.

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Read on for the Talking Points from Round 27.

WALSH ANSWERS CRITICS WITH FREAK DISPLAY AS BRONCOS CLINCH TOP-FOUR SPOT

Reece Walsh bounced back from a tumultuous week highlighted by his toilet prank gaffe to put in one of the best performances of his career as the Broncos beat the Storm 30-14 to seal a top four finish.

Walsh finished with 87 run metres, three tackle busts, a linebreak, a linebreak assist, a try assist, two tries and seven goals in a 22-point haul, while he also produced six tackles without a miss and just one error.

Matty Johns labelled it one of Walsh’s best performances since the Broncos’ charge to the 2023 Grand Final as the livewire answered the question whether he could sep up in the absence of halves Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam.

“Reece Walsh crucially with no Adam Reynolds there he has really stepped up,” Johns said on The Late Show with Matty Johns.

“Tonight was his best performance in a couple of seasons. He played a bit of No.7, a bit of No.6 and obviously No.1.

“When he is playing well he just gives Madge so much flexibility where he puts the other players.”

Broncos legend Justin Hodges saw the irony in Walsh’s season best display coming in the wake of his embarrassing and bizarre toilet water social post.

“I think he will be going home tonight and straight back to the toilet bowl,” Hodges joked.

“Whatever is in there I might go home and try it and see if I can make a comeback.

“Look I know he has obviously copped it a bit this week, but the way he stood up tonight for a young guy, kicking 40/20’s, I think he scored 22 points.

“There is always a bit of criticism around Reece and the rocks and diamonds in his game, but he was electric.

“If he is going to go back and review his game, I think that’s the standard of his game now. I know he has got a few mistakes, but he has just got to realise that if he does that, he is just so dangerous.”

Nathan Hindmarsh believes the key to Walsh’s performance was not overplaying his hand and everyone else doing their jobs.

“He didn’t have to try anything too hard or too freaky because everyone else was doing their job correctly, so that allowed him to do his role without having to try that miracle pass or chip and chase,” Hindmarsh said.

EELS READY TO CASH IN WITH BIG 2026

No team has undergone a revamp like the Eels.

Plenty was made of new coach Jason Ryles’ decision to release some star veterans like Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Clint Gutherson in order to blood young, inexperienced players.

There were plenty of growing pains for the Eels this season as some unheralded guys were given a go.

Players like fullback Isaiah Iongi, the versatile Joash Papalii and hooker Ryley Smith were not only blooded, but played a substantial chunk of the year.

Iongi in particular was a shining light

The Eels finished 11th, six points off eighth spot, but started to show real promise late in the campaign.

Ryles explained that beginning the season, there was plenty to figure out.

Now, he is very clear on what he wants this team to look like going forward.

“I think the biggest difference between the start of this pre-season and the start of the one we just had is that there’s a lot more clarity,” Ryles said.

“I know who our fullback is going to be, obviously I know who our halfback is, we have a couple of hookers who are emerging, the spine is in place, I’m pretty sure who is going to be fighting for our back row spots and what our middle looks like.

“There’s going to be a lot more clarity in regards to myself and understanding what we have to work with as opposed to a lot of uncertainty which led to the enormous changes.

“She was a wild ride early on but we just had to hold our nerve and that wasn’t just me, it was the whole footy club. We were very aligned in what we wanted to do.”

Captain and halfback Mitch Moses said a raft of major changes at the club were paying off.

“We have a really young squad at the moment. We had a whole heap of change at the club that I’ve never seen before to be honest. Whole new coaching staff and playing group,” Moses said.

“Just to see these kids that have come through and Rylesy keep giving them a go. Even though we weren’t getting the results, he kept picking them and showing faith and they have repaid him slowly.

“In big moments they started to learn. Those kids learnt and when they got in those positions again, they came up with the goods.

“It was a good thing to see that the kids were learning on the run. As captain, it’s been very pleasing.”

HYNES BLOW AS SHARKS FACE HALVES CRISIS FOR DO-OR-DIE FINAL

Cronulla is reeling with star halfback Nicho Hynes facing a one-game suspension for a hip drop tackle that injured Marcelo Montoya in his side’s 24-6 win over the Bulldogs.

Hynes was hit with a one-game ban for grade two dangerous contact after he fell on Montoya’s ankle while making a tackle, with Sharks CEO Dino Mezzatesta admitting on Triple M that the club is “disappointed and shocked”.

The Sharks confirmed they will contest the charge at the judiciary in a bid to get it downgraded, but risk Hynes being rubbed out for an extra game if they fail.

Adding to their dilemma is the fact Braydon Trindall was a late scratching for the Bulldogs clash due to an ankle injury suffered in Round 26.

That means the Sharks face the prospect of potentially going into a sudden death final with the in form Roosters, without their two frontline playmakers.

Trindall will likely be given every chance to play, but it is a risk carrying an injured playmaker into the pressure-cooker of an intense and physical do or die final.

While it is a lot to weight up, both Matty Johns and Nathan Hindmarsh had clear advice for the Sharks on Sunday night.

“I’d be fighting it. It just happened so quickly and there’s no intent there,” Johns said.

“I think you can get off that. It’s not an intentional hip-drop,” added Hindmarsh.

The Sharks are in hot form of late and Hynes is arguably playing the best footy since he won the Dally M Medal a couple of seasons ago.

It is a massive blow to the Sharks’ chances of pushing for a first title since 2016, with their chief playmaker set to miss the game.

Hynes is such a focal point of their attack and now Trindall may be joined by Daniel Atkinson in the halves in his last season with the Sharks before joining the Dragons.

Premiership-winning halfback Cooper Cronk said on Saturday night, before news of Hynes’ potential suspension was confirmed, that Addin Fonua-Blake was Cronulla’s “most important player” ahead of the Roosters game.

“The way that he started the game tonight.... being that big alpha forward. If he can do what he did tonight against Collins, Spencer Leniu, Naufahu Whyte, I think it gives Nicho Hynes the front foot football he needs to come up with good decisions,” Cronk said.

While it may no longer be Hynes playing off the back of Fonua-Blake, Cronk’s point almost takes on even greater weight should the Sharks be forced to field a new-look halves combination.

Craig Fitzgibbon faces a massive call on whether to challenge Hynes’ suspension at the judiciary, with players seldom having success on hip drop tackles amid the NRL’s bid to eradicate the dangerous ploy out of the game.

HUGHES INJURY BLOW SHAKES UP FINALS SERIES IN HUGE STORM BLOW

The Storm have been inconsistent this season, but were still regarded as the favourites to win the title, before Jahrome Hughes suffered a fractured arm in the Storm’s loss to the Broncos.

Hughes was only returning from a shoulder injury after six weeks on the sideline, with a dejected Craig Bellamy admitting post match he may have erred in bringing back his star halfback in a game that meant nothing to the Storm.

Matty Johns noted that it would be very difficult to play halfback with a fractured arm, which means a miracle return for the Grand Final is unlikely.

“Melbourne with Jahrome Hughes and the broken wrist, we will find out if he can return this season, but it is very unlikely,” Johns said.

However, of more concern to Bellamy and the Storm was the fact they conceded 70 points in two losses leading into finals.

“Irrespective of that (Hughes injury) and they looked a bit tired to me,” Fletcher said.

“The Roosters put 40 on them last week, but they were getting beaten in the ruck and they were getting caught at marker.”

Matty Johns believes there is deeper issues at the Storm, who pride themselves on their defence after their late season form slump.

“When they get 40 put on them in one half of football, there’s massive concerns,” Johns said.

“And I know it’s not all about gambling, but it is an indication of where people see them, after last week even with Harry Grant and Hughes returning for them to be $2.50 I thought no way.

“And on top of that you have got the Nelson situation, Nelson banned for the shoulder.”

Justin Hodges questioned if the Storm rushed Hughes back too soon, given they had locked up second spot and a home final in week one of the finals.

“Do you think it was a mistake even playing Jahrome tonight?” Hodges said.

“I was surprised he was picked.” Johns agreed with Hodges that there was too much downside to playing Hughes.”

Fletcher believes the Roosters putting 40 on them in the second half in Round 26 forced Bellamy to rush back Hughes and find some form heading into finals, but it backfired.

“I think he had to play after what the Chooks did to them in the second half,” Fletcher said.

“For confidence and for the team he needed to play and unfortunately he was gone within the first 10 minutes.”

However, Johns believes the loss of Harry Grant was crucial over his two game suspension and his return gives the Storm hope against the Bulldogs.

“Harry Grant hasn’t he left a hole the last two weeks,” Johns said.

“They haven’t looked anywhere near the same side and they looked flat tonight without him.”

However, without Hughes potentially for the rest of the season, the Storm’s title aspirations have taken a massive hit.

PANTHERS IN UNCHARTED WATERS

If they’re going to win a fifth-straight title, the Panthers will have to run the table this finals series.

For the first time since the beginning of their five years straight of grand final appearances, Penrith will begin the post-season outside of the top four.

They’ll also have to defy history if they are to win a comp, with the 1993 Broncos and 1995 Bulldogs the only two sides to win from outside the top four.

Despite their period of dominance, co-captains Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo aren’t under any illusions about how tough next Saturday’s elimination final against the out-of-form Warriors will be.

However, Yeo and Cleary both said how “excited” they were for a new challenge.

“I know we have the confidence that when we play our best footy it holds up against any side,” Yeo said.

“The pressure is on as there are no second chances. We’ve been down this avenue in 2021 (played four finals). We dropped the first game and had to do it the hard way.

“It’s going to be a taxing month of footy. Our best footy is still in front of us which is exciting.”

“It’s a lot different to the last few years where we’ve had the luxury of having that second week and knowing we’d get another chance but I think it’s exciting to try and do it another way,” Cleary said.

While a double chance would have obviously been ideal, given the Panthers were dead last on the ladder at the midway point of the season, to even make the eight is an almighty effort as multiple premiership winner Cooper Cronk noted.

“Their back end has been really good. If you spoke about a team that were last on the ladder midway through the season and said could they win four finals in a row to win a grand final, you’d probably say no, but this is Penrith,” he said.

“They can win four in a row but gee it’s going to take one hell of an effort.”

Even though history is against them, it’s impossible to leave the Panthers out of the main hopes of the eight remaining sides.

Cronk certainly isn’t, but the champion halfback does have a small query.

“They go over to NZ and they are favourites. The Warriors aren’t going well and I expect Penrith to win that game and for them to progress,” Cronk said.

“The only question mark I have is do their best players have enough energy to do it again because they’re going to have to win four games in a row.”

ROOSTERS FLYING... BUT LEGEND HAS ONE CONCERN

Entering the finals series, it’s not unreasonable to say that the Roosters are the form team of the competition.

They’re simply flying, locking up a finals spot on Friday night with a 36-6 thrashing of fierce rivals South Sydney. It was their fifth win from six games.

Next up, a date with Cronulla at Shark Park. While it’ll be a tough assignment, that’s a pretty good result for the Roosters given the Sharks’ indifferent form in finals games.

“They are in red hot form and hitting form and exactly the right time,” James Graham said on Fox League.

“Look it’s one week at a time, but they’ll be full of confidence going into that contest.”

Fox League’s Cooper Cronk, who won two premierships for the Roosters in 2018 and 2019, says his former side have “all the ingredients to win a grand final”, but does hold one concern around their subpar completion rate.

The Roosters’ free-flowing and sometimes impromptu style can lead to a high volume of mistakes. They made 15 errors against the Rabbitohs and only completed 70% of their sets.

“The only thing the Roosters really need to fix quickly, and it’s the thing that’s troubled them for a long time, is their completion rate,” Cronk said.

“Just way too many errors that allowed Souths around the rim at different stages.

“They have the firepower, they can score points, they are a good defensive team but if you just give the opposition a few more chances than you should in finals it might just come back to bite you.

“You talk about all the ingredients to win a grand final. They’re physical, good defensively, can rattle the opposition with their attack, but it’s just their completion rate. If they get that together, everything else will go well for the Sydney Roosters.”

Graham agreed, noting that when the Roosters are able to control the ball, they look like worldbeaters.

Graham pointed to the Roosters’ 32-12 win over premiership heavyweights Canterbury.

“There was a game against the Bulldogs a few weeks ago and that was the area they really fixed up,” Graham said.

“We know the class, even without high completion rate and we know their ability to score points even when that completion rate isn’t where it should be but when they got it right against the Bulldogs, they looked so dominant.

“They will be a threat in the finals. They’ve got some big scalps, including the Dogs and the Melbourne Storm.”

HOW CAN THE DOGS MOUNT A TITLE CHARGE?

“Galvin, it’s going to be a topic of conversation this week,” Braith Anasta said after the Bulldogs went down 24-6 to the Sharks.

Lachlan Galvin’s arrival at the Bulldogs will likely be a discussion point after yet another Bulldogs loss, marking their third defeat in their last four games.

But for league legend Cooper Cronk, Galvin is not the issue — instead, it’s the Bulldogs’ defensive woes and lack of punch in the middle of the park.

“The headlines will try and see Galvin arriving at the club, no continuity in the way they are playing,” Cronk said.

“When they were the best team in the comp, their forward pack with the leg speed and the mobility was getting on top of teams.

“They were playing the ball faster and their line speed was stopping the opposition and it was really ratting the opposition’s attack.

“The bigger forward packs like the Addin Fonua-Blake, the Storm did the other week, they are actually going through and dismantling the Bulldogs defence.

“If Cameron Ciraldo wants to beat the Storm and go further they need to stop the ruck speed of the opposition forwards and get back to that line speed, swarming they had at the start of the year.”

Fellow rugby league icon Mal Meninga echoed that opinion and pointed to Canterbury’s finals loss in 2024.

The Sea Eagles bested the Bulldogs 24-22, with a second-half surge proving to be the difference in that contest which dumped Cameron Ciraldo’s side out of the finals.

“Their middles have to be better... the Cronulla forwards belted them up, they won the yardage, they won the territory,” Meninga said.

“Their middles have to stand up, and you cast your mind back to last year, that’s where they got beaten by Manly in that first (finals) game.

“Beaten through the middle, that’s their Achilles heel. We’ve talked about it often.”

While Anasta added: “The Bulldogs, it’s been a strange couple of months for them... their attack tonight, to me, was a bit pedestrian.

“None of their big guns stood up. They have enough class in that team to play better than what they did.”

While their forwards need to stand tall, Lachlan Galvin also struggled to spark the Dogs attack and failed to record an attacking statistic.

The 20-year-old has struggled in recent weeks, but Cronk was still of the belief the rising star can be a pivotal cog in the Bulldogs’ attack.

“He can add something to this team, but their defence is what they need to double down on,” Cronk said.

‘NO ONE REALLY RESPECTS US’: WEBSTER DEFIANT DESPITE FORM SLUMP

The Warriors will be playing finals footy in 2025, which is a huge achievement that can’t be taken away from them.

However, even the most diehard Warriors fan would at least be a little concerned with their team’s form.

The Warriors ended the regular season losing five of their last seven contests. Worryingly, they haven’t beaten a top-eight team since June 7.

Their attack has also struggled without halfback Luke Metcalf, who was enjoying a breakout season before rupturing his ACL against the Broncos.

In fact, the Warriors finished the regular season averaging 21.5 points. Only three teams in the NRL era have averaged under 22 points and gone on to win the grand final.

Speaking in his post-game press conference after their Round 27 loss to Manly, Warriors coach Andrew Webster was defiant that his team can still rediscover its best footy ahead of the finals.

“It’s only as hard as we make it. We are actually in control of this. We’re the ones beating ourselves at the moment,” he said.

“If we play our best football, well let’s see where it takes us.

“New competition starts now, you’ve got to get excited

“No one’s given us a chance since day one. We’re used to that.”

The Warriors face a refreshed Panthers team who beat them 28-18 earlier in the season and on that occasion Penrith cruised to victory without its Origin stars.

The Warriors dealt with their own adversity in that game, already down two Origin players before losing Marata Niukore (concussion) and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (ankle).

Metcalf also struggled through a leg issue.

But it all went downhill from there for the Warriors, losing Metcalf to a season-ending injury and there has been little reason since to believe this team is capable of a deep finals run.

Webster, however, disagrees.

“We believe what we can do in that dressing room, back home all our fans believe it,” he said.

“We’re going to have a full house in Mount Smart Stadium. Lots of people at the start of the season would do anything to have a home semi.

“The people who don’t believe, that’s fine, but we believe in ourselves.”

There will be added motivation for skipper James Fisher-Harris as he comes up against his former teammates, although he too echoed the sentiments of his coach.

“It’s a good opportunity. Like Webby said, it’s a new competition really,” Fisher-Harris said.

“No one really respects us. No one gives us any hope and I actually love that.”

‘NO PRESSURE’ AS RAIDERS RISING STAR PRIMED FOR ‘BIG FINALS SERIES’S

Last week after the Raiders wrapped up the minor premiership, Ricky Stuart started his usual mind games — although there was some truth to what he was saying too.

Stuart was adamant there was “no pressure” on his team because they weren’t supposed to be in this position in the first place hoisting the J.J. Giltinan Shield.

“We’re not meant to be here, no one thought we’d be near the pointy end of the competition,” he said.

While that may be true, Melbourne losing Jahrome Hughes for the remainder of the season has only opened the door for the Raiders to strike right now.

That is, of course, particularly true when you consider veteran halfback Jamal Fogarty — who has been so pivotal to Canberra’s success this season — leaves in 2026 for Manly.

But Stuart also made a fair point when he pointed to the fact that 90 per cent of his playing group was signed up for the next three or four seasons.

“So what the younger players get out of this experience going forward is going to be such a benefit in the next three or four years,” he said.

That is particularly true for Ethan Strange, who will be well served to shoulder more responsibility when Fogarty leaves after the experience of playing in these big games.

Matty Johns called it a “great opportunity” and “big finals series” for Strange, singling the young Raiders five-eighth as “one of the top three players” in the NRL through the back-half of the year.

Considering the way Strange stepped up in Bathurst against Nathan Cleary and the Panthers with the game on the line, first scoring the try to send it to golden point and then backing up in support to win it, the 21-year-old won’t shy away from the challenge.

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