Following the news that Lewis Dodd’s transfer to the NRL is now official, the influence of former Super League players in the NRL continues to grow. Over the last 20 years, a number of high profile names from Super League have travelled to Australia and made a major mark. Now, there is an active roster of ex-Super League stars shining each week, however, a former Leeds Rhinos man has found himself in hot water.
Here we take a look at some of the stand-out performances from a selection of the former Super League stars this weekend. English forwards have dominated, producing some stellar performances. An English back has been scoring tries for fun, meanwhile, one star who departed Leeds Rhinos has made headlines for the wrong reasons.
Kai Pearce-Paul & Morgan Smithies named in best off-season recruits list
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Wigan Warriors lost two of their star young players in the close season, as Kai Pearce-Paul and Morgan Smithies made the move down under. However, the two of them have wasted no time in making an impression in the NRL.
Fox Sports recently published an article in which they gave their opinion on the best off-season recruits, and both Pearce Paul and Smithies made the cut.
Describing Pearce Paul, they wrote:”Rangy, but strong and hard to put down, Pearce-Paul is still quite raw and with plenty of improvement in him, but the early signs are that the Knights have got themselves quite the player.”
They added: “He has proven such a handful on the left edge (below) and would be among the club’s best players early in the season.”.
Despite only signing in the winter, they’ve made the bold claim that the Newcastle Knights will be keen to tie Pearce Paul down with a long-term contract.
Describing Pearce Paul’s ex-teammate, Smithies, they wrote: “He’s a hard working lock forward who is safe defensively. Appears to be yet another UK import that Canberra have struck gold with.
That’s certainly true as Smithies once again topped the tackle count for Canberra as they managed a brilliant comeback win.
Elliot Whitehead makes NRL Return with a bang
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Former Bradford Bulls man, Elliot Whitehead, has spent some time on the sidelines in recent weeks. He has missed a chunk of what many expect to be his final NRL season with a calf injury. However, he was back in the side this weekend and sealed his return with a brilliant try assist and a try of his own.
He played a crucial part in a brilliant comeback win for Canberra Raiders, scoring two tries and making a Benji Marshall-style flick pass offload to set up another.
Dom Young keeps scoring
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Dom Young has made a huge impression since breaking first-grade rugby in the NRL. Since making his debut for Newcastle Knights, he has scored 47 tries in 57 NRL appearances.
In the close season, he made the move to Sydney Roosters and has made a fast start. This season, he has scored four 5ries in six appearances, including one in against the Brisbane Broncos this weekend. He also made a try assist, as the Roosters registered a comfortable 40-18 win.
Bateman accused of bullying Badger
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Onto the bad news and John Bateman has been accused of bullying NRL referee, Kasey Badger, in an ill-tempered match between Canterbury Bulldogs and Wests Tigers. Five players were referred to the NRL disciplinary committee after a heated encounter, which threatened to boil over at several points. Those claims of bullying have been made by journo Buzz Rothfield as well as plenty on social media.
Bateman repeatedly approached Badger, and was accused of using inappropriate language towards the referee. Badger had a difficult game, which also saw Bulldogs player, Sam Hughes, receive a charge for contact with the referee.
Sezer receives significant ban from NRL
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During the game, former Leeds Rhinos player, Aidan Sezer, was penalised for an alleged hip drop tackle on Bulldogs forward, Josh Curran.
Although Sezer did not receive a yellow card on the field, the NRL disciplinary committee has ruled that the tackle was dangerous. He has been given a grade three charge for dangerous contact, which carries a suspension of four of five matches. He faces a significant spell on the sidelines.
Should the former Leeds Rhinos man plead guilty, he’ll cop the lesser sanction of four games.
