Kade Reed’s Debut and the Challenges of NRL
Kade Reed made his debut for St George Illawarra in a 62-16 loss to the Roosters on Anzac Day. It was the first time many rugby league fans had seen the club’s promising halfback, and it quickly became clear that Reed was not as physically imposing as most players in the NRL.
Reed, who came through the Western Suburbs (Wollongong) Red Devils junior system, revealed that he weighs around 78-79 kilograms. He acknowledged that the physicality of the NRL is different from what he has experienced before, but he is determined to make up the gap.
“I’ve always gone up against guys that have 20, 30 kilos on me,” Reed said. “I just need to put the work in to get the weight on and work on my defence techniques, and different stuff like that. I know I’ll get that weight on and get that side of the ball better.”
Interestingly, this is the same officially listed weight of Roosters player Sam Walker, who won the Ashton Collier Spirit of Anzac Medal during the match.
Despite the heavy defeat, interim coach Dean Young has already given Reed the No.7 jersey for the upcoming clash against Newcastle. This vote of confidence has boosted Reed’s morale, and he feels that the lopsided scoreline did not affect his confidence.
“I don’t think so,” Reed said when asked if he was scarred by the loss. “As a team we need to get better, but I feel like I belong at NRL level after my first 80 minutes.”
Reed had a few moments that showcased his potential, including a sublime 30-metre double cut-out pass that led to a try for Matt Feagai. However, the video referee detected a tiny knock-on in the lead-up, which cost the Dragons a try.
Reed’s debut came at the expense of Kyle Flanagan, who was dropped as halfback a day after his father and coach, Shane, left the club. Despite this, Reed emphasized that there are no hard feelings between them.
“Me and Kyle have always had a really good relationship, and we still do,” he said. “Nothing has changed between me and Kyle. Kyle’s disappointed he’s not playing, but he’s happy for me too. He’s always looked after me and been really good to me, Kyle.”
Scott Drinkwater’s Decision to Join the Dragons
North Queensland fullback Scott Drinkwater has spoken for the first time since signing with St George Illawarra. He described his relationship with interim coach Dean Young as a “big factor” in his decision to join the Dragons.
Drinkwater was contracted to the Cowboys for next year, but was given permission to explore other opportunities after the club earmarked Jaxon Purdue as their long-term No.1. That resulted in the 28-year-old accepting a three-year Dragons deal from 2027.
Drinkwater said the bond he shared with Young, a former Cowboys assistant, from their time together in Townsville helped seal the deal.
“He was very important, I spoke to him a couple of times,” Drinkwater told this masthead. “I felt like in 2022-23, while Dean was here, I played really good footy. Even though he was the defensive coach, he’s got a lot of smarts about the game and he gave me a lot of confidence before every game.”
He also mentioned that Young kept him informed about the progress of the Dragons, which helped him make his decision.
“He also let me know about all the things they’re doing well down there, it’s not all doom and gloom as it [would suggest] results-wise. He made sure to mention a few things about what’s going on. I also have my own opinion about what’s going on from playing them and watching them.”
Dragons fullback Clint Gutherson also played a crucial role in Drinkwater’s decision. Gutherson publicly stated he wanted Drinkwater to join the club, even though it meant vacating his preferred No.1 jersey.
Jacob Preston’s Pain and Determination
Canterbury’s NSW Origin hopeful Jacob Preston has been playing with painkilling injections in both AC shoulder joints since the start of the season as he prepares for a shift to the left side of the field to cover injured teammate Viliame Kikau.
Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton made a miraculous return from an AC joint injury last weekend, but said he had a new appreciation for Preston’s pain threshold given he had been doing something similar most weeks.
Preston is one of the front-runners to start on the right edge for NSW in Origin I next month, but is expected to be just as effective when he moves to the left for Kikau (pectoral) for Friday’s clash with the North Queensland Cowboys.
Val Holmes’ Performance and Reflections
St George Illawarra centre Valentine Holmes admits there are “no excuses” for the shocker he submitted against Latrell Mitchell and that he needs to repay the faith in coach Dean Young for not getting dropped.
Holmes is the Dragons’ highest-paid player, but hasn’t played up to his pay cheque during a 12-game Dragons losing streak that extends to last year. The nadir was being on the wrong side of a clinic a fortnight ago from opposing South Sydney three-quarter Mitchell, who scored four tries against him.
In his first game in charge, interim coach Young opted not to axe Holmes for the encounter against the Roosters. While the Maroons and Kangaroos representative’s personal performance was slightly better than the previous week, it mattered little after the tri-colours put on a record Anzac Day score of 62-16 at Allianz Stadium.
Melbourne Storm’s Struggles and Hope for Recovery
Melbourne chairman Matt Tripp says the Storm is “a proud club who will stick together.” And they only need to look back 12 months for inspiration to turn their horror start to the season around.
“It’s probably the most embarrassed I’ve ever been in my footy life,” Storm coach Craig Bellamy said after the 48-6 loss to South Sydney on Saturday night.
It was the heaviest defeat for the club at AAMI Park, and left them with just two wins from their opening eight games.
To put Melbourne’s start to the year into perspective, however, the Panthers were 2-6 last season before they exploded to life and made it all the way to the preliminary final, where they lost narrowly to eventual premiers Brisbane.
“Let’s hope history repeats, but it won’t happen by simply hoping,” Tripp said.
“We can take heart from what Penrith did, but at the same time there’s a lot of hard work ahead of us if we want to follow the same trajectory. I’ll be honest with you, there is cause for concern because we’re playing well below our best.”
