Blayke Brailey’s remarkable week has taken a major blow as concerns grow that the Blues rookie sustained a broken arm during Friday night’s match, potentially keeping him out of Origin II on June 17.
The Sharks hooker had an unforgettable performance just 48 hours earlier when he came off the bench and set up a crucial try for Nathan Cleary as NSW secured a victory at Accor Stadium. However, the Blues may now need to search for an alternative bench hooker after Brailey was forced to leave in Cronulla’s 28-22 win over Manly.
Brailey had been the NRL’s ironman with a streak of 139 consecutive matches, which was finally broken at Magic Round. If scans confirm the injury, he could face a longer period on the sidelines. The incident occurred with 27 minutes remaining when his right arm was caught in an attempted tackle on Jason Saab.
If Brailey is ruled out of the second Origin match, veteran player Api Koroisau could be in line for a Blues recall.
BIG HITS
RESTART MAYHEM
Wednesday night once again proved that rugby league is the greatest game of all, but it looked like an entirely different sport just 48 hours later. A series of set restarts disrupted the first half of Cronulla’s win over Manly, leaving fans across the country frustrated. Referee Todd Smith appeared to be overwhelmed, awarding 12 set restarts in the first half alone.
This was a stark contrast to the thrilling Origin opener, where there were only six restarts throughout the entire 80 minutes. In fact, the first half of Friday’s match saw the same number of restarts in just 20 minutes and 20 seconds. This was only the second time in NRL history that there had been a dozen restarts in a single half, with both teams struggling to defend multiple sets in a row.
Only two restarts were given in the second half, with the eighth penalty of the night providing Cronulla with two points to take a six-point lead with four minutes left on the clock.
DREAM DEBUT
There are few things more exciting in rugby league than watching a player score on their debut, and Niwhai Puru joined the party by grabbing the first try of the night.
Puru had spent several years in reserve grade, but he made the most of his opportunity when he supported up the middle after Brailey broke through. It was a memorable moment for the young playmaker, who got his chance after regular No.7 Nicho Hynes suffered a calf injury at training earlier in the week.
This opened the door for Braydon Trindall to take over as the chief playmaker, and he didn’t disappoint. Trindall delivered three try assists in the first half before scoring a spectacular try of his own in the second half.
Trindall has had some standout performances this season and once again proved his value with a couple of well-timed kicks to set up tries in the final moments of the first half, including one as the siren sounded for Billy Burns to claim his second try of the night.
SIDELINE SHOCKERS
Manly put in a strong performance to stay close despite appearing to be heading for a 50-point loss at one stage. The visitors made 12 errors and repeatedly went into touch on a slippery night in the Shire. One particularly bizarre moment saw them attempt a shortside play just two tackles after scoring a try.
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