Good Friday is one of the great days and nights of footy on the NRL calendar. The record 65,000 crowd Canterbury and South Sydney drew last year is proof of that.
This time round though, Souths are coming off a bye and the Dogs were flat and well-beaten by the Knights.
It’s only round five, and he’s not the only young half in the spotlight, but it’s all eyes on Lachlan Galvin and Canterbury’s attack.
Most importantly, we have to remember Lachie is only 20 years old and he’s still working out his game, particularly at No.7. Go back and watch Johnathan Thurston or Nathan Cleary at that age. It’s unrecognisable compared to when they’re at the peak of their powers.
Still, if you’re on big money, wearing the No.7 and calling the shots, then you need to deliver. So my advice to Galvin would be to simplify his play for now.
From each spot on the field, Galvin can help himself by not complicating Canterbury’s attack and running just one offensive shape.
So whether it’s from the middle, with a 6-4 split (as in how many defenders set up on either side of the play-the-ball, with two markers and the fullback), or with a longer shift from one side to the other, use one shape.
Have your edge ball-runners, your middle forwards and your spine operating from one pattern. And from that, you can always roll with various options off the back of it. The way he and Jacob Preston combine on the right-edge is a good example.
But against Newcastle, Galvin dropped two balls cold and it looked to me like his mind was racing with all his playmaking options. So simplify it, run one dominant playmaking shape and build your game from there.
The Bulldogs and Rabbitohs are such an interesting match-up because Canterbury loads 60 per cent of their efforts into defence and South Sydney put that same amount into attack.
The Bunnies love playing daytime footy and on a fast track with Cameron Murray bringing the fastest play-the-ball in the NRL, I think Souths will score a minimum 24 points.
And the way the Bulldogs are attacking, averaging 15 points a game this year, I can’t see four tries in them.
To me, the match-up of Cody Walker and Lachlan Galvin says plenty. One knows his game blindfolded and is still my favourite individual player to watch.
The other is only 20, remember, so he’s still learning his own game and how to bring his strike players into the contest.
Joey’s tip: Rabbitohs by six
First try-scorer: Alex Johnston
Man of the match: Cameron Murray
What does Manly do with their prodigious playmaker?
Dead cat bounce: A brief rise after a steep fall, based on the idea that even a dead cat will bounce if it falls fast enough.
Have Manly got this kind of recovery in them? They’ve pulled the trigger on Anthony Seibold after three games – what a horrible pressure cooker NRL coaching must be.
I wish him well and find Seibs to be a really good fella, and can only wish the same to Kieran Foran. He’ll know he’s truly alive in a month or so because Manly are on the road for the next three weeks against the Dolphins, Dragons and Cowboys.
There’s a lot of focus on young Joey Walsh and when Foran pulls the trigger on him. As we’ve seen with a developing playmaker like Galvin, you can’t toss them to the wolves in an underperforming team.
But personally, I’d be bringing Walsh on in the No.14 role and gradually looking to start him in the halves, because if you don’t make changes, then nothing changes either.
First things first though, Foran’s biggest focus has to be on Manly’s defence. They’ve leaked 12 tries in their past two games at home and their middle forwards and bench replacements will be under the microscope at Kayo Stadium given how they’ve underperformed to start the season.
How the Dolphins can tear Manly apart
I’m a big fan of the way the Dolphins attack and play up-tempo footy, but I think they’ve also been below par across the first month. Aside from thumping Cronulla two weeks ago, I’ve marked the Dolphins as a 6/10.
Isaiya Katoa too has had his moments in the first four weeks and I’ve been as big a fan as anyone of his playmaking. There’s naturally high expectations on him but again, that’s what comes with his potential and rare skills and temperament – if you’re going to be a world-class halfback, you need to be an 8/10 every week.
Last week the Dolphins only managed to score two tries but I loved their attack against Brisbane, with 25 offloads and a bit more polish needed to really take advantage of them.
The key with offloads is you can’t waste them. And that means responsibility rests with the Dolphins’ spine players to be pushing up in support of whoever is running the ball, because often it is someone like a Herbie Farnworth (16 offloads, the most in the NRL) getting the ball away.
Once the second phase play starts, the ball should be straight to their edges for Jake Averillo, Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, and of course Farnworth.
And from the next play, again it needs to be Katoa standing up and commanding the ball. As soon as an offload presents anything like a disrupted defence, it should be your halfback, five-eighth and fullback combining and getting an attacking shape sorted.
I’d like to see Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow in around the ruck chasing these offloads and working a bit more with Max Plath. While on the other side of the ledger, Manly need a 10/10 game from Tom Trbojevic to be any hope.
I think the Sea Eagles will be in this game for 50-60 minutes. The cat will bounce, but not high enough.
The Dolphins have too much strike out wide and Katoa is the playmaker to take advantage.
Joey’s tip: Dolphins by 12
First try-scorer: Jamayne Isaako
Man of the match: Isaiya Katoa
Why missing Panther can trigger Storm upset
And rounding out Good Friday, we might just have the grand final preview. On form, it’s hard to argue.
Penrith aren’t just flying at the moment, they’re out of the stratosphere and floating up around Mars. Right now, they look unbeatable, incredibly fit and so mentally strong.
On the other side, we really don’t see Melbourne lose two in a row very often. They were brought undone by a late Cowboys comeback last week and it was typical of how the game is being played in 2026.
North Queensland scored three tries in five sets and were running downhill with serious momentum and field position. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing against, that equals points.
Now Penrith have strike all over the paddock and their attack is on song with Nathan Cleary and Isaiah Yeo pulling the strings.
I’ve been really impressed with their left-edge too, where youngsters Blaize Talagi and Casey McLean are combining with Isaiah Papali’i, and Tom Jenkins is scoring tries for fun outside them.
That said, I think Melbourne have the advantage among the playmakers. Mitch Kenny’s suspension is a huge blow for the Panthers – he’s the type of player people don’t realise the importance of until he’s not playing. His service to Cleary is first-class, he gets through so much defence and leads Penrith’s effort areas.
If the Storm forwards can hold their own, then I think the visitors spring an upset.
And I’m backing Cameron Munster to shoot the lights out against Cleary, with back-to-back losses and a showdown with the best player in the game lighting a fire in him.
Melbourne won both clashes against the Panthers in tight contests last year and Mitch Kenny’s absence has me thinking Penrith’s undefeated start comes to an end.
Joey’s tip: Storm by two
First try-scorer: Tom Jenkins
Man of the match: Cameron Munster
