NRL Round 6 Recap: Jamal Fogarty Breaks Hearts, Knights Concede Shocker

Round six of the NRL was full of nail-biting finishes. The Roosters, Raiders, and Storm managed to edge out their opponents, while the Warriors and Sea Eagles had to share the spoils and the Titans were denied at the death. We break down all the major talking points of NRL round six and look at the good, the bad, and the ugly from the weekend’s action. 

The Good: Xavier Coates at It Again, Jamal Fogarty Breaks Hearts  

Following his gravity-defying effort in round two that's already in contention for try of the year, Melbourne Storm winger Xavier Coates has made headlines again.  

This time, it was an audacious bid for 'assist of the year' with an equally remarkable play. After claiming Jahrome Hughes' fifth-tackle kick, it appeared the Storm’s attacking move would fizzle out with Coates. However, Coates defied expectations with a daring boot in congested space, with the ball fortuitously bouncing up for Reimis Smith to cross the line and put his team 10-0 ahead against the Bulldogs. 

Jamal Fogarty also starred on the weekend, as the scrum half showed no mercy to his former employers. He proved to be the decisive factor in the Canberra Raiders' dramatic 21-20 golden-point victory over the Gold Coast Titans on Sunday night. Fogarty's clutch field goal in the dying seconds of the game condemned the winless Titans to a heartbreaking defeat, despite a performance that exceeded the expectations of most betting sites. 

Finally, while reports of Zac Lomax leaving the Dragons next year grow stronger every day, the Australia international continues to be the shining light of his club’s current NRL campaign.

Lomax is playing out of position on the wing, but he still managed to put a stellar performance as his team cruised to a 24-12 victory against the Wests Tigers. He clocked an impressive 127 metres across the park, scored a try himself, and set up another.  

The Bad: Injury Restricts Kalyn Ponga, Cowboys Pay for Shutting Off Midgame  

Kalyn Ponga's importance to Adam O'Brien's Knights is undeniable, as evidenced by his gutsy decision to battle through injury and see out the Roosters clash.  

The star fullback was in scintillating form early on, only to be hampered by a hip pointer injury after a crunching tackle on Daniel Tupou in the 16th minute. Despite flashes of brilliance, Ponga's effectiveness was undoubtedly blunted by the knock, ultimately contributing to the Knights' last-gasp defeat. 

Consistency has been a thorn in the Cowboys side all season, with their inability to sustain intensity proving costly. Yet again, they failed to produce an eighty-minute performance, allowing the Eels back into the contest through a string of unforced errors after a promising start. The Cowboys coach Todd Payten must devise a strategy to prevent these mental lapses from reoccurring.  

The Ugly: Knights Concede a Shocker, Anthony Milford’s Disgraceful Foul  

Looking at the uglier side of round six, the Knights let in one of the simplest tries you’ll see in professional rugby league.  

Joey Manu pierced the Newcastle defensive line with a powerful charge, leaving an already-injured Kalyn Ponga flat footed. Seizing the opportunity, Smith snatched the ball from dummy-half and raced over the line unopposed, a mere ten metres from the try line. You’d see better defence from club sides, and the elementary error proved costly, as Ponga and company ultimately succumbed to a narrow two-point defeat. 

Dolphins’ playmaker Anthony Milford's return to the NRL has been overshadowed by a two-match suspension for a reckless off-the-ball hit on Broncos’ fullback Reece Walsh.  

Milford made a poor call as he was deceived by a dummy move and is now set to miss two more weeks of action. This blow adds to coach Wayne Bennett's woes, as both his starting fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (hamstring) and his replacement Kodi Nikorima (calf) were forced from the field late in the game with injuries.

Round six of the NRL saw a plethora of tight matches, with Xavier Coates and Jamal Fogarty starring for the Storm and Raiders in their wins. Kalyn Ponga was brave against the Roosters but couldn’t get the Knights over the line, while Anthony Milford had a brain explosion and earnt himself more time on the pine.