On Thursday evening at Suncorp Stadium, we have the clash between fourteenth place and fifteenth place. However, this game has me extremely enthusiastic due to it being a battle of seasoned veteran versus promising newcomer.
Nathan Cleary versus Isaiya Katoa.
Nathan personally shares with me that he views Katoa "with great admiration," and the evaluations from NSW Origin coach Laurie Daley, Queensland legend Johnathan Thurston, and Cleary himself speak volumes. Below are their insights on Katoa as shared with me.
The three point out how straightforward or squared-up young Katoa plays, which might seem easy. However, it's actually extremely difficult since this approach makes one more likely to be tackled by defenders. It requires bravery to execute, as otherwise everybody would adopt this style.
You're drawing defenders towards yourself, typically larger forwards, which creates more room for your teammates on the edges. By luring these big players into tackling you, you open up spaces out wide. However, Isaiya Katoa tends to run straighter than any quarterback in the league.
Straightforward approach: what it entails
The two performances so far this season demonstrate exactly how Katoa operates, powerfully attacking the line against the Broncos until he collaborates with Felise Kafusi to create a scoring opportunity for Max Plath.
Observe how Katoa manipulates Payne Haas when he acts predictably. As soon as Katoa pretends to charge towards Haas, Haas reacts by turning his shoulders and body toward him due to the perceived running threat.
The external defender shares the same thought process – which opens up space for Katoa’s wide runners. However, for this strategy to work, Katoa must position himself within the defensive line where Payne Haas, weighing nearly 30 kilograms more than him, is poised to barrel through. This requires immense bravery.
A week before against the Tigers, Katoa employs the same strategy at the line. By shifting his weight and directing his gaze inward, he compels the marker to shift towards his inner side runner, prompting the initial defender to follow suit.
He proceeds to attack the line, drawing Api Koroisau as the outside defender towards himself. By penetrating deep enough into the defense, he also tempts Starford To'a away from his assigned spot. Despite this, he maintains his passing ability, ready to redirect his initial option behind him in order to connect with his center, Herbie Farnworth, thus setting up an advantageous situation. This complex move appears effortless when executed by him.
The pairing of mentor and protégé
It’s amusing how alike Isaiya Katoa and Nathan Cleary are in terms of physical attributes—Katoa stands at 181cm and weighs 91kg, whereas Cleary is slightly taller at 182cm but lighter by just 1kg. Both possess robust physiques that make them ideal candidates for playing as No.7.
The learning curves: Simplifying it and elevating it
In addition to excelling under pressure during major matches, Katoa’s crucial development involves integrating the Dolphins' two most potent offensive threats – Herbie Farnworth and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow – into play.
Katoa's progress over the last two years has been swift, with no discernible weaknesses in his performance from a technical standpoint. The upcoming challenge for him will be demonstrating greater maturity and leadership when it matters most in major games.
When it comes to Nathan, he has no weaknesses in his performance whatsoever. My only The concern revolves around his physical condition due to the extensive amount of labor. He incorporates into his gameplay along with the additional kicking practice and enhanced fitness routines he has undertaken.
For the latter part of his career, he needs to be particularly savvy with that additional workload to make sure he doesn’t exhaust his physical resources.
This subsequent stage of his professional journey now involves gaining insight ways to engage with less seasoned younger players And what suits each of his newer teammates.
His teammates view the game differently from him. That's just how it is, so Nathan will need to simplify certain aspects. He must connect with his newer, less experienced teammates and sometimes play a more straightforward game to assist them. This presents a significant challenge considering the star players Penrith has lost over time—forming a high-quality squad despite these losses isn't easy.
The Panthers welcome back Dylan Edwards as their fullback, however, Cleary faces a challenge with Blaize Talagi stepping into the role of five-eighth and Luke Sommerton taking over from Mitch Kenny at hooker. This will be a measure of his ability to adapt these new players who are still getting accustomed to Penrith’s style of play.
So far, I rank Katoa as the fifth best halfback currently playing in the NRL, trailing only Cleary, Jahrome Hughes, Daly Cherry-Evans, and Jarome Luai. When healthy, Mitchell Moses also falls into this category, yet Katoo heads up my list for the following tier of number sevens.
Now that Nathan is 27, nobody can predict exactly when he'll wrap up his career as NSW's halfback—whether it’ll be in five or six more seasons or even longer from now. However, I am certain that Katoa is destined to become the next Blues No.7 and will maintain this position for at least five to six years, much like Nathan has done.
I believe the Dolphins could pull off an upset with their strong performance in front of a large home audience at Suncorp Stadium. Their victory over the Gold Coast last week showed they might be turning things around, so I’ll definitely keep my focus on both No. 7 players.
Joey’s top: Dolphins by four. First try-scorer: Jack Bostock Man of the match: Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
Eliminate the tier system, develop the worldwide game, and extend into New Zealand.
Still regarding Isaiya Katoa, I believe He should spend his whole career representing Tonga. Picture the influence he might wield for that national team as an inside back, honoring both his family roots and cultural background. Additionally, he considers himself a proud representative of New South Wales and intends to participate in the State of Origin series.
In my opinion, we should abolish the top-tier and secondary-tier structure at an international level.
The present eligibility criteria for the State of Origin should remain unchanged—so if you're based in NSW or Queensland before reaching high school or turning 13 years old, you have the option to represent either the Blues or the Maroons.
However, once you decide which nation you wish to represent in your games, that choice becomes final.
The Argument of Origin faces challenges in Australia due to the character of our sport and the significant Polynesian impact on the player roster. Considering how the game is evolving—with 52 percent of players having Pasifika ancestry—they will likely continue to dominate.
If you force them to pick between nations such as Tonga and Samoa or join the Origin series, I must respectfully say that in two decades, you'll likely see second-string forwards representing NSW and Queensland instead.
Adjusting the regulations would not just benefit international rugby league; it would also maintain State of Origin as the peak competition in the sport. The nation most adversely affected by such changes would be New Zealand, which is already seeing its players drawn to both Origin and teams from the Pacific Islands.
That's precisely why the subsequent expansion team ought to come from the South Island of New Zealand, with operations centered in Christchurch. This move would help access New Zealand’s wealth of talents and nurture more Kiwi players to compete regularly in the NRL, ensuring the strength of their national squad remains robust.
Michael Chammas and Andrew "Joey" Johns break down the impending NRL round, along with providing updates on the newest football stories, outcomes, and insights. Subscribe to the Sin Bin mailing list.