Dogs end Penrith's dream start as Xerri stakes his claim

James Hooper reunited with Matt Vautin and Brandon Savage on Rugby League Insider to unpack the Bulldogs’ gritty upset over Penrith on Nathan Cleary’s milestone night, Shane Flanagan’s Dragons staring down a do-or-die clash with Manly, a looming Broncos-Cowboys Queensland derby, and fiery fan debate over whether Cleary ranks as the greatest No.7 since 1980.

Dogs halt Penrith juggernaut

The Bulldogs delivered a defensive masterclass to spoil Cleary’s 200th game, a result Hooper said saw them “take off like a satin rocket” after Penrith had dominated early rounds. Vautin was full of praise for Locky Galvin, who had faced heavy criticism at No.7: “He went a long way towards showing that he’s got enormous potential in this jumper. The way he dug into the line last night, as good halfbacks should do, he’s put a lot of the critics to bed for the moment”. Hooper highlighted moments when Penrith threatened to pull away, like Dylan Edwards’ scrum try and Tom Jenkins’ “Mexican pinball” aerial catch, but said the Dogs “just hung in there. They were just tougher... they wanted it more”. Savage credited role clarity without Stephen Crichton: “Because they knew what their role was, they were very high and energetic”.

Forwards dig deep

Max King’s courage after copping a Casey McLean shot that broke his jaw became a talking point, with the prop battling on for 45 minutes. Hooper called it “a massive effort” given the stakes—a potential third straight loss that would have sparked “a million questions about the halves chopping and changing”. Vautin said the middles were simply hungrier, while Savage raved about the Galvin-Preston short-ball combo: “Oh my god, he’s just spamming it like it’s an Xbox game. Just press an X”. Sitili Tupouniua also starred off the bench, with Savage saying he “ran with so much venom... give me the ball, I’m going through,” setting up his second-half try.

Xerri makes his case

Bronson Xerri impressed in his first start at centre, shutting down Penrith’s right edge where they targeted Marcelo Montoya elsewhere. Savage pushed for him to stay even when Crichton returns early: “He needs to come back into this side... Bronson Xerri is defensively underrated. His real value is just his size, his physical presence coming out of yardage”. Hooper recalled Souths’ failed left-edge experiment that cost Jason Demetriou his job, warning against overcomplicating: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it too much”. The panel agreed Crichton’s versatility - effective on either side - solves selection headaches.

Preston stakes Origin claim

Jacob Preston’s dominance fuelled NSW backrower talk amid Liam Martin’s medial knee injury. Hooper said, “Preston is going so good... if Liam Martin is a little bit busted up, you pick him on the bench. You pick Preston”. Vautin defended Martin as someone who “punches above his weight in big games,” always aiming up in finals and Origin despite a quiet start. Cameron Ciraldo's game plan targeting Penrith’s left—exploiting young Blaize Tangi’s nine missed tackles - earned plaudits, with Hooper noting Ciraldo knows their system better than anybody else” from his Panthers days. Ivan Cleary’s subtle sledge about media hype only added spice.

Sin-bin frustration

The panel vented over frequent sin-bins, like Tyrone Munoz’s for the King high shot. Hooper argued, “We’re giving sin binning's out like they’re Smarties... a penalty suffices almost every time,” noting it flipped the game after eight tackles. Savage questioned retrospective calls: “If you’re not seeing it live, is it worth the sin bin? A lot of it is just so incidental”. Hooper contrasted Kurt Mann’s unpunished head knock, saying it slows the “free flowing, entertaining spectacle”.

Dragons’ survival night

Shane Flanagan’s presser ahead of Manly loomed large, with Hooper saying he put on a “brave front” but looked “emotionally... struggling to find the answers” after five straight losses. Vautin sensed “determination and a little bit of resilience,” but called out Flanno blaming Ben Hunt: “Flano was the one who decided he was going to let him go” despite a year left on his deal. The old CEO’s line - “This allows the club to openly explore the player market”—backfired, with Hooper saying the roster is “so badly out of whack” from chasing ageing players in a speed era.

Flanno fires at media

Flanagan’s shot - “I can’t believe the way we attack our own in this game” - divided the trio. Hooper hit back: “When you buy the ticket as an NRL head coach... you’re going to get negative headlines,” on Powerball money. Vautin called it “combination soup” from media and social media hurting families: “It affects his entire playing group and... their families”. Savage backed a Dragons upset at $3.30: “They’ve won nine of their last 10 against the Manly Sea Eagles at Win Stadium”.