Foran's Manly Debut, Good Friday Preview and Dragons' Halves Crisis Deepens
James Hooper was joined by Darcie McDonald and Brandon Savage on Rugby League Insider for a bumper Easter preview episode covering Kieran Foran's coaching debut, the Good Friday blockbuster between the Bulldogs and Rabbitohs, Melbourne's vulnerability heading into Friday night's Panthers clash, and the growing scrutiny on Shane Flanigan's recruitment strategy at the Dragons.
The Foran effect
With Kieran Foran set to take charge of Manly for the first time against the Dolphins at Redcliffe, all three hosts backed the new interim coach to get an immediate reaction from a playing group that had clearly disengaged under Anthony Seibold.
Hooper pointed to Foran's 20-minute media conference the day prior as an early indicator of the composure he'll bring to the role.
"Most coaches' media conferences go for maybe ten minutes tops. Fos talked for 20 minutes and did a great job. He handled every question. He was composed the whole time. If you can't handle answering questions from journos in front of cameras, you're just not cut out to be a head coach."
McDonald, who described Foran as her favourite interview subject of her career, was equally effusive.
"He's so authentic in the way he speaks. You can tell he believes in the words that come out of his mouth. He's not afraid to own his warts and everything, which makes him so likable."
Hooper backed Manly at $3.19 to cause an upset, drawing on what he called the dead cat bounceback factor.
"I'm even prepared to put the stones on the line. I think Manly can cause an upset tonight because of the Kieran Foran factor."
Savage provided the statistical backing, noting Manly beat the Dolphins 58-20 last year at Brookvale and hold a 2-0 record against the Dolphins at home.
"Manly's style of play kind of fits into the favour of beating the Dolphins. I feel like the Dolphins love to grind away at sides and pip them at the back end. Manly can disrupt that."
The panel also floated the idea of Sam Burgess as a potential future coaching candidate for the club, with Hooper raising a left-field theory about the Roosters monitoring Herby Farnworth, whose management stable has close ties to the club through James Tedesco, DCE and Rhys Robson.
"If I'm the Dolphins I'm trying to sit Herby down and get an extension signed ASAP. He is a strike outside back you can build the club around. The Chooks have definitely got their eye on him."
Good Friday: Bulldogs vs Rabbitohs
The panel addressed the controversy surrounding Bulldogs fans sending death threats to players after the team list was announced, prompting the club to turn off comments on their social media posts.
"The people sending death threats to players are not fans," McDonald said. "If you're a grown adult and you feel compelled to send a death threat to a player after one loss, you need therapy. You are sick in the head."
On the game itself, Hooper leaned slightly towards South Sydney given the daytime conditions and the Rabbitohs' attacking firepower, while tipping Latrell Mitchell to make a statement on the big stage.
"Latrell loves a big stage. The bigger the stage, the better he goes. I get the feeling he could be in for an eleven-out-of-ten performance."
McDonald stayed loyal to the Bulldogs, pointing to the side's history of responding after heavy weeks of media scrutiny.
"This is a team of fighters. They're not a team of X factors. And Kurt Man and the boys have had to watch themselves in the video sessions this week. That bruises your ego as a forward. They'll respond."
Savage backed the Bulldogs at $2.00, arguing Parramatta-style conditions suit Canterbury's grinding style.
"The Rabbitohs will gas really quickly and I think that'll work into the Bulldogs' favour where they'll just lap that up late in the game."
Storm's vulnerability heading into Panthers clash
With Tui Kamikamica hospitalised and Eliesa Katoa out for the season, Hooper noted Melbourne are carrying their thinnest squad depth in years heading into Friday night's clash against an unbeaten Penrith side.
"You don't often see Melbourne looking like this. No Papenhuysen, no Nelson, no Grant Anderson, no Katoa, no Kamikamica. That's a significant drop in depth and they were all rep players."
McDonald noted the Storm bench has a notably inexperienced look, with several players carrying under 15 NRL games to their name.
Both hosts agreed Cameron Munster has been uncharacteristically quiet to start the season, but expected him to lift for the occasion.
"I can't see them staying down for too long. But when I look at the sides on paper I have to lean towards Penrith given the form they're in," Hooper said.
Savage agreed. "Penrith just have it over them everywhere else in the seventeen. Their experience versus Storm's experience is just unmatched at the moment."
Dragons' halves crisis deepens
The growing pressure on Shane Flanigan drew pointed discussion, with a viewer comment raising the theory that the coach had deliberately cleared out halves competition to protect his son Kyle's position.
Hooper stopped short of endorsing the conspiracy but conceded the recruitment strategy has been seriously flawed.
"Why they let Jonah Glover go, I will never understand. Loy Illias goes to the Titans. They've signed Joseph O'Neal who has never played first grade. Cade Reed isn't quite ready. They've left themselves completely exposed."
Savage was more direct. "I don't think there'd be the pressure that is on Flanigan currently if the recruitment strategy was different in terms of the halves. Every other aspect of his recruitment he's nailed. But just the lack of halves signatures is very concerning."
The panel backed the Dragons to break through for their first win of the season against the Cowboys on Saturday, with Hooper tipping Jacob Little to score off the bench.
"He's due. He hasn't scored this season. Cowboys get a little tied in the middle, zip zip zip, he'll be out and away and he'll score."
