Brits Down Under: Burgess stars in Rabbitohs win, Penrith too strong for Canberra & Farnworth scores again

We have taken a look at how the British contingent got on in the latest NRL action.

Ryan Hall

With some slight injury issues the Roosters have not always been at their best over the last few weeks after fighting off inspiring displays from the Warriors and the Titans in recent weeks to take tough wins. It was a similar case during their round 13 match up against St George Illawarra as the Dragons were well in the game for the most parts but, again, Sydney dug deep to take the 24-16 victory. The Roosters were without the likes of Daniel Tupou and Brett Morris due to injury concerns which allowed Ryan Hall to enter the fray once again and even though he continues to look for that first NRL try, the former Leeds star put himself right in the thick of the action. Overall, Hall had the second most metres by a Roosters player with 167 from 21 carries, a line break and a try assist.

George Williams

It was a difficult display from an attacking perspective for Williams and Canberra during the weekend as the Raiders were outplayed by first placed Penrith. The 25-year-old has had a positive start to his NRL career but coming up against the most in form side in the league was always going to be a tough test. Overall, Williams totalled 16 tackles while attempting to utilise his strong in play kicking ability after racking up 280 kick metres. The talented half-back has the perfect opportunity to bounce back next week though as Canberra face Brisbane.

Tom Burgess

It was another powerful display in the win over Brisbane from the 28-year-old as the Rabbitohs’ leading metre maker bulldozed his way to another 100 plus metre game with 144 to his name alongside 51 post contact metres and a line break. The former Bradford prop forward also added his second try of the season after barging over from close range to seal the victory over the Broncos. The Bunnies move up to seventh, with Burgess leading from the front as he continues to be a leader and a driving force within Souths’ forward pack.

John Bateman

Despite Penrith’s impressive win, the 26-year-old was his hard-working self on the defensive side of the ball. Overall, the dynamic back-rower totalled the most tackles by a Raiders player in the loss to the Panthers with 44 to his name. The Raiders remain in fifth place but if they wish to continue their pursuit on the top four then Bateman can certainly be integral to those aspirations.

Luke Thompson

The Bulldogs had no answer for Melbourne on Saturday as the Storm ran in seven tries to subject Canterbury to their 11th defeat of the year. Since his debut, Thompson has been an inspiring and encouraging addition to the Bulldogs. He chalked up 42 metres from six carries while racking up the third most tackles by a Canterbury player with 25 to his name. In five games, Thompson averages 101 metres and 31 tackles per game.

Elliott Whitehead

With the injury to Hodgson, Whitehead has now firmly established himself as the Raiders’ leading tackler this year as the 30-year-old now has 393 after making 29 in the defeat to Penrith. It may not have been the inspirational display both Whitehead and Canberra were looking for but the influential back-rower is still a big voice and leader in the Canberra forward pack and will no doubt be vital to their run throughout the second half of the season.

Herbie Farnworth

The Broncos’ torrid run continued over the weekend as Brisbane were overpowered in a loss to South Sydney. The 21-year-old still proves to be an encouraging entity for a struggling Brisbane side though after running for 64 metres along with adding a line break. The Lancastrian also scored his fourth try of the season after latching onto a pass from a Darius Boyd break and with that, Farnworth now has the third most tries by a Broncos player as well the fourth most metres with 1,031.

Ryan Sutton

It was not a blistering running performance from Canberra, but even still the 25-year-old put as much effort as he could in defence despite the attacking dominance from Penrith. Altogether, the former Wigan forward made 31 tackles and, in the process, took his seasonal tally to 262 which is the fifth most by a Canberra player this season.

Watch NRL and live stream every NRL game to keep up with how Tom Burgess, John Bateman, Ryan Sutton, Elliott Whitehead, Luke Thompson and George Williams and all the others are getting on Down Under.

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