NRL Round-Up: A new leader surges, a new lowest sinks and a new Lomax special

After one of the closest rounds in recent memory last week, round seven featured a cavalcade of blowouts.

The crowded ladder was shaken again and again, with a new leader, a new leader at the lowest level and still no real favorite for the premiership.

Here is our summary.

1. Uncanny X-Man is still working hard

Xavier Coates looks like a different player this year and goes far beyond his highlights, as impressive as he may have been.

Coates has three tries this season, but each of them has had a huge impact – the historic effort against the Warriors in the second round lit up the sporting world and his high-flying act against Brisbane a few weeks later earned him Mark of the Week . AFL honours.

But his latest goal, the winner against the Roosters, is the true measure of his improvement.

Coates has always been a player capable of the incredible. He can fly high and perform acrobatic finishes in the corners, and he has done so for a while now.

But this year Coates is playing harder. He’s running harder, using every part of his 194cm, 108kg frame, especially in yardage and defense, two areas of the game that haven’t always been his strong suits.

To score the winning goal on Thursday night, he ran past Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Connor Watson and Victor Radley, all tremendous defenders, to score.

It’s the kind of finish he might not have achieved last year and that willingness to push himself physically has helped Coates become a much more complete player for the Storm.

ABC Player of the Year Awards:

3 – Jahrome Hughes (Storm)

2 – Xavier Coates (Storm)

1 – Lindsay Collins (Roosters)

2. Zac Lomax’s Origin case could soon be undeniable

In the space of seven weeks, Zac Lomax has played the best football of his career in a position he doesn’t want to play, asked for a release from the Dragons, signed with another club and, incredibly, joined New South Wales. Origin calculations.

Blues coach Michael Maguire has confirmed Lomax on his radar and the Temora product once again showed why with a brilliant display against the Warriors.

Lomax scored a try, kicked five goals, scored a two-point field goal and was involved throughout the Dragons’ brilliant victory over the Warriors. His four points, a spectacular leap early in the second half, was a sign of his seemingly limitless talent.

For some time it seemed that this talent could not be fully utilized. But if Lomax keeps this up, the stages will only get bigger because he’s playing the kind of football that’s impossible to ignore.

ABC Player of the Year Awards:

3 – Zac Lomax (Dragons)

2 – Ben Hunt (Dragons)

1 – Francis Molo (Dragons)

3. Young, late sensations dazzle the Dolphins

The Dolphins were without four of their best players for their trip to Darwin to play Parramatta and, just to make things a little more difficult, they were also without coach Wayne Bennett after their veteran mentor fell ill.

Any victory over Parramatta in those circumstances would have been impressive, but taking the 44-16 victory made this one of the best performances in the club’s nascent history and it was two contrasting players who led the way.

Isaiya Katoa is quickly becoming the team’s dominant offensive presence and the young running back again orchestrated his team’s attack with a veteran touch in a magnificent display of control and playmaking ability. At just 20 years old, he’s already come a long way to justify the hype that surrounded him in his youthful days with the Panthers.

Trai Fuller has never attracted the same attention, although that could change now. The 27-year-old has spent the last six seasons playing with Redcliffe in the Queensland Cup, but this was only his second NRL game. You would never have guessed it from his performance, though, as Fuller scored a try, set up another and looked classy with every touch of the ball.

The Dolphins will need to navigate rougher waters as they wait for their stars to return, but with Katoa and Fuller at the helm they will still be very dangerous for any team that dares to take them lightly.

ABC Player of the Year Awards:

3 – Jeremy Marshall-King (Dolphins)

2 – Trai Fuller (Dolphins)

1 – Isaiya Katoa (Dolphins)

4. The Panthers remain favorites in a difficult competition

There have been those who have been quick to dismiss the Penrith Panthers as having fallen, and while they may have lost a step, no one else has established themselves as the main challenger.

Cronulla and Melbourne are top of the table with five wins, but are you really convinced by either of those sides – the Storm who refuse to win by more than single digits and the Sharks who were beaten 32-6 by the Tigers in less than a year? one month ago?