Pressure is piling up on game’s best playmakers – and deservedly so

March 26, 2026 — 5:00am

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It’s only round four, but already there’s pressure piling up on certain coaches and players across the NRL.

This is part and parcel of modern rugby league, especially for some of the game’s best halves - and Thursday’s Gotcha4Life Cup clash between Manly and the Roosters will be all that pressure and expectation on individuals playing out in real time.

Sea Eagles coach Anthony Seibold seriously needs a win to silence the doubters. Jake Trbojevic, such a warrior for so long, has had his future questioned.

Obviously, Daly Cherry-Evans is under an intense spotlight, and he and Sam Walker are facing scrutiny over their slow start as a halves combination.

The Roosters have far too much talent to be sitting 1-3 by the end of the weekend. If they don’t improve their discipline though, they deserve to be 1-3.

So far, their best completion rate has been just 74 per cent in their win over Souths, and across three games, is the worst in NRL. So are the 7.7 penalties they give away each match.

Poor ball control and conceding penalties just puts so much pressure on your ruck defence, and in turn your edge defence, which is where Cherry-Evans and Walker have really been targeted.

The Broncos second half against the Storm is a great example of how nailing the simplest part of the game makes all the difference. Brisbane improved a first half completion rate of 62 per cent to 91 per cent after the break and turned a 14-0 deficit into an 18-14 win over Melbourne in Melbourne.

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I’ve got no doubt Daly will get booed at Brookvale Oval for the first time – Manly fans are........

© The Age