The De Belin Sacking and the Rise of the 'Young Man's Game'

For today's serving of Kenty Blitz, Kenty and Woz dive into the shock departure of Jack de Belin and his signing with the Eels. Good or bad move from the Dragons? 

The Heartbreak of Jack de Belin

The biggest story of the week is undoubtedly Jack de Belin’s sudden departure from the Dragons to sign with the Parramatta Eels. Kenty revealed the deeply personal toll this has taken, sharing that during a conversation on Sunday, the 15-year club veteran broke down in tears.

"To have a first grade tough guy... having to go off the conversation to gather himself for a couple of minutes, I was taken back," Kenty shared. The decision is particularly confusing given the Dragons’ vocal complaints about a shortage of middle forwards earlier this season. While the club is moving toward a youth policy, Kenty questioned the logic of letting go of a player who was just 20 games shy of the all-time club record.

Kenty also used the situation to call for a scrap of the NRL’s compulsory stand-down policy, arguing that the two years De Belin spent on the sidelines "ruined him as a footballer." Despite being found not guilty, De Belin never returned with the same "steel on steel" training edge required to survive at the elite level.

Broncos: The 'Guilt Trip' Culture?

Turning to the Brisbane Broncos, Kenty gave the club a middling 6/10 for their mid-season performance. Despite a star-studded roster, the team is currently sitting three games out of the top four and looks like a "basket case" of inconsistency.

Of particular concern is the suggestion that players are being "guilt tripped" into playing while injured. Kenty noted that Reece Walsh appeared significantly slower last weekend while carrying a knee injury. "The line you hear out of Broncos is: 'if it was a grand final you’d play,'" Kenty observed, arguing that this short-term pressure often comes at the long-term detriment of the player’s health and the team’s performance.

The New Blueprint: A Young Man’s Game

A fascinating tactical discussion emerged regarding the Canberra Raiders (9/10) and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (10/10). Kenty argued that the current rules, specifically the "six again" rule, have fundamentally changed the sport.

"The rules are made today for young players... high energy, who can recover quickly and who are extremely fit and powerful," Kenty remarked. He compared the current trend to a young Mike Tyson entering boxing—explosive, high-energy, but demanding a physical toll that only the young can sustain. This "young man’s style" is why teams like the Raiders and Bulldogs, built on mobile power forwards and offloading ability, are currently dominating the top of the ladder.

Round 17 Preview: Master vs Apprentice

Looking ahead to the weekend, the blockbuster clash between the Bulldogs and Panthers takes centre stage. It is a classic "Master vs Apprentice" battle between Ivan Cleary and Cameron Ciraldo, with Kenty noting that much of the Bulldogs’ current defensive success is built on a system Ciraldo pioneered at Penrith.

Other key predictions for the round include:

• Tigers to beat Manly: Kenty believes Manly’s problems are "far from over" and liked the grit shown by the Tigers last week.
• Storm to edge the Sharks: Expecting the "emergence of the Storm" soon as Cameron Munster settles back into his club football.
• Raiders to dominate Knights: Predicting a 13+ win for the "Milk" against a Newcastle side that can be found out defensively.

Catch the full episode on Fanatics TV.