In what was an exciting round of fixtures rounded off by two thrilling games on Anzac day, the NRL ladder is really starting to take shape.
There were shock victories and massive scores in Round Seven as players and teams start to hit peak form.
Lets take a look at the results from the NRL over the weekend;
Cronulla Sharks 34-22 Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
After their disappointing loss last weekend against the Storm, the Cronulla Sharks bounced back in style as they blew away the Sea Eagles in an explosive first half display led by centre Siosifa Talakai. In the opening 40 minutes Manly had no answer to Talakai’s power and skill on the left edge as he scored two tries and assisted a further three as the Sharks steam rolled the Sea Eagles through their outside backs. With uncertainty surrounding the centre position of the New South Wales Blues, a performance like this will have put Talakai on the radar for selection. Manly did respond in the second half as their attempted comeback was led by Daly Cherry-Evans but they had left themselves too much to do from the first half and fell short. Both of these teams look set to make the playoffs this season and it will be intriguing to see what Manly learn from this loss.
Brisbane Broncos 34-14 Canterbury Bulldogs
The Adam Reynolds led Brisbane Broncos ran away with this game with a five try blitz in the second half. Two early Josh Addo-Carr tries gave the Bulldogs a 10 nil lead before Brisbane responded through Corey Oates before Canterbury restored their double digit advantage as Matt Dufty scored to give them a 12 point lead just after half time. But it was all Broncos from that point with Cory Paix getting the first of their tries from dummy half. The influential halfback Reynolds then got a try of his own to give Brisbane the lead for the first time which they never relinquished as two tries for Selwyn Cobbo and a score for Rhys Kennedy put them in command of this game. For Brisbane this was a much needed win after some promising performances, whilst the Bulldogs are rooted to the bottom of the ladder and need to start picking up points quickly.
North Queensland Cowboys 30-4 Gold Coast Titans
The North Queensland Cowboys cemented their place as the current best team in the state as they swept aside their close rivals the Gold Coast Titans. The Titans have been in a slump for a number of weeks and that trend continued as the Cowboys exploited their soft defence which has been costing them games all season, Tom Dearden scored after only six minutes before Jamayne Isaako responded for the Titans to make it a two point game before the floodgates opened. Murray Tuilagi extended the Cowboys lead before some shocking Gold Coast defence allowed Scott Drinkwater to dance his way to the line to give the Cowboys a 12-point lead at the break. With 25 minutes to go, the Titans had a man advantage as Jeremiah Nanai was sinbinned but they couldn’t take advantage of this opportunity and it was Nanai who got the game’s next try on his return to play. A final Cowboys try through Heilum Luki meant the scoreboard reflected North Queensland’s dominance as the Titans continue to be poor without the ball.
Wests Tigers 23-22 South Sydney Rabbitohs
The Wests Tigers made it back to back wins beating another Premiership hopeful in the South Sydney Rabbitohs as they continue to turn their season around. After getting their first win of the season in the previous round it was crucial the Tigers built on that performance and they did exactly that as they raced out to an early lead through winger David Nofoaluma. The Rabbitohs response was swift as two quick tries through Cody Walker and Alex Johnstone put them in front. Both teams were attacking well and the Tigers weren’t trailing for too long as an acrobatic finish from Ken Maumalo swung the advantage back their way at half time. Souths got the opening score of the second period through Josh Mansour as both teams traded momentum with Nofoaluma crossing for his second try followed by a Luke Brooks solo effort. This gave the Tigers a six point lead heading into the final 10 minutes of the match. The Rabbitohs continued to push for an equalizing try which came from powerful backrower Keaon Koloamatangi but it was Wests who had the last laugh as for the second week running they scored a late drop goal, this time through Brooks, to seal victory. A second consecutive win for the Tigers means they are now off the bottom of the ladder as they look to rebuild their season.
Newcastle Knights 2-39 Parramatta Eels
The Parramatta Eels were too good for a sorry Newcastle Knights team who failed to turn up in this clash. The Knights took the lead through an early penalty in what would turn out to be their only points of the fixture as some sorry goal line defence allowed the Eels to score far too easily. Backrow Shaun Lane was the first to benefit from this as he gave Parramatta the lead. A Hayze Perham try and a Mitch Moses penalty gave the Eels a 12 point lead going into the break which they quickly extended in the second half as Dylan Brown exploited the weak Knights defence to stroll over. Parramatta weren’t done there as they scored two more really soft tries though Isaiah Papali’I as he was just too strong for the would be Newcastle defenders. Will Penisini got the final try of the game before Mitch Moses rubbed salt into the Knights wounds as he nailed a late drop goal. After a promising start to the season this was an embarrassment for Newcastle as they continue to tumble down the ladder.
Penrith Panthers 36-6 Canberra Raiders
The reigning Premiers continued their faultless start to the season with a dominant display against the Canberra Raiders. Stephen Crichton scored a hat trick and his first try was the opening score of the game but Canberra responded well through front row Joseph Tapine to bring the scores level before the Panthers started to run away with the game. Dally M front runner Isaah Yeo got his first try of the season to give Penrith the lead at half time. Crichton got the scoring started in the second half and quickly completed his hat trick after being awarded a penalty try which only further extended the Panthers lead, which was increased late on by tries through Taylan May and Viliame Kikau to wrap up their dominant display. Penrith are breaking records almost on a weekly basis and they look set to make a third consecutive grand final on the back of their start to the season.
St George Illawarra Dragons 14-12 Sydney Roosters
The Dragons produced a remarkable display to win their first game against the Roosters since 2018. It was the Dragons who opened the scoring as barnstorming prop Francis Molo broke through the Roosters defence to score under the posts and they doubled their lead as Jaydn Su’a hit a nice line and stormed over the try line. A late penalty gave the Dragons a 14-point lead at halftime after their dominant opening 40-minute display. The Roosters started the second half the better team and they were rewarded with a try in the first five minutes through Sitili Tupouniua as they got the early score they would have wanted to help them mount their comeback. The Dragons spent most of the second period on the back foot and defended admirably. A Joseph Manu try with 10 minutes remaining made it a two point game but the Dragons held their nerve to get the win in this Anzac day clash. A win against a team who will be challenging for the Premiership this season is a big positive for a Dragons team who will have hopes of making the playoffs themselves this season.
Melbourne Storm 70-10 New Zealand Warriors
The Melbourne Storm laid down the gauntlet as they ran riot against the New Zealand Warriors scoring 13 tries on their way to victory, with 10 of them coming in the second half. It was the usual suspects who ran the show for the Storm as their key players continue to shine for them. Ryan Papenhuyzen was the pick of the bunch with two tries and three assists alongside Cameron Munster, who is arguably playing the best rugby of his career, as the guided the Storm around the park in the way which the Immortal Cameron Smith used to do. The scores were close at half time but the worrying sign for Warriors fans is how easily their team capitulated after the break. Coach Nathan Brown will have a lot of questions to answer in the coming weeks after this performance. As for the Storm, they seem the team most likely to end the Panthers’ dominance as both teams appear to be on a crash course to face each other in the Grand Final which would be a repeat of the 2020 final which Melbourne won.
