NRL results and round-up: Golden point classic, Bunnies’ derby delight and controversy reigns at Wests

Another exhilarating round of NRL action has been and gone with plenty of stories catching the eye over the eight games.

The early table is starting to take shape and surprise challengers for the title could be emerging.

Not short on controversy, there’s plenty to recap from this weekend’s NRL action.

St George Illawarra Dragons 12-36 Cronulla Sharks
The Cronulla Sharks continued their impressive start to the season proving too strong for St George on Thursday night. New recruit Nicho Hynes pulled the strings from halfback for the Sharks and is currently looking like the signing of the season in the early rounds. The Dragons were made to pay for going a man down in the first half with Jaydn Su’a being sent to the bin, conceding two tries whilst down to 12 men and never found a way back into the game. This was a second sin binning of the season for Su’a and if the Dragons are to make the top eight this season, he needs to improve his discipline otherwise the Dragons will continue to struggle when a man down.

Wests Tigers 12-16 New Zealand Warriors
The New Zealand Warriors got their first win of the season, getting the better of the West Tigers in a tight scrappy contest. In what was a tightly fought game, the boot of influential fullback Reece Walsh proved to be the difference between the two sides as he nudged two penalties either side of half time to keep the scoreboard ticking over for the Warriors in what ultimately proved to be the decided scores. The Tigers will rightly feel aggrieved as they was denied a try by the referee mid-way through the first half. Backrow Luciano Leilua was judged to have gone dead whilst grounding a kick by the referee, who decided to not ask the bunker for assistance. Video replays showed Leilua clearly grounded the ball before going dead and the four points denied by the referee has cost the Tigers this game. Making matters worse, the NRL has admitted that a mistake was made.

South Sydney Rabbitohs 28-16 Sydney Roosters
The South Sydney Rabbitohs put in their best performance of 2022 as they were comfortable winners against their local rivals the Sydney Roosters. The Rabbitohs started the game strong and continued their good form which they found against Melbourne in the second half last week. Loose-forward and new captain Cameron Murray had a monster game scoring a try and setting up two more whilst being a part of everything good from the Bunnies. The personal battle between Joseph Manu and Latrell Mitchell continued after Mitchell ended Manu’s season last year with a shocking tackle. Manu choosing to celebrate his try stood over the Souths fullback took things to a new level but it was Mitchell who had the last laugh as he raced the length of the field to all but secure the Rabbitohs first win of the season. As for the Roosters they still only have one win for the season and on too many occasions were guilty of overplaying in their own half and trying to force opportunities. New South Wales captain James Tedesco made a number of these errors and the Roosters will need to cut these unforced mistakes if they want any chance of competing this season.

Penrith Panthers 38-20 Newcastle Knights
Reigning premiers Penrith Panthers remain unbeaten this season as they came out on top against an inform Newcastle Knights team. Still without Nathan Cleary, the Panthers also had to do without powerhouse prop James Fisher-Harris and Origin duo Liam Martin and Brian To’o. The latter’s replacement Taylan May did score a hat-trick as the Panthers showed the depth of their squad which will be crucial if they are to be Champions again in 2022. The Knights were also light on numbers and missed their influential full back Kalyn Ponga who pulled out late due to injury. Newcastle will also rue what they will see as a missed opportunity as they were firmly in the game before a moment of madness from Mitchell Barnett ended their chances. Defending their own try line, Barnett ran into a Penrith player with a raised forearm into the face and he was ultimately sent off for his actions. Newcastle were leading at the time after a try from English youngster Dom Young and it would have been interesting to see how the game ended if both teams were at full strength.

Melbourne Storm 24-28 Parramatta Eels
The Storm and the Eels produced the game of the round as Parramatta won a thrilling game with a bizarre try in golden point. Unlikely hero Ray Stone got the deciding score after a drop goal hit the upright and bounced straight into the forward’s hands for him to score untouched with the last play of the game. Both teams exchanged tries throughout the contest as neither team could put the other to bed. Stand-off Dylan Brown had an outstanding game for the Eels as the Storm struggled to contain his powerful running game, if he can continue to play so direct when running at defences then the Eels will be very hard to stop. Melbourne’s five-eighth Cameron Munster also had an impressive game and showed why he’s considered by many one of the players in the world providing two tries for the Storm. This was a big one for Parramatta who have been guilty in recent seasons of losing against the teams around them in the table, this victory was evidence that they can go away to one of the big clubs and win which is a massive statement for them going forward.

Canberra Raiders 24-22 Gold Coast Titans
The Canberra Raiders produced a remarkable comeback in a rollercoaster game against the Gold Coast Titans in the capital. Down 22-0 just before halftime, it seemed the Raiders were out of the game but a late try gave them a boost in confidence, coming out in the second half like a new team scoring four answered tries. This is the biggest comeback in Raiders’ history and it was orchestrated by Jack Wighton, the former Daly M winner pulling all the strings as he made a number of line breaks against a fatigued Titans defence. The Titans will be wondering how they lost this game after performing so well in the first half when they raced out to a big lead. They played superb attacking rugby and looked to put a big score on the Raiders, but they barely touched the ball in second 40 and Justin Holbrook will have to take a look at why they couldn’t maintain their first half performance for the full 80 minutes.

Brisbane Broncos 12-38 North Queensland Cowboys
For the second consecutive week the North Queensland Cowboys showcased their attacking talent as they brushed aside the Brisbane Broncos in the Queensland derby. The Cowboys have scored 64 points in their last two games and look like scoring every time they get an opportunity in their opposition’s half. Highly rated back row Jeremiah Nanai showed why he is being pursued by a number of NRL clubs as he put in a massive performance to dominant the Broncos scoring three tries. The Cowboys will do well to keep hold of this young gun with rumours the Dolphins could gain his signature before Round Six. Tom Dearden will also take big positives from this game as he outperformed his opposite halfback Adam Reynolds, tormenting his former side the Broncos as the Cowboys equalled their biggest win against their local rivals. The Broncos will be disappointed to lose so heavily after their positive start to the season and will be desperate to bounce back next week and not allow this game to derail their campaign.

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 13-12 Canterbury Bulldogs
Manly needed a late drop goal from Daly Cherry-Evans to get their first win of the season against a spirited Canterbury Bulldogs team. Having lost their fist two games of the season this was a big win for the Sea Eagles as they avoided a repeat of the 2021 season when they lost their first five games. Manly had to work hard for this victory as the Bulldogs continue to show their improvement this season losing yet another close game that could have gone either way. Daly M medal holder Tom Trbojevic got his first try of the season and will hope they will start to come as frequently as they did last season now his duck is broken. His four-pointer was typical of many he scored in 2021 providing inside support after a line break to score untouched. The Bulldogs are a much-improved side in 2022 and have now been in three close games but only have one win to show for their efforts after Cherry-Evans slotted his 24^th career drop goal. If Canterbury can find a way to win these close games, then they could have an outside chance of making the playoffs this season.