The Roosters and Storm played out an instant classic and sent a warning shot to the other top-eight sides on the cusp of finals.
Canberra are just one win away from completing their fairytale, while Penrith are set to rest up to 13 players for the last round.
The Broncos capitulated to tumble out of the top eight after spending most of the season looking bound for finals football.
The Rabbitohs and Sharks have just one week to fix their clunky attack, while the Titans have avoided the spoon with a gutsy win.
Read on for all the key NRL Talking Points in Round 24.
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BRONCOS’ SEASON HANGING BY A THREAD
The Broncos have leaked 133 points in two weeks and are at serious risk of dropping out of the eight.
It would be a dramatic fall from grace and enough to call the season a “failure,” according former Rooster and Rabbitoh Bryan Fletcher.
The Broncos sat fourth just five weeks ago but since then have lost four of their last five games. Just in the past fortnight they’ve leaked 113 points — it’s the first time in the club’s history the club has conceded 50 points in consecutive weeks.
Broncos legend Gorden Tallis believes the team has taken their foot off the gas after cracking the top four and need to fix up their leaky defence.
“They’ve let their guard down a little bit (after Round 19),” he said on The Late Show with Matty Johns.
“Defensively on the edge, the Roosters got at the small guys last week, Melbourne terrorised them. So they need to fix their edges.”
It comes after Fox League’s Michael Ennis slammed Brisbane’s “non-existent” defence during Thursday’s 53-6 loss to the Eels.
“I think they’re shot, I think they’re in big, big trouble. I really don’t know how Kevvie Walters can get a response — their season is on life support,” he said.
Corey Parker added: “The wheels have well and truly fallen off.”
The Broncos face the Dragons next week in what will be a do-or-die clash for finals footy.
To put their capitulation into context, if they end up missing the eight the latest in the season a team has been in the top four (Round 19) and then missed finals, according to Fox Sports Lab.
Tallis said the season would still be “a pass” if the Broncos miss the eight, while Matty Johns said it would be “a disappointment.”
But Fletcher believes it’s much worse.
“I think if they fall out of the back door — and I hope they don’t — it’s a failure year,” he said.
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PANTHERS RESTING PEOPLE
Having wrapped up the minor premiership, all eyes will be on Panthers coach Ivan Cleary ahead of next week’s team selections.
Penrith will be hopeful they can enter the finals period with a full bill of health, which could see a number of key players sit out.
Cleary revealed he has a few “plans” up his sleeve ahead of next weeks clash against the Cowboys — but that encounter is hardly what the mountain men will be focused on with a big finals series looming.
“I’ve got a few plans, but we’ll just see how everyone pulls up,” Cleary said.
“We’ve been in a good position for a while. We’ll sleep on it and see how everyone pulls up. Then we’ll work out what we’ll do.”
Cleary also explained he isn’t normally a coach that would rest his players, having brought Jarome Luai into the side after what was initially believed to be a serious MCL injury.
Last season, the Panthers played a full strength team in the last round hoping to secure the minor premiership and also played a strong side in 2020 when sitting a win ahead coming into the last round.
“I’ve never been one to necessarily rest people, but every situation is different and every year is different. There are so many factors that go into it,” Cleary said.
While Cleary may have other ideas, Luai revealed he wants to line-up against the Cowboys in Round 25 — a move that might not be wise given his importance to the side.
“I want to play every week. If the body is right I’m putting my hand up to play,” Luai said to NCA Newswire.
“I’ll be back in ‘Iv’s’ office this week letting him know I’m sweet to play. I’m sure the coach has got a plan so we’ll see what happens.”
“I felt really good, I was really confident throughout the week and got a lot of reps and the boys tested me pretty hard at training and I was really confident I could get through the game.
“I’m fresh, I took it as a bit of a blessing in disguise that I got a couple of weeks off. The body was a bit battered but very grateful going into the finals.”
In what could be a huge warning shot to the rest of the competition, Penrith could sit their key players out in their bid to go back-to-back, coming into finals with a full-strength team including Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai, James Fisher-Harris, Isaah Yeo and Dylan Edwards.
ROOSTERS AND STORM SOUND TITLE WARNING IN INSTANT CLASSIC
The Roosters and the Storm showed they could very well meet in the grand final if the draw falls that way, after producing one of the games of the season.
The Roosters may have got the chocolates in a thrilling 18-14 win, but were it not for a couple of stoppages in play late in the game, the Storm looked like coming back from 14-0 down to win.
Both sides deserve plenty of credit for putting it all on the line in a ferocious regular season game, with Corey Parker lauding the commitment of both sides.
“What a contest and what a performance between the two big clubs,” Parker said.
“We talk about semi-finals and individual match-ups they were aplenty.
“Big Nelson up against Jared. Lodge and Bromwich. Munster and Keary. The list just goes on. The physios would be working overtime. The semi-finals have come early for these two sides.
“The Roosters are on a bit of a run. Seven wins in a row. It was imperative that they went down to Melbourne and got the job done. They had a steely look in their eye. They went after the Melbourne Storm as you would understand.
“The Storm made a game of it. They came back. There were some wonderful performers.
“James Tedesco in the last couple of minutes some of the try-saving tackles that he was able to come up with was inspirational.
“The contest through the middle. The physicality was exceptional.”
Gorden Tallis believes the way both sides threw themselves into the game proves the finals are set to deliver some brilliant rugby league.
“If that is the entree the finals are going to be unbelievable,” Tallis said.
“The two heavyweights going for it. We said the game had everything. They were one and two in attack in the last month. Defensively they are one and two.
“That game provided a spectacle today. If Melbourne got a couple of decisions to go their way. The 50/50s helped out both teams at different stages, but it was a clash where the big guys stood up.
“It had everything that a rugby league game should have. It had passion. It had everything.”
Parker agreed the game was of the highest calibre in a clash that put the other top eight teams on notice.
“It had absolutely everything,” Parker said.
“There was superior skill. There was athleticism. There was aggression. There was intimidation. The whole lot.
“When you go through some of the players from both sides it was always going to have that.
“Radley and Waerea-Hargreaves, big Nelson and Bromwich.
“It was a game for the ages. It had absolutely everything. It felt like it went for two and a half hours.”
KANGAROOS QUESTIONS EMERGE
After the Raiders demolition job of the Sea Eagles, two big selection questions have emerged.
The first came after gun backrower Hudson Young again showed why he is one of the competition’s form players with a 53-minute masterclass.
Ricky Stuart pulled the 24-year-old and kept him sidelined, hoping to keep him fit for a deep finals run after already piling on the points.
Young recorded 93 running metres, five tackle breaks two line breaks, a try assist and two try in a ridiculous display — and Stuart went in to bat for his backrower, revealing Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga “is a fan”.
“I think if he keeps playing like this, it is going to be hard to hold him out,” Stuart said.
“I know Mal is a fan Hudson, but he has been consistent all season, and personally, without being too bias, absolutely, he should be picked in that squad.
“So happy for him because he is just a footy nut, he loves it every day.
“I’d love nothing more than to hear his name get read out at the end of the season.
“I love coaching him, I know the boys love playing with him, he works extremely hard at his game, it isn’t fluky.”
Young will contest the back row position against some of the game’s elite, including, Kurt Capewell, Liam Martin, Angus Crichton, Jeremiah Nanai, Cameron Murray, Jai Arrow David Fifita and Ryan Matterson — but on current form could be a smokey.
Meanwhile, after the Sea Eagles dismal display, Daly Cherry-Evans spot in the halves was questioned.
Speaking in the post-match press conference, Des Hasler replied a simple “no” when asked if the veteran halfback should be dropped from the side.
The 33-year-old is the incumbent, having played in the Kangaroos’ last game against Tonga in 2019, but is under siege by Panthers gun Nathan Cleary.
Cherry-Evans has only one more game to stake his claim for selection, while Cleary is currently sidelined due to suspension.
But, if the Panthers star can mastermind a deep finals run — Cleary is a strong chance of taking Cherry-Evans place and earning his first Test cap at this year’s World Cup.
SOUTHS SECURE FINALS SPOT DESPITE BEING BELOW THEIR BEST
The Rabbitohs were well below their brilliant best in a clunky performance against the Cowboys, but the fact they won ugly against a top four team is a good sign heading into September.
Souths’ finals series arguably starts next week in a blockbuster clash with the in form Roosters who have won seven on the trot with the arch rivals to do battle in a full house to open Allianz Stadium.
Their brilliant attack deserted them against the Cowboys, but the fact they were able to hold one of the best attacking teams in the NRL to 10 points is an excellent sign heading into the big games at the end of the year.
Cooper Cronk noted the Cowboys actually looked more dangerous, particularly in the first half, but Souths can just turn it on when they need to.
“South Sydney can just put it together when they want,” Cronk said.
“I actually liked the way the Cowboys were playing. They were more disciplined and more aggressive. They were kicking Souths into bad positions.
“But South Sydney just have this ability once they get over halfway they have so much strike they can score points.”
The Rabbitohs have the attacking game to mix it with anyone in the competition when it clicks, but finals footy often doesn’t go to script so the fact they can win ugly is a great sign.
If Souths can get their defence in order, they have the attack to trouble most sides come finals.
Unfortunately the Rabbitohs will need to beat arc rivals the Roosters without star hooker Damien Cook due to his Covid diagnosis, which could cost them a home final.
SHARKS NEED QUICK FIX AHEAD OF FINALS
The Sharks may have sewn up their top-four spot, but they delivered one of their clunkiest attacking performances of the season against the Bulldogs.
Cronulla have won five in a row but they haven’t faced anyone in the top eight, and finish the regular season against the 13th-placed Knights.
The soft draw combined with their attacking woes prompted Cooper Cronk to question if the Sharks will be ready for finals football.
Cronulla struggled to find their rhythm in attack all night against a stubborn Bulldogs defence and completed at just 67 per cent, their second-lowest of the season.
“Sloppy performance from both teams,” Cronk said.
“This is going to be the question mark around the Sharks, are they going to be fight ready for September?
“They’ve got the Knights next week and had a couple of soft draws leading into it. But as long as they keep that goal line defence which is statistically the best in the competition.
“Come September, the good teams aren’t going to let 17 errors go through to the keeper and not put some points on the scoreboard.”
Mick Ennis emphasised the Sharks will need to significantly improve their attack to compete with Penrith, Melbourne and the high-flying Roosters.
The Roosters are storming into finals on the back of a seven-game winning streak and playing their best football of the season.
“Last Saturday night I was at the SCG watching a Roosters attacking juggernaut just roll through the Tigers… now we’re only two weeks out from the finals and Cronulla’s attack tonight has been anywhere but where the Roosters was last week,” Mick Ennis said.
NRL premiership winners Corey Parker also said the Sharks have question marks around their attack heading into finals, but he praised the defence.
“They’ve gone out there and won 16-0. Was it their finest performance? By far not,” Parker said.
“Defensively they were very good, the Bulldogs didn’t throw a lot at them. Only six missed tackles for the game for the Sharks. Once again they proved why they’re one of the big teams in the competition just based on their defence. They’ll enjoy this but they’ll be real about the results.”
TIGERS BLOW IT WITH HUGE LATE GAME BLUNDER
The Tigers led 22-16 and forced a goal line drop out with seven minutes to play, before a crazy blunder from Junior Pauga gifted the Dragons a penalty.
The Tigers would have had a penalty to go eight ahead with the drop out not going 10 metres, only for Tigers winger Pauga to play at the ball inside the 10 metres, which gave the Dragons a penalty.
“It came off Pauga inside the 10,” Warren Smith said.
“It is going to be a penalty to the Dragons. I can’t believe I have just seen that.“That is incredible. Pauga just standing there. What was he doing? Standing there and lets the ball hit him before it has travelled 10 metres.
“Why was he inside the 10 anyway? I don’t know if we will ever find a satisfactory explanation for what we just saw.
“Tigers about to be on the attack. It might have been a penalty from in front to make it an eight point game.”
“He was just standing there in no man’s land,” Steve Roach said.
“You have got to know the rules.”
The penalty let the Dragons go coast to coast and score to level the match at 22-22 before a late sin-binning of Asu Kepaoa gifted Lomax the chance to ice the game.
HOLBROOK AVOIDS THE SPOON
The Titans gutsy win over the Knights may provide under-pressure coach Justin Holbrook a stay of execution.
It should see the Gold Coast avoid collecting the wooden spoon for the second time in four seasons.
The Titans were on equal points with the Wests Tigers heading into the weekend, but after the latter lost to the Dragons, Holbrook’s men jump clear.
They’re now a win clear and are 75 points ahead of the Tigers on differential.
The Titans won despite losing Brian Kelly in the 52nd minute after the centre was sent off for a spear tackle on Dom Young.
“I couldn’t be prouder of them, we all know the season we’ve had, it’s been disappointing. But to see them do that today, I’m so proud,” Holbrook said.
“To be down to 12 and defend like that for 30 minutes was great, and great for our fans to see how willing the players were to dig and get the reward.”
But a bad loss next weekend against the Warriors could still see Holbrook axed – and even hand his side the spoon if the Tigers upset the Raiders with a big win.
Holbrook admitted he was relieved to see some space between his side and the Tigers heading into the final round.
“It’s great. It’s something that we didn’t want to be in position (to have), so I’m really happy with that,” Holbrook said.
