Brisbane Broncos 6 lost to Parramatta Eels 53
The sight of Kevin Walters, his side full of broken and bruised players, berating his side in the dressing room after another serious drubbing just about sums up the Broncos’ season.
Six weeks ago, they were a huge chance of the top four, now they’ll miss the eight altogether unless wooden-spooners the Tigers upset the Raiders on Sunday.
The Eels can earn a double shot in the finals with victory over the Storm on Thursday night, and in Shaun Lane and Isaiah Papali’i they have a lethal back-row combination that can cause any team trouble. Dylan Brown continues to flourish this year, and Junior Paulo gives Brad Arthur’s side the type of X-factor in the middle not enjoyed by any other finalist.
Adam Pengilly
Melbourne Storm 14 lost to Sydney Roosters 18
The Roosters showed yet again they will be the side no one wants to play in the finals after a relentless, desperate defensive display against the Storm.
James Tedesco’s heroics in the final minutes stood out but the collective belief shown by the Roosters impressed coach Trent Robinson as he knows those are the performances that win finals matches. The big question will be the injuries to Daniel Tupou (groin) and Victor Radley (concussion) while the possibility of losing Lindsay Collins to suspension for the finals looks very likely.
The Storm face a must-win final round clash with Parramatta on Thursday night if they want to stay in the top four. They will need a stronger start across the park as the Eels are full of points and confidence. Cameron Munster and co have shown they have a team that can beat anyone, now they need to summon their best play before the finals.
Roy Ward
Penrith Panthers 46 bt New Zealand Warriors 12
Most people expected this to be a blowout, and it was – eventually.
The Warriors clocked off a while ago, and one talking point moving forward will be what to do with Shaun Johnson. He was palmed off by Viliame Kikau, then brushed aside by Izack Tago in the same play just before the break, then failed to return because of a calf complaint.
The Panthers are the team to beat for good reason. They attack at pace, are ruthless in defence, and now have the luxury of giving a few of their workhorses a spell.
Christian Nicolussi
Canberra Raiders 48 bt Manly Sea Eagles 6
The Canberra Raiders have their destiny in their own hands. The Green Machine have rolled into the top eight for the first time since round three, blitzing a hapless Manly outfit to give themselves a huge points differential buffer ahead of ninth-placed Brisbane.
Five first-half tries set up Canberra’s biggest ever win over Manly, with Jack Wighton and Sebastian Kris at their devastating best. The Raiders face the 16th-placed Wests Tigers in the final round. A win will likely be enough for them to book a place in the finals unless the Broncos pull off a round 25 miracle.
The end of the season cannot come quickly enough for the Sea Eagles, whose horrendous form in recent weeks led to their own finals ambitions going up in smoke.
Caden Helmers
Cronulla Sharks 16 bt Canterbury Bulldogs 0
As far as spectacles go, this was one of the worst of the season. Cronulla were never really threatened, but failed to put away Canterbury until the 65th minute.
The Sharks’ completion rate (61 per cent) was terrible, but they were able to defend their errors to post a shutout. You could forgive Craig Fitzgibbon’s men for a tardy performance; they still got the job done and there are bigger challenges ahead.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are counting down the days for the season to end. There were some bright signs when Mick Potter first took over, but that is now four losses in a row. A win against Manly in the final game of the season will give the Dogs something to savour before Cameron Ciraldo takes over.
Adrian Proszenko
South Sydney Rabbitohs 20 bt North Queensland Cowboys 10
Both teams will need to improve their attack if they want to go deep into the finals. Souths and the Cowboys were solid in defence, but it was a different story with the ball.
Souths looked ordinary when spreading the ball left to right. Izaac Thompson was a late scratching, and the right wing is starting to become a headache for the Redfern boys. Their middles were excellent but will need to be again against a red-hot Roosters pack.
Tom Dearden was a loss for the Cows, and Scott Drinkwater was happy to be rotated between five-eighth and fullback, two positions that are similar in the modern game.
Christian Nicolussi
Wests Tigers 22 lost to St George Illawarra Dragons 24
The Tigers need a minor miracle to avoid the wooden spoon, which is probably a fair outcome for their season.
They could’ve easily had a 22-6 half-time lead in this game though, and an eight-point advantage inside the final 10 if not for an inexplicable dropout error by youngster Junior Pauga.
Discipline was rock bottom for both sides but Jack Bird was among the best on the paddock once he returned from being sin-binned for dissent. Adam Doueihi was back in form for the Tigers and again showed why he must be part of the club’s long-term future with his 90-metre chase of Tautau Moga.
Dan Walsh
Gold Coast Titans 36 bt Newcastle Knights 26
Defence? That was just the thing around the field in this clash as the Titans put enough distance between themselves and the wooden spoon, even with 12 men after Brian Kelly was marched.
AJ Brimson’s stat sheet told the tale – tries and try-assists by the pair – he was a class above. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, as usual, went above and beyond too. Even after 24 carries and 250-plus metres, he was still lining up for one more run in the 79th minute.
Rookie Krystian Mapapalangi was one of the few bright spots for Newcastle. The kid has a fair future in front of him. Dane Gagai’s defence though is on a serious decline of late; it was light years from the veteran’s best.
Dan Walsh
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