5 Big Things: Everything we learned in Round 23

This weekend of NRL action was somewhat marred by an historic spate of blowouts as several premiership heavyweights flexed their muscles and several spoon contenders looked primed for the offseason. Here are 5 Big Things we learned in Round 23.

Penrith secure minor premiership behind gutsy rout of Souths

With Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai, and James Fisher-Harris all watching from the sideline, many expected Penrith to struggle to go blow-for-blow with the red hot Rabbits in their Grand Final rematch but their premiership pedigree shone through as they came away with a last-minute 26-22 victory. A crash ball to a charging Liam Martin saw Penrith break a 22-all tie in the 78th minute as Penrith wrapped up their second minor premiership in three seasons. Stephen Crichton snagged an all-too-familiar intercept in the opening stages of the game before Alex Johnston unsurprisingly answered with a try of his own for South Sydney. Johnston found a second try in the second half which looked to perhaps secure it before Penrith dug deep and left Homebush with the two points. Dylan Edwards was superb for visitors after a week off scoring a brilliant individual try, running for a game-high 187 metres, and breaking five tackles. Isaah Yeo ran for 173 metres and made 45 tackles without a miss whilst Apisai Koroisau assisted on a pair of tries off the bench. Latrell Mitchell was dangerous all night for South Sydney assisting on two tries and four line breaks with five tackle breaks whilst Campbell Graham ran for a team-high 166 metres and scored a try in his return.

Broncos of old rear their head in Melbourne obliteration

A 60-12 drubbing at the hands of Melbourne has many questioning Brisbane’s finals credentials just two weeks out from the postseason. The Storm poured in 10 tries en route to their second-highest points tally of the season as they continue their charge towards a potential top four berth. The loss undoubtedly brought up some unhappy memories for a Broncos side who has been on the end of far too many comparable losses over the past half-decade. Justin Olam and David Nofoaluma both bagged doubles whilst Nelson Asofa-Solomona looked like a man among boys on the right edge for Melbourne running for a game-high 193 metres, scoring a try, assisting on another and breaking a dozen tackles. Nofoaluma also finished with 188 metres and 10 tackle breaks in his most productive outing of the season whilst Cameron Munster managed a try, a try assist, and nine tackle breaks. It was a total Storm domination with the visitors finishing with 63 per cent possession, 1,990 metres to 1,106, and 66 tackle breaks to 24. Serious questions of Melbourne were beginning to be asked after they slumped to a four-game losing streak last month, however, cue a four-game winning streak and Craig Bellamy’s men are looking primed for another deep postseason run. The Broncos, meanwhile, are no guarantee of holding onto their spot in the eight after losing three of their past four.

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Hynes eyes Dally M Medal as Cronulla continue to motor

The Sharks have won nine of their past 10 after a 40-6 win over a hapless Manly side and may be within reach of a home qualifying finals should they jump North Queensland. Star recruit Nicho Hynes has orchestrated the side for much of the year and is starting to get some serious Dally M Medal buzz with two weeks left of voting. Hynes crossed for a double and assisted on two others against Manly whilst replacement winger Matt Ikuvalu managed a double of his own and a game-high 235 metres and Lachlan Miller continued to prove his NRL credentials with 197 run metres from 22 carries and 10 tackle breaks at the back. Manly, meanwhile, have looked checked out for a few weeks now with their finals hopes dead and buried and never looked like troubling Cronulla. The Sharks will face the Bulldogs and the Knights over the next two weeks as they aim to solidify their spot in the top four. They will enter the finals as the first side in 13 years without a clash against a fellow top eight side across the final five weeks of the regular season and, whilst there may be concerns that they will be underdone, should be one of the fresher and healthier competitors when push comes to shove.

Unwanted history for the Wests Tigers

In a year they are in serious danger of collecting their first ever wooden spoon, the Wests Tigers slumped to their worst loss in club history against the Roosters on Saturday night, 72 points to 6. The Roosters tore through them all night long as the miserable Wests Tigers stood and watched with nary a bright spot. Nat Butcher came up with four tries whilst Angus Crichton and Daniel Tupou bagged doubles. Crichton, James Tedesco, and Joseph Manu all cracked the 200-metre mark whilst Luke Keary assisted in four line breaks and three tries. They ran for more than 1,000 metres more than the Wests Tigers and made 13 line breaks to one. Not a single Wests Tigers forward managed to crack 100 run metres in close to the most lopsided NRL game you will encounter. Skipper James Tamou’s night ended a minute early after he was sent from the field for abusing referee Ben Cummins as his patience wore thin. The Roosters can now look forward to a pair of monster clashes against the Storm and Rabbits where they will look to secure their spot in the top eight. Should they qualify for the finals, they will present a huge challenge for whichever side they face in week one with head coach Trent Robinson timing his side’s run to perfection.

Canberra keep finals hopes alive in come-from-behind win

The Raiders managed to put a dreadful first half behind them to come out 28-22 victors against the Knights in Newcastle and keep their finals hopes alive. Down 22-8 at the break, the Raiders looked likely to botch a golden opportunity to stay within touch of the top eight and set up a bumper fortnight of regular season action. Some stellar efforts from the likes of Josh Papali’i, Joseph Tapine, and Jack Wighton, however, saw the Raiders pinch the lead back off the hosts in the 71st minute to come away with a decisive and spirited win. Tapine ran for a team-high 176 metres from 17 carries and assisted on a try in a performance that has become the norm for him in 2022 whilst Sebastian Kris crossed for his third double of the season. Emre Guler ran for 158 metres off the bench and made 20 tackles whilst Hudson Young’s purple patch of form continued with the 24-year-old running for 174 metres and making 25 tackles. For Newcastle, Edrick Lee and Dominic Young – who have been close to the club’s best in 2022 – each bagged try doubles and combined for 240 run metres whilst Hull F.C.-bound fullback Tex Hoy ran for a game-high 197 metres with a line break.

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