5 Big Things: Everything we learned in Round 24

The penultimate round of the NRL’s regular season offered a heap of action and storylines to dig into with only one of the premiership’s eight finals seeds decided heading into the final round. Here are 5 Big Things we learned in Round 24.

Broncos season on life support after disastrous fortnight

It was not all that long ago that the Brisbane Broncos were camped in the top four and playing at a level that was reminiscent of the Wayne Bennett days but four losses from their past five – including a fortnight in which they conceded a combined 113 points – has them in ninth spot and on the outside looking in with one game left. A 53-6 loss at the hands of Parramatta just a week after Melbourne dismantled them 60-12 has the club in a tense and precarious position at the wrong time of the year and has them banking on the red-hot Raiders dropping their Sunday afternoon clash against the last-place Wests Tigers. The Eels, meanwhile, have won four of their past five and reached at least 34 points in each of their wins. Their clash against the Storm this Thursday night at CommBank will decide which side earns a top four berth. Skipper Clint Gutherson enjoyed a wildly productive night in Brisbane scoring two tries, assisting on two others, running for a game-high 189 metres and breaking five tackles whilst Isaiah Papali’i managed a try and an assist of his own and ran for 146 metres.

Roosters earn valuable two points in fiery Melbourne clash

In one of the encounters of the year, the Roosters managed a brave 18-14 win over the Storm in Melbourne to punch their ticket to the postseason. Nelson Asofa-Solomona was in the thick of things from early in the piece locking horns with both Victor Radley and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves in the early stages. Daniel Tupou and Joseph Manu each bagged tries early to get the Chooks off to a flyer. With his side up 14-0, Waerea-Hargreaves got a little too rowdy in his mano a mano with Kiwis teammate Asofa-Solomona and found himself binned. With Waerea-Hargreaves off, Xavier Coates answered for the Storm before Joseph Sua’ali’i crossed again for the tricolours. A Nick Meaney effort got the Storm back within a try as they mounted a comeback effort, however, the Roosters held strong and came away with a decisive victory. The Roosters have timed their run into the finals to perfection and are firming as a dark-horse contender with seven wins on the trot and a gargantuan clash against the Bunnies to look forward to at the newly-renovated Allianz Stadium on Friday night. Matt Lodge has proven an invaluable midseason pickup for them in the middle topping the run metre count among all forwards in Melbourne with 144.

Raiders flying towards finals berth

A 48-6 win at home over Manly coupled with Brisbane’s huge loss has Canberra in enviable stead heading into the final round of the premiership with six wins from their past seven and their finals destiny in their own hands. The Raiders have managed some big wins over the course of the past two months and will face wooden spoon favourites the Wests Tigers at Leichhardt Oval in the final game of the regular season. Hudson Young crossed for the first double of his NRL career whilst Xavier Savage scored one of his own and ran for a game-high 226 metres from 18 carries. Joseph Tapine added another elite performance to his 2022 resumé with 191 run metres from 16 carries with five tackle breaks whilst halves Jack Wighton and Jamal Fogarty combined for four try assists and 603 kick metres. Manly’s season, however, continued on its drastic downward slope with the men from the northern beaches dropping their sixth game in-a-row. They have looked disinterested and uninspired for some time now and were no match for determined Raiders outfit.

Bunnies grind their way to huge win

All wins this time of year are crucial but even more so when a pair of top eight sides face each other and Saturday night’s clash between the Rabbitohs and Cowboys displayed finals-like intensity for long stretches as the Bunnies came away with a big-time 20-10 win. Cameron Murray was brilliant for South Sydney running for 161 metres from 24 carries and making 37 tackles whilst Thomas Burgess scored a try and added an efficient 174 run metres off the bench. Latrell Mitchell assisted on a pair of line breaks and ran for a game-high 175 metres as well whilst Alex Johnston scored in his eighth-straight game to take his season tally to 28. A brilliant individual effort from veteran winger Kyle Feldt breathed some life into the Cowboys late in the piece before sin bins in the 73rd and 76th minutes dashed any hopes of a comeback for the Cows. Having lost two of their past three games, North Queensland have dropped below Cronulla on the table and will likely have to travel down to the Shire for a qualifying final blockbuster. They will be sweating on the fitness of Tom Dearden whilst Coen Hess will miss this week’s clash against Penrith for a high shot.

Lomax kicks Dragons home as Wests Tigers all but secure spoon

The clash between the Dragons and the Wests Tigers on Sunday afternoon at CommBank showcased the worst of both sides for significant stretches but ended with a clutch Zac Lomax penalty goal in the final minute as the visitors came from behind to earn a 24-22 win. The premiership leaders in total sin bins, St. George Illawarra lost both Cody Ramsey and Jack Bird for separate 10-mnute stints in the first half as they allowed the Wests Tigers to run in a trio of soft tries and gather themselves a 16-6 halftime lead. Some sharp short-side work courtesy of Lomax sent winger Tautau Moga over in the right corner before Lomax pounced on a Bird grubber to tie the game at 16. A spectacular individual effort from rising halfback Jock Madden put the hosts back ahead by six in what looked like a potential match-sealer. With eight minutes remaining and down six, the Dragons tried their luck with a short dropout which landed inside the 10 but onto the foot of an unexpecting Junior Pauga. A Jackson Ford try tied the game up at the other end before Asu Kepaoa collected Lomax high and gave the Dragons star a penalty from the touchline to win it, which he nailed. Lomax was arguably the best on ground finishing with a try and a try assist to go along with 153 run metres and six tackle breaks whilst Jaydn Su’A scored a try, ran for a game-high 221 metres, and broke six tackles in his 100th first-grade game. The Wests Tigers are now a win and 75 for-and-against points behind the 15th-place Titans with only one match remaining.

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