NRL Weekly Wrap: Everything we saw in Magic Round

Raiders outlast Dogs in high-scoring affair

The Canberra Raiders are now four-from-four after a 1-4 start to the season after surviving a gritty Bulldogs side 34-30 to open Magic Round.

The Raiders leapt out to a 22-6 lead before Cameron Ciraldo’s men clawed their way back into via tries to Jacob Preston and Jake Averillo.

Jordan Rapana and Jarrod Croker scored for Canberra prior to the hour-mark before Averillo snagged a second and Hayze Perham was awarded a penalty try to set up a grandstand finish.

Canberra held on, however, and were led by Corey Horsburgh’s 180 run metres from 17 carries and 30 tackles whilst Matt Timoko scored a try, assisted on two others, and ran for a game-high 200 metres with six tackle breaks.

For the Dogs, Preston scored a double and made 33 tackles whilst Perham scored one and ran for a team-high 167 metres with five tackle breaks.

Broncos flex muscles versus listing Sea Eagles

The Brisbane Broncos are back in the winners’ circle after making light work of Manly 32-6 on Friday night.

Three tries in the opening 22 minutes – including a Selwyn Cobbo double – saw the Broncos race out to an early lead and they did not look back.

Kevin Walter’s men scored crossed again prior to half-time through Jesse Arthars before Cobbo grabbed a third late in the piece and Herbie Farnworth joined the party to clean things up.

Payne Haas ran for a game-high 217 metres from 21 carries to go along with 21 tackles without a miss whilst Reece Walsh assisted on two tries and ran for 163 metres with 13 tackle breaks.

Now with just two wins and a draw from their past seven, Manly have dropped out of the top eight and are at risk of falling further with Jake Trbojevic out injured and clashes against Cronulla and Canberra on the horizon.

Penrith too strong for gutsy Warriors

The Panthers have responded after their shock loss to the Wests Tigers with a hard-fought, 18-6 win over a brave Warriors outfit to open the slate of games on Saturday.

Addin Fonua-Blake crashed over to get the Warriors on the board first before Penrith answered through tries to Dylan Edwards and Brian To’o to make it 12-6 heading into the sheds.

The Warriors kept the Panthers at bay with Jackson Ford in the bin but were unable to halt a steaming Spencer Leniu who scored the match-sealer with rookie Demitric Sifakula in the bin late.

Edwards scored a try, assisted on another, and ran for a game-high 257 metres with eight tackle breaks whilst Isaah Yeo ran for 146 metres with five tackle breaks and made 42 tackles.

For the Warriors, Fonua-Blake and Tohu Harris combined for 286 run metres and 83 tackles.

Te Whare Magic: Dolphins celebrate Wayne’s 900th in style behind bumper debut

A double courtesy of debutant Valynce Te Whare ignited Magic Round on Saturday evening as the Dolphins raced out to an early lead against the Sharks and never looked back finishing with a 36-16 win to celebrate the 900th game of Wayne Bennett’s first-grade coaching career.

Isaiya Katoa scored the first try of his NRL career for the Dolphins five minutes in before Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow raced away shortly after.

Te Whare powered through a trio of Sharks for his first before Connelly Lemuelu and Tesi Niu both joined the first-half, try-scorers party to make it 30-0 early.

Siosifa Talakai laid on a pair of tries in two minutes prior to the siren to breathe life back into Cronulla but the second half again belonged to the Dolphins with Te Whare grabbing a second as Bennett’s men raced away with it.

Te Whare finished with two tries and five tackle breaks whilst Kodi Nikorima assisted on two tries and three line breaks.

Talakai finished with two try assists and a game-high 242 run metres.

Rabbits outclass Storm to extend winning streak to five

The South Sydney Rabbitohs have won five on the trot after proving too tough for Melbourne to handle running away 28-12 winners.

Early tries to Cody Walker and Jacob Host got the Rabbits off to a dream start before Reimis Smith answered for the Storm prior to the break to make it 12-6.

A second-half double to Alex Johnston gave the Rabbits a 16-point buffer before Isaiah Tass capped things off with a try of his own.

Walker scored a try and assisted on two others whilst Tom Burgess ran for a team-high 155 metres off the bench and made 16 tackles.

Now with two losses from their past three and a date with the Broncos set up next Friday night, the Storm find themselves entering a crucial pre-Origin period that could have a major impact on their quest for the top four.

Wests Tigers defeat Dragons for back-to-back wins

The Wests Tigers have won back-to-back games for the first time in over a year after overcoming the Dragons 18-16 on Sunday afternoon.

Mikaele Ravalawa scored off a kick error to get the Dragons on the board first before Tim Sheens’ men answered with tries to Starford To’a and David Nofoaluma.

Anthony Griffin inserted Jayden Sullivan into the halves and shifted Ben Hunt into hooker after the Wests Tigers’ second try and the 21-year-old delivered scoring a pair of astute, individual tries to wrestle the lead back for the Dragons.

Junior Tupou scored the put the Wests Tigers back ahead with 15 to go and it proved enough after the Dragons bombed a last-minute speculator as they succumbed to their fifth loss in-a-row.

Rookie fullback Jahream Bula was again brilliant assisting on a try, running for a team-high 180 metres with six tackle breaks, and making several key defensive plays whilst David Klemmer ran for 173 metres from 19 carries and made 26 tackles without a miss.

For the Dragons, Sullivan scored two and ran for 72 metres with four tackle breaks whilst Ravalawa scored a try and ran for a game-high 202 metres from 18 carries.

Cowboys upset Chooks in torrential Sunday conditions

The Cowboys managed to power their way to a timely, 20-6 upset over a ragged Roosters side in heavy rain just a week on from a disappointing, 38-point loss at the hands of Cronulla.

Reuben Cotter got the Cowboys on the board in the first half before a pair of tries over a two-minute stretch early in the second half put them up 18-0 with half-an-hour to play.

Angus Crichton crossed for a consolation four-pointer late in the piece but it was not enough to prevent the Roosters from dropping their third game from their past five.

Valentine Holmes was strong for the Cows running for 169 metres from 17 carries with four tackle breaks whilst Cotter scored a try, ran for 142 metres, and made 36 tackles.

For the Roosters, Billy Smith ran for 182 metres with eight tackle breaks and made 24 tackles in his first game since Round 18 last year.

Holbrook’s Titans impress in action-packed Eels rout

The Gold Coast Titans are back in the top eight after an electric 26-24 win over Parramatta in the final game of Magic Round.

Maika Sivo’s tremendous try-scoring form continued with the Fijian international scoring in the opening minute to get the Eels off to a flying start.

A Clint Gutherson sin bin paved the way for Kieran Foran’s first NRL try in over a year before the veteran playmaker grabbed a second one moments later.

Alofi’ana Khan-Pereira scooted down the touchline and opted to chip-and-chase the fullback rather than hit Foran back on the inside for his third prior to half-time as the Gold Coast snagged their third.

Sivo grabbed a second on the other side of half-time before Khan-Pereira picked off a Gutherson cut-out to race 90 metres downfield in a major turn of events.

Sivo claimed a hat-trick soon after before Gutherson scored two minutes later to make it 22-18.

Brian Kelly scored the eventual match-sealer before a late, Andrew Davey try gave the Titans a scare which ultimately proved too little, too late.

Phillip Sami’s strong run of form continued for the Titans with the former-Maroon running for 209 metres from 20 carries with 10 tackle breaks whilst Tino Fa’asuamaleaui added 157 run metres and 44 tackles.

For Parramatta, Dylan Brown assisted on a pair of tries, made two line breaks, and ran for 238 metres from 19 carries whilst Ryan Matterson ran for 251 metres and made 32 tackles.

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