NRL Weekly Wrap: Everything we saw in Round 18

Sharks kick-off round with local derby thumping

The Sharks kicked the round off with a 52-16 win over rivals St George Illawarra at PointsBet Stadium on Thursday night behind doubles to Ronaldo Mulitalo and Briton Nikora.

A back-and-forth opening exchange saw the hosts take a 24-10 lead into the sheds before a Tyrell Sloan try cut the lead to eight early in the second period.

Five tries in the final 25 minutes saw the Sharks pull away to seal a nine-tries-to-three win.

Nicho Hynes scored a try, assisted on three others, and ran for 135 metres whilst William Kennedy scored a try and ran for 222 metres with five tackle breaks.

Sloan scored a try and ran for 178 metres with four tackle breaks.

Rabbitohs bounce back with gutsy NZ win

South Sydney are back in the winners’ circle after pulling off a brave 28-6 win over the high-flying Warriors in torrential conditions in Auckland on Friday evening.

Warriors big man Addin Fonua-Blake was binned shortly after the half-hour mark leading to a Cameron Murray try giving the visitors their first lead of the contest.

Alex Johnston notched his second on the other side of the half to give the Rabbitohs a double-digit buffer before debutant Tyrone Munro and Blake Taaffe crossed late to improve the scoreboard.

Hame Sele ran for 180 metres from 16 carries and made 21 tackles without a miss whilst Murray scored a try, ran for 102 metres, and made 37 tackles.

Tohu Harris ran for 125 metres and made 51 tackles without a miss.

Panthers come from behind for statement win at Marvel

The Panthers overcame a 14-0 deficit to finish atop the Storm 36-14 at Marvel Stadium on Friday night for their seventh win from their past eight.

Early tries to Harry Grant and Nelson Asofa-Solomona put the hosts up 14-0 a half-hour in before a trio of rapid Penrith tries saw the defending premiers take a two-point lead into the sheds.

Izack Tago grabbed a second on the other side of the break before Zac Hosking and Brian To’o grabbed tries late to cap off 36 unanswered points and a decisive win.

Tago scored two, assisted on another, and ran for 106 metres with 13 tackle breaks whilst To’o scored one and ran for a game-high 211 metres.

Grant scored a try and made 59 tackles whilst Reimis Smith assisted on a try and ran for 87 metres with six tackle breaks.

Raiders outlast Titans in electric Saturday afternoon showdown

A back-and-forth affair in the nation’s capital resulted in a 26-22 Raiders win over the Titans on Saturday afternoon.

Canberra leapt out to a 12-6 half-time lead before a Jojo Fifita try on the other side of the break cut their lead to just two.

Matt Timoko went the length of the field after Alofi’ana Khan-Pereira fumbled a grounding attempt before a 73rd-minute Hudson Young try extended the Canberra lead beyond a converted try which proved enough.

Timoko scored a try and ran for a game-high 212 metres whilst Joseph Tapine ran for 181 metres with six tackle breaks and made 43 tackles without a miss.

David Fifita scored two tries, assisted on another, and ran for 181 metres with eight tackle breaks whilst Tino Fa’asuamaleaui scored a try, ran for 182 metres, and made 37 tackles.

Cowboys send message with record-setting 74-0 Wests Tigers obliteration

Just six weeks on from being on the wrong end of a 66-18 thumping at Leichhardt Oval, the Cowboys have avenged the loss with a 74-0 battering of the Wests Tigers in Townsville on Saturday evening.

It was four-pointer after four-pointer for Todd Payten’s men who nearly kept up with the clock in what proved to be the third-biggest winning margin in the NRL’s 115-year history.

Murray Taulagi scored a hat-trick whilst Scott Drinkwater, Semi Valemei, and Valentine Holmes each secured two in the 13-try rout.

The Cowboys completed 19 more sets, ran for 1,382 more metres, made 12 more line breaks and 26 more tackle breaks.

Drinkwater scored two, assisted on five, and ran for 234 metres whilst Tom Dearden scored a try, assisted on two others, and ran for 202 metres with 10 tackle breaks.

Broncos get home in Battle of Brisbane at The Gabba

The Broncos managed to earn bragging rights over the Dolphins with a 24-16 win at The Gabba on Saturday night.

A Herbie Farnworth double had the Broncos up 14-6 at the break before a 50th-minute Valynce Te Whare try brought the Dolphins back into it.

Jeremy Marshall-King crossed to put Wayne Bennett’s men ahead with less than a quarter remaining before Selwyn Cobbo went over for his second and third tries of the contest to seal it late.

Cobbo scored three and ran for 175 metres with eight tackle breaks whilst Payne Haas ran for 224 metres with 10 tackle breaks and made 22 tackles without a miss.

Te Whare scored a try and ran for 161 metres with nine tackle breaks whilst Kodi Nikorima scored a try and ran for 149 metres with six tackle breaks.

Knights pull off club-best 66-0 annihilation of Bulldogs

The Knights ran out 66-0 victors over Canterbury on Sunday afternoon at Accor Stadium for the biggest win in club history.

Much like North Queensland’s Saturday evening demolition job, Newcastle’s biggest challenge was keeping up with the scoreboard with Adam O’Brien’s men taking a 30-0 lead into the sheds and improving on it in the second stanza.

Bradman Best scored three whilst Jackson Hastings and Phoenix Crossland each scored two as Kalyn Ponga slotted all 11 of his conversions.

Newcastle completed 18 more sets, ran for 842 more metres, made 12 more line breaks and 51 more tackle breaks.

Best scored three, assisted on two others, and ran for 219 metres with seven tackle breaks whilst Greg Marzhew scored a try and ran for 214 metres with 15 tackle breaks.

Manly hold on for courageous win over Roosters

The Roosters have now lost six of their past eight after falling to the Sea Eagles 18-16 at 4 Pines Park on Sunday afternoon.

A first-half Daly Cherry-Evans double gave the hosts a two-point advantage heading into the break before Joseph Manu scored on the other side of half-time to give the Roosters the lead.

The Tricolours’ defensive line was finally breached in the 70th minute by Ben Trbojevic who crossed for the match-winner.

Cherry-Evans scored a double and kicked for 775 metres whilst Reuben Garrick assisted on a try and ran for 192 metres with eight tackle breaks.

James Tedesco scored a try and ran for 299 metres with six tackle breaks whilst Manu scored a try, assisted on another, and ran for 129 metres with 13 tackle breaks.

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