NRL Weekly Wrap: Everything we saw in Round 21

Dragons pip Wests Tigers in 16th vs. 17th clash

The Dragons picked up an invaluable pair of competition points in the Round 21 opener on Thursday night outlasting the Wests Tigers 18-14 in Wollongong.

The hosts jumped out to an early 12-6 lead before a Tyrell Sloan sin bin paved the way for a pair of Wests Tigers tries short of half-time.

The only points of the second half came 63 minutes in after Zac Lomax shrugged away from multiple defenders and hit a barnstorming Mikaele Ravalawa with an around-the-corner flick pass to score.

Lomax again led the way for the Red V finishing with a try, a try assist, and a game-high 224 run metres with five tackle breaks whilst Blake Lawrie ran for 153 metres and made 27 tackles.

Junior Tupou scored two tries, assisted on another, made four line breaks and ran for 221 metres with seven tackle breaks whilst Daine Laurie laid on a pair of line breaks and ran for 99 metres.

The Wests Tigers now sit four competition points behind the 16th-place Bulldogs and possess the premiership’s second-worst points differential with six weeks remaining.

Johnson one-pointer thwarts Raiders in Auckland stunner

The Warriors held on by the skin of their teeth for a 21-20 golden point win over a fast-finishing Raiders squad in Auckland on Friday evening.

The hosts took a 14-6 lead into the sheds thanks to tries to Marata Niukore and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad before Dallin Watene-Zelezniak added to his impressive tally on the other side of the half to extend the advantage beyond two converted tries.

Jordan Rapana scored to breathe some life back into the Raiders on the other side of the hour-mark it but it looked poised be a mere blip on an otherwise Warriors-dominant radar.

Down by 10 with 70 seconds remaining, the Green Machine crossed through Elliott Whitehead before pulling off a length-of-the-field beauty in the final minute to tie it.

Jarrod Croker’s sideline conversion drifted across the face of the goal allowing for Shaun Johnson to nail a walk-off one-pointer to send the Auckland crowd into a frenzy.

Nicoll-Klokstad scored a try and ran for 194 metres with five tackle breaks whilst Addin Fonua-Blake ran for 205 metres and made 34 tackles.

Matt Timoko ran for 185 metres with seven tackle breaks and assisted on a line break whilst Corey Horsburgh ran for 145 metres and made 60 tackles.

Broncos outlast Rabbitohs on Sunshine Coast

The Broncos have won six of their past seven after finishing atop the Rabbitohs 36-20 on the Sunshine Coast on Friday night.

South Sydney took a two-point advantage into the break off the back of a frantic opening half before the floodgates opened for Kevin Walters’ men.

Reece Walsh, Xavier Willison, and Kotoni Staggs all snagged tries within the space of 11 minutes before Adam Reynolds crossed late to seal it.

Reece Walsh scored a try, assisted on another, and ran for 208 metres with four tackle breaks whilst Staggs scored a try, assisted on another, and ran for 171 metres with nine tackle breaks.

Campbell Graham scored a try and ran for 130 metres with four tackle breaks whilst Cameron Murray ran for 91 metres and made 48 tackles.

Roosters bounce back versus Titans

A blistering opening 40 led the Roosters to a needed 36-18 win over the Titans on the Gold Coast on Saturday afternoon.

Egan Butcher, James Tedesco, Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i, Lindsay Collins and Nat Butcher all crossed in the opening half-hour as the Tricolours took a 30-to-nothing lead into the sheds.

Fletcher Baker scored just six minutes into the second half as the score threatened to balloon but the Titans wrangled back some control and managed three late tries of their own.

James Tedesco scored a try, assisted on two others, and ran for 230 metres with four line breaks whilst Sua’ali’i scored a try and ran for 200 metres with six tackle breaks.

Moeaki Fotuaika ran for 197 metres with seven tackle breaks and made 32 tackles without a miss whilst Brian Kelly scored a try and ran for 138 metres with seven tackle breaks.

Knights upset Storm to end 8-year drought

The Newcastle Knights beat the Melbourne Storm for the first time since 2015 with Adam O’Brien’s men holding on for a 26-18 victory in front of their home fans on Saturday evening.

Two Storm tries in the opening seven minutes had the Knights nervous before Dom Young got them on the board followed by a trio of tries in the space of six minutes – two of which coming with Tariq Sims in the sin bin – to give the hosts an 18-12 half-time lead.

Mat Croker made it three tries against a 12-man Storm unit on the other side of the break before Justin Olam answered soon after, however, the Knights held on for a famous win off the back of a late Kalyn Ponga penalty goal.

Ponga assisted on a try and ran for 191 metres with five tackle breaks whilst Tyson Frizell ran for 168 metres with six tackle breaks and made 30 tackles.

Nick Meaney scored a try and ran for 176 metres with four tackle breaks whilst Cameron Munster assisted on two tries and ran for 110 metres.

Cows earn valuable two points with win over Eels

The Cowboys are in the top eight for the first time this season after holding off the Eels 24-16 in Townsville on Saturday night for their sixth win in a row.

A first-half Semi Valemei double got the Cowboys out to a 16-4 lead before Valentine Holmes was binned for a high shot minutes before the intermission.

Their defence held strong, however, and the next points came through Scott Drinkwater who improved the lead to 24-4 before a late Mitchell Moses double made the scoreboard a prettier sight for the blue and golds.

Scott Drinkwater’s ridiculous run of form continued with the North Queensland fullback scoring a try, assisting on another, and running for 168 metres with 10 tackle breaks whilst Peta Hiku scored a try, assisted on another, and ran for 104 metres.

Clint Gutherson assisted on three tries and ran for 202 metres whilst Will Penisini ran for 158 metres with 11 tackle breaks.

Panthers too strong for Canterbury in Sunday afternoon showdown

Penrith have won nine of their past 10 after proving too strong for the Bulldogs 44-18 at BlueBet Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The hosts looked destined for a cricket score after jumping out to a 28-0 lead half an hour in thanks to doubles to Tyrone Peachey and Brian To’o, but a Paul Alamoti try just short of half-time made things a little rosier for the visitors.

Stephen Crichton, Scott Sorensen, and Luke Garner all joined the try-scorers party for the defending premiers before Jake Averillo and Jeral Skelton grabbed late tries for the Dogs who dug their heels in throughout the second period.

To’o scored two and ran for 251 metres with 10 tackle breaks whilst James Fisher-Harris ran for 170 metres and made 27 tackles.

Skelton showed off some brilliance after some early errors scoring a try and running for 197 metres with nine tackle breaks whilst Jacob Kiraz ran for 156 metres with five tackle breaks.

Sharks unable to pull off miracle comeback as top 8 questions grow louder

The Sharks fell just short of pulling off a miracle 30-point fightback falling to the Sea Eagles 30-26 in the Shire on Sunday afternoon.

Manly leapt out to a 30-0 lead thanks to six tries in the opening 44 minutes including a Toluta’u Koula double as a stunned silence fell across PointsBet Stadium.

The Sharks’ fightback began with a 46th-minute Ronaldo Mulitalo try before Sione Katoa scored in the other corner soon after.

The avalanche began when Cameron McInnes, Jesse Ramien, and William Kennedy all crossed for tries in the space of four minutes to set up a grandstand finish, but they ultimately fell short.

Garrick scored a try and ran for 221 metres for Manly whilst Koula scored two and ran for 212 metres with four tackle breaks.

Kennedy scored a try, assisted on two others, and ran for 185 metres whilst McInnes scored a try, ran for 156 metres, and made 40 tackles.

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