NRL Weekly Wrap: Reviewing Round 8

Titans upset Warriors, earn opening win of season

The Titans held off the fast-finishing Warriors 27-24 in Auckland on Anzac Day for their first win of the season.

The visitors overcame a red-hot Warriors start to take a seven-point advantage into the sheds courtesy of tries to AJ Brimson, Tanah Boyd, and David Fifita.

Alofiana Khan-Pereira continued the Titans’ run with a four-pointer on the other side of halftime before Brimson grabbed a second.

Addin Fonua-Blake stormed over for his second before Rocco Berry got his name on the scoresheet, but it proved not enough as the Titans survived.

Brimson scored two and ran for 186 metres with five tackle breaks whilst Fifita scored a try, assisted on another, and ran for 134 metres with nine tackle breaks.

Fonua-Blake scored two and ran for 217 metres with four tackle breaks whilst Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad scored a try and ran for 289 metres with four tackle breaks.

Chooks trounce Dragons in Anzac showdown

The Roosters handed the Dragons one of their biggest ever losses taking them down 60-18 at Allianz Stadium in their traditional Anzac clash.

The Tricolours overcame an early score from the Dragons – who lost Moses Suli to a head knock in the opening tackle of the game – to take a 30-6 lead into the break with Dominic Young, Angus Crichton, Joseph Manu, Sam Walker and Nat Butcher all scoring in a 26-minute period.

Things got ugly in the second stanza for the Red V with Manu and Butcher grabbing doubles to go along with tries to Luke Keary, James Tedesco, and Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i.

Walker scored a try, assisted on two others, and kicked for 370 metres whilst Manu scored two, assisted on another, and ran for 150 metres.

Storm continue winning run over Rabbitohs

The Bunnies plummeted back to the bottom of the ladder after falling to the Storm 54-20 at AAMI Park on Anzac Day.

The scoring started early for the hosts with a first half Xavier Coates hat-trick along with tries to Ryan Papenhuyzen, Will Warbrick, and Harry Grant giving them a dominant 32-4 lead.

Despite losing Coates to injury, Papenhuyzen grabbed another for Melbourne before the Rabbits came up with a three-try, nine-minute stretch to wrestle back some ascendancy only for the Storm to cap off the night with a trio of late tries.

Cameron Munster scored a try, assisted on four others, and ran for 127 metres with nine tackle breaks whilst Grant scored a try, assisted on another, and made 30 tackles.

Jacob Gagai scored a double and ran for 105 metres whilst Cameron Murray ran for 123 metres and made 40 tackles.

Sea Eagles take down Eels at 4 Pines

The Sea Eagles are in the top four for the first time this season having beaten the Eels 32-18 at 4 Pines Park on Friday night.

With Haumole Olakau’atu binned early for the hosts, the Eels took a 14-6 lead into the sheds courtesy of a Maika Sivo double.

Tom Trbojevic and Daly Cherry-Evans went bang-bang for Manly to roar back into the contest but the dramatics had not yet ended.

Despite being a man down with Will Penisini in the bin, Sivo grabbed a third for Parramatta to cut the deficit to just two with a little under 15 to play before the Fijian international found himself binned after bizarrely deciding to drop a forearm into Reuben Garrick’s head whilst on the ground.

Garrick responded by crossing for a late double as Parramatta fell to their fourth loss from their past five.

Cherry-Evans scored a try, assisted on another, and kicked for 240 metres whilst Garrick scored two and ran for 157 metres with four tackle breaks.

Clint Gutherson assisted on two tries and ran for 134 metres whilst J’maine Hopgood ran for 140 metres and made 43 tackles.

Wests Tigers continue Campbelltown woes with Broncos loss

The Broncos handed the Wests Tigers a 34-10 loss at Campbelltown Sports Stadium on Saturday evening – their 10th-straight loss at the venue.

The visitors leapt out to a 16-0 lead at the half via tries to Deine Mariner, Jock Madden, and Reece Walsh before the latter two grabbed second half doubles to put the result beyond doubt.

Payne Haas also joined the try-scorers list before Charlie Staines snagged a late double for the hosts.

Walsh scored a double and ran for 185 metres whilst Haas scored a try, ran for 138 metres, and made 28 tackles without a miss.

Staines scored two and ran for 166 metres with six tackle breaks whilst John Bateman ran for 118 metres and made 45 tackles.

Panthers outlast Cowboys in Townsville

The Panthers welcomed Nathan Cleary back with a 26-20 win over the Cowboys at Townsville’s QCB Stadium on Saturday night.

Penrith found themselves up 12-4 courtesy of tries to Brian To’o and Dylan Edwards before Paul Alamoti ran away with an intercept on the stroke of halftime to extend their lead beyond a pair of converted tries.

Liam Martin crossed on the other side of halftime to give the visitors some breathing room before three Cowboys tries – to Valentine Holmes, Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, and Jeremiah Nanai – in just 12 minutes set up a grandstand finish however they fell short.

To’o scored a try and ran for 222 metres with an absurd 21 tackle breaks whilst Edwards scored a try and ran for 219 metres with eight tackle breaks.

Holmes scored a try and ran for 147 metres with six tackle breaks whilst Nanai scored a try and ran for 141 metres with seven tackle breaks.

Knights too strong for Dolphins at Suncorp

The Kalyn Ponga-less Knights finished atop the Dolphins 18-14 at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday for their third win of the year.

The afternoon got off to a perfect start for the Knights with debutant David Armstrong crossing just eight minutes in before Dane Gagai backed up his effort to give the side a 10-6 advantage heading into the sheds.

Tyson Gamble scored what proved to be an early match-winner 47 minutes in despite a late pair of Dolphins tries giving the visitors a scare.

Armstrong scored a try and ran for 189 metres with 11 tackle breaks in a stellar NRL debut whilst Gamble scored a try, assisted on another, and ran for 98 metres.

Trai Fuller assisted on a line break and ran for 240 metres with 10 tackle breaks whilst Jamayne Isaako scored a try and ran for 191 metres with eight tackle breaks.

Sharks blow past Raiders, remain atop ladder

The Sharks continued their strong run of form with a 40-0 win over the Raiders in the nation’s capital on Sunday afternoon.

Tries to Cameron McInnes, Thomas Hazelton, and Sione Katoa saw the Sharks claim an 18-point halftime edge.

Katoa grabbed his second to go along with tries to Briton Nikora, Nicho Hynes, and Jesse Ramien as the visitors strolled to a key win.

Katoa scored two and ran for 209 metres with 10 tackle breaks whilst Hynes scored a try, assisted on two others, and ran for 202 metres with eight tackle breaks.

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