St George Illawarra remain on the bottom of the ladder after Round 13, while some other sides pushed their claims for a top-eight spot.
Parramatta made it two wins on the trot with an gritty performance against the Cowboys, while the Broncos and Raiders continued to flex their premiership muscle.
To finish the weekend, Newcastle toppled an under-strength Manly side, with fullback Kalyn Ponga sending a strong message to Queensland selectors.
Here's what we liked and disliked from every game in NRL Round 13.
Dolphins 26 - 12 St George Illawarra Dragons
What we liked: Jamayne Isaako's monster milestone game
Dolphins winger Jamayne Isaako finished with a whopping 18 points, outscoring the Dragons in his 100th NRL appearance. The 26-year-old crossed for two tries and nailed all five conversion attempts in the 14-point win.
The Dolphins backline carved up the Dragons, with their back three of Isaako, Kodi Nikorima and Tesi Niu combining for 472 run metres, starting their sets strong.
Scoring three tries in their first 30 minutes, the Dolphins made easy work of a Dragons side who were great the week prior against the Roosters.
The Dolphins now sit in 6th spot and look a genuine threat for finals footy.
What we disliked: Dragons stay put on bottom of the ladder
St George Illawarra got monstered in the middle, giving up way too many metres and struggling to get back into the game after Jack de Belin's first-half sin-bin.
Their 82 per cent completion rate was dwarfed by the Dolphins 89 per cent as they struggled with ball security.
They showed little direction without their Origin halfback and skipper Bent Hunt, as Amone and Sullivan struggled to be effective playmakers.
The Dragons need to find something within their attack if they are to turn their season around.
Parramatta Eels 24 - 16 North Queensland Cowboys
What we liked: Parramatta just do enough
The Eels needed a win and that's what they got.
With a 75 per cent completion rate the Eels struggled to hold onto the ball but for the most part dominated the field position battle.
Pinning the Cowboys in their half the halves duo of Moses and Brown made the most opportunities around the oppositions line.
The win moves the Eels within touching distance of the top 8 and was crucial for their season.
What we disliked: Cowboys fall short after late comeback
After being obliterated by the Tigers a week prior, the Cowboys showed good fight against the Eels.
It would have been easy to let the game blowout after falling 12 behind but the Cowboys showed heart in the final 15 minutes.
Scott Drinkwater was excellent with two try assists, three line break assists, a line break and four tackle breaks.
It was not enough though, as the Cowboys fell short and are now are 14th on the ladder.
Brisbane Broncos 26 - 22 New Zealand Warriors
What we liked: Broncos back in the winning column
Without the likes of Payne Haas, Tom Flegler, Pat Carrigan and Reece Walsh the Broncos did exceptionally well away from home.
Two first-half try savers by Ezra Mam and Triston Sailor kept the Broncos in the game.
TRY-SAVER 🤯🤯#NRLWarriorsBroncos pic.twitter.com/xLEwhtB1bK
— NRL (@NRL) May 27, 2023
They almost threw it all away when the game looked like it could not be lost.
It was touch and go with an Adam Pompey grab off the ball costing Marcelo Montoya the opportunity to win the game.
The baby Broncos would just get home though, led by some inspired play by veteran Adam Reynolds.
What we disliked: Warriors can't complete the comeback
It looked like a miracle comeback with the Warriors scoring two tries in three minutes.
A disallowed try in the final minute meant the Warriors would lose their fourth game this season by 10 or less.
They showed great desire running the ball and tackled effectively but were lacking polish.
With nine errors and just a 66% completion rate in the first half they could not overcome their early shortcomings.
Canberra Raiders 33 - 26 South Sydney Rabbitohs
What we liked: Canberra fight back for emotional win after teammate's plight
Rugby league is just a game, and this was no more evident than when Corey Harawira-Naera collapsed on the turf suffering from a seizure.
His teammates were visibly shaken from the situation with Josh Papalii pacing around near his teammate as he was treated by medical staff.
A hush fell over the stadium and suddenly the result of the match seemed to be the furthest thing on everyone's mind as attention turned to the well-being of the Canberra forward.
After a significant delay, the action got back underway, and it was Souths who hit the front through Damien Cook.
It would have been easy for the Raiders to phone in the final 15 minutes, yet they showed plenty of fight to wrestle the game back and record an emotional win which will no doubt be dedicated to CHN by the players and coaching staff.
"My heart goes out to Corey, I really hope he's okay and doing well" pic.twitter.com/uyAIpybIcj
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) May 27, 2023
What we disliked: Corey Harawira-Naera suffers seizure in scary scenes
It was just a regular NRL match between the Bunnies and Raiders until a captain's challenge was temporarily stopped by referee Grant Atkins after he saw Harawira-Naera on the floor.
The official immediately recognised the severity of the situation and called for medics, as the Kiwi international was quickly tended to.
"It was awful," Ricky Stuart said post-match after racing down from the box to join his team on the sidelines.
CHN was eventually stretchered off to a warm round of applause from the crowd who had fallen silent inside Accor Stadium during the 10 dreadful minutes he was being treated.
Our thoughts are with Corey Harawira-Naera, the Raiders and the entire Rugby League community after Corey was stretchered from the field. pic.twitter.com/0wLbMKbwsG
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) May 27, 2023
"I just spoke to the doctors and they said he had a seizure and they're unsure in regards to why, but it doesn’t seem to be because of any contact to the head."
Newcastle Knights 28 - 18 Manly Sea Eagles
What we liked: Left side, strong side for Knights
It was a dominant attacking display from Newcastle's left-side pairing of Greg Marzhew and Bradman Best, while star fullback Kalyn Ponga sent a strong message to Queensland selectors.
In a scrappy performance, the inconsistent Knights turned it on at different stages, with Marzhew crossing for a hat-trick and running for 172 metres and making 11 tackle breaks.
Best has returned to his best in recent weeks in the centres, crossing for a try and producing a try assist, while Ponga's two linebreak assists and 163 run metres were a welcome addition at the back.
Adam O'Brien has the makings of a quality side, especially with the ball in hand, but the Knights need to find that kind of football week-in, week-out if they are to feature in the finals.
What we disliked: Controversial sin-bin costs Manly
While it wasn't the only reason for their loss, the decision to sin-bin Manly young gun Tolu Koula proved extremely costly and there will certainly be some conjecture over it.
Flying out of the line in an attempt to shut down Ponga off a set piece, Koula collected him around the shoulders and was given his marching orders after some intervention from the Bunker.
Manly are down to 12 after Koula hits Ponga too high.
— Fox League (@FOXNRL) May 28, 2023
📺 Watch #NRLKnightsManly on ch.502 or stream on Kayo: https://t.co/B1ijnGY1g8
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🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/1x7fhaCi9i pic.twitter.com/kQtVkbxk9j
With the scores level, Newcastle crossed for a try as soon as Koula was binned and by the time he returned, the momentum had completely shifted and the game was all-but over for the Sea Eagles.
