The NRL finals picture for 2022 became a little clearer this round.
A strong win saw the Roosters move into outright eighth, whilst all the top four teams recorded victories.
Here's what we liked and disliked from every game in round 21.
Sydney Roosters 34 - 16 Brisbane Broncos
What we liked: Roosters' unheralded backrowers
While the whole side's opening period was mightily impressive and set the standard for what followed, it's hard to look past the work of Angus Crichton and Nat Butcher who often go unheralded.
Butcher is beginning to make the right edge his own, following the unfortunate injury to Sitili Tupouniua. He was on hand for an opportunistic first try from Sam Walker's chip over the top, while his second try was down to sheer grit and determination.
Meanwhile, Crichton had one of his best games of the season, running for over 100m, making 21 tackles and registering a four-pointer of his own.
What we disliked: Brisbane on a rough trot
There's no doubt that Brisbane have defied expectations this year, while playing an attacking brand of footy that's easy on the eye. But at the pointy end of the season, the Broncos are beginning to stumble.
Last week, they appeared drained of energy as they let two vital competition points slip away against the Wests Tigers. Whereas this week, a slow start against the Roosters had them behind the eight ball from the first whistle.
The good news is Kevin Walters' men will have a chance to get back to winning ways next week when they face Newcastle before back-to-back blockbusters against Melbourne and Parramatta will go a long way toward deciding where Brisbane end up on the ladder.
Melbourne Storm 32 - Gold Coast Titans 14
What we liked: Munster, Munster, Munster
Cameron Munster showed his dominance in the Storm's strong win over the Titans, scoring three tries.
In a last-minute switch to fullback by coach Craig Bellamy, Munster's move proved to be a stroke of genius, as the Maroons star guided his side to victory.
MUNNY 😝#NRLStormTitans pic.twitter.com/066QMmHbW5
— NRL (@NRL) August 5, 2022
What we disliked: The Titans can't buy a win
The struggling Titans were handed their 10th consecutive loss on Friday night, as the more experienced Melbourne Storm showed their class at AAMI Stadium.
The last-placed Gold Coast couldn't compete with their opposition, going down by 18 points.
Sitting two points below the West Tigers, the Titans are on the way to their third wooden spoon and their second in four seasons with only four rounds remaining.
Manly Sea Eagles 20 - 36 Parramatta Eels
What we liked: Waqa Blake’s incredible try
Playing in his 150th NRL game, Waqa Blake pulled off one of the tries of the season which sparked the Eels into mounting a rousing comeback victory.
Brad Arthur’s men trailed 20-14 when Blake set sail for the corner and somehow managed to keep his body off the ground while planting the ball down with barely a blade of grass left to spare.
Off a quick Shaun Lane play-the-ball Parra shifted right with Jakob Arthur’s looping pass finding Blake out on the touchline. He smashed through Morgan Harper’s desperate attempt in defence, before leaping into the in-goal and sparking his side’s revival.
INCREDIBLE 🤯🤯#NRLManlyEels pic.twitter.com/Jz30MJ2zu9
— NRL (@NRL) August 5, 2022
What we disliked: Manly’s shot at finals footy appears all but over
It wasn’t as bad as their loss to the Cowboys the other month, where Manly conspired to lose the game which seemed impossible to lose. But once again, the Sea Eagles blew a lead and along with it went two vital competition points.
Manly had done well to fight back in the first half and actually edged themselves in front thanks to Jason Saab having his best game in some time. Yet after wrestling the ascendency from Parra, they then gave it right back on the way to conceding 22 unanswered points.
The defeat leaves the Sea Eagles in 10th place on the ladder and they are now two wins outside of the eight.
South Sydney Rabbitohs 48 - 10 New Zealand Warriors
What we liked: Cam Murray’s exceptional start
South Sydney’s captain had an incredible start to the game, as he eased his side to an 18-0 lead inside the first quarter of the match.
With only 20 minutes played, his stat line was ridiculous; three try assists, one linebreak, three tackle busts, 80 running metres and eight tackles, including one which forced the ball free from Dallin Watene-Zelezniak which eventually led to the Bunnies' fourth try.
The Warriors couldn’t pick what Murray was going to do when he had the ball in his hands and he used this to his advantage to grind out yardage, link the attack and provide a few offloads for tries.
The Rabbitohs’ lock has been outstanding during the past month and has led his side to a place where a top four spot is now well and truly within their grasp.
What we disliked: An awful performance from the Warriors
In truth, the Warriors never looked like they were in the contest when South Sydney raced out of the traps. They seemed unwilling or unable to match the intensity of their opponents and as a result, found themselves 24-0 down in the first half.
Every time the cameras switched to Stacey Jones in the box, he cut an increasingly more frustrated figure. There was simply nothing he could do to stop the onslaught by Murray and Latrell Mitchell.
The Bunnies rolled through the middle of them with alarming ease in the first half, as even reliable campaigners like Tohu Harris struggling to make his tackles or make any metres with the ball.
The heavy defeat officially made the Kiwi side the worst defensive side in the competition. They are probably safe from picking up the wooden spoon, but only just.
Canberra Raiders 6 - 26 Penrith Panthers
What we liked: Dylan Edwards' gutsy display
Despite missing their first-choice halves pairing and arguably their most effective attacking weapon in Viliame Kikau, Penrith were still able to control the tempo and put 26 points on a previously red-hot Canberra outfit.
In his 100th game, Dylan Edwards led the way with a gutsy performance at fullback. The No.1 was sporting a sternum injury, yet still got through a mountain of work.
He also scored the try early in the second half which established a strong lead for the Panthers. His support play through the centre of the field was rewarded with an inside pass which allowed him to score under the posts.
What we disliked: Ricky Stuart oversteps the mark
Ricky Stuart would probably like the last minute back in his press conference when he took exception to an alleged kick-out from Jaeman Salmon and went nuclear.
"[James] Fisher-Harris taps it and they’re accidents and in this collision game, I understand that," Stuart said when referencing the Penrith prop being sin-binned for a high shot on Ryan Sutton.
"Where Salmon kicked Tommy, it ain’t on. I’ve had history with that kid. I know that kid very well.
"He was a weak-gutted dog as a kid and he hasn’t changed. He’s a weak-gutted dog person now."
Cronulla Sharks 24 - 18 St George Illawarra Dragons
What we liked: Nicho Hynes taking control
After the late withdrawal of Matt Moylan, Cronulla faced the prospect of lacing up their boots without half of their regular spine.
Yet if the No.7 was under pressure to pick up the slack, in the absence of Moylan and Will Kennedy, he didn't let it show.
In fact, he took just three minutes to throw a dummy before burrowing through three attempted tackles to get his side on the board.
NO STOPPING NICHO 😯 #NRLSharksDragons pic.twitter.com/b4j3TmmY9Z
— NRL (@NRL) August 6, 2022
The halfback finished with his solo try, over 100 running metres, five tackle busts and just shy of 300 kicking metres to showcase how comfortable he is leading the Sharks around the park.
What we disliked: Tariq Sims escapes a send-off
When Tariq Sims collected Connor Tracey high, it seemed like it would just be a matter of time until the 32-year-old was sent off.
While Tracey lay prone on the floor with the medical team attending to him, it appeared like Sims was preparing to leave the field for the rest of the game.
Yet, he somehow was only sent to the sin bin and came back to lead his forward pack.
Canterbury Bulldogs 14 - 28 North Queensland Cowboys
What we liked: Drinkwater snags another double
Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater continued his strong form on Sunday, notching a pair of tries for the second match in a row.
He also recorded the most run metres of any player with 183 metres, on top of recording six tackle breaks.
Although not one of the league's 'star' fullbacks, Drinkwater continues to thrive in Townsville and is a key member of their spine.
If he continues this momentum into the finals, he'll be one to watch.
What we disliked: Dogs run out of steam
Two early tries saw the Bulldogs take a 10-0 lead by the 20-minute mark, but they were eventually well-beaten by a composed Cowboys side.
The first half energy was undoubtedly there, with Mick Potter's side even managing to re-take the lead in the second half.
However, they ultimately ran out of the puff late in the game, whilst their opponents were able to pile on a trio of tries in the last 20 minutes.
There's a lot to like about this Bulldogs side. They just need more time to develop some consistency and build match fitness as a unit.
Wests Tigers 10 - 14 Newcastle Knights
What we liked: Knights get gritty to snap losing streak
After a dominant first half for Newcastle, the second period was the exact opposite, with the Knights holding on in the dying stages to secure a win.
The result broke their four-match losing run, but it so easily could have been extended to five games.
Enari Tuala, Tex Hoy and Dane Gagai led the way in an attacking sense early with Tuala snagging two tries within 20 minutes.
They were less ambitious offensively in the second half and were required to desperately defend their line in the final stages, but held on.
The result won't have a bearing on the finals picture, but it will keep Adam O'Brien's side a healthy distance away from the wooden spoon.
What we disliked: Tigers pay for slow start
Rugby league is an 80 minute game, and for the opening 40 minutes, the Tigers were nowhere to be found.
They were able to open the match up in the second half, but the 14-point margin was too large to overcome.
A late breakaway and six-again in the final minute provided a glimmer of hope, but a knock-on was costly.
Despite the recent positivity and momentum at the Tigers, the result leaves them two points ahead of the Titans in the battle to avoid the wooden spoon.
