Two sides were held to nil, the Sharks kept flying and the Titans finally snapped their losing streak.
Here's what we liked and disliked from Round 22 of the NRL.
Melbourne Storm 16 - 0 Penrith Panthers
What we liked: Melbourne's brick wall defence
It had been a while since we've seen it, but the Melbourne brick wall returned on Thursday night in their 16-0 win over the Panthers.
Despite the Panthers finishing with 55 per cent of the possession, the reigning premiers were unable to crack the Storm and were held scoreless on their home turf.
Melbourne conceded six penalties during the match, as well as making nine errors, but backed their defence to turn away the Panthers time and time again.
Some bone-rattling hits from Justin Olam and some perfect management from Cameron Munster at the back were just two of the highlights for the Storm.
Harry Grant finished with a game-high 68 tackles with just four missed in his 80-minute performance.
What we disliked: Penrith's mind-boggling fullback move
Already missing Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai and James Fisher-Harris, the champs were dealt a late blow on Thursday when in-form fullback Dylan Edwards was ruled out due to a sternum injury.
In his place, Penrith opted to go with Charlie Staines in the No.1 role and it didn't work out as planned.
Staines looked lost in attack and was hooked with 18 minutes remaining by Ivan Cleary, opting to move centre Stephen Crichton to the back in a late attempt to spark a comeback.
With both Crichton and Fijian international Sunia Turuva in the side and both capable of playing fullback, Cleary will have to know he got this crucial selection decision wrong.
New Zealand Warriors 42 - 18 Canterbury Bulldogs
What we liked: Form is temporary, class is permanent
Shaun Johnson has had a tough time since returning to the Warriors, but his performance at Mt Smart Stadium against the Bulldogs was a good one.
The veteran playmaker finished with two try assists, two linebreak assists and 73 run metres, as the Warriors proved too strong for a Canterbury outfit that had been in solid form recently.
His solo try late in the game was a great flashback to the formative years of Johnson's career, and while it has been a tough campaign and finals are out reach, he gave the loyal fans something to cheer about.
Shaun Johnson seals the deal for the Warriors ⚡
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What we disliked: Canterbury's bench
Mick Potter has been doing a great job since taking over in the interim coaching role, but the use of his bench on Friday night was perplexing, to say the least.
Zach Dockar-Clay played just 12 minutes, despite the Dogs needing to chase the game on multiple occasions. A player of his ability and style needed to be utilised more, especially with Jeremy Marshall-King having an uncharacteristically off night.
Chris Patolo played just 20 minutes and Jackson Topine even less, with second-rower Joe Stimson the only interchange player to spend over half the game on the field.
South Sydney Rabbitohs 26 - 0 Parramatta Eels
What we liked: Latrell marches on
If there's a more influential player in rugby league right now than Latrell Mitchell, he must be invisible.
The 25-year-old fullback was unstoppable against the Eels on Friday night, finishing with a game-high 211 metres and three linebreaks.
Latrell also produced two linebreak assists and a try assist, proving he is just as damaging as a ball-player as he is running.
South Sydney fans, it's time to start getting excited about September.
What we disliked: Parramatta's middle
Brad Arthur hit the nail on the head after the game when he said the Rabbitohs rolled through the Eels.
Parramatta missed 32 tackles and conceded an extra 441 run metres in their 26-0 loss at home on Friday night, allowing the likes of Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker to run riot.
South Sydney had 12 players run for over 100 metres, with front-rower Tevita Tatola finishing with 208 metres as he continues his strong run of form.
Their hopes of a run toward the premiership are hanging by a thread if recent performances are anything to go by.
Sydney Roosters 32 - 18 North Queensland Cowboys
What we liked: Suaalii shines in another Kangaroos audition
With plenty of chat around a potential call-up for Australia in this year's World Cup, Joseph Suaalii did his chances no harm with another brilliant performance for the Roosters.
The teenage sensation scored a try, ran for over 150 metres and made two linebreaks in an impressive display.
Suaalii also pulled off some big shots in defence and looked to be the aggressor for the Tricolours, as they ran away with a big win to cement their spot in the top-eight.
And considering he was up against Maroons winger Murray Taulagi, he will be right in the frame for the Kangaroos when Mal Meninga selects his side in the coming months.
What we disliked: Nanai goes quiet
Jeremiah Nanai has arguably been the best edge forward in the NRL this year, but he had a rare quiet game against the Roosters on Saturday.
The boom rookie has scored 16 tries this season and provided plenty of X-factor for the Cowboys, but was unable to cross the line at the SCG.
Nanai played the entire game but managed just six runs for 37 metres, and missed a disappointing eight tackles.
Wests Tigers 12 - 36 Cronulla Sharks
What we liked: Cronulla's makeshift backline firing
The Sharks started the game on fire, scoring two tries inside the first 10 minutes to impose their dominance over the Tigers early.
Nicho Hynes threaded a kick through for Lachlan Miller to touch down before Braydon Trindall repeated the trick on the other side for Matt Ikuvalu.
It set the scene for an impressive night for the entire Cronulla backline, as every man except Ronaldo Mulitalo crossed the stripe, while they all ran for over 100 metres.
It’s a great sign when despite missing a number of regular starters through injury – Will Kennedy, Siosifa Talakai and Connor Tracey – the Sharks didn’t miss a beat.
What we disliked: The Tigers are sleepwalking towards end of the year
There were plenty of moments throughout the opening period where it seemed all just a bit too easy for Cronulla. They were rolling down the field and scoring points at will, with Nicho Hynes pulling the strings at halfback.
After showing signs of improvement under interim coach Brett Kimmorley, the Tigers have reverted to some of their insipid displays under Michael Maguire.
No doubt the loss of Jackson Hastings has been a major reason for their struggles in the past fortnight, as without their leader in attack they look devoid of direction.
But with a month remaining in the season, it appears that the Tigers are just waiting for their season to end.
Brisbane Broncos 28 - 10 Newcastle Knights
What we liked: Selwyn Cobbo returns to form
From his very first hit-up he took right into the jaws of the Knights' pack, it looked like Selwyn Cobbo was up for the fight.
His trademark carries have been missing of late ever since he came back from a concussion he suffered in the Origin decider. Yet his power, speed and skill were all on show at Suncorp in a game the Broncos simply had to win.
The big winger finished with a hattrick, but the most exciting aspect will be his growing understanding with Adam Reynolds. Brisbane's chief playmaker and young gun were on the same page for his third of the night, with a deft little chip into the corner gobbled up by Cobbo to cap a brilliant return to form.
What we disliked: Watching the Knights try to attack
Newcastle's struggles to keep their defensive line intact has been the story of their season. They have constantly leaked points and given themselves no chance when it comes to winning games.
Against the Broncos, they had plenty of possession but could do nothing with it as their attack grinded to a halt. It seems that without their talisman Kalyn Ponga, the Knights have no real clue what to do when they have the ball in good field position.
Time and time again they forced repeat sets and trundled through them in the opposition's 20m zone. Time and time again they looked unable to score.
Newcastle have plenty of guns in their team - even without Ponga - so it will be a major worry for Adam O'Brien at just how lost they looked on Saturday night.
Canberra Raiders 24 - 22 St George Illawarra Dragons
What we liked: Amone and Hunt shine despite loss
With the Dragons' season effectively over now, it's hard to find silver linings from their loss to the Raiders.
However, the performances of young gun Talatau Amone and veteran Ben Hunt in the halves was certainly a bright spot.
Amone scored the first career hat-trick of his career, as well as notching a try assist.
As for Hunt, he was at his influential best, kicking a 40/20 and 20/40 to give his side a fighting chance.
However, the damage was already done on the scoreboard early, with the Dragons leaving their run too late.
What we disliked: Raiders nearly let a crucial win slip
With the race for the finals tightening, the Raiders' match with the Dragons was effectively a must-win.
Xavier Savage sizzled whilst the Canberra forward pack got the better of their opponents, putting the home side up 24-12 early in the second half.
With 15 mins remaining it appeared to be a straightforward result, but the Raiders gradually allowed the Dragons to regain control of the match, leading to a grandstand finish.
Zac Lomax's missed sideline conversion was the difference between the two teams in what unexpectedly turned into a tight match.
At the end of the day though, the points went the way of the men in green, and they're still in with a chance of squeezing into the top eight.
Gold Coast Titans 44 - 24 Manly Sea Eagles
What we liked: Titans finally snap their streak
Gold Coast had lost 10 games in a row before this match, and will undoubtedly be relieved to have broken that unwanted streak.
Generally speaking, their attack hasn't been too much of a problem recently, and they were able to simply outscore their opponents this time around.
Playing a disjointed Manly side certainly helped, but Justin Holbrook and his team will surely not care how they got the result.
What we disliked: Sea Eagles' decline continues
Defeat to the Titans marked the Sea Eagles' fourth consecutive defeat, all but ruling them out of finals contention this season.
It's hard to believe that their memorable victory over the Storm came just over one month ago. Since then, Manly have been in freefall.
Off-field drama has surely played its part in the team's decline, but recent on-field performances have also been sub-par.
Back to the drawing board for 2023.
