The top four order was shuffled around this week, whilst the Raiders moved into the top eight in place of the struggling Broncos.
Here's what we liked and disliked from round 24.
Brisbane Broncos 6 - 53 Parramatta Eels
What we liked: Eels' second-phase play does the damage
There's not many packs in the game who can match Parramatta on their best day. They have a mix of just about everything you would want in your forwards; pace, power, offloads and plenty of yardage.
The only issue is the team doesn't always play to this strength, as they fall into the trap of trying to shift from edge to edge without working through the middle of the field.
On Thursday, the Eels' pack was at its best, constantly terrorising the Broncos defence.
Two of their first three tries were crafted out of second-phase play, where the likes of Shaun Lane and Isaiah Papali'i burst through gaps before offloading to their support runners.
In the first half alone, Parra registered 11 offloads with the Broncos unable to contain their forward pack or limit their ability to promote the ball.
What we disliked: Brisbane blown away early in horror spell
Entering into the clash knowing they simply had to win at least one of their remaining two matches, Brisbane was already under plenty of pressure.
In the previous round, they’d been battered from pillar to post by Melbourne Storm during a 60-12 loss.
Within the first 20 minutes, the Broncos were plunged into disarray after leaking three tries and having their talisman Adam Reynolds ruled out due to a HIA.
On a personal note, it was a bitterly disappointing evening for the halfback who was celebrating making 250 appearances in the NRL.
Meanwhile, for the club as a whole, it was a nightmare from which they were never able to recover.
Penrith Panthers 46 - 12 New Zealand Warriors
What we liked: Sean O'Sullivan continues to impress
Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett would have been happy to see incoming halfback Sean O'Sullivan continue to impress in Nathan Cleary's absence.
While O'Sullivan doesn't have the kicking game of his suspended teammate, the number seven was influential in the Panthers' big win on Friday night.
O'Sullivan stayed in the game to get on the end of some ad-lib play at the end of the first half, while his slick hands to put Viliame Kikau through were impressive.
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What we disliked: Warriors listless in defence
After the underdog visitors opened the scoring, their long-suffering fans may have been dreaming of a bright spot at the back end of a dark season.
Unfortunately, it wasn't to be, as many of the issues which have plagued the Warriors this year popped up again.
Clearly they were outgunned, but without the ball, the numbers don't lie. 53 tackles. Not a single player in the Warriors 17 didn't record a missed tackle.
You're not winning many games with those numbers.
Melbourne Storm 14 - 18 Sydney Roosters
What we liked: Finals started early
This game truly had everything.
Two of the competition's heavyweights threw everything at each other on Friday night in a taste of what's to come in the finals.
The defensive efforts from both sides were massive. Neither forward pack took a backward step and the likes of Jahrome Hughes and Luke Keary had their full range of skills on display.
It was the Roosters who claimed the competition points but both lineups will be well and truly battle-hardened for when knockout football comes around.
What we disliked: Waerea-Hargreaves pushes his luck
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Nelson Asofa-Solomona gave us one of rugby league's great sights - two front-rowers going toe-to-toe.
Unfortunately for fans, Waerea-Hargreaves took it a bit too far when attempting to impose himself on his opposite number.
The Roosters veteran had pulled off a solid shot on Asofa-Solomona but opted to give him a little face massage and little headbutt on the way down.
With his team on top and literally seconds after referee Adam Gee had warned the captains about discipline, it probably wasn't Waerea-Hargreaves' wisest move and it was no surprise he found himself in the sin-bin.
Canberra Raiders 48 - 6 Manly Sea Eagles
What we liked: Hudson Young proves his worth
With the game all done and the Raiders assured of the two points, Ricky Stuart opted to rest his star back-rower after barely an hour had been played.
By that point, Young had already made an impact as he notched two tries and set another one up in a dominant display.
The 24-year-old competes every second he is on the field and has the uncanny knack for scoring four-pointers. He registered his 10th and 11th tries of the season against a woeful Manly defence.
“I’d love nothing more than to hear his name read out at the end of the season," Stuart said, when asked what he thought of Young's shot at getting a spot in Australia's World Cup side.
What we disliked: Manly's dire performance
The Sea Eagles looked like they wanted to be anywhere but playing in Canberra on Saturday.
From the first whistle, they were outplayed in every facet of the game.
Make no mistake, Manly are now sleepwalking towards the end of the season and can't wait until their final match concludes a disappointing and often controversial campaign.
They have lost six games in a row and during that time have conceded over 200 points. Their defence is simply non-existent.
Their attack isn't any better either, having scored just two tries in their last 160 minutes of action.
Cronulla Sharks 16 - 0 Canterbury Bulldogs
What we liked: Andrew Fifita appreciation night ends with a win
The home crowd at Shark Park made it abundantly clear what the big front-rower meant to them, as he made what could be his final appearance at home.
Every touch Fifita had was cheered by the vocal home support. He even got a rousing round of applause while sat on the bench in the 68th minute, when the crowd remembered his try in the 2016 grand final that sealed their premiership win.
For his part, the veteran got through his work by making 40-odd metres and 17 tackles, as the Sharks recorded a scrappy win to solidify their place in the top-four.
What we disliked: Cronulla's errors
Despite claiming a relatively easy victory, Cronulla have plenty to work on with the finals just around the corner.
They made 17 errors in a disjointed display, which they surely would have been made to pay for if they were playing against a side in the top-eight.
Handling errors have been a by-product of the Sharks' proactive approach to attacking. But, at times, they force the issue too much and come up with basic mistakes.
If Cronulla are to challenge for the premiership next month, Craig Fitzgibbon must work with his players to discover a happy medium in the coming weeks.
South Sydney Rabbitohs 20 - 10 North Queensland Cowboys
What we liked: Bunnies confirm their spot in the finals
South Sydney were far from excellent on Saturday night, but did enough to take the win over the Cowboys and confirm their place in this year's finals.
While it was far from a vintage performance, it will still be encouraging for Jason Demetriou that his side can beat a top-four team while never hitting top gear.
The Bunnies have timed their charge late, after the beaten grand finalists from 2021 appeared at one stage unlikely to even finish in the top-eight.
They now stand as a team the rest of the competition would rather avoid in week one of the finals.
What we disliked: The Cowboys miss their shot at a home final
In their last four matches against sides currently in the top eight, the Cowboys are 0-4.
They matched it with the Bunnies and had a chance to win before the game got away from them in the closing stages. They have now been beaten by the Roosters, Sharks and Panthers in the past few months.
A home final would have given them their best opportunity to reverse this trend, but they were unable to overcome the Rabbitohs who were fighting for a spot in the finals.
Todd Payten's men will have to put this disappointment behind them and attempt to build some momentum when they host the Panthers in the final round of the regular season next week.
Wests Tigers 22 - 24 St George Illawarra Dragons
What we liked: Zac Lomax
He has had his ups and downs this season, but Zac Lomax proved against the Tigers why he's one of the Dragons' most important players.
The 22-year-old was at the heart of the Red V's right-sided attack, even grabbing a try himself.
His highlight play of the game was a deft flick pass to Tautau Moga, who easily scored in the corner.
To cap off his performance, he slotted a penalty goal from the sideline to win the game for his team. Cool as you like.
What we disliked: Poor decisions cost Tigers
An unfortunate brain snap from Junior Pauga set the platform for the Dragons to stage a late comeback, with the Tigers winger's error summarising a clumsy Tigers performance.
The Tigers had every chance to win the game, but let their opponents back into the match far too easily.
It was absolutely a game of two halves. Up 16-6 at the break, strong game management was required but wasn't executed.
The two-point loss all but secures them the wooden spoon for 2022.
A season to forget.
Gold Coast Titans 36 - 26 Newcastle Knights
What we liked: Big Tino key again
You'd be forgiven for thinking that Tino Fa'asuamaleaui is a veteran, with the 22-year-old putting on another performance beyond his years.
His 35 tackles were the most by any Titan, whilst his 251 run metres were the highest on the field.
Despite playing the full 80 minutes, Fa'asuamaleaui barely seemed to slow down, as he stepped up to maintain his team's lead whilst one player down.
As the club's captain, he truly led by example against the Knights.
What we disliked: Brian Kelly's tackle
There was no denying that Brian Kelly's tackle on Dominic Young was an ugly one.
He was rightly sent off and will be grateful that the Titans were able to hold on despite playing with 12 men for the majority of the second half.
For Kelly, that will likely mean the end of his season once the judiciary report comes out on Monday.
