NRL round 25: What we liked and disliked from every game

Joshua Mayne

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Mark Molyneux

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NRL round 25: What we liked and disliked from every game image

This week, the top eight order was locked in whilst the Tigers officially picked up the wooden spoon.

Here's what we liked and disliked from round 25.

Parramatta Eels 22 - 14 Melbourne Storm 

What we liked: Parramatta stand up when it counts to book vital top-four spot

On numerous occasions this year, the credentials of Parramatta have been called into question as they just never seemed capable of stringing a run of victories together.

But against Melbourne, the Eels produced a flawless first half performance which allowed them to then pile on the points in the second stanza.

The win put them into fourth place on the ladder and handed them a vital second chance comes finals time.

They will enter into their match with arch-rivals Penrith brimming with confidence. The Eels have beaten the reigning premiers twice already this season and have also recorded two wins over the Storm and one against the Roosters to position themselves as genuine contenders.

What we disliked: The Storm face the prospect of do-or-die final next weekend

It's been eight years since Melbourne finished outside the top-four. They have never won a premiership when placed outside of those cherished positions that gives a team a second chance come finals time. 

The Storm fought valiantly, but in the end, they couldn't quite match it with an impressive Parramatta outfit. 

They made 13 errors and conceded eight penalties, on their way to losing the battle for territory and possession. Cam Munster was a constant menace in attack, but perhaps summed up his team's night with a number of errors from the boot including failed short drop-outs and a missed conversion from right in front. 

If Craig Bellamy's men are to make a splash in the finals this year, they will have to do it the hard way with a clash against Canberra next weekend.

Canterbury Bulldogs 21 - 20 Manly Sea Eagles

What we liked: Bulldogs fight back in dead-rubber to send Mick Potter off a winner

The Bulldogs found themselves 16-0 down early in rain-soaked conditions. It appeared their final appearance of the season would be coming to a disappointing end, as they looked set to slump to a fifth-straight loss. 

Yet Canterbury refused to go away, eventually levelling proceedings in the second half before claiming a stirring comeback victory thanks to a last-minute Matt Burton drop goal.

“I want to compliment our guys, who slipped behind 16 points and then pulled that back," departing interim boss Mick Potter said post-game. 

"That showed some guts and passion that they have for the club. I’m really proud of the players."

What we disliked: Manly's disastrous end to the season could culminate in Des Hasler's departure 

Entering into the contest on the back of six consecutive losses, the Sea Eagles got off to the best start possible. 

Daly Cherry-Evans went in under the posts after just five minutes had been played, before they hit once again when the skipper floated a ball out to the wing for Christian Tuipulotu to cross.

Three minutes later, when the departing Martin Taupau barged his way over, it looked like Manly would arrest their slide ever since the Pride jersey controversy.

But they failed to close out the game, letting their 16-0 lead slip before then surrendering their lead once again in the second half. 

Des Hasler is a man reportedly under pressure now following the terrible end to the season the Sea Eagles endured. 

"Because of the team performance, we have to be open to change," new CEO Tony Mestrov told The Daily Telegraph a day after the defeat. 

The post-season wash-up on the Northern Beaches now looks set to be dominated by the future of Hasler, with rumours of him leaving the club beginning to circulate. 

Sydney Roosters 26 - 16 South Sydney Rabbitohs

What we liked: Roosters claim bragging rights over arch-rivals 

Angus Crichton was the man to score the first try in the opening NRL game at the new Allianz Stadium. It was a sign of things to come, as the edge forward caused havoc all night.  

He finished with one four-pointer, a try assist, over 150 running metres, two linebreaks and almost 30 tackles in a starring display. 

In truth though, there wasn't a bad player for the Roosters as they overpowered the Bunnies a week before they will meet again in an elimination final. 

Luke Keary notched two try assists, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves set the early tempo with his defensive work against Latrell Mitchell, James Tedesco had a captain's knock with a try and just shy of 250m, while Egan Butcher made a team-high 39 tackles from off the bench. 

What we disliked: Joey Manu looks to miss second-straight finals series

Last year Joey Manu was famously on the receiving end of an illegal hit from Latrell Mitchell that ruled him out for the rest of the season with a fractured cheekbone. 

This year, the Kiwi superstar will miss out on the finals once again as he collapsed to the floor clutching his leg.

It's been reported that Manu has suffered a serious calf injury and looks set to be ruled out of the biggest games of the season once again.

It's a massive shame for not only the Roosters and their fans, but rugby league fans in general. Manu has been the best centres in the game, by some distance. 

New Zealand Warriors 26 - 27 Gold Coast Titans

What we liked: Titans defy the odds to end season on a positive note

It looked like business as usual with only five minutes remaining on the clock. The Titans were trailing by 14 points and had been outplayed by the Warriors for the majority of the contest.

Gold Coast had claimed just a single win away from Cbus Stadium all season and that was when they beat the Dragons during Magic Round at Suncorp.

Yet they clicked into gear to produce two quickfire tries, before a penalty goal levelled the scores. It marked their second comeback of the game after they’d battled back from 16-0 down earlier in the contest.

The Titans completed their epic comeback with Tanah Boyd slotting the match-winning field goal. It handed his side their first back-to-back wins of the year and brought a disappointing season to an end on a positive note.

It showed the players still have plenty of fight left in them yet and bodes well for next year. 

Although since the bye in round 17, the Gold Coast have conceded 242 points. Their defence is still a major concern and must be the main focus in the off-season if they are to pick themselves up and improve in 2023.

What we disliked: Warriors somehow blow lead to lose in golden point

After having endured years of playing away from home and setting up camp in Redcliffe, the Warriors looked like they had turned Mt Smart into somewhat of a fortress once again.

In early July they returned for their first home match in front of a jubilant crowd, when they battered the Tigers 22-2 in arguably their best display of the season.

Against the Titans, they were five minutes away from making it two wins in their last three appearances at home.

Yet, somehow, they let a 26-12 lead slip to lose in golden point to cap off a miserable season. They must now put this loss, and the past few years, behind them and look forward to a new era.

The arrivals of Te Maire Martin, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Mitch Barnett can help them rise back up the ladder, while they also welcome highly-touted rookie coach Andrew Webster across the ditch.

St George Illawarra Dragons 22 - 12 Brisbane Broncos

What we liked: Ben Hunt's three big plays decide the match

The former Broncos halfback was on a mission on Saturday afternoon, as he kicked his old side out of finals contention almost single-handedly. 

With Brisbane gaining the ascendency in the first half, Hunt turned the game on its head when he manufactured a 40/20 out of nothing. This led to a try from the resulting set.

He then helped the Dragons to extend their lead in the second half with some nice play at the line, before offloading to his fullback to score.

However, it wasn't just in attack where Hunt prevailed. He made a brilliant one-on-one tackle on his own try line to halt Brisbane's momentum. He then put the game to bed with his second try assist of the day, as Mat Feagai scored one of the tries of the season from his around-the-corner offload. 

What we disliked: Brisbane fail to rise to the occasion 

Knowing they simply had to win against the Dragons and hope that the Tigers do them a favour the next day in their clash with the Raiders, Brisbane failed to keep their end of the bargain. 

The Broncos actually held the advantage in a number of key metrics - they had more possession, better field position, more run metres and made six linebreaks to the Dragons' five. 

Yet all this counted for nothing, as they were beaten on the scoreboard, failing to fire in attack. They were tackled 27 times inside their opponent's 20m zone but struggled to post the points right when they needed them the most.

After being entrenched inside the top-eight only a month or so ago, Brisbane's unprecedented slide down the ladder resulted in them winning just one of their last six matches to miss out on playing finals footy completely. 

North Queensland Cowboys 38 - 8 Penrith Panthers

What we liked: Val Holmes' four-pointer from inside his own half

North Queensland proved to be far too good for the inexperienced Panthers up in Townsville. They dominated the ball and cut the defence to ribbons as they finished with 10 linebreaks for the match.

Yet it was Val Holmes' try early in the second half that was the pick of the seven tries. 

He fielded a bomb in his own in-goal area before racing to the 20m zone to take the quick tap. He turned on the afterburners and raced through into the backfield where he linked up with Kyle Feldt.

The two exchanged passes with Holmes scoring under the posts in the blink of an eye.

Holmes finished with a hat-trick, three linebreak assists and over 150 running metres in a man-of-the-match display which would have had next week's finals opponents, Cronulla, on high alert.

What we disliked: Tough night for the second-string Panthers

Given the luxury to rest his entire first-choice side, Ivan Cleary handed a number of debuts to some young prospects along with some game-time to the likes of Matt Eisenhuth and Scott Sorensen.

However, Penrith never really stood a chance of pulling off an ambush, as they were overpowered by a full-strength Cowboys outfit who turned on the style. 

Ill-discipline constantly allowed North Queensland out of their own half with Penrith put under pressure and forced to defend while being starved of the footy.

They finished the match having made 11 errors and conceding nine penalties along with three set restarts. 

Their entirely new backline put in the hard yards, all recording over 100 running metres. Yet their forward pack found the going much tougher, with not a single player able to crack the century in the middle. 

Newcastle Knights 16 - 38 Cronulla Sharks

What we liked: Cronulla's second-half performance

The Sharks weren't at their clinical best in the opening 40 minutes and headed into the sheds tied 12-12 with the Knights. 

Clearly, whatever Craig Fitzgibbon said at half time worked, with Cronulla exerting their dominance immediately after the break.

Briton Nikora grabbed a try in the first minute of the second half, setting the tone for the Sharks to score four more.

The result was important too, securing them a home final against the Cowboys next week.

What we disliked: Talakai's injury

An injury to centre Siosifa Talakai was the major negative from a positive afternoon for the Cronulla Sharks.

He left the field late in the match with a suspected left ankle injury. 

Whilst he hasn't been quite as influential as he was during his blistering start to 2022, Talakai is still a key component of the Sharks' backline. 

If he is to miss any finals matches, it'll be a blow to Craig Fitzgibbon's side, who will be without his signature physicality. 

Wests Tigers 10 - 56 Canberra Raiders

What we liked: Raiders in red hot form ahead of finals

Sunday afternoon's win over the Tigers marked the Raiders' fourth consecutive victory.

Sure, those results haven't come against top eight opposition, but will definitely put Ricky Stuart's side in good stead leading into the finals.

Confidence is so important at this stage of the season, and the Raiders have plenty of it.

They face Melbourne in week one of the finals - a side they beat at AAMI Park in July. 

It may be 5th vs 8th, but you can't rule the Green Machine out.

What we disliked: A deflating end to the Tigers' season

Another embarrassing loss saw the Tigers confirmed as the 2022 wooden spooners on Sunday. 

There was a general lack of effort, with the sense the team had checked out for the season.

If this was captain James Tamou's last match in the NRL, it was certainly a deflating way to go out.

Trailing 42-0 at half-time, the result could have been even worse if it wasn't for an improved second-half effort.

Next year, the only way is up.

Joshua Mayne

Joshua Mayne Photo

Joshua Mayne is a content producer for The Sporting News Australia based in Sydney, Australia. He has previously worked as a newsreader at 2SER and journalist at Ministry of Sport. While Joshua’s main passions are football, rugby league, basketball and F1, he will watch any sport that's on. He is still waiting for Arsenal to win the Premier League again. 

 

Mark Molyneux

Mark Molyneux Photo

Mark Molyneux is a freelance writer covering the NRL and UFC for Sporting News Australia. He has previously worked in the music industry and as a teacher around the world.