NRL Round 27 results and live updates: Raiders star Seb Kris sent off for dangerous throw against Sharks

Liam O'Loughlin

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Mark Molyneux

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Kieran Francis

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NRL Round 27 results and live updates: Raiders star Seb Kris sent off for dangerous throw against Sharks image

The final round of the regular season has arrived with plenty still left to play for as the minor premiership race goes down to the wire. 

Brisbane missed their opportunity to secure first place on the ladder when they slipped to defeat against the Storm. That loss opened the door for the Panthers to snatch the J.J. Giltinan Shield which they did against the Cowboys. 

In-form Knights flyer Dom Young crossed for two of most incredible tries of the year on Saturday night against the bottom-four Dragons, before veteran Titans star Kieran Foran nabbed a hat-trick in Sunday's clash with Canterbury. 

MORE: Keep up to date with all the latest movements throughout Round 27

The Sporting News has all the live updates, highlights, analysis and talking points from Round 27 below. 

NRL Finals schedule locked in for Week 1 

The schedule for the first week of the NRL Finals has been confirmed, with four blockbuster matches set to open up proceedings in September.

For all the schedule information for the elimination and qualifying finals, CLICK HERE. 

Cronulla face nervous wait after Connor Tracey injury

Sharks fans, coaches and teammates will be sweating on the fitness of Connor Tracey in the coming days, with the fullback suffering a knee injury on Sunday afternoon.

The 27-year-old limped off in the second-half of Cronulla's victory over the Raiders, with initial reports from Fox League indicating the utility had suffered a hamstring issue.

Craig Fitzgibbon was optimistic in his post-game presser and refused to think about a potential replacement for Tracey, with first-choice fullback Will Kennedy also on the sidelines.

“He’s jammed his knee a little bit there," the coach said.

"We’re not certain exactly what that might be – at this stage, they weren’t thinking it was an ACL or his medial.

"It could be something, or it could be nothing... we’ll hang by and see how Connor is."

Fitzgibbon will square off against his former club next weekend, with a blockbuster Saturday night elimination final clash against the Roosters confirmed for Pointsbet Stadium.

- Liam O'Loughlin

Nicho Hynes helps Cronulla Sharks cement home final 

Cronulla have received a major boost heading into the first week of the finals, with their victory over the Raiders on Sunday afternoon secure home-ground advantage against the Roosters.

The return of Nicho Hynes - who missed Round 26 due to a quad injury - was one key difference between the two sides, with the reigning Dally M Medal winner producing three try assists and running for over 160 metres.

“'He was [pretty strong]... I thought him and Tricky had a real presence of mind at the end of sets, they were pretty calm and measured there," head coach Craig Fitzgibbon said post-gam.

"He got a little bit excited at the end after the send off, I thought he could have controlled the game a bit better there."

Hynes was at his classy best throughout the afternoon, while the performance of Jack Williams off the bench in the 24-6 victory was another highlight for the Sharks as they march towards September football in style. 

- Liam O'Loughlin

Raiders centre Seb Kris sent off for ugly dangerous throw

Seb Kris is unlikely to play again this year, with the Raiders star sent off against Cronulla for an ugly spear tackle on Sione Katoa at Pointsbet Stadium. 

The 24-year-old drove Katoa into the ground head-first in horrific fashion and was given his marching orders by on-field official Grant Atkins in the 60th minute of Sunday's fixture. 

Kris should face sanction from the NRL match review committee and join teammate Corey Horsburgh on the sidelines for next weekend's elimination final. 

The hosts would score two quick tries following the send off incident to gain the ascendancy. 

- Liam O'Loughlin

Kieran Foran crosses for hat-trick as Titans finish season in style

Kieran Foran has ended his first season on the Gold Coast in style, scoring his first career hat-trick and leading his side to an entertaining 34-30 win over the embattled Bulldogs.

The veteran playmaker notched the first two tries for the Titans in their Round 27 clash, before crossing for a third in the second-half as the hosts held on against a gallant Canterbury outfit.

Foran has been a steadying hand on and off the field for the Titans in his first season at the club, and will likely finish his career on the Coast at the end of next season.

Alofiana Khan-Pereira and Kruise Leeming put the result out of reach in the final 20 minutes, putting an end to a horror week for one of Foran's former clubs, with the Bulldogs forced to address a number of issues stemming from training and on-field performances. 

Despite the loss, Canterbury speedster Josh Addo-Carr also scored three tries for the first time this season. 

- Liam O'Loughlin

Dom Young bags incredible double during ninth straight Knights win

Dom Young came alive in the final few minutes to cross for a barely believable double during Newcastle’s 32-12 win over the Dragons.

Needing three tries to finish equal first with Jamayne Isaako for top try-scorer in the NRL, Young grabbed two tries in as many minutes with two incredible finishes in the corner.

Adam O’Brien opted to rest a few of his stars, while they were also without their skipper Kalyn Ponga for the match against St George.

Yet while the game was scrappy at times, Newcastle got the job done with their flying winger grabbing the headlines late on.

The English international shrugged off an attempted tackle from Moses Suli before contorting his body to slam down the ball in what is sure to be awarded the try of the season.

And Young still wasn’t done as he crossed again moments later with another eye-catching put down as he leapt into the air while under pressure from Tyrell Sloan.

His quickfire double making his 23 try campaign for the Knights the best of any player in the club’s history.

Young will depart from the Hunter at the end of the year after signing a deal with the Roosters from 2024 onwards.

Knights coach Adam O'Brien was unable to hide his disappointment about this fact during his chat to Fox League post-match but remained positive about what was ahead for the club and the winger. 

"I'm going to savour every moment we have with that bloke," he said. 

"He's so good...He hasn't left us yet so we're going to savour every moment with Dom." 

-Mark Molyneux 

Rabbitohs season crashes and burns as Roosters in the eight pending results

South Sydney led the NRL competition and were premiership favourites after 11 rounds.

They have now missed the finals, being the first team since 1992 to reach this low, after the Roosters secured a famous 26-12 win at Accor Stadium on Saturday night.

The Roosters moved to seventh position after the game, but they will need results to go in their favour to finish in the eight and make finals.

If Penrith defeat North Queensland on Saturday, the Roosters are confirmed finalists, with the opposite result getting the Cowboys in.

However, the Roosters can still make it if the Cowboys win, provided the Raiders lose to Cronulla in the last game of round 27.

- Kieran Francis

Party time for Manly as they embarrass Wests Tigers in Jake Trbojevic's 200th game

Manly embarrassed Wests Tigers 54-12 in Jake Trbojevic's 200th game with the Sea Eagles toying regularly with their opponents in the last-round dead rubber.

With the game all-but over in the second-half, Sea Eagles skipper Daly Cherry-Evans gave Trbojevic a 200th to remember by gifting him a try when he could have scored himself.

Jakey is in! 🥧 #NRLManlyTigers pic.twitter.com/lv8vHv36bU

— NRL (@NRL) September 1, 2023

The diabolical performance continued by the Tigers as Manly showed no respect by giving away tries to rookies Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega and Gordon Chan Kum Tong

It was Manly's biggest-ever win against the Tigers.

Despite the result, the Sea Eagles season ends alongside the Tigers, with both teams missing the finals.

- Kieran Francis

Kevin Walters bullish about Brisbane's finals chances

Brisbane came close to securing their first minor premiership in over two decades on Thursday night, but instead will be left to sweat on a result from elsewhere after losing 32-22 to Melbourne.

Kevin Walters admitted to feeling bitterly disappointed by the loss yet highlighted how the massive inroads his side have made this season meant they were heading into the finals with massive amounts of confidence.

"We didn’t have a bad player," the coach said post-match. 

"It was just in a couple of clutch moment we couldn’t quite get it right. But I think we’re still first, aren’t we? That’s something to smile about for the next couple of days."

Walters’ side raced out to an early 12-0 lead with Tristan Sailor lighting up Suncorp Stadium in the absence of Reece Walsh.

Although the Storm remained in the contest and eventually powered over the top of the Broncos in the second half to leave their hopes of clinching the minor premiership hanging in the balance.

"The opportunity was there for us tonight to make that happen– effort was great, but we just weren’t smart enough on a few plays," Walters said.

"Whilst it is bitterly disappointing tonight, if you look at the bigger picture, we’re in a good place to move really well in the finals and that’s what we’re about.

"I’m stewing on the loss as it leaves a sour taste in your mouth, to be honest.

"But if you look back over the season we’ve had, it’s been a really good one. We’ve had a really good push in the right direction, and we still could finish first.

"I’m going with that because I’m always a glass half full."

-Mark Molyneux 

NRL GAMES THIS WEEK (Round 27)

Date Match Time (AEST) Stadium
Thurs. 31st August Brisbane Broncos 22 def. by Melbourne Storm 32 7.50pm Suncorp Stadium
Fri. 1st September Manly Sea Eagles 54 def. Wests Tigers 12 6pm 4 Pines Park
Fri. 1st September South Sydney Rabbitohs 12 def. by Sydney Roosters 26 8pm Accor Stadium
Sat. 2nd September Dolphins 34 def. New Zealand Warriors 10 3pm Suncorp Stadium
Sat. 2nd September Penrith Panthers 44 def. North Queensland Cowboys 12 5.30pm BlueBet Stadium
Sat. 2nd September St George Illawarra Dragons 12 def. by Newcastle Knights 32 7.35pm Netstrata Jubilee Stadium
Sun. 3rd September Gold Coast Titans 34 def. Canterbury Bulldogs 30 2pm Cbus Super Stadium
Sun. 3rd September Cronulla Sharks vs. Canberra Raiders 4.05pm PointsBet Stadium
BYE EELS    

Liam O'Loughlin

Liam O'Loughlin Photo

Liam has been with The Sporting News since 2019, helping lead both NRL and cricket content, as well as delving into the world of combat sports and NFL. A true rugby league tragic, he has spent the past 20 years playing, coaching and volunteering for his beloved junior club, Penshurst RSL. 

Away from work, Liam has a lifelong passion for all things pro wrestling and has travelled abroad to attend showcase events for WWE, AEW and NJPW. 

 

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.

Kieran Francis

Kieran Francis Photo

Kieran Francis is a senior editor at The Sporting News based in Melbourne, Australia. He started at Sportal.com.au before being a part of the transition to Sporting News in 2015. Just prior to the 2018 World Cup, he was appointed chief editor of Goal.com in Australia. He has now returned to The Sporting News where his passions lay in football, AFL, poker and cricket - when he is not on holiday.