NRL Round 4: What we liked and disliked in every game

Joshua Mayne

Tom Naghten

Liam O'Loughlin

Ed Chisholm

NRL Round 4: What we liked and disliked in every game image

Round four of the NRL is done and dusted.

The Panthers won their grand final re-match, the Warriors claimed an upset, and the Storm ran rampant.

Here's what we liked and disliked in every game across the weekend.

Gold Coast Titans 8 - 6 Wests Tigers

What we liked: Thrilling finish to dour affair

It was a slow burn, but the match eventually came alive with a few minutes remaining.

After the Tigers kicked a second penalty goal to go up 6-2, they looked to be on their way to securing their first win of 2022.

But with a minute left, Toby Sexton put a bomb towards the Tigers' in-goal area, which rebounded off the post and was knocked on by the Tigers.

AJ Brimson grounded the ball and Sexton added the extras, giving the hosts a two-point victory.

There wasn't a lot to like in this game - but at least the final few minutes were somewhat exciting. 

What we disliked: Everything

This was one of the worst games of rugby league played in a long, long time.

Both sides looked uninspired in attack, made poor errors, and gave away silly penalties and six agains.

Tyrone Peachey was sin-binned again in the first-half, while the game went 79 minutes without a single try.

This was truly bottom of the barrel stuff. 28 errors, 15 penalties, and two sides who are at long-odds to play finals footy this year. 

Cronulla Sharks 18 - 0 Newcastle Knights

What we liked: Sharks' speed and slickness

They didn't exactly hit the ground running, but once Cronulla grew into the game they were too much for their opponents to handle. 

Blayke Brailey showed off his new and improved running game, whilst Nicho Hynes and Matt Moylan dictated play well in the middle of the park. 

Siosifa Talakai's try near the end of the match was an example of what the Sharks are capable of and proves why they could make an impact in the finals this season.

The only challenge for them will be to ensure they can begin every game that way - coming up against a lacklustre Knights side meant they weren't punished for some early sloppiness.

What we disliked: Nicho Hynes' goal-kicking

Nicho Hynes has an abundance of strengths, but goal-kicking isn't currently one of them.

He had a 1/4 conversion rate against the Knights in an inconsistent display.

It feels a little harsh to be critiquing Hynes, but games can so easily be decided by a made or missed conversion.

As he's demonstrated in his career, the talented halfback is a relentless worker, and will undoubtedly make goal-kicking a priority in training.

Don't be surprised if Hynes boosts his conversion percentage by the season's end.

Penrith Panthers 26 - 12 South Sydney Rabbitohs

What we liked: Penrith's relentlessness 

This would be a 'dislike' if you support the Rabbitohs, but the Panther's never-ending attack is something to be admired. 

Their left-hand edge was particularly good on Friday night, with Jarome Luai, Nathan Cleary, Izack Tago, and Taylan May operating in a swift manner. 

Penrith's desire and willingness to make things happen is a credit to not only their talent but their mindset.

They appear every bit as good as they did last year, and that is a dangerous sight to behold.

What we disliked: The match had to end

After the round's two opening games lacked some sparkle, it was a treat to see two of the league's best teams go at it for 80 minutes.

Penrith ultimately proved that they are still a class above South Sydney, but it was an entertaining and high-quality match regardless.

Both teams were quick and snappy with the ball, and you felt that an opportunity could be created on any given play. 

New Zealand Warriors 20 - 6 Brisbane Broncos

What we liked: Fonua-Blake, Lodge win forward battle

Payne Haas is widely considered the best prop in rugby league today - but on Saturday afternoon, his opponent's big men got the better of the forward battle.

In a scrappy affair marred by sin-bins, penalties and errors aplenty, it was Addin Fonua-Blake who really stood out for the Warriors.

The 26-year-old finished with a game-high 202 metres and made 26 tackles, while his engine-room partner Matt Lodge also cracked 175 metres and made 31 tackles.

Haas was nowhere near quiet, but in a game that only produced four tries in 80 minutes, the battle in the middle decided it and Fonua-Blake came out on top. 

What we disliked: Flegler's forgetful return

After missing the opening three rounds due to suspension, Tom Flegler will likely be back on the sidelines again next weekend.

The front-rower started for the Broncos, but was sin-binned during the opening half for 'repeated indiscretions' including a questionable late hit penalty on Fonua-Blake.

He was placed on report another two times once he returned to the field, including a nasty hip-drop on Ben Murdoch-Masila that will land him in hot water.

Brisbane's discipline as a whole was quite poor, conceding 10 penalties and making 13 errors - and it was Flegler who was at the centre of plenty of it. 

Manly Sea Eagles 25 - 6 Canberra Raiders 

What we liked: DCE's kicking masterclass

The early-season performances of Daly Cherry-Evans weren't what we've become accustomed to from the Origin halfback, to say the least.

But against the Raiders on Saturday evening, he produced one of the greatest kicking performances of his career, as Manly picked up their second win of the year.

DCE kicked for 651 metres, forced two dropouts, kicked a 40/20 and a rare 20/40 in a stellar performance with the boot.

The 33-year-old also nailed a field goal late in the game to put the icing on the cake, as well as laying on a try assist in the second-half.

The term 'kicked them to death' is an apt one on this occasion - Canberra's back three had no answers for Cherry-Evans' elite boot. 

What we disliked: Canberra's clumsiness

Ricky Stuart will be absolutely seething after that second-half performance from the Raiders.

Down by four points at the break and right in the contest, Canberra dished up an extremely mediocre performance in the second 40 minutes.

They finished the game with 13 errors, which is well below-par for a team who want to return to finals footy in 2022, and also gave away eight penalties.

Canberra looked for the cheap way out on multiple occasions with the game in the balance, and they paid the price for it with their third loss from the opening four rounds. 

Sydney Roosters 28 - 4 North Queensland Cowboys 

What we liked: Tedesco returns to form

Never doubt a champion - especially one of James Tedesco's calibre. 

The superstar fullback has had an uncharacteristic start to the 2022 campaign, but returned to his best on Saturday night against the Cowboys.

In an elite 80-minute display, Tedesco finished with 215 running metres, two try assists and four tackle breaks. 

The highlight for Tedesco was his freakish overhead tap-on pass that led to a try in the first-half, giving Joey Manu a free run to the line. 

Speaking of Manu - he was also at his best, scoring two tries and setting up another two.

It must be nice to have the best fullback in the game and the best centre in the game at your disposal if you're Trent Robinson. 

What we disliked: Sin-bins galore

Three sin bins in 80 minutes of football - and they were all from the same team.

Todd Payten had every right to be fuming in the coach's box after Chad Townsend was sent for 10 minutes late in the game after he had two other players given a breather by the officials.

Second-rower Tom Gilbert was binned in the 21st minute and it proved extremely costly, with the Roosters scoring two tries during his absence. 

In the second half, Griffin Neame was also binned for a late hit on Sam Walker, which wasn't high and he can consider himself unlucky on that occasion. 

And finally, it was new skipper Townsend who would be given his marching orders by Gerard Sutton, following a lazy high tackle on Lindsay Collins. 

The sin-bins did take away from the contest, especially when at least one or two of them could have been penalty-sufficient. 

Melbourne Storm 44 - 0 Canterbury Bulldogs

What we liked: Papenhuyzen back to his sizzling best

After repeat concussions ruined his 2021 campaign, Ryan Papenhuyzen is still finding his way back to the form that saw him take the NRL by Storm in 2020.

But his effort in Sunday's win against the Bulldogs was arguably the light-footed fullback's best display in the last 12 months, with his fingerprints all over the 44-0 win.

Papenhuyzen finished the afternoon with four tries and 188 run metres, on top of making six of his eight conversions.

So much about what makes Papenhuyzen such an incredible player to watch is the work he does off the ball, but equally it's great to see him back scoring and creating tries.

What we disliked: Bulldogs attack still clueless

Despite adding the attacking spark of Matt Dufty at fullback, Matt Burton at five-eighth and Josh Addo-Carr on the wing, Canterbury's inability to post points is alarming.

While their forwards did an outstanding job of muscling up in the middle and getting the side over the advantage line, the backs struggled to ask the right questions.

In the first half, Trent Barrett's side enjoyed 61 per cent of possession and a far superior 28 tackles inside Melbourne's 20 metre zone yet failed to come up with points.

Although it's easy to forget he's still only 22 years of age, Burton is learning some harsh lessons about the challenges he will face as the primary playmaker of an NRL team, not least one that has struggled to find the scoreboard like the Bulldogs. 

However, he can't be expected to do it all on his own and while the Bulldogs have signed a number of exciting attacking players this season, the side is still lacking cohesion when in possession and close to the line.

Parramatta Eels 48 - 14 St George Illawarra

What we liked: Mitchell Moses' masterclass

Mitchell Moses put on one of the best performances of his career in his team's demolition of the Dragons.

Tries don't come too frequently for Moses, so it was a real treat for him to score two.

His kick in the first half - where he went on to chase it down and score himself - was special. 

Everything he did was purposeful, and he played with confidence all game. 

What we disliked: St George Illawarra's disorganised attack

There are undoubtedly defensive problems to solve with the Dragons, but their attacking output is equally as concerning.

Despite scoring two tries, there was little creativity in attack, and the team appeared a little disorganised.

Lomax and Ravalawa are their two best attacking threats, but if the Dragons are to challenge for the top eight there needs to be more options than simply passing out to the right wing and hoping for some magic.

It might be back to the drawing board this week.

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. 

 

Tom Naghten

Tom Naghten Photo

Tom Naghten is a senior editor at The Sporting News Australia where he's been part of the team since 2017. He predominantly covers boxing and MMA. In his spare time, he likes to watch Robbie Ahmat's goal against the Kangaroos at the SCG in 2000.

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. 

 

Ed Chisholm

Ed Chisholm Photo

Ed Chisholm is a content producer for Sporting News Australia.