NRL Weekly Wrap: Everything we saw in Round 1
Turn 1 Storm proves inevitable against brave eels
The Melbourne Storm are still undefeated in Round 1 under Craig Bellamy after a dummy half attack from Harry Grant in the 83rd minute led to a walk-off four-pointer to earn a 16-12 golden point to seal victory against the Eels.
Will Penisini took Parramatta’s first points of the night before Nick Meaney came up with Melbourne’s response just after half-time.
The back and forth of competition continued when Junior Paulo hopped through a gaping hole to cross for the Eels in the 58th minute, only for Young Tonumaipea to end things and run ahead of Cameron Munster – the for struggling a lot with a gruesome finger injury of the game – moments later.
Grant was awarded best on floor while Josh King assisted on a try, ran 133 yards and made 55 tackles.
Paulo, meanwhile, ran a game-best 208 yards and scored a try with six tackle breaks, while J’maine Hopgood had a team-best 57 tackles and 172 yards on his club debut.
Nicoll-Klokstad shows up as Warriors return
Offseason signing Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad – who played seven games for the Warriors in 2017 – scored a try, ran for 204 yards and managed an eternal try-saver on Kalyn Ponga as the Warriors opened their 2023 campaign with a win over the Knights in Wellington.
After claiming the opening points of the encounter, the Knights conceded two quick tries before retaking the lead early in the second stanza.
Sharp work courtesy of Brayden Wiliame led to a try from Nicoll-Klokstad in the 51st minute before Wayde Egan crashed late to seal the deal.
Tohu Harris also sensationalized for the Warriors, rushing for 145 yards and notching 51 tackles, while Egan scored one try, assisted another and made 33 tackles.
Full-back Lachie Miller excelled on his club debut for the Knights as he recorded a team height of 181 yards with 11 tackle breaks, while Ponga had a mixed night with five eighths and was involved in both of the team’s attempts before his night due to a premature ended head knock.
Kev’s men capture wobbly panthers
The Brisbane Broncos made their way to Penrith as strong underdogs after losing five of their last six games in 2022 to sensationally exit from the eight, but Kevin Walters’ team managed to post a stunning 13-12 excitement score to give the Panthers only their third loss in their last 30 at BlueBet Stadium.
Liam Martin, Dylan Edwards and Stephen Crichton combined to give the Panthers an early lead before two attempts by Herbie Farnworth within four minutes put the Broncos ahead.
Adam Reynolds scored an important one-pointer in the 70th minute before spark plug nine Soni Luke gave the defending Premiers a glimmer of hope with a try from the dummy half in the 76th minute that the visitors could only save.
Payne Haas put together his usual handyman-like performance, running to a team clearance of 207 yards with seven tackle breaks and 27 clean tackles, while Patty Carrigan added 170 of his own yards and 50 tackles.
Dylan Edwards assisted in a try for Penrith and ran a powerful 289 yards.
Trbojevic returns, Sea Eagles send dogs to open Seibold’s term
Manly rewarded new head coach Anthony Seibold with a comprehensive 31-6 win over the Bulldogs at 4 Pines Park on Saturday afternoon to start their season on a high note.
Captain Daly Cherry-Evans led with the first hat-trick of his NRL career, while Tom Trbojevic managed an attempt of his own with a try assistant, 173 running yards and five tackle breaks in his first game in over nine months.
Canterbury, on the other hand, seemed far from where rookie head coach Cameron Ciraldo expected them to be.
The off-season injuries to Luke Thompson and Tevita Pangai Jr have left their middle tier razor-thin, with debutants Jayden Tanner and Jacob Preston on the bench and journeyman playmaker Fa’amanu Brown promoted to the starting XI.
The team did themselves a disservice by finishing with just 65 percent, missing 29 tackles and conceding nine penalties.
Cows squeak past Raiders on the Townsville roller coaster
The North Queensland Cowboys appeared poised for a dominant Round 1 win as they went 18-0 up against the Raiders after 35 minutes in Townsville.
However, the visitors had something to say after an Emre Guler accident just before half-time left the door open for a Canberra fight.
Tom Starling and Jack Wighton tried to equalize within four minutes midway through the second half, only for veteran Chad Townsend to knock over a field goal in the 75th minute and drag the Cowboys over the line.
Reuben Cotter ran for 216 yards and 35 tackles with four tackle breaks, while Scott Drinkwater hit a double and ran 128 yards.
Although the Cowboys ran eight more sets and ran nearly 400 yards more than Canberra, the Cowboys managed to win by a hair’s breadth at the start of their campaign.
Iliad, Rabbits leave Shire with two points
The Rabbitohs defeated the Sharks 27-18 in the Finals at PointsBet Stadium less than six months after their season ended, thanks to a coming-of-age performance from halfback Lachlan Ilias.
Ronaldo Mulitalo had put the ball over the line through a desperate effort from Ilias in the early stages before the young halfback backed it up with the contest’s opening points in the following set.
The Sharks squandered several opportunities before South Sydney put an eight-point lead early in the second half thanks to center Campbell Graham who made a second try after 65 minutes to seal it.
Cameron Murray ran for 158 yards and made 51 tackles that was a game high, while Graham nabbed a double, ran 198 yards team-high and broke five tackles.
Toby Rudolf had a strong showing for the Sharks, running 165 yards and making 41 tackles.
The Dolphins!
In a stunning opening game, the Dolphins recorded an exceptional 28-18 win over Premiership heavyweights The Roosters in front of a rioting crowd at Suncorp Stadium.
The Dolphins entered the fight as heavy underdogs but were enthusiastic and aggressive against a sluggish Roosters team that was without stars Joseph Manu, Angus Crichton and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
Veteran striker Felise Kaufusi led in defense with a few bruises while Mark Nicholls crossed a try and ran 174 yards in 49 minutes from the interchange.
Jamayne Isaako scored two tries and ran for 184 yards with six tackle breaks and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow scored the club’s first try to call with 192 yards.
The Roosters had a rough afternoon; They finished with just 68 percent and conceded seven penalties, while only two members of their forward pack covered 100 meters.
Leichhardt fans are unable to push West’s Tigers over Titans
The second part of Tim Sheens’ tenure with the Wests Tigers got off to a less than ideal start after the Titans invaded the Leichhardt Oval on Sunday night and picked up two match points in a 22-10 win.
The hosts had all the momentum early on, only for the Gold Coast to win the first two tries of the encounter through center Phillip Sami.
The Titans jumped out to an 18-2 lead in the second half, which the Wests Tigers ate up thanks to attempts from Adam Doueihi and Daine Laurie, but failed to complete the comeback.
David Fifita made a strong showing for the Titans as he posted a team height of 206 yards and assisted on a try, while AJ Brimson scored and assisted a try and ran for 159 yards with four tackle breaks.
Doueihi was the Wests Tigers’ standout player, scoring one try, assisting on another and running for 167 yards with six tackle breaks.