With barely enough time to catch our collective breath after an incredible State of Origin decider, NRL Round 20 piled on the drama with three matches decided by two-point margins and 11 teams changing positions on the ladder.
Meanwhile, some of the competition’s biggest names produced box-office performances after long layoffs and indifferent runs of form.
Sea Eagles throw Top 4 race wide open
Languishing in 11th at the end of Round 16 after just two wins in their last seven games, Manly is on the cusp of the Top 4 courtesy of three straight victories.
The red-hot Sea Eagles overcame a slow start against the freewheeling Gold Coast Titans to pile on seven unanswered tries in a 38-8 romp.
Perhaps we should not be surprised that their resurgence has coincided with the return of Tom Trbojevic, who scored two tries and racked up three try assists at the Titans’ expense.
Manly now sits just a point behind Round 21 opponents Sydney Roosters, who are smarting from a heavyweight showdown loss to Melbourne.
But its spluttering, third-placed Cronulla that should be looking over its shoulder.
The Nicho Hynes-less outfit comes off the bye with a tough trip to Townsville and despite their next five games coming against teams currently outside the Top 8 in succession – they look vulnerable.
A four-team logjam has materialised one point behind the fifth-placed Sea Eagles, with Canterbury the Dolphins slipping a spot via narrow Sunday losses, and North Queensland and St George Illawarra joining them on 24 points.
Canberra, Brisbane and South Sydney all kept their NRL finals hopes afloat with pressure wins.
Rebound Reece and returning Reynolds revive Broncos
Reece Walsh was blotted out by NSW in the Origin cauldron, but the superstar fullback responded brilliantly just 72 hours removed from decider disappointment with a five-star display in Newcastle.
Walsh had his fingerprints on everything as Brisbane snapped a six-match losing streak with a dominant 30-14 victory, scoring a try and laying on two more, to go with two line-breaks, six tackle-breaks and four line-break assists.
But arguably the most significant development of the drought-breaking outing was the early return of Adam Reynolds.
In his first appearance since Round 9, the 34-year-old’s calming effect on a youthful, frantic Broncos line-up was palpable – and they immediately looked a premiership-capable team again.
There’s still plenty of work to do just to qualify for the playoffs, however, with a four-point deficit to make up.
The Broncos have a bye in Round 24 and a gimme a week later against Parramatta, but their other five matches – starting with Saturday’s blockbuster against the Bulldogs at Suncorp Stadium – will test their mettle.
Brisbane is back into the third line of premiership betting at $15, alongside Cronulla and Manly.
Cleary’s reminder
While on the topic of elite No.7s sidelined since early-May, Nathan Cleary provided instant confirmation of who the most important player in the 2024 premiership race is with an astonishing golden point match-winner to sink the Dolphins 28-26.
Ivan Cleary opted to rest his entire triumphant NSW contingent and the patched-up Panthers trailed 26-12 with 25 minutes remaining.
Enter Nathan, who already had two try assists before slotting a levelling penalty goal with five minutes left and then drilling a 43-metre field goal in the second minute of extra-time.
Trailing Melbourne by four points, the second-placed Panthers will still have designs on a third straight minor premiership.
Their only game left against a current Top 8 team is a pivotal Round 24 home clash with the Storm.
The $3 on offer for Penrith to become the first club to win four straight titles since the 1956-66 St George side remains the best value in the premiership market.
Stellar Storm stake premiership claim
Ladder-leading Melbourne has flown under the radar for most of the season, largely due to its string of close and somewhat unconvincing victories.
But the Storm are warming to the task and produced arguably their biggest statement to date to grittily subdue Sydney Roosters 24-8 in a Saturday night blockbuster.
Typical of Craig Bellamy-coached teams, the Storm’s success is receiving a huge contribution from unheralded types, fill-ins and journeymen.
Grant Anderson, Jack Howarth and Josh King were superb again opposite high-profile Roosters, while Tyran Wishart has been a revelation with Cam Munster out.
The Storm and Roosters are level on the second line of title betting at $4.25 – but the Tricolours’ 19th loss from 20 games against Melbourne and Penrith since 2020 has left a significant dent in their premiership bid.
This Saturday’s barnburner at home against Manly is the Roosters’ last remaining match against a fellow contender, leaving Trent Robinson’s star-studded outfit with some psychological hurdles to overcome in the looming high-stakes matches in September.
CHT’s agony as Warriors face finals oblivion
Friday’s cliff-hanger in Canberra will live in infamy for Chanel Harris-Tavita’s extraordinary miss of a score-levelling conversion from beside the posts with eight minutes left.
But CHT’s shank of the season was merely another moment illustrating it just wasn’t meant to be for the Wahs in 2024.
Down 14-0 after a bumbling and injury-hit start, the Warriors valiantly clawed back to 14-all with Addin Fonua-Blake and Origin-weary workhorses Mitch Barnett and Kurt Capewell, who both scored tries, at the heart of the fight-back.
Lack of direction and execution from the halves, though, held the Warriors back – and silenced the groundswell of calls for Shaun Johnson to retire, with Te Maire Martin struggling for the second straight game.
Last year’s Top 4 bolters now face the prospect of having to win all six of their remaining games to squeak into the finals.
Back-to-back home Friday nighters against Wests Tigers and Parramatta should keep the dream alive for another fortnight at least, but the subsequent stretch of the Dolphins, Manly, Canterbury and Cronulla is a steep mountain to scale undefeated.
A season that promised premiership contention has unravelled spectacularly courtesy of the Warriors’ inability to get the job done in close contests.
They have come away with just two wins from nine games decided by a converted try or less; last season the count was 2-1 in their favour.
The 10th-placed Raiders, meanwhile, have been handed a new lease of life with Jamal Fogarty back on deck and a four-match losing streak arrested.
This week’s home encounter with Souths could put them right back in the finals frame, though one of the tougher runs home means the Green Machine are strongly favoured to miss the cut.