The wildest NRL weekend of 2024 witnessed five head-to-head upsets, multiple crazy comebacks and breathtaking finishes, along with injury chaos.
With one round remaining, the Top 8 and Top 4 pictures have been turned upside down.
Dragons and Broncos blow it big time
Heading into Round 26, St George Illawarra and Brisbane appeared comfortably the best-placed teams in the five-horse scramble for eighth spot.
Following a wild Super Saturday and subsequent results on Sunday, the Broncos are the only one of the five mathematically out of the running, while the Saints are as good as done (a draw in the Knights-Dolphins showdown would open the door for the winner of the Dragons-Raiders clash to squeeze in).
Setting a new premiership record for the highest score by a losing team was insult to injury for the Dragons, emphasising their pathetic defensive display with so much on the line in a 44-40 defeat to second-last Parramatta.
The Eels led 44-12 before the Saints rallied futilely with five tries in a whirlwind final 11 minutes, the Red V succumbing to back-to-back losses for the first time since Round 9.
But at least it’s been a season of significant progress in Shane Flanagan’s first season at the joint venture. The same can’t be said for 2023’s runners-up, whose coach’s guarantee that his Broncos would play finals footy took only a week to blow up in his face.
The injury-hit Broncos have capitulated several times in recent months, but nothing could have prepared Walters and co. for the listless 40-6 defeat to the little brother Dolphins in front of 50,000 fans at Suncorp Stadium.
Officially just the second grand finalist in 12 years to miss the Top 8 the following season, the Broncos can look forward to a summer under an intense microscope – internally and externally.
Dolphins and Knights set up mouth-watering regular season closer
Every now and again the stars align to set up a match to finish the NRL regular season with a monumental reward at stake.
Sunday afternoon’s showdown between Newcastle Knights and the Dolphins at McDonald Jones Stadium is essentially a throwback to the old days of the fifth-place playoff, with one of the teams to snatch eighth spot…barring a rare golden point draw.
The Dolphins’ staggering ‘Battle of Brisbane’ blowout will surely rank among Wayne Bennett’s most satisfying wins. Copping a ridiculous media-led barrage for the Dolphins’ 3-9 run, Bennett rolled the dice on several line-up changes that paid huge dividends in a rousing 40-6 victory over the Broncos.
Retrenched duo Hamiso Taubai-Fidow and Jake Averillo both picked up doubles, as did the electric Herbie Farnworth, while mature-aged rookie Trai Fuller’s remarkable campaign continued in a stellar return at fullback.
The Knights’ task in staying alive was simpler – account for the also-ran Gold Coast Titans at home – but after a slow start they did so with relative ease in a 34-12 result.
Showing glimpses of last season’s incredible charge to fifth, Kalyn Ponga got things rolling with two first-half tries, while centre duo Dane Gagai and Bradman Best both recorded a line-break and two try assists.
Home advantage sees the Knights installed as $1.68 favourites to elevate a meandering campaign to a Top 8 finish. But Bennett will no doubt have a few tricks up his sleeve to thwart another of his former clubs on the Dolphins’ behalf.
Sea Eagles’ statement tempered by Turbo trauma
Manly arrived as a genuine premiership threat on Friday night, slowing Canterbury’s irresistible roll in a dominant 34-22 win at Accor Stadium.
The Sea Eagles conceded an early try then sizzled, scoring six of the next seven with Tom Trbojevic, brilliant rookie Lehi Hopoate, Reuben Garrick and halves Daly Cherry-Evans and Luke Brooks on fire.
But the result was partially soured by Trbojevic’s AC joint injury, which will – best-case scenario – see him needled up for an elimination final return in a fortnight’s time.
A fully-fit ‘Turbo’ is paramount to Manly, $17 in the title market, going deep into September. Meanwhile, winger Jason Saab (ankle syndesmosis) is likely to be sidelined, putting further pressure on the Sea Eagles’ backline stocks.
There’s plenty on the line for Manly this Sunday when it hosts Cronulla: a win would see the Sea Eagles leapfrog the loser of Saturday’s Bulldogs-Cowboys showdown and snare a week one fixture at their 4 Pines Park fortress.
Injury-ravaged Roosters on the ropes
A shock 14-12 home loss to Canberra – albeit after conjuring an astonishing 13-touch try on the bell, only to miss the sideline conversion – paled in comparison to Sydney Roosters’ sudden injury emergency.
During a diabolical first half, halfback linchpin Sam Walker and Test hooker Brandon Smith were struck down by ACL ruptures in scarcely believable scenes. That post-match confirmation has been compounded by reports Victor Radley’s shoulder injury will rule him out of the finals.
A healthy for-and-against will preserve the Roosters’ top-four position regardless of Friday’s result against the also-ran Rabbitohs, but a tough week one trip to Penrith or Melbourne looms.
After inching up to almost level pegging with the Storm (now $2.70) and Panthers ($2.90) a week ago, the Roosters have blown out to $6 to win the premiership.
Walker, in particular, shapes as an insurmountable loss. Sandon Smith – also a prime dummy-half replacement candidate in other circumstances – is the likely halves saviour, while NSW Origin star Connor Watson now shapes as an out-and-out hooker.
The monumental setbacks rendered the Roosters right for a straight-sets finals exit.
A farewell for the ages
In some ways, it was more fitting than bowing out on the NRL finals stage.
Though his rookie-season heroics to lead the club to the 2011 grand final and the Wahs’ memorable prelim charge last year are permanently deposited in the memory banks, Shaun Johnson’s unique career has predominantly been as the linchpin of an underachieving Warriors side.
Amid the most torturous seasons, Johnson has managed to produce moments of clutch magic and buzzer-beating genius at a rate none of his predecessors or contemporaries could match.
And that’s the way the retiring halfback was destined to go out, conjuring an insane 30-28 comeback win at Cronulla that culminated in a brilliant cut-out ball with his last touch on a rugby league field to put the Warriors in front with 30 seconds on the clock.
The out-of-contention Warriors, with just two wins from their previous 10 games (and Johnson personally on a 10-game winless streak), had minimal prospects of a revival after a promising, SJ-inspired start gave way to a 22-4 halftime deficit to the in-form Sharks.
But Johnson had his hands and boot all over four of the Warriors’ five second-half tries in one of the club’s most extraordinary and emotional victories – and an individual performance to match any in his career.
It’s bittersweet, underlining the Warriors’ potential with a fit Johnson at the helm…and emphasising the question of how Andrew Webster’s side gets consistent wins from a batch of good, but mid-level, halves candidates.
The stunning season-ending result (the Warriors have the Round 27 bye) also provided a smorgasbord of food for thought for Webster ahead of 2025.
Taine Tuaupiki starred at fullback, while regular No.1 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad was superb in his maiden NRL start at centre, and blockbusting tyro Ali Leiataua demands to be the first centre picked next year after a sensational display in his seventh first-grade game.