Injury chaos impacting the State of Origin series opener, another rousing Canterbury comeback (to trump Mark Nawaqanitawase’s try-of-the-year contender), refereeing howlers and seesawing, high-scoring thrillers – NRL Round 11 delivered again on the drama, controversy and excitement scale.
Check out the lay of NRL-land as the representative period gets set to muddy the waters of the most unpredictable premiership in recent memory even further.
Tigers’ tough loss compounded by trio’s Origin snubbing
When Lachlan Galvin plunged over with four minutes to go at Campbelltown on Sunday night, Wests Tigers appeared to have completed a late comeback from 10 points down to edge South Sydney – thus bouncing back admirably from their 64-0 humiliation in Melbourne seven days earlier.
But the replay revealed a knock-on from the five-eighth and the Rabbitohs sealed a 22-12 victory with a try.
The news got worse for the Tigers courtesy of the NSW team announcement for game one. A sizzling two-try display from Api Koroisau wasn’t enough to break up the victorious Blues’ 2024 dummy-half combination of Reece Robson and Connor Watson.
Meanwhile, Terrell May made a mockery of perceived defensive deficiencies with an astounding 63 tackles on top of 19 runs for 199 metres.
But May remains stuck in the NSW front-row queue behind automatic inclusion Payne Haas, Warriors veteran Mitch Barnett, impact man Spencer Leniu, surprise bench debutant Max King and extended squad member Stefano Utoikamanu, who could come in for an injured Haas.
In a final blow, Jarome Luai – so vital to the Blues’ success last year at five-eighth – was bumped out by incumbent No.7 Mitch Moses with Nathan Cleary returning at halfback.
The rest of the Isaah Yeo-led NSW side essentially picked itself, despite Jake Trbojevic’s unavailability with a head knock. Tom Trbojevic couldn’t force his way into the backline with Latrell Mitchell getting the nod at centre, and Brian To’o and Zac Lomax returning from injury in time to retain wing roles.
It’s far less smooth sailing north of the border, with the confirmed absence of Murray Taulagi and potential injury to Selwyn Cobbo leaving uncapped trio Xavier Savage, Jesse Arthars and Robert Toia in the frame for a wing spot.
Dolphins enforcer Tom Gilbert’s luckless run with injury continued, likely ruled out for the series on the weekend, while marquee middle Pat Carrigan also had a scare on Sunday. Beau Fermor and Trent Loeiro are tipped for debuts as Queensland approaches game one as $2.05 underdogs at home.
Shark statement
Cronulla joined Melbourne in equal-fourth courtesy of a 31-26 victory in the team’s thrilling, fiery showdown in the Shire on Saturday night.
It was a courageous effort from the Sharks, too, after losing Jesse Ramien and Sam Stonestreet to injury in the first 20 minutes, with bench duo Siosifa Talakai and Daniel Atkinson producing superb displays as three-quarter line fill-ins.
Addin Fonua-Blake received the bulk of the plaudits after scoring a barnstorming try in a 249-metre display, but the poise the Sharks’ key men showed in warding off the Storm’s late rally was also impressive.
With five wins from their last six matches, the Sharks are on the third line of premiership better at $7.50 and well-placed for another top-four charge.
Lame Broncos stunned by shorthanded Saints
Brisbane heads into the gruelling Origin period in terrible shape, losing five of its last six games and sliding to ninth on the ladder.
The manner of the Broncos’ losses are deeply concerning, including dreadful collapses against Penrith (who were on a 1-5 run) in Magic Round and Souths (who had lost their last four) a week later.
But a 30-26 defeat to a St George Illawarra side on a four-game losing run was arguably the most frustrating performance yet.
Leading 14-6 when Dragons back-rower Jadyn Su’A was sent to the sin-bin, the Broncos inexplicably conceded two tries and the lead to the 12-man Saints. Then after hitting the front again, the hosts leaked another pair of tries before their own burst in the dying minutes fell short.
Credit has to go to the plucky Dragons and their sizzling attacking performance in the second half – but the Broncos are miles off premiership contention pace at present as early pressure mounts on Michael Maguire and his methods.
All-time blunder overshadows Warriors’ grit
Peter Gough submitted an entry for the most staggering officiating gaffe of 2025 to give the streaking Warriors a massive leg up in their 16-12 victory on the Dolphins on Saturday.
With the match delicately poised at 4-0, Gough somehow missed a clear knock-on from Roger Tuivasa-Sheck from a Dolphins bomb. The Warriors parlayed the let-off deep in their own territory into a sensational try, with Luke Metcalf’s brilliant kick-and-regather setting up Kurt Capewell to score.
The flashpoint moment – as well as earning Gough a demotion – took some of the gloss off the Warriors’ much-deserved fifth consecutive win.
The visitors kept their tryline intact for 70 minutes, before James Fisher-Harris’ late sin-binning made for a nerve-jangling finish. But the Warriors again held on to retain outright second place – and move to the fifth line of betting at $15 alongside Brisbane and Canberra.
This Sunday’s assignment at home against Canberra has been rendered more difficult by Mitch Barnett’s NSW call-up and the bruising Fisher-Harris’ one-game ban, but the Warriors have opened as $1.65 favourites to make it six in a row for just the fourth time in their history.
The Knightmare continues
Newcastle is firming as a red-hot wooden spoon contender after another disastrous home outing on Friday, crashing 28-6 to last-placed Parramatta.
After turning around a shocking run of attacking impotence with a 30-4 Magic Round win over Souths and a 20-0 first half against Gold Coast last week, the Knights collapsed to lose to the Titans and barely fired a shot against the Eels.
Adam O’Brien’s beleaguered side have mustered one try in their last two hours of football and they are scoring an NRL-low (by a mile) 12.8 points per game.
A reported $2 million payout may be O’Brien’s biggest trump card in terms of keeping his job, with the likelihood of the Knights replicating their rallies to reach the finals in 2023-24 looking highly improbable.
Perhaps the sole silver lining in the heavy defeat to the Eels was a star turn from Dylan Brown in the opposing line-up – but the $13 million recruit won’t be able to turn around the Knights on his own…particularly given he’s only hit his straps again since marquee No.7 Mitch Moses’ return.