Round 22 produced one of the most remarkable scorelines of rugby league history, with the Sydney Roosters piling on 82 points against North Queensland, while the Warriors officially booked their place in the finals. Elsewhere, the Dolphins strengthened their top-four credentials, Canterbury claimed an important win over Melbourne, and Newcastle piled more misery on Brisbane.
With the Mustangs sitting out the weekend, Newcastle took full advantage in the race for the minor premiership, while Canberra continued its surge to climb into outright third. But the biggest story belonged to Adelaide. After months of frustration and only one previous regulation-time victory all season, the Adrenaline produced one of the biggest upsets of the year to finish the weekend on a high.
The AIHL title race remains impossible to separate. For the second straight week, Newcastle and the Mustangs matched each other stride for stride, leaving both sides level on 50 points atop the ladder. Behind them, Canberra continued its excellent late-season form, while Melbourne Ice kept its finals hopes alive in another high-scoring weekend.
Round 21 delivered another pivotal weekend in the race towards September, with the Panthers strengthening their grip on the minor premiership, South Sydney keeping their finals hopes alive, and Canberra producing one of the most dominant performances of the season. Elsewhere, the Roosters pinched a thriller in Newcastle, the Bulldogs stayed in the top-eight hunt, and the Sharks dismantled Manly at Brookvale.
Jul 274 min read
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