Rabbitohs Build Momentum, Bulldogs Mount Finals Push

Edward Briggs

Round 16 produced several important results as the race towards the finals intensified. South Sydney continued their resurgence with another convincing victory, Canterbury strengthened their top-eight credentials, Manly dismantled Melbourne, while the Dolphins snatched a dramatic last-gasp win over the Warriors.

South Sydney Rabbitohs 32 def. Parramatta Eels 12

South Sydney made it consecutive victories with an impressive 32-12 win over Parramatta at CommBank Stadium, punishing the Eels whenever errors crept into their game.

The Rabbitohs struck first through Cody Walker after early Parramatta mistakes before Brandon Smith’s sharp work around the ruck helped create a second try for Euan Aitken. The Eels responded before halftime through Brian Kelly after an enterprising last-tackle play involving Ronald Volkman, Kelma Tuilagi and Mitch Moses.

Parramatta levelled the contest shortly after the break when Tallyn Da Silva crossed, but their comeback quickly unravelled. Edward Kosi restored South Sydney’s lead before Tallis Duncan scored twice during a decisive second-half burst. Walker completed a double of his own late as the Rabbitohs ran away with the contest, while Parramatta were left to rue a costly error-riddled performance.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 30 def. Gold Coast Titans 12

The Bulldogs produced another polished display to overcome the Titans 30-12 in difficult wet-weather conditions on the Gold Coast.

Canterbury controlled possession and territory throughout the opening half, with Stephen Crichton pulling the strings after shifting into the halves. Jethro Rinakama opened the scoring before Josh Curran extended the lead to give the Bulldogs a deserved 12-0 halftime advantage.

Phillip Sami sparked hopes of a Titans comeback after the break, but Canterbury quickly answered through Rinakama’s second try before Max King marked his 150th NRL appearance with a try of his own. Sami completed a hat-trick despite Jayden Campbell missing all three conversion attempts, while Curran’s second sealed another convincing Bulldogs victory.

Sydney Roosters 24 def. Brisbane Broncos 18

The Roosters handled the slippery conditions better when it mattered most, overcoming Brisbane 24-18 after a closely fought contest.

Billy Smith opened the scoring after an early attacking raid before Brisbane hit back through Thomas Duffy and Brendan Piakura to take control midway through the first half. Grant Anderson’s late try gave the Broncos a four-point halftime advantage.

The momentum swung after the break as Smith grabbed his second before Sam Walker finished off a slick short-side movement to restore the Roosters’ lead. Both sides traded penalty goals in the closing stages, but Sydney’s composed second-half display proved enough to secure the points.

Dolphins 26 def. Warriors 24

The Dolphins climbed into third place after Selwyn Cobbo’s dramatic last-minute try and Jamayne Isaako’s touchline conversion secured a thrilling 26-24 victory over the Warriors.

Cobbo crossed early after the Warriors failed to handle a high ball, but the visitors responded through Jacob Laban before taking the lead thanks to another well-executed kick that ended with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak scoring. The Dolphins also suffered a major setback when Isaiya Katoa left the field with a wrist injury.

Herbie Farnworth and Isaako helped the home side edge ahead before halftime, while Isaako’s second extended the lead after the break. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad and Sam Healey brought the Warriors back into the contest before a chaotic finish saw Cobbo gather a loose ball and crash over in the dying moments. Isaako calmly landed the difficult conversion to seal an unforgettable victory.

North Queensland Cowboys 26 – 12 Penrith Panthers

The Cowboys celebrated Jason Taumalolo’s 300th NRL appearance in perfect fashion, ending a three-game losing streak with an impressive 26-12 victory over the Panthers, who have now suffered consecutive defeats after last week’s upset loss to the Titans.

North Queensland made the ideal start by forcing an error from Moses Leota on the opening tackle, with Murray Taulagi crossing moments later to capitalise. Penrith hit back through Tom Jenkins despite a scrappy opening, but the Cowboys regained the advantage when Taulagi soared above Brian To’o to bat a bomb back for Jeremiah Nanai to score while Liam Henry was in the sin bin. The Panthers fought back to level the scores before halftime and edged ahead early in the second half after a penalty goal.

With the match finely balanced, the Cowboys stayed patient before taking control in the closing stages. A penalty goal nudged them in front before Nanai climbed above Dylan Edwards to score the decisive try. Jake Clifford then capped off the celebrations for Taumalolo with a determined solo effort late to seal a memorable victory for the home side.

Manly Sea Eagles 30 def. Melbourne Storm 4

Manly produced one of their finest performances of the season, overwhelming Melbourne 30-4 despite losing Luke Brooks to a suspected ACL injury.

Haumole Olakau’atu set the tone with two early tries before Jason Saab finished off a pinpoint Jamal Fogarty cross-field kick. Fogarty then delivered a 40/20 that laid the platform for Tolu Koula’s try as the Sea Eagles stormed to a commanding 24-0 halftime lead.

Melbourne managed just one try through Will Warbrick after the break, but Manly never looked threatened. Ben Trbojevic added the final try as the Sea Eagles celebrated one of their biggest ever victories over the Storm, although concern now surrounds Brooks’ injury.

Canberra Raiders 24 def. St George Illawarra Dragons 16

Canberra overcame challenging conditions to record an important 24-16 victory over the Dragons in the nation’s capital.

Tyrell Sloan opened the scoring after capitalising on an early Raiders error before Hudson Young crossed from an Ethan Sanders grubber to put the home side ahead. Setu Tu restored the Dragons’ advantage after another mistake under the high ball.

The Raiders seized control after halftime when Xavier Savage raced away twice, although his second try came after a contentious build-up. Sloan scored his second to bring the Dragons back within two points, but a dropped bomb handed Canberra one final opportunity and Tom Starling made sure of the result with the match-sealing try.

Newcastle Knights 12 def. Wests Tigers 6

Newcastle survived a scrappy, rain-soaked contest to edge the Tigers 12-6 in one of the toughest playing conditions of the season.

The visitors struck first through Tony Sukkar and led at halftime after both sides struggled badly with handling errors. Newcastle eventually found their breakthrough midway through the second half when Dylan Lucas crashed over to level the scores.

With the match still hanging in the balance late, a spilled attacking kick from the Tigers proved decisive. Dom Young raced 70 metres before sending Bradman Best away to finish a remarkable length-of-the-field try that ultimately separated the two sides in a bruising defensive battle.