Canterbury have shaken off back-to-back defeats with a tight 12-8 victory over North Queensland at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Saturday night.
Five minutes of madness cost the Cowboys as Todd Payten’s men slip further from finals contention.
Playmaker Sam Walker experienced a mixed return as the Roosters climbed to seventh after defeating St George Illawarra 31-24 at Jubilee Stadium.
Walker slotted a first-half field goal and gave his side momentum with a silky assist on Billy Smith’s important try but could be in trouble with the MRC after being sin-binned for a cannonball tackle on David Klemmer.
Earlier, Newcastle suffered their 11th defeat of the season, going down 32-14 to Melbourne at McDonald Jones Stadium after the Storm ran riot in the second half.
Melbourne were without talisman Cameron Munster and Xavier Coates but Harry Grant, Stefano Utoikamanu and Trent Loiero backed up after Wednesday’s State of Origin decider, while Adam O’Brien switched Dane Gagai to fullback.
The Knights could not make the most of their advantage and without stars Kalyn Ponga and Fletcher Sharpe for the balance of 2025, it is a long way back to finals contention from here.
Roosters edge Dragons but Walker could face stint on sidelines
Back in the Roosters’ 17 after nine long months on the sidelines, Sam Walker lasted 25 minutes on his NRL return before being forced to leave the field. Not due to injury, thankfully, rather sent for ten minutes in the sin-bin for a dangerous ‘cannonball’ tackle on Dragons prop David Klemmer which could see him miss two or three games.
Continuing a wild opening 40 minutes in Kogarah, Trent Robinson’s side managed to score with their star half serving his penance as Queensland centre Robert Toia climbed high to corral Hugo Savala’s excellent kick before Walker returned to the field and slotted a field goal from close range to give his side a slender half-time lead.
Taking advantage of a quick 20-metre tap and seven-tackle set, the Roosters marched downfield and Walker produced a deft try assist for centre Billy Smith.
Walker missed the tackle as Jaydn Su’A crossed with 15 minutes to go to set up a nervy finish for the Tricolours but Victor Radley’s late four-pointer sealed the two competition points for Trent Robinson’s men.
Cirro’s big call as Bulldogs return to winning ways
Plenty has been said about Lachie Galvin’s mid-season move from Concord to Belmore causing consternation at the Bulldogs. Shortly before kick-off in Townsville news filtered out that Cameron Ciraldo had dropped the young playmaker from the 17 for the clash with North Queensland.
Ciraldo was vindicated by the result but it remains to be seen how he fits Galvin into the team going forward. It’s not impossible that the 19-year-old plays reserve grade for a few weeks until someone’s form drops or there is an injury but this is an NRL quality five-eighth whose development will surely benefit more playing from top-flight matches.
Matt Burton partnered Super League-bound Toby Sexton in the halves as the Bulldogs overcame a slow start to lead 12-8 at half-time, which proved to be the final margin in a tense and tight affair.
Time running out for Dearden to drag Cowboys into top eight
What must frustrate Todd Payten more than anything is his side’s inconsistency – from week to week and even within games. North Queensland were in front in the first half and had momentum but two soft Bulldogs tries shortly before half-time wrested momentum for Ciraldo’s men.
A Scott Drinkwater chance to level the scores at 12-12 went begging and despite a quality defensive play by Viliame Kikau it was a big opportunity wasted.
Origin stars Tom Dearden, Reuben Cotter, Reece Robson and Jeremiah Nanai all backed up and Stephen Crichton was rested but the Bulldogs still had too much class with the Cowboys falling further behind in the race for a finals finish. Dearden struggled to replicate his Wally Lewis Medal-winning form in the low-scoring affair.
Clashes with fellow finals hopefuls the Dolphins and Dragons are up next for the Cowboys but unless Dearden gets the whole side on his back, it’s difficult to see North Queensland sneaking into the eight.
Dragons in finals dogfight after back-to-back defeats
Few pundits tipped St George Illawarra to make their return to the finals for the first time since 2018 in Shane Flanagan’s second season at the helm. After a second loss on the bounce, that streak could be set to continue with up to seven other sides fighting for the four or five remaining playoff spots.
Saturday’s tight loss to the Roosters leaves them three points adrift of the Panthers in eighth, which could be five points with the premiers taking on lowly Parramatta on Sunday afternoon.
Midweek Dragons CEO Tim Watsford raised a few eyebrows, telling the club’s podcast they are still in the market for a marquee halfback to replace Kyle Flanagan, who was never intended to be the club’s long-term No.7. With one such playmaker strutting his stuff at the other end of the field, Flanagan produced a moment of quality of his own to set up Jaydn Su’A but it would ultimately not be enough.
While it’s hard to argue with the comments, perhaps the executive could have looked at Flanagan snr’s example and instead gone with a ‘less is more’ approach when it comes to public commentary on the sensitive father-son dynamic. Marquee help won’t be arriving to the Red V in 2025 so Flanagan will have to work with what he’s got.
No Munster, no problem as Storm navigate choppy Origin seas
Perhaps it should come as little surprise that Melbourne have navigated the State of Origin period by winning all six of their games. After the disappointment of last year’s grand final failure, you knew Craig Bellamy’s side would be there or thereabouts in 2025 and this latest winning streak has displayed their premiership credentials.
Granted, they have been far from perfect during this winning run and the draw has suited them with their only real tests coming against Cronulla and the 12th-placed Cowboys, as well as a bye, but they have managed to win in different ways and Saturday’s attacking rampage shows just how potent their offensive weapons are, even without stars Cameron Munster, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Sua Fa’alago in the 17.
Craig Bellamy’s side will face tougher tasks as the pointy end of the season approaches but with question marks on Canberra’s experience in big games and Canterbury’s title tilt looking flimsier at least until the Lachlan Galvin drama subsides, a first premiership since 2020 is well within their sights.
The Kick: Knights’ season hangs by a thread
At home on a nice winter afternoon in the Hunter, Newcastle were ahead 8-2 on the back of mid-season recruit Dom Young’s try double but could not finish the job against a Storm side missing star five-eighth Cameron Munster and with multiple players backing up from Wednesday’s State of Origin decider.
It was still a tough task to upset the premiership favourites but they will be disappointed with how they played with the lead before Melbourne ran riot, scoring five tries to two in a very one-sided second half.
With Kalyn Ponga and Fletcher Sharpe’s seasons both over due to injury, and tough tests against top-four sides New Zealand and Canberra to come in the next two weeks, the Knights’ 2025 finals hopes are likely to be done and dusted within the fortnight, unless they are finally able to produce the kind of 80-minute performance that’s been missing all season.
Coming up with two wins from two would only be the start of the challenge with six or seven sides already jostling for a handful of finals places.
