NRL Round 23 Wrap Up
Can the Penrith Panthers Prowl Towards a Third Straight Championship?
A. J. Baker
AS THE SEASON DRAWS TO A CLOSE the push for finals footy is well and truly underway. Round 23 has proven to be riddled with excitement, filled with upsetting victories, tenacious defense and threatening offense.
Sydney Roosters versus Manly Sea Eagles (03/08/2023); round 23 commenced with an exciting game between two of Sydney’s oldest rivals. Although both teams were wooden spoon contenders, the game was brilliantly paced, providing plenty of highlights. The Roosters proved to be dominant throughout the entirety of the game, running in three easy tries without a reply from the visitors. Manly posed a late threat as Sydney found themselves a man down due to Nathan Brown receiving the first red card in 21 weeks. However, Sydney’s courageous performance was too strong for Manly. In my opinion, the best on ground was Rooster’s left center Billy Smith who provided the team with dominating attacking stats including a try assist, eight tackle breaks and a try to top his outstanding performance off.
Gold Coast Titans versus New Zealand Warriors (04/08/2023); what seemed to be a guaranteed win for the Kiwi’s became uncertain after the first half, where the Warriors led by just six points. Both teams played with great aggression, however, Moeaki Fotuaika may have shown too much when he received the second red card of the round regarding an illegal tackle early in the first half. The end score was convincing for the Warriors and proved to be off the back of the New Zealand veteran, Shaun Johnson’s, masterclass performance. However, the game did not come without controversy. The topic of consistent referee calls continues to resurface throughout this season with a fight erupting between Titans player David Fifita and Warriors back rower Martin Niukore. NRL critics suggest that both players should have spent ten minutes on the sideline because of their foul play rather than just Niukore.
Penrith Panthers versus Melbourne Storm (04/08/2023); Penrith stormed home with a triumphant victory over Melbourne on friday night in western Sydney. Expected to be the most exciting game of the week, the reigning champions played a textbook game of football led by the recently returning captain, Cleary. Although Melbourne played brilliantly, the Panther proved to be far too dominant and continue to look threatening as they push for their third straight championship.
North Queensland Cowboys versus Brisbane Broncos (05/08/2023)
The classic Queensland derby was intended to be a great game, however, Patrick Carrigan’s fired-up Broncos displayed unmatched dominance. The 14-point defeat for the Cowboys was upsetting, nevertheless, coach Todd Payton was pleased with their performance against the second placed Broncos. North Queensland’s backline looked dynamic and displayed outstanding chemistry, with Scott Drinkwater once again providing an outstanding performance.
Redcliffe Dolphins versus Newcastle Knights (05/08/2023);Wayne Bennett’s men fell just two points short in the recent thriller against Newcastle in Perth. Dolphins Winger Jamayne Isaako’s performance seemed strong enough to carry the out-of-form side to a victory with his rare first-half hat trick. Redcliffe fell short in the kicking department only managing to convert 60% of his tries in comparison to Newcastle’s perfect five from five. Although Redcliffe have been ridden off for possible finals contention, the team has shown promising signs this season and should be pleased with their results in the club’s inaugural NRL season. The end score was 30-28 in favor of Newcastle, despite a try for the Dolphins in the 78th minute.
South Sydney Rabbitohs versus Cronulla Sharks (05/08/2023); Cronulla’s success against ‘top eight’ teams as of this season has been woeful to say the least, however, the team’s recent performance against South’s may well have been the Shark’s finest 80 minutes of rugby this year. The boys from the Shire were not short of fans in Perth following the Redcliffe vs Newcastle thriller, with an attendance of over 45,000 fans. Last year’s Dally M Medallist, Nicho Hynes, showed class – converting 100% of kick attempts and a try assist too. The rest of the Sharks season will be interesting with some difficult opponents in the upcoming round but with the form Hynes is in, there is no doubt some wins are on the cards.
Parramatta Eels versus St George/Illawarra Dragons (06/08/2023); Mikaele Ravalawa’s historic performance on Sunday proved not to be quite as dominant against Western Sydney’s Parramatta Eels. St George’s fan-favorite ran in four tries for the Dragons, who led by ten points early in the second half. The long awaited return for Eels five-eighth, Dylan Brown, proved to be vital as he led them to a last minute effort to secure the victory by 6 points. It was fairly obvious St George lacked structure and suffered without Captain Jack De Belin (suspended for five weeks after a hip-drop tackle against Manly last week). Coach, Brad Arthur, is confident his side can make a push for the top eight over the upcoming rounds whilst the Dragons battle for the wooden spoon with the Tigers.