Here are the talking points coming out of Round 22.
Cowboys shot down
The Storm juggernaut rolled on in Townsville on Friday night, but it was the Cowboys’ injury toll which may have the most impact on the back end of the season. Already without their two co-captains, the North Queenslanders found themselves in all sorts of trouble as Gavin Cooper, Antonio Winterstein and Scott Bolton all went down, and Te Maire Martin is in doubt for next week as well. Michael Morgan continues to try his heart out, but the rapidly growing injury list looks like too much to overcome. The Storm were clunky at times, but good enough to get the job done, and continue to make it look like everyone else is playing for second.
Broncos on the Hunt
This column wondered last week if the loss of Andrew McCullough would spell the end of Brisbane's season. Well, we got the most emphatic answer possible in Saturday night's 54-0 thrashing of the Titans. Sure, the Gold Coasters offered very little resistance, but the Broncos could not have done any more, and the performance of Ben Hunt in the number 9 was remarkable. Three tries, and laying on a number more, was enough to prove that Brisbane are still capable of giving the competition a shake without their workhorse hooker.
Snakes and ladders
While some teams are making their runs at the perfect time, others are falling off the pace at a rapid rate. The Raiders, Panthers and Eels are all climbing the ladder, while the hapless Dragons are doing everything in their power to miss the top 8. Throwing away a two try lead in the last 5 minutes against the Rabbitohs, McGregor's men are now finding ways to lose when victory seems assured. If they happen to scrape into the finals, surely they are now just making up the numbers.
Heading quickly in the other direction are the Raiders. No team will be looking forward to meeting Ricky's men over the next few weeks, and their convincing win over the reigning premiers on Saturday night will give them a dangerous level of confidence. A massive forward pack and some dangerous outside backs have fans in the capital excited about what their boys might be able to do if they can squeeze into the top 8.
It was also a massive day at Brookvale for the Sea Eagles on Sunday. Down 18-4 at one stage, it looked like their recent run of losses was due to continue against the Chooks. But the Manly boys muscled up in the second half, and the Roosters couldn't compete physically, while Daly Cherry-Evans and the Trbojevic brothers started to run riot. This was a huge result for Manly, one that gets their season well and truly back on track, while also leaving a few question marks over the boys from Bondi.
What's next?
The logjam of teams positioned 2-10 means 7 of the 8 games next weekend could have a dramatic impact on the make up of the finals. The top of the table clash between the Storm and the Roosters is a possible Grand Final preview, and the Sharks will be looking to bounce back against the resurgent Broncos. The Raiders’ trip to New Zealand will be season defining, and there's a lot riding on the Panthers v Cowboys clash as well. It's a great time of year!
Enjoy your footy!
For the latest NRL Round 23 markets, click here.
Words: Cameron Stokes
