With one week to go, spots in the top eight are still on the line, after yet another weekend with surprising results across the board, including one big blowout of a top-four side by another. Here are my NRL talking points from Round 24.

Manly will not win the premiership without Tom Trbojevic
Has the race to win the biggest prize in the game on the first Sunday in October just fallen to a four-team shootout?

When Tom Trbojevic left the field during the second half of Manly’s embarrassing loss to the Storm on Saturday night at home, Brookvale Oval held its collective breath.

And while scan results are not back at the time of writing, the signs don’t appear great for Trbojevic and the Manly camp, with Des Hasler stating to the press after fulltime that he had likely ruptured a pec.

That would rub him out for the remainder of the season and finals campaign, and even if it’s not as bad as it seems, he is still unlikely to take part in Manly’s first finals game.

Basically, it’s the worst result the Sea Eagles could have imagined at this time of year – get absolutely thrown out the back door by the Storm in a beatdown at home, and lose your best player to a likely long-term injury which, at its worst, may not only affect the finals this season, but the 2020 pre-season.

Trbojevic is integral to the Sea Eagles. From his defensive work, safety under the high ball, huge runs to start sets, excellent reading of the game to always be popping up in support, his positioning for attacking plays, or just the ability to chase Daly Cherry-Evans’ excellent high kicking game and put pressure on opposition back threes, he has it all.

And without him, Manly lose a huge chunk of what has made them who they are this season.

While they may not have won the competition even with Trbojevic, they were at least in a position to challenge those sides in the top four.

If they can turn games into a grind and out arm-wrestle them, then the Sea Eagles are still a chance of making something of the finals, but without Tom Trbojevic, they don’t have the X-Factor or skill to win this competition.

The Raiders might just need a week off
There is plenty to write about from Sunday afternoon’s thriller in the Shire between the Sharks and Raiders.

Everything from the Sharks goal kickers letting them down again, to the tenacity of both forward packs, to field goals being taken way too early and just how good it’s going to be to have suburban grounds back in the finals.

But the point I’m going to roll with is just how the Raiders might need a week off in Week 2 of the finals.

This is more of a hunch than anything else, and it’s certainly not the be-all and end-all, and in a game that goes to golden point, both teams are likely to be looking run off their feet by the end.

But the Raiders, for mine, over the last few weeks, have just looked a little on the tired side. This isn’t a criticism of the club, and their run of games recently, where they have had the Roosters, Storm, Sea Eagles and now the Sharks on the road is about as tough as it gets at this point of the season, so it’s hardly a surprise.

And there is no shame in it. This is a club who have played a high level for most of the season and are now almost certain of finishing in the top four.

But they must make the most of that top-four berth, or they could be out in straight sets, much the same way Parramatta were last year.

It looks like they may avoid a trip to Melbourne, but at this point, there won’t be much difference in playing the Storm or Roosters. Both are arduous tasks, and backing up a loss against either of those two against a confident winning side the following week under heavy pressure and fatigue will be a really tough ask.

2020 is make or break for Nathan Cleary
The Panthers 2019 season, even for the most pessimistic of Panthers fans, has fallen well short of expectations.

Coming into the season, making the top eight in the first year under new returned coach Ivan Cleary should have been the absolute bare minimum benchmark.

Making the top four should have been the primary aim.

And yet, with the exception of a fairly solid run during the Origin window, as well as the emergence of yet more fresh young talent at the foot of the mountains, the season has slumped from one disaster to the next, to the point where they are now destined to miss the finals.

That, at the start of the year, should have been an unthinkable, unimaginable scenario, and yet here we are. At their best, they have been a strong footy side, capable of matching it with the best.

However, the gap between their best and their worst has been large. Like an awkward person at a party, the best of the Panthers hid in the corner until the big guns went away for Origin, and then has sunk back to the corner when they returned.

While 2019 is going to be all but a write off after their awful loss to the understrength Roosters on Saturday evening, they can’t let that be the lasting legacy of a tough season.

First and foremost, Ivan Cleary stamped his authority as the boss. He had no problems dropping players and giving young fringe guys like Brent Naden, Brian To’o, Mitch Kenny and Liam Martin big opportunities and rolls to fill.

Those guys will all be better for the chances they have had throughout the season.

Secondly, Penrith need to realise they have had some crucial injuries at bad times. That’s footy and everyone gets them, but their depth heading into next season is looking better than what it did this season.

But the biggest point for the Panthers is Nathan Cleary.

While he has had an inconsistent season, he is on big money, a long deal and now has two Origin series under his belt.

With James Maloney saying Au Revoir and taking his leave to France, this has to be Nathan Cleary’s team next year. No ifs, no buts. What he dished up against the Roosters on Saturday suggests he isn’t ready to make that jump.

But he doesn’t have a choice. He will be partnered by a young guy in Jarome Luai, and must find a way to make this team his own.

If he doesn’t, 2020 will end the same way as 2019, and the Panthers administration might be looking for ways to rid not one, but two Cleary’s from the club.

What can Brisbane do in the finals?
There has been some fairly nonsense talk that the Broncos are “just making up the numbers” as the finals get underway next weekend.

Of course, there are still some scenarios where they could miss the eight altogether, but at this point, it seems fairly unlikely for that to happen, and of course, beating the Bulldogs next weekend will put them into September action no matter what.

So, taking it that the Broncos will make the finals, what can they do?

The big thing to remember here is that the finals are a completely new season.

Last year, the Dragons were given no chance and beat the Broncos in Brisbane (and yes, this whole point was just a poor excuse to bring that game up again).

But, back to more serious issues. The Cowboys were given no chance in 2017 and made the grand final after overcoming the Sharks in the first week.

There are more stories like that stretching back through the years, and while you’d be right to not expect the Broncos to go the journey, writing them off from winning in Week 1 would be madness.

There is no disputing they are getting things together at the back end of the year. The men from Red Hill are adapting to Anthony Seibold’s ways, their young forwards are growing in stature, and they have learned how to play with Anthony Milford at the back.

Some talk has been made about how the Eels are a dark horse for the competition, but the Broncos outplayed them for all of about the first hour on Friday night, and given they have now won three of their last four, as well as being competitive in the other one of those games, they are now learning how to compete and win games of rugby league.

The way Payne Haas has burst onto the scene and continued his rapid development has been impressive, while guys like Joe Ofahengaue and Tevita Pangai Junior are also starting to become consistent.

I’m not for a moment trying to tell you the Broncos can win the competition. That isn’t this year’s dream, even for the optimistic Broncos fan.

But their finals run in 2019, so long as they make it, will be crucial to the plight of the club in 2020 from a big-match experience point of view to their long list of young guns.

And if they can win a game, they will be all the better for it.

Do not doubt for a moment they can do just that.

Melbourne’s new spine can take them to the title
The Storm nursery just keeps on producing talent. When you have Scott Drinkwater leaving the club for an opportunity and Ryan Papenhuyzen forcing Jahrome Hughes into the halves and Brodie Croft out of the side altogether, you can be certain things are moving in the right direction.

However, there has been a noticeable change in the Melbourne attacking system since those changes came into effect last week against the Gold Coast Titans.

I was hesitant to write anything last weekend, because, at the end of the day, that was only beating up on the Titans, and even my Dragons can do that, although that comment may come back to bite next weekend.

But beating up on Manly at Brookvale in those circumstances with both Hughes and Papenhuyzen putting in excellent performances just goes to show Craig Bellamy knows what he is doing – who would have guessed, right?

It’s been hard to write anything critical about the Storm this year, given the way they have played, but the one that has popped up now and again is that they simply don’t have the extra gear with the footy that the Roosters do.

What we have seen over the last fortnight is that, with Papenhuyzen at the back, they do in fact, have that extra gear.

Relying on so many young guys in the finals will be tough, but if there is a coach who can keep them ticking, it’s Bellamy.

South Sydney still clunky, but make the statement they had to
While this was the second straight victory for the Rabbitohs, their trek to Auckland was the game where they made a statement they simply couldn’t wait any longer to make.

Sure, they still weren’t perfect. There was some general sloppiness and a period where Wayne Bennett’s side slacked off before halftime and let a couple of tries in, meaning the Warriors went to the sheds almost level despite an ordinary, conservative first half.

Good teams. Really good teams, that is, don’t do that.

But Souths probably aren’t in that category. They are only one rung down, and Friday’s win moves them closer to the top notion again, but they still have a lot to prove before the finals kick into gear, and their game against the Roosters next weekend as they try to lock up a top-four spot is of vital importance to the men from Redfern.

What we do know about the Rabbitohs is that they have the talent to win the competition.

Cameron Murray is the man to lead the way, but they are going to get Thomas and George Burgess back for September, as well as James Roberts, while Sam Burgess is also there in a strong forward pack.

But more importantly, the pack they had on Friday started playing direct once again. This is something they have failed to do during the tough times, and it’s hurt them, with Cody Walker and Damien Cook’s form falling away.

Their form is generated mainly by that ability to play fast, direct footy, and while beating the Warriors may not be the best indicator, going to Auckland is never an easy task, so for the Bunnies to start turning things around over there in ordinary conditions is a good sign.

Newcastle fans vote with their feet
Full disclaimer before we go any further: I get it. It was raining sideways, wet, windy, and playing a team who wouldn’t trouble most reserve grade sides at the moment.

So I get it. The crowd was always going to be fairly low by Newcastle’s usual standards.

But I hold major doubts that it would have been as bad as it was without all the rubbish that went on in the Hunter during the week.

We don’t need to go over it again. What happened to Nathan Brown, the board, the fans and between Brown and the players has already been discussed at length.

But no matter how untenable the position of Brown was going to be long-term, sacking a coach who has helped rebuild the club and have them in contention for the finals with important, live games still to play seems a crazy decision, and it obviously got on the wrong sides of fans in Newcastle.

Their lowest crowd in two decades, as well as the lowest ever on old boys day showed up to greet the side and watch their thrashing of the Titans in the ugly weather.

I would never pay out without reason on the Newcastle fan base, but when they have turned up like they have for years to watch their team try and fail time and time again to get off the bottom of the ladder, but then don’t turn up for a game which they could still make the finals on the back of just doesn’t make sense.

Newcastle fans don’t normally let a little bit of weather or poor opposition bother them, but apparently, a crazy decision from the board and lack of care for the fans in explaining it has got the goat up.

Roarers, what did you make of Round 24? Drop a comment below and let us know.

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