Five and a kick: Benji's Tigers lost to Penrith, but did they actually win in the long run?
1. Tigers earning their stripes The Tigers played Souths last year when the Bunnies were at their very highest point. Tim Sheens coached them…
It was an entertaining first week of NRL finals, with two clinical performances and two upsets making the premiership puzzle that much harder to solve.
The Roosters looked untouchable in their 30-6 swatting of Souths, Parramatta re-wrote the record books against Brisbane with a whopping 58-0 demolition, Manly proved they can still be competitive without Tom Trbojevic and Martin Taupau after a convincing 28-16 win over the Sharks, but it was Canberra who stole the spotlight with their stunning 12-10 upset win over the Storm.
So, after a wild weekend of finals action, who was the biggest winner from it all?
Did Melbourne’s premiership chances go up in smoke after their qualifying final loss?
We got Roar rugby league expert AJ Mithen on the Game of Codes podcast to name Week 1’s biggest finals winner, before making a call on whether Melbourne can still win the premiership.
The implications of Melbourne’s loss are huge, with a Roosters-Storm grand final no longer on the agenda. Presuming Craig Bellamy’s side get past the Eels – which is no guarantee – they’ll need to knock off last year’s premiers in the preliminary final.
Visit our Game of Codes hub to catch the full episode and be sure to subscribe and review on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or wherever else you’re listening.
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1. Tigers earning their stripes The Tigers played Souths last year when the Bunnies were at their very highest point. Tim Sheens coached them…
It was like a blast from the past with the Broncos not only dominating on the scoreboard, but shades of past legends.
It had all been going so well. Canberra were by far the better side for ten minutes, with Jamal Fogarty giving the Brisbane back…
Simi Sasagi couldn't believe his luck as he strolled straight past Jaiyden Hunt, who should have made a better attempt at a tackle.
In wet conditions, the Broncos were making it extremely tough for 18-year-old Chevy Stewart in just his second game.
A hit in the face is not what the Brisbane fullback needed after recently returning from a broken cheekbone.