Recap | The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup - Round 25

Richard Becht, warriors.kiwi

Stung by last week’s narrow loss to Penrith Panthers, the One New Zealand Warriors took it out on the Parramatta Eels by savaging the visitors 54-4 in their Round 25 The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup clash at Trusts Stadium in Waitakere on Saturday.

Not that their day began well with fullback Taine Tuaupiki forced to leave the field with a leg injury received inside the opening minute of the match.

Tuaupiki couldn’t continue after being the victim of an alleged hip drop tackle which resulted in Parramatta prop Wiremu Greig being sin binned.

Down to 12, the Eels couldn’t stop the Warriors scoring as soon as play resumed as they struck through their right edge for the first of what would be a hat-trick for winger Edward Kosi.

Parramatta held firm for the next 15 minutes but the signs were evident that the Warriors were primed. And so it proved.

Tries to centre Morgan Harper, hooker Makaia Tafua and Kosi rained in between the 17th and 24th minutes to open up a 22-0 lead before the Warriors struck with the last play of the half. From a scrum on halfway impressive Luke Hanson – in his comeback from injury – sparked it with a lightning break, centre Moala Graham-Taufa on his outside to put left winger Sio Kali in.

At 28-0 the Warriors were charging, or should have been, but the halftime break slowed them up with the Eels managing to score their only try of the contest.

When the Eels were on attack again, the ball went loose, Tom Ale seized on it and shot clear up the middle of the park, slowing down to link with Kosi who bolted 60 metres for another wonderful try to complete his hat-trick.

Four more tries followed first through Kalani Going and Graham-Taufa and then a double to the just re-signed Kayliss Fatialofa who took his season tally to 14.

That brought up the 50 emphasising the Warriors’ dominance this season, notwithstanding last week’s loss.The fact is they put 54 points on the competition’s second-placed side to open up an incredible 10-point gap at the top of the table. In doing so they have scored 777 points and conceded just 374, a staggering points differential of 403.

They finish their regular season campaign against the Knights in Newcastle next week.

Penrith Panthers v St George Illawarra Dragons

Dragons pip the Panthers to snatch second spot 

Stewart Moses

The St George Illawarra Dragons have fought their way to an improbable 31-30 win over the Penrith Panthers having trailed for all but 75 minutes of the game at St Marys Stadium this afternoon. 

The Dragons trailed by 12 points on at least three occasions, infact at one point during the second half trailed by 16 points. But the game turned on its head in the 65th minute when Panthers centre John Fonua was sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle, which gave the visitors the space to score 13 unanswered points to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The Panthers now need to win their game next week against the Canberra Raiders to ensure their qualification for the Knock-On Effect NSW Cup finals.

The Panthers opened the scoring in just the 4th minute of play when a sweeping backline move allowed centre David Fale to dummy outside and crash over in the north west corner, converted by Jack Cole.

The home side doubled their lead in the 9th minute when half Soni Luke broke the line from halfway before putting in a deft kick for winger Asu Kepaoa to score in the north-east corner.

With their first attacking foray inside Penrith's 20, the Dragons opened their account opting to shift play on the last, taking play out to the right where a 2 on 1 situation was created for the centre Haele Finau to score out wide and with Glover's conversion from the sideline, the Panthers' lead was cut in half to 12-6 after 19 minutes.

The Dragons' option to restart play with a short goal-line dropout backed fired for the visitors when fullback Daine Laurie pounced on the loose ball to regather and score from close range to extend the lead back out to 12 three minutes out from the break.

Rampaging forward Ben Murdoch-Masila produced a barnstorming run from 20m out to crash his way over underneath the posts with the last play of the half to again reduce the gap to six, trialing 18-12.

As they did in the first half, Penrith sprinted out of the blocks with two quick tries to setup their biggest lead of the game to date, 28-12, inside the opening 15 minutes of the second half. The first of those tries came when two quick plays deep inside the Dragons 20 enabled hooker Luke Sommerton to take advantage of a fast play the ball to dive between the markers and score near the posts.

That was quickly followed by a try to back-rower Zac Lipowicz, after the Panthers opted to run play on the last shifting play from one end of the field to another.

The Dragons hit back four minutes later when Glover sliced through the right edge defence from deep inside his own half, before finding fullback Cody Ramsey backing up inside to score underneath the posts to reduce the gap to ten trailing 28-18 with 24 minutes remaining. 

A simple penalty goal to Jack Cole midway through the half gave the Panthers their fourth 12 point lead of the game before drama unfolded that changed the course of the game.

Panthers centre John Fonua was placed on report and sent to the sin bin following a high tackle on Cody Ramsay from a kick chase. It was the invitation the Dragons needed as the visitors proceeded to cut the Panthers defence to pieces in the ensuing ten minutes with halfback Lachlan Ilias scoring a double, the second a long range effort following a break from Ramsay, to  level the scores with six minutes and still a man up.

The halfback completed the comeback, nailing a 35th minute field goal to put the visitors in-front for the first time in the game 31-30 with four minutes remaining.

But the Panthers looked set to steal the game when Jack Cole created an overlap for his outside backs and produced a brilliant flick pass for Fonua to catch and score but the centre's unhappy afternoon was complete when he couldn't control the ball on the tryline and the opportunity and potentially Penrith's season went begging, with the Dragons hanging on for a 31-30 win that sees them leap frog the Eels into second spot with one round remaining before the finals.

Talking Points

• Penrith came into this clash knowing that a win would all but seal a spot in the finals as well maintain fourth spot going into the final round.
• The home side was also looking to atone for their last two defeats at the hands of the Dragons, the most recent being their Round 15 loss 38-6.
• The Panthers came into this game with the inclusions of Luke Sommerton and Luron Patea but were missing the likes of Paul Alamoti, Brad Schneider and Trent Toelau.
• The Dragons conversely came this clash with the dangerous combination of Cody Ramsay, Lachlan Glover and Lachlan Ilias and all three along with ex-Panther Ben Murdoch Masila, played big roles in the Dragons' comeback win.

Key Moment

Without a doubt, the sin-binning of John Fonua changed the game and potentially the Panthers' season on its head. Leading 30-18 at the time, by the time Fonua returned, his side trailed 31-30. To compound matters, Fonua had the chance to redeem himself with two minutes remaining but with the try beckoning, the Panthers centre could control a Jack Cole flick pass that would have won Penrith the game.

Next up

The Panthers now need to regroup and win against the Canberra Raiders next Saturday at GIO Stadium while on the same day, the Dragons can secure a top two spot should they defeat the Bulldogs at Belmore Sports Ground.

Western Suburbs Magpies v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

Magpies Mauled by Ferocious Bulldogs

Ellery Behan

Game Summary

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs dominated their way to a 40-18 victory over the Western Suburbs Magpies at Lidcombe Oval on Saturday afternoon, with the win leapfrogging them over their opponents on the ladder.

The Bulldogs were on the attack early, crossing the line through Blake Wilson but failed to open the scoring as the play was called back for a forward pass. Weathering the storm, it was the Magpies who managed to drew first blood as Kurt Falls provided an early ball out the back to Heamasi Makasini whose blistering speed and strong right-arm was too much for his opposite man. Falls converted from out wide to put the Western Suburbs ahead by six.

But it wasn’t long before the visitors hit back, with Toby Sexton floating a cross-field kick towards the try-line that deflected into the hands of Jed Reardon, finding a charging Jack Todd on his outside who blew bast desperate defenders and dived over. Sexton added the extras to lock the contest up at six-all.

A piece of masterful ball playing from the Bulldogs halves gave them their first lead of the afternoon. Sexton linked up with Drew Hutchison on the left edge who shaped to pass out the back, causing the Magpies defenders to rush up in an attempt to shut down the move. But Hutchison played the short ball to a charging Logan Spinks who put on a show of speed to beat the fullback to the try line. Sexton slotted the conversion for a 12-6 advantage.

With the wind in their sails, the Bulldogs went the length of the field on the resuming set after kick-off to score their third try in 12 minutes. The blue and white were willing to attack from anywhere, and a left-foot step from Spinks saw him find some space 30 metres out from the Magpies’ line. As defenders dragged him down from behind, he flicked an offload into the path of Cassius Tia who had open pastures in front of him. Sexton converted with ease from in front of the sticks to establish a 12-point buffer for the Bulldogs at half time.

An error coming out of their own end proved costly for the Magpies, with the visitors taking full advantage of the attacking territory as a shift out wide to Jonathan Sua saw him fool a defender with a dummy and then carry another one across the line as he planted the ball down for his 13th try of the season. Sexton steered the conversion between the uprights to put the Bulldogs well and truly in the box seat at 24-6. 

It seemed as though the floodgates had opened for the Bulldogs, scoring their fifth and sixth tries of the afternoon in quick succession through Jethro Rinakama and Lipoi Hopoi. Sexton’s faultless outing off the kicking tee continued, slotting both kicks to tally up 36 points for the blue and white.

But the Magpies managed to snatch one back, with a clever play from Kit Laulilii who charged up his run on the left side of the ruck before appearing on the right at full speed, steamrolling would-be tacklers before planting the ball down. Falls’ successful conversion made it 36-12 with 19 minutes on the clock. 

Both sides crossed the stripe once more before the hooter, and the contest concluded with a convincing 40-18 triumph in favour of the Bulldogs.

Talking Points

• It was an impressive team effort from the Bulldogs, with each player fulfilling their role with precision and persistence and the try-scoring being shared amongst the group.
• The contest was a stark contrast to their Round 14 clash at Accor Stadium – a 13-try thriller that ended in a 34-all draw.
• Young stars Kit Lualilii and Heamasi Makasini were standouts in a losing side, with Laulilii’s power and leg speed through the middle making him a nuisance for defenders and Makasini’s impressive athleticism in the backline drawing plenty of attention.
• Magpies’ winger Izaac Tu’itupou was on the receiving end of a high tackle early in the contest. He failed his HIA, ruling him out of next week’s match and forcing the home side into a backline reshuffle.

Key Moment

On the attack and with the opportunity to halve the 12-point deficit in front of them early in the second half, the Magpies lost their bearings and coughed up possession. The Bulldogs took the ball the length of the field in the next set, and then another untimely error from the Magpies handed their opponents a golden opportunity to extend their lead. A right-side shift saw the blue and white cross the line for the fourth time, turning a try-scoring opportunity for the Magpies that could have propelled them back into the contest into an even larger lead for the visitors.

What’s Next?

The Bulldogs will be hosting the high-flying Dragons at Belmore Oval on Saturday afternoon, whilst the Magpies will travel to Wentworth Park to lock horns with the Roosters.

South Sydney Rabbitohs v Canberra Raiders

Raiders keep finals hope alive against Bunnies

George Alakiki

Game summary

The Rabbitohs showed fight in their final outing of the 2025 Knock On Effect NSW Cup, pushing the Canberra Raiders all the way in Round 25 before the visitors sealed a 38-22 win to keep their finals hopes alive.

It was the Rabbitohs who struck first courtesy of a flying winger Haizyn Mellars, who found himself on the end of a pinpoint kick from halfback Matthew Humphries (4-0).

But the Raiders hit straight back moments later when five-eighth Adam Cook scooped up a poor pass on the ground and showed his footwork skills before putting Jensen Taumoepeau over the line to even up the scores (4-4). 

The Rabbitohs though soon found space down the wing in Mikale Ravalawa, looking back inside to see Humphries who tipped the ball to his fullback Ammaron Gudgeon to jump back in front. A well worked play down the right hand side shortly after also gave Ravala his first in the corner (14-4).

Humphries was at it once again, this time with the boot as a deft grubber into the in goal bounced up perfectly for second rower Javvier Pitovao, sending the Rabbitohs up 20-4 going into the sheds.

But a kick out on the full to start the second wasn’t the best move out the gates from the Bunnies, opening the door for Cook to find prop Mitchell Prest with a short ball to bring the Raiders back to within 10 points (20-10).

The comeback was on with another short ball close to the line, this time through the hands of halfback Ethan Sanders to prop Noah Martin crossing for his 13th try of the season (20-16).

A Humphries penalty goal did little to stop the inevitable, as a dummying Ethan Sanders cracked the Rabbitohs line to put Joe Roddy away under the post to level up the scores (22-22).

It wasn’t long before the Green Machine finally took the lead for the first time thanks to Trey Mooney, who crossed untouched off a smart ball from Malachi Smith to go six ahead (28-22).

Two more tries through Cook and fullback Chevy Stewart sealed the deal, the Raiders running away with the game 38-22.

Talking points

- A shining light in a resilient Canberra performance, Matty Nicholson’s return was a valiant effort that didn’t go unnoticed.

- It was a battle of the halfbacks with Matthew Humphries in the first half and Ethan Sanders in the second. Humphries conjured three try assists and orchestrated the Rabbitohs across the park, with Sanders notching up two of his own.

- Sean Packer limped off early in the second half for the Raiders. With heavy strapping already on the hooker’s knee, it’s yet to be seen if he’ll have a part to play in their final regular game of the season.

Key moment

Going ahead for the first time in the game, Chevy Stewart sought to put the sword to South Sydney and was almost over the line before being wrapped up. But in a moment of brilliance, the determined fullback  produced a miracle flick pass over a defender to send Adam Cook over and take the game out of reach for the Rabbitohs.

What’s next?

Canberra head into the final round of the regular season with everything to play for at home against the Panthers, both looking for a potential spot in this year's finals series, while the Rabbitohs season is over with the bye next round as they claim last place.

Sydney Roosters v Newcastle Knights

Conversion woes cost Roosters as Knights claim victory

Anthony Eltarraf

Game summary

The Sydney Roosters and Newcastle Knights put on a thrilling contest at Wentworth Park, with the visitors edging out a 28-24 win in a game that ebbed and flowed right until the final whistle.

The Roosters struck first when Toby Rodwell threw a pinpoint cut-out pass to his brother Tom, who slid over in the corner. Toby couldn’t add the extras, leaving the score at 4-0.

Newcastle hit back six minutes later through a brilliant offload from Cody Hopwood that sent Lachlan Crouch crashing over under the posts. Jackson Hastings converted to give his side the lead, and moments later the Knights went back-to-back after a short drop-out from the Roosters fell straight to Matthew Arthur, who linked with Wilson De Courcey to score on the right edge.

At 12-4 down, the Roosters needed a spark, and Reece Foley provided it with a line-break that set up quick ruck speed. From there, Ethan King sliced through the short side to close the gap.

But the Knights struck again, Haami Loza burrowing over after a Jacob Davis scoot to restore a 10-point margin.

Right on the stroke of half-time, King produced a brilliant solo effort, dummying and breaking the line before racing away for his second try. Despite both sides crossing three times, Newcastle’s perfect goal-kicking gave them an 18-12 lead at the break, with the Roosters left to rue three missed conversions.

The Roosters carried momentum into the second half, with King finishing off a left-side shift to complete his hat-trick and level the scores at 18-all. They then regained the lead when Jake Elliott put De La Salle Va’a through a hole to crash over.

But the Knights weren’t done. Slick hands found De Courcey for his second try, narrowing the margin to two, though Hastings’ first missed conversion kept the Roosters ahead.

The decisive moment came late, when Francis Manuleleua powered through the middle and got an offload away to Arthur, who quickly shifted to Kyle McCarthy. The centre dived over to seal Newcastle’s 28-24 victory, with Hastings adding the extras.

Talking points

- Neither side managed to control the game for long stretches, with momentum swinging constantly and both teams trading tries throughout.

- Ethan King was outstanding with three tries, including a stunning solo effort, but his heroics weren’t enough to drag the Roosters over the line.

- With five tries apiece, the Knights’ superior goal-kicking – capitalising on the Roosters’ three missed conversions in the first half – proved decisive.

Key moment

In a contest where both teams repeatedly exchanged the lead, the Knights’ final try sealed it. Francis Manuleleua’s powerful burst and quick offload to Matthew Arthur created the opening, before Arthur sent Kyle McCarthy over in the corner to lock up the win.

What’s next?

With their finals hopes effectively dashed, the Roosters will close their season at home against the Western Suburbs Magpies. The Knights also wrap up their campaign next week, hosting the ladder leaders – the Warriors.

North Sydney Bears v Manly Warringah Sea Eagles

Manly Warringah cruise to victory against North Sydney

Mason Cernoy

Game summary

In a classic Sunday afternoon at North Sydney Oval, the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles secured a comfortable 38-18 win, posting seven tries to the North Sydney Bears’ three.

It was a great start for Manly, who received a penalty on the first run of the game. When Simione Laiafi was held up over the line at the end of the set, itwas a sign of things to come for Manly, who spent the majority of the first half in attacking territory.

Before long, the Sea Eagles found their first points of the day when Hugo Hart busted through the line and offloaded the ball to Joey Walsh, who crossed the line with ease.

The Bears were back in hot water defending their line shortly after, but after a knock-on from Michael Chee Kam and a penalty conceded by Brandon Wakeham and Navren Willett, they got to start a set just five metres shy of halfway. Jake Toby took control and slung a great cut-out ball to Israel Ogden,who found some space and put a grubber through. After Manly tried to trap and scrap the ball it ended up back with the Bears who were now in prime real estate. With a full set in the red zone, Toby put another cut-out ball on a dime for Ogden and he levelled the scores.

The following period was tightly contested, with both sides working their way up-field and holding their lines. It wasn’t until Semisi Kioa made a big breakoff an offload that the momentum shifted in Manly’s favour once more. From there, Chee Kam burrowed his way over the line with plenty of traffic to move through.

From there, the flood gates started to open. In Manly’s next attacking raid, Willett seemed set to get wrapped up off the back of an uninspired shift, but against the odds he freed his arm and found Clayton Faulalo, who showed great skill to dive in the corner.

Late in the half, the Sea Eagles found a cherry on top when Willett produced a try of his own. Working off very limited space following another shift, he took to the air for a spectacular finish that sent the boys in maroon and white into the sheds with a 16-point lead.

North Sydney were determined to close the gap and fought hard in the opening stages of the second half, but Manly were doing a good job on shuttingthem out. The Bears also held strong holding the Sea Eagles out during this period, making for an arm-wrestle.

Neither side really got a leg up in the second half until Faulalo came up with an intercept whilst defending his line, and got wrapped up less than 10 metres out. As most of the Bears weren’t back onside yet, it was simply a matter of shifting the ball left, where Joey Walsh showed some dancing feet before hitting Chee Kam for his second of the afternoon.

Desperate to get themselves back into the contest, North Sydney were going for short restarts. Whilst they were successful, they didn’t result in any points for the Bears. After winning their

first, they were attacking Manly’s line, but Raymond Tuaimalo Vaega scooped a grubber up and went the length of the field to make it back-to-back Sea Eagles tries.

When Hugo Hart made it three straight tries in the set that followed, victory seemed too far out of reach for the Bears. Despite this, they still made sure to have a crack for the fans out at North Sydney Oval. They produced two tries late in the contest to give them something to cheer about, with Sean Vaivelata and Riley Meyn scoring late to soften the scoreboard. Full-time, 38-18.

Talking points

- Semisi Kioa had a blinder, busting tackles, breaking the line, or at the very least finding plenty of metres every time he ran the ball.

- The Bears’ new-look spine has been far from convincing. They seem to miss Kieran Hayman’s presence in the halves, whilst Jake Toby seems to be more effective from the fullback position.

- Joey Walsh was entertaining to watch this afternoon, taking any opportunity on offer to showcase his elusive footwork.

Key moment

Clayton Faulalo’s intercept in the second half was where the game was won. This play led to Chee Kam’s easy try on the next tackle, and off the back of the momentum Manly ran in two more tries in back-to-back sets. After these three tries in six minutes, there was simply no coming back for North Sydney.

What’s next?

With finals out of the equation for both sides, they both have the chance to deliver one more win for their home faithful and end their seasons on apositive note. The Bears are back at North Sydney Oval to host the high-flying Parramatta Eels, while the Sea Eagles host the Newtown Jets at 4 Pines Park.