NRL Round 18 Recap
Round 18 saw another exciting draw for the National Rugby League last week. The Sydney derby between the Rooster and the Rabbitohs headlined the round while a high profile match between the Panthers and the Raiders did not disappoint.
Wests Tigers 15 Titans 14
A top of the table match-up saw the Wests Tigers up against the Titans. The Wests Tigers were able to lock up their second consecutive victory in what was a very tight match. Heading into half time Benji Marshal hit an amazing field goal from 50 metres out to make it 9-8 at the break. After the break both sides battled back and forth until Blake Ayshford was able to cross the line in the 67th minute extending the Tigers lead to 15-8. However, it only took the Titans two-minutes to match with a try of their own scored by Kevin Gordon. The game was sealed however when Marshall added to his total by notching two side line conversions and a penalty, for a 15-14 Tigers win.
Roosters 18 Rabbitohs 14
The headliner of the week was the derby between Sydney sides the Roosters and the Rabbitohs. The Roosters posted their first back-to-back victory since the first two rounds of the season. The Rabbitohs started out strong however by scoring the first try of the game only three minutes in, they followed up with a penalty scored by Chris Sandow which extended the lead to 8-0. The Roosters responded in kind with a Carney try, and the conversion making it 8-6. Perrett crossed the line after the break, and with a good conversion the Roosters took a 12-8 lead. A late charge by the Rabbitohs was all for not when Aubusson added another try late cementing an 18-14 Roosters victory.
Raiders 24 Sea Eagles 22
At the bottom of the table the Raiders managed to come out on top in what was a very close match against the Sea Eagles. The Canberra side managed to snap a four-match losing streak with the victory, and set themselves up to get back in the finals. In a match that was full of tries, adding up to eight with four from each side, it was the kicking that sealed the victory. The four conversions by Jarod Croker ended up being the difference as the Raiders bested Manly 24-22.
Bulldogs 20 Storm 18
In a match that featured two of leagues bottom dwellers the Bulldogs pulled out a close one against the lowly Storm. The Storm still yet to earn a point during this year’s campaign could not make good against the Bulldogs despite a late try by Sika Manu and conversion by Cameron Smith. In the end a 73rd minute penalty by Bryson Goodwin turned out to be the difference in a 20-18 Bulldogs win.
Warriors 12 Panthers 6
The Warriors pulled off an upset with a victory over the Panthers on the weekend. The Warriors managed one more try than the Panthers courtesy of Manu Vatuvei in the 23rd minute. The match did not feature any scoring in the second half, and was incredibly hard fought the whole way through. A penalty converted in 8th minute by James Maloney helped the Warriors to a 12-6 victory over the Panthers.
Knights 21 Sharks 10
Yet another battle between two teams sitting at the bottom of the table took place between the Knights and the Sharks. The Knights outplayed the competition with a superb game from Kurt Gidley who notched two conversion and two penalties to go along with a Jarrod Mullen field-goal, all of which pushed the Knights to the 21-10 victory.
Eels 36 Cowboys 24
The Eels managed to push passed the Cowboys in the Monday night game this week. Not a conversion was missed in a 10 try game between the two sides. Jarryd Hayne scored three times for the Eels, the last of which came in the 65th minute to seal the 36-24 victory for the now 10th place side.
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