Finals spots up for grabs, debut hat tricks and the wooden spoon settled, all that and more in this week’s Weekend Wrap.
Who Finishes Where
With a round to play we have 6 teams confirmed so to play in the finals. The Cowboys have top spot at the moment and a victory over the Titans or a Panthers loss (who play the Knights earlier in the day), would see them finish as minor premiers. Penrith of course need to win and hope the Cowboys lose to the Titans to finish 1st.
The rest of the top 4 is set with Brisbane to finish 3rd and Manly locked in at 4th after defeating the Roosters last Friday. The Roosters and Tigers will play finals with just placing to be settled in Round 26.
At the bottom of the 8, the Warriors are certain to play in the finals. A win over the Bulldogs cements their spot, while a 55 point loss to the Dogs and a Raiders win over the Eels is the only way the Warriors won’t play in their eighth straight finals series.
For Canberra it’s simple, win and they’re in. Lose, and the Bulldogs fate is in their own hands. Due to superior for and against, a Bulldogs win by any margin over the Warriors would see them leap frog the Raiders into 8th.
The Knights (who are 10th) are an extreme outside shot, needing to make up for their awful differential and have a bunch of results to fall their way.
My prediction? Cowboys, Panthers, Broncos, Sea Eagles, Tigers, Roosters, Warriors, Bulldogs.
Hat Trick Debut
It was a great debut for Cronulla’s Jack Rogers on Saturday. The third generation Shark scored a hat trick in his side’s 2-point loss. So, who else has bagged 3 tries in their NYC debut?
Ivory Coast-born winger Obed Karwhin did it earlier this year for the Tigers. He’s gone on to score 20 tries in 14 games so far in 2015. Dragons centre Izaac Thompson crossed the stripe three times in Round 1 last season. It happened twice in 2013, when Lindon McGrady scored a hat trick in his sole NYC game for the Bulldogs, while former Sea Eagle Suia Lapuaho got a triple on debut against the Titans.
The most tries on debut? 4 by Dragons fullback Matt Dufty. He did it in Round 1 2014, the same game Thompson got his hat trick.
Spoon Heads South
South Sydney upset the Broncos on Thursday but it wasn’t enough to get out of last place. While it was a disappointing season, the Rabbitohs put up a fight in a lot of their losses in 2015. Of their 16 defeats, 4 were by 2 points and 3 others were by less than 8. They’ve got wins over 4 current top 8 sides (Broncos, Roosters, Tigers and Raiders) and put 30 points on the first place Cowboys in Round 23. The Rabbitohs were sitting around mid-table after Round 12 before a 10 game losing streak resigned them to their first ever NYC wooden spoon.
Round 26’s Televised Games
Penrith v Newcastle – Pepper Stadium – Saturday, September 5
10:30am – FOX Sports 1
The Panthers bounced back from a shock loss to the Dragons with a big win over Canberra on Monday. They need to win here to stay in the minor premiership race. As noted earlier, Newcastle can technically still play finals football but they’ll need to win by about 30 points and hope the Raiders get beaten by the same and the Bulldogs lose too. So, they’ll be playing for pride here.
Parramatta v Canberra – Pirtek Stadium – Sunday, September 6
11:30am – FOX Sports 1
It’s not necessarily must win for Canberra, but they won’t have to sweat on the Warriors-Bulldogs game if they win here. Win and they’re in. The Eels looked good early against the Sharks last week before having to score in the final minute to win it. Zach Dockar-Clay plays his last NYC game for the Eels after 4 years in the competition. He’ll join the Panthers in 2016.
Team of the Week
FB Tom Trbojevic (MAN) [2 tries, 211m, 2 try assists, 5 tackle busts, 3 offloads, 1 line break, 3 line break assists]
WG Reuben Rennie (CBY) [1 try, 22m, 1 try assist, 3 tackle busts, 2 line breaks, 1 line break assist]
CE Siosifa Talakai (SOU) [2 tries, 193m, 10 tackle busts, 18 tackles, 1 offload, 2 line breaks]
CE Corey Harawira-Naeara (PEN) [1 try, 191m, 7 tackle busts, 1 offload)
WG Marcelo Montoya (CBY) [243m, 1 try assist, 5 tackle busts, 2 line breaks]
FE Irae Simone (SOU) [1 try, 186m, 8 tackle busts, 21 tackles, 1 line break]
HB Cooper Bambling (NQL) [2 try assists, 2 tackle busts, 1 line break assist]
PR Blake Lawrie (SGI) [2 tries, 203m, 4 tackle busts, 16 tackles, 2 line breaks]
HK Aaron Booth (SOU) [1 try, 1 try assist, 8 tackle busts, 32 tackles, 2 line breaks, 1 line break assist]
PR Liam Knight (MAN) [1 try, 232m, 2 tackle busts, 20 tackles, 1 offload, 1 line break]
SR Renouf To’omaga (CBY) [1 try, 143m, 1 try assist, 5 tackle busts, 32 tackles, 1 offload, 1 line break, line break assist]
SR Ryan James (SGI) [6 goals, 170m, 7 tackle busts, 25 tackles, 1 line break]
LK Hame Sele (SGI) [206m, 5 tackle busts, 21 tackles, 2 offloads]
BE Moses Leota (PEN) [1 try, 191m, 5 tackle busts, 16 tackles, 4 offloads, 1 line break]
BE Bayley Sironen (WST) [126m, 6 tackle busts, 39 tackles, 1 offload, 2 line breaks]
BE Jazz Tevaga (WAR) [152m, 1 try assist, 4 tackle busts, 42 tackles, 1 line break assist]
BE Alex Twal (PAR) [160m, 1 try assist, 1 tackle bust, 31 tackles, 3 offloads, 1 line break, 1 line break assist]
Random NYC Player of the Week
Antonio Winterstein Sydney Roosters 2008 (22 games, 8 tries, 32 points)
A New Zealand-born Logan Brothers junior, Winterstein attended Marsden High with future NRL stars Israel Folau and Chris Sandow. He joined the Sydney Roosters in 2007, playing for their Jersey Flegg side and later NYC side in the competition’s inaugural season. After 22 games and 8 tries, Winterstein returned to Brisbane joining the Broncos, where he made his NRL debut in 2009. In 2011, Winterstein joined his current club, the North Queensland Cowboys, where he has played over 100 NRL games. Selected for New Zealand’s Four Nations squad in 2010, Winterstein is also a Samoan international, with 6 caps.
18TH MAN 