Graham Lowe: Eels' weekend of magic scores high for the NRL

Jarryd Hayne's 77th minute try on Sunday topped off a phenomenal weekend of entertainment. Photo / Getty Images

The 320 minutes of white-hot NRL semifinal football last weekend was as good an advertisement as league could ever get.

From the moment Storm fullback Billy Slater scored the first of his four tries just three minutes into the contest against Manly last Friday night until Jarryd Hayne's 77th minute try for the Eels against the Dragons on Sunday, the weekend had a magic look to it.

Slater's team went on with the job disposing of Manly 40-12 with a mixture of skill, grace, speed and power.

On Saturday the Broncos needed to be at their very best to hang on against the Gold Coast Titans 40-32. I thought the Broncos were lucky in the end.

The following game between the Bulldogs and the Knights was a reminder to all on just what the Bulldogs spirit really means.

At this stage it is impossible to pick who will win the Grand Final in three weeks' time. But it cannot be denied the Dogs have a spirit and tradition about them that under coach Kevin Moore makes them a big chance.

In many ways they are the ugly duckling of the remaining six teams. But Moore knows they don't have to play pretty. League should be about forwards backing each other up and there is not a team in the NRL who do that as effectively as the Bulldogs.

Their win over the glamorous Knights should send a shiver down the backs of the other five coaches still in the hunt.

Then the following day the Eels produced 80 minutes of moments that will now have them as favourites for the NRL title in the eyes of many.

The way they dealt to St George and the apparent lack of answers the home side responded with will be of great concern to the coaching master, Wayne Bennett.

The Eels' defence seemed unbothered by the stifling heat and handled a goal line bombardment in the opening quarter of the game by the Dragons with ease.

Bennett will be concerned his team seemed reluctant to make good use of the ball and field position they had, and they had plenty. He will know better than anyone that without a huge improvement, tomorrow night the Broncos will put them to the sword.

But it was the try by Hayne in the 77th minute that topped off such a phenomenal weekend of entertainment. He is a modern-day playing wonder and I'm sure NRL boss David Gallop would love to have the mould that made him.

Certainly during 2009 the actions of some NRL players have attracted headlines that have made most decent people cringe and ask why it happens in league. There is probably no one answer and there cannot be any excuse.

But watching the news from Friday night in Dunedin told me the NRL is not alone when it comes to the behaviour of some young people.

Many who were quick to put the boot into the NRL should think carefully about what is happening in our own intellectual backyard.

University of Otago vice-chancellor Professor Sir David Skegg said the weekend's events were "extremely disappointing", and the Undie 500 "must not occur again". Maybe Professor Sir David Skegg should have a talk to Gallop.

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