Russell Packer of the Dragons charges forward against the Warriors. Photo / Getty Images
Russell Packer of the Dragons charges forward against the Warriors. Photo / Getty Images
In the final round before State of Origin impacts the competition we saw most of the big guns flex their muscles.
The league-leading Storm, Sharks, Broncos, Roosters, Dragons and Sea Eagles all collected wins.
Kiwi Watch Jason Taumalolo had a solid game against the Sharks - running for over 200m -but had to watch his side go down to the defending premiers on Thursday night.
The Warriors were abysmal in losing to the Dragons on Friday night. It would be hard to find too many positives to come from the match or to pick any players that stood out. Russell Packer enjoyed a strong game against his old side.
Manu Mau'u was dangerous for the Eels in their loss to the Raiders while Canberra winger Jordan Rapana impressed yet again.
Sio Siua Takeiaho and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves were strong for the Roosters in their win over the Bulldogs while Tohu Harris had a solid game for the Storm in their win over Souths.
The Dragons dominated the Warriors in Hamilton. Photo / Getty Images
Best Performance The under-strength Dragons continue to impress and they beat-up the Warriors in Hamilton on Friday. Sure, the home side was terrible and certainly contributed to the result but the Dragons were strong. Their forward pack might be as good as any team in the competition and the makeshift halves pairing of Josh McCrone and Kurt Mann did an admirable job filling in. When Gareth Widdop and Josh Dugan return the Dragons will take some beating.
Andrew Fifita was huge against the Cowboys. Photo / Getty Images
Standout Player Andrew Fifita was tremendous against the Cowboys on Thursday night. The big forward put in a strong showing at the perfect time with the Origin sides announced later today. He's a controversial figure but when he plays like he did this week, he would have to be an automatic selection in the Blue line-up.
The Panthers turned it around in the second half again. Photo / Getty Images
Key Moment Halftime in the Panthers v Knights fixture was the key moment. The Knights dominated the first half but, as they did a week earlier, the Panthers were able to turn it around in the second half and they eased to a comfortable victory. Panthers coach Anthony Griffin won't want to rely on big second half efforts every week - they also relied on the Warriors and Knights going off the ball - but the signs are there that the Panthers might be on the improve.
The Bulldogs had a crucial call go against them. Photo / Getty Images
Controversy It came in the Roosters v Bulldogs game. Bulldogs winger Brett Morris chipped ahead on the last tackle late in the game with his side trailing by six points. Roosters fullback Michael Gordon appeared to play at the ball and referee Gerard Sutton looked to signal six again but seemed to change his mind moments later on advice of the touch judge. Replays showed Gordon did play at the ball and Dogs coach Des Hasler asked for a review by the NRL after the game.
Team of the Week 1.Michael Gordon (Roosters) 2.Semi Radradra (Eels) 3.Taane Milne (Dragons) 4.Tim Lafai (Dragons) 5.Daniel Tupou (Roosters) 6.Kurt Mann (Dragons) 7.Mitchell Pearce (Roosters) 8.Andrew Fifita (Sharks) 9.Cameron McInnes (Dragons) 10.Junior Paulo (Raiders) 11.Tyson Frizell (Dragons) 12.Beau Scott (Eels) 13.Trent Merrin (Panthers) 14.Jack de Belin (Dragons) 15.Jake Trbojevic (Sea Eagles) 16.Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys) 17.Sam Burgess (Rabbitohs)
Mitchell Pearce turned it on against the Bulldogs. Photo / Getty Images
