NRL:- Final Round review

By Stephen Gallagher

Storm 15 Broncos 8

A great way to finish the regular season – and a great way to start the finals run for Melbourne with a solid win over a bumbly Brisbane side. It was a pretty fair contest for the majority of the game, but the Melbourne side were just too strong in the end.

Roosters 30 Rabbitohs 0

Well, the Rabbitohs in my opinion are done for 2015. They were exhausted from the kick off and could not keep up – but in saying that the Roosters win their 12th straight and secure the JJ Giltinan Shield for the third year in a row – a remarkable feat. They left the Rabbitohs for dead early and it was one way traffic for the entire first half. They couldn’t crack the line in the second half, but neither could Souths.

Panthers 30 Knights 12

The battle of the wooden spoon went down, and the Knights take it with ease! A piss poor season that went down the gurgler about two months in. Penrith looked really on point, despite missing close to 10 regular first graders. Lots of youngsters and a couple of debutantes stepped up. A horror injury season ends for both teams.

Dragons 32 Tigers 30

Well…. Up 30-8 with 22 minutes to go it was dead and buried, the Dragons were off to the top eight finals for the first time since 2011! Well….. The Tigers had something to say. Piling on points to leave it 30-30 at the end of regular time – it was a Robbie Farah meltdown which costs the Tigers as their skipper wasn’t square at marker. The Dragons looking very average towards the end of the game. Lucky to win.

Cowboys 42 Titans 12

It was yet again another slow start by the Cowboys – the theme of their year. They have the coolest heads in the game however, and overcome any deficit. They put the knife in the Titans back and kept it in there for the second half. The Cowboys finish 3rd.

Raiders 28 Eels 24

It was a bloody topsy turvy game – The Raiders lead, Eels lead, Raiders lead, Eels lead. It went to Golden Point!! That’s where English hooker Josh Hodgson steps up to the plate – and takes a gap as wide as Sydney Heads and wins it for the Raiders to finish their season on a high!

Sea Eagles 14 Sharks 12

This was a testy match. It felt like finals football a week early. The Sea Eagles were gutsy and defended like their season was on the line – Cronulla really should have won this. They had a mountain of possession and territory but couldn’t convert. It was a bloody tough game.

Bulldogs 26 Warriors 22

The Bulldogs found a way to win – and that’s all you need to do. Find a way to win. The Warriors improved ten fold in this game, compared to their last three outings. It was their eighth loss in a row to end the season. Ouch. Bulldogs ready for the finals.

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