The Synopsis - NRL Round 13

Broncos v Sea Eagles

With tries to Justin Hodges, Ben Hunt, Daniel Vidot and Anthony Milford, Brisbane led Manly 20 - 6 at half time - and so they should have. With 64% of the possession and 91% completions, the Broncos had all the tools needed to win and win easily. The Sea Eagles grabbed a try at the 38th minute and went into the sheds hoping that the second half would be a bit more balanced.

Four minutes into the 2nd half, Brett Stewart crossed for a try and the Sea Eagles (it seemed) were back in the match. Possession and field position see-sawed for the next 10 minutes, but the huge work load from the first half, started to tell. First Vidot and then Milford crossed for their 2nd tries and when Jack Reed scored for the Broncos in the 68th minute any faint hint of a Sea Eagles comeback was extinguished. Replacement goal kicker Jordan Kahu grabbed a try for himself taking his total for the night to 16 points. Brisbane Coach Wayne Bennet had rested regular kicker and representative work horse Corey Parker, and must have been very pleased with the 44 - 10 final score.

Last week Manly went close to defeating the Cowboys, but as I noted they were their own worst enemy, missing 40 tackles and dropping the ball 9 times, making life much easier for the home team. Commentators and tipsters alike expected a similar effort by the Sea Eagles tonight. Well, in one sense they got it. Brisbane with 61% of the ball cut them to shreds. Manly missed 30 tackles, made 14 errors and conceded 6 penalties. They remain in 16th position on the ladder.

Tigers v Titans

Anyone who said that the Gold Coast Titans might be deflated by Daly Cherry-Evans ripping up the three year contract he'd signed earlier in the year were forced to eat their words, as the Titans tore into the Tigers from the first minute. Tries to current halves, Aidan Sezer and Kane Elgey came in the 10th and 18th minutes. The NRL's fastest man, Titans James Roberts, scored their third try two minutes from half time and the score was 16 - 2.

A penalty goal and then a field goal, both kicked by Titans Aidan Sezer, were the first two scores in the 2nd half stretching the score to 19 - 2. Radio and TV Commentators alike were perplexed by these two decisions, as the Titans seemed to be very much on top with more tries in the offing and neither goal changed the maths. The Tigers needed three tries to overhaul the visitors before and after the two goals.

Comically, for the 7000 fans at Leichardt oval, Titans winger Anthony Don caught the kick off and then put his foot dead, when everyone except him seemed to know it needed to be done the opposite way to get his team the penalty. Instead they were forced to concede possession via a drop-out and as they say, ‘all hell broke loose'.

With the first set in possession Chris Lawrence scored for the Tigers. Team-mate James Tedesco scored four minutes after that and Chris Lawrence crossed again four minutes later. With conversions by kicking wizard Pat Richards, the Tigers scored 18 points in 8 minutes and now led 20 - 19. The Titans were shell-shocked. The local fans were ecstatic and the commentators were still referring back to those two goals. The last 12 minutes were nail biters for all concerned and the rugby league gods must have a sense of humour because they allowed Titans winger Anthony Don to score the try that (with conversion by Sezer) gave the Titans a 5 point lead. A penalty goal for dangerous contact gave the Titans a 7 point buffer and that much maligned 57th minute field goal ensured that the Titans would not be overhauled again. Titans 26 - Tigers 19

Newcastle v Canberra

The arrival in Canberra of the former Wests Tigers no.6, Blake Austin was unheralded by the rugby league press. He had been playing in the Tigers NSW cup team and although his name was included in the list of Raiders ‘Gains' Sam Williams and Mitch Cornish were to be the halves combination in Ricky Stuart's team. Inconsistent form and injury gave him his chance and six weeks later, commentators and Raiders fans are talking about him being the buy of the year. So much has his influence on Canberra's football grown in importance, the Daily Telegraph this morning revealed the Newcastle Knights brains trust had done extra homework on him prior to today's match at Hunter Stadium.

"He's the one that we watched some video on this morning. We'll need to be aware of where he his and make sure we don't fall for any dummies and talk (presumably to each other - ed) when he has the ball and when he's around the footy", Knights Captain Kurt Gidley was quoted in the story by Barry Toohey.

I need to report that news of this extra homework only makes what happened in the match even more perplexing for onlookers and embarrassing for the Knights defence - because Blake Austin still did those things Newcastle wanted to stop him doing. He scored the two tries (55th and 61st minutes) that finished any chance of a 2nd half Newcastle revival. He also laid on the first Raiders try for winger Edrick Lee. He seemed to break the line at will and contributed to the defence with 18 tackles. Blake Austin was awesome and with his forwards, especially David Shillington, providing the power up-front the Raiders 44 defeated Newcastle 22.

Rabbitohs v Warriors

The Warriors went to Perth having never won over there. The Rabbitohs arrived in town having been flat for a month, but winning matches, just the same. The Warriors had won three matches in a row and it seemed been getting better each week.

The first quarter of the match was fairly closely fought and despite opportunities for both the score was just Rabbitohs 8 - Warriors 4 after the NZ team scored in the 26th minute. The loss of captain Simon Mannering to the concussion protocol at the 35th minute was a blow to the Warriors and in the 5 minutes before half time, the Rabbitoh's scored two tries to lead 22 - 4.

The Warriors never recovered from their defensive lapses before half time. South Sydney scored tries in the 51st, 62nd and 75th minutes and racked up a 36 - 4, victory. It's been a tough 12 weeks for the Premiers, since they defeated the Broncos 36 - 6 in Round 1 but they find themselves in the top 8, where everyone figured they belonged and well on the path to, back to back premierships, the hardest assignment of all.

Penrith v Melbourne

Ten errors in the first half with a 50% completion rate were the telling statistics for the Penrith Panthers as their patched up NRL team took on the visiting Melbourne Storm. Without Jamie Soward, Matt Moylan, Josh Mansour and the Jennings brothers Peter Wallace was left to try and organise the offence on his own. Melbourne were able to manage their defence by simply putting most of their effort, on the side of the ruck, where he stood. The half-time score was Melbourne 18 - Penrith 0, after two tries to Blake Green and one to substitute fullback Cameron Munster. Cameron Smith converted all three.

It must be said that Melbourne also had three players, Billy Slater, Kurt Mann and Marika Koroibete who were selected earlier in the week, pull out before kick-off. Their rearranged backline coped well and although the 2nd half was a dull affair, Melbourne did the job they came to Pepper Park to do, that is, win and put last week's big loss to Eastern Suburbs behind them.

Cameron Smith kicked a Penalty Goal in the 48th minute and that was the only addition to the half-time score.

Despite working with only 42% possession Penrith were entertaining at times, but they made far too many errors. Eighteen (yes 18) times they dropped the ball, creating a completion rate of just 50%. (The worst completion rate for any club, in any round, so far in 2015.) Despite missing 22 tackles, which is average for an NRL team they were able to prevent Melbourne from crossing their line again, after the 38th minute try to Green. Jamie Soward's absence was also reflected in the respective kick meters gained by each team. Melbourne gained 540 metres with kicks and Penrith, a paltry 132 metres. Final score Storm 20 Panthers 0.

Sharks v Roosters

No one who follows the NRL closely could have predicted the outcome for this match. Cronulla and Eastern Suburbs had this Sunday afternoon to themselves. Last week, the Roosters had defeated the Storm (easily) and the Sharks had been beaten (easily) by the Dragons. The bookmakers and sports-betting agencies agreed that the Roosters were heavily favoured to win.

Despite this, ten minutes into the match, Penrith CEO and Channel 9 Commentator Phil Gould said that the Roosters had "sailed into the Bermuda Triangle". Apparently Shark Park on a sunny Sunday afternoon when you are playing the team from the Shire, with the Sharks expected to lose, creates an abnormal atmosphere. He was right.

The Roosters who average around 20 missed tackles each week, missed 35 against the Sharks. They average around 10 errors per week but against the Sharks they made 20 - some at critical times in their own red zone. Most weeks the Roosters make around a dozen offloads, this week as they struggled to breach the Shark defence they offloaded 20 times. Their kicking game was off too. On average they gain 340 metres from kicks, this week it was down around 280. Possession went around 57% to the Sharks. Roosters Coach Trent Robinson must have been perplexed. Nothing he planned for went right. His team usually scored 4 or 5 tries per match. This week they managed just 1. The Roosters played like a team that was lost and confused, as if they had "sailed into the Bermuda Triangle". The first match between these two teams, in Round 5 was an ambush. The high flying Roosters lost 12 - 20 and whatever the Sharks learned that day, they put into operation again on Sunday afternoon. Final Score Sharks 10 - Roosters 4.

Bulldogs v Dragons

A high flying Dragons team arrived at ANZ Stadium to take on the Bulldogs, who even their staunchest fans would admit, have not been winning according to the plan. I went along to sit with a bunch of Bulldog fans, so I could say, (if I was ever asked), that I had experienced the sort of passion for their team, that sometimes boils over in the kennel. Well it's always good when your team wins and I left at the end of the match with backslapping and smiley faces all round.

The first 40 minutes were gone in a blur and the Bulldog defensive effort was much stronger than in previous weeks. With a two tries to one (10 - 6) half time score, Bulldog fans were happy but apprehensive. When the Dragons scored 6 minutes into the 2nd half and again 10 minutes later, the silence amongst the Blue and White fans was deathly. It was Dragons 16 - Bulldogs 10 and one question on many lips, was; "when is Coach Hasler going to use Josh Reynolds?" Although for many fans they weren't that polite and attached some of the Australian adjectives that they knew when describing their head coach. At the 59th minute Josh Reynolds replaced his halfback partner Trent Hodgkinson and the Bulldogs never looked back. The noisy home crowd and Reynolds arrival lifted the Bulldogs and when, three minutes later Tim Lafai scored an extraordinary try and Moses Mbye converted, it was 16-16, with 18 minutes left on the clock.

Amazingly the big Bulldog forwards who had wilted in the backend of the last three matches seemed to gain strength and power. Frank Pritchard and Sam Kasiano were huge as they pounded their way into and sometimes through the Red V defence. In a sport, where the slick runners and light steppers seem to get all the glory, the Bulldog forwards starred in the last quarter of the match. Tim Browne and Sam Kasiano scored a try each and the match finished Bulldogs 29 - Dragons 16.

Eels v Cowboys

Going to half time with a commanding 24-6 lead, the Eels would have been confident of coming away with the win against their more favoured counterparts. Instead, what happened was a collapse of epic proportions.

After winning nine games on the trot, the Cowboys could be forgiven for starting slowly - however their first 50 minutes were worse than slow. Corey Norman controlled the game for the Parramatta side, crossing for a try himself, and setting up another. The Cowboys looked tired and listless, and failed to improve after half time, with the Eels extending their lead thanks to a Semi Radradra try in the 45th minute.

Then the game changed.

The Cowboys, renowned in 2015 for their second half performances, stepped it up a gear. Johnathan was instrumental, setting up try after try, and the Eels could do little more than sit by and watch. A triple to Gavin Cooper in the space of 7 minutes capped a remarkable comeback for the Cowboys, who took the lead in the 69th minute, and held on for the win. Final score, Eels 30 - Cowboys 36.