Match Report

Leading by just six as the closing minutes approached, it was only a Tyrell Sloan try just before full-time that secured victory for the visitors, who made 17 errors across the match and struggled to shake off PNG as a result. 

Despite fielding only a handful of players with NRL experience – in comparison to Australia who had eight World Cup winners and 12 players who appeared at Origin level this year in their squad – PNG were right in the contest for the first hour and had Australia sweating before their late flurry of points. 

Lining up against the side he spent the first two seasons of his NRL career with for the first time since moving back to his junior club, Walsh was immense with ball in hand and inflicted much of the damage in front of a crowd of 52,273 at Suncorp Stadium. 

The 21-year-old Queensland star's class and confidence was more evident than ever as he shook off an early intercept – which gifted Dallin Watene-Zelezniak a 60-metre runaway try – to set up three tries and lay on six line breaks for teammates, before leaving the field for an early rest with four left to play. 

After finishing last season in 15th place the Warriors have produced a remarkable turnaround in 2023 and are now just 80 minutes away from a first grand final appearance since 2011.

A mistake by Knights winger Greg Marzhew in the opening set of the game opened the door for Shaun Johnson to lay on a try for Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, who left Bradman Best in his wake to make it 4-0.

The Roosters led 13-12 with less than two minutes to play but the Storm stole the final moments when a Cameron Munster crossfield kick ended in the hands of a leaping Warbrick, bringing 19,000 fans to their feet in Melbourne.

The victory booked the Storm a spot in their eighth preliminary final in the past nine seasons, setting up a 2020 grand final rematch against reigning premiers Panthers at Accor Stadium.

After extra time was required to separate the two sides, who were tied at 28-28 at the end of normal time, it was a Hudson Young penalty for offside which presented Ponga with the chance to kick his side to a 10th straight victory and confirm a showdown with the Warriors in Auckland on Saturday.

It was a finals game without precedent, marred by an allegation of biting made by Tyson Gamble against Jack Wighton, but which will be defined by so much more.  

Across an 80 minutes in which they had to overcome the second-half sin-binning of captain James Tedesco and the loss of backline stars Joseph Manu and Joseph-Aukuso Suaali'i to injuries, the Roosters charged down two field goals in the dying minutes which would likely have sent the game to golden point, after Walker had put them in front with a clutch drop goal. 

Making it all the more impressive, Walker was playing through an ankle injury which earlier in the game had him in visible discomfort. 

With James Fisher-Harris laying the line for superstar Nathan Cleary to take control of proceedings, the Panthers had the match well in hand when they led 20-0 at half-time.

Penrith struck the first blow in the fifth minute when Cleary went to the line and found prop Moses Leota who sent a perfectly timed long pass out to Brian To'o for his 18th try of the season. Cleary converted for a 6-0 lead.

Trailing 20-0 with seven minutes remaining at Suncorp Stadium, the Storm had Papenhuyzen taken from the field on a medicab after he came reeling out of a tackle in agony.

With Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan providing the muscle and Reece Walsh the magic, the Broncos snapped a 14-game losing run against the Storm to earn themselves a week off.

Early mistakes by Nick Meaney and Eli Katoa put the Storm under serious heat and the Broncos capitalised through Kotoni Staggs, who left four defenders in his wake on a powerful charge to the tryline. 

Trent Robinson's side now face a nervous wait with the Cowboys and Sharks upcoming matches set to determine their finals fate. 

Jason Demetriou's men were in the arm-wrestle for majority of the match however an early reshuffle exposed too many cracks in their defence and attack as South Sydney drew the curtain on a disappointing end to their 2023 season.

Seven minutes into the match the Roosters struck the first blow when Alex Johnston fumbled a Walker cross field kick and stand-in centre Corey Allan pounced on the ball in goal. Joseph Suaalii's conversion was wide.

Despite a disappointing end to the season, having fallen out of finals contention, Anthony Seibold's side gave their home fans something to cheer about in the final round with young guns Tolutau Koula and Haumole Olakau'atu running riot and making a big statement for the 2024 season.

Trbojevic made it a milestone match to remember when he went over in the 57th minute for his first try since Round 22 last season, thanks to star halfback Daly Cherry-Evans.