NRL

Match Preview: Cowboys v Dolphins

Both teams lost in Round 5, with the gritty efforts of the first month taking a toll on the Dolphins who have had their depth severely tested in recent weeks. Their loss to the Dragons was made even harder to take, with the side suffering another key injury in the halves, with Anthony Milford injuring his hamstring.

The Cowboys went down in a thriller against the Bulldogs, with a stunning Matt Burton field goal in golden point consigning the North Queensland side to their third loss of the season.

Match Preview: Bulldogs v Rabbitohs

Since the first Good Friday clash between the old rivals in 2007, there has been plenty of big moments, including the fiery 2015 encounter when Adam Reynolds and James Graham took centre stage as the Bunnies prevailed 18-17.

After celebrating his return to the NRL in the thrilling golden point win over the Cowboys on Sunday, club legend Josh Reynolds is set to play his first Good Friday match since leading the Bulldogs to a stunning 24-9 victory in 2017.

Munster, Coates guide Storm to win over lacklustre Roosters

In a match that was expected to be a close encounter given the battles between the two clubs in the past, it was the Storm who turned up to play in the greasy conditions to secure their fourth win of the season. 

Munster was at his electric best in the opening half as the Storm took advantage of a 12-man Roosters outfit for 10 minutes to take an 18-8 lead into half-time.

Both sides traded tries through Jaxson Paulo and Coates early before Victor Radley was sin-binned in the 28th minute for a late tackle on Munster. 

Sea Eagles and Knights can't be split in Mudgee try-fest

In what was the first drawn NRL match since Round 3 in 2020, the lead changed hands multiple times, with the Sea Eagles having appeared to have won the game after scoring three tries in the last 22 minutes, before Dom Young got over for his fourth try three minutes from time to force golden point. 

Both Daly Cherry-Evans and Jackson Hastings had wayward field goal attempts in golden point, but in the end a draw felt like the fitting result. 

Hunt runs hot as Dragons prove too good for Dolphins

After conceding 80 points in their losses to the Broncos and Sharks, the Red V discovered their defensive resolve to restrict the Dolphins to just two tries.

As is so often the case, skipper Ben Hunt was the driving force behind the victory with a try, seven tackle breaks and a try assist as the Dragons spoiled the party for rival captain Jesse Bromwich's 300th NRL game.

Dolphins winger Jamayne Isaako had a chance to open the scoring in the 12th minute after Jacob Liddle was penalised for a strip but the attempt sailed wide.

Brilliant Broncos heap more Payne on winless Tigers

The last time Brisbane started a season 5-0 was 1998, when they went on to win the inaugural NRL premiership with current coach Kevin Walters calling the shots in the halves alongside Allan Langer.

Playing in his 50th NRL game, Jordan Riki got the scoring started for the Broncos when he stepped past Luke Brooks to dot down for the ninth try of his career.

 

Match Preview: Dragons v Dolphins

Both teams went down in Round 4 in contrasting losses, with the unfancied Dolphins fighting to the last inch in their blockbuster 'Battle for Brisbane' derby against the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium.

The Dragons however suffered another second-half capitulation in their derby loss to the Nicho Hynes-inspired Cronulla Sharks, letting in seven tries in their 40-8 defeat.

Panthers pile on the points in rout of Raiders

While you wouldn't have known it by watching the second half, the game was closely contested through the opening 40 minutes, and the Panthers led by just seven points after a Sunia Turuva double and a Nathan Cleary field goal. 

But after an admirable first-half effort, the Raiders had no answer for what the defending premiers came out of the break with, as the Panthers found their attacking mojo and ran in seven tries to their opponent's one. 

Defensive grit paves way for Storm victory over Rabbitohs

With their side leading by eight inside the final 10 minutes, Grant and fullback Nick Meaney both produced tackles to save certain tries, headlining a gutsy effort from their side across the 80 minutes. 

In a high-quality contest at Accor Stadium, which saw both sides complete over 80 percent of their sets, tries were traded through the opening 10 minutes before the Storm eked out a 12-6 lead at the break.

Match Preview: Rabbitohs v Storm

Led by the inspirational Cameron Murray and the mercurial Cody Walker, the Bunnies fought back from 12-6 down at half-time to force the game to golden point where Lachlan Ilias came of age with the first field goal of his career.

The challenge for coach Jason Demetriou is to ensure his men harness the pride and passion that carried them to victory on Saturday night and can use it to their advantage against one of the benchmark teams of the past two decades.