round 12

Sharks v Roosters: Kennedy back on deck; Tupouniua returns

At their best the Roosters are a force to be reckoned with but consistency has been an issue in 2022 with some stirring wins over the Cowboys, Broncos and Eels countered by losses to the Bulldogs and Dragons.

The Sharks, meanwhile, have settled into a groove under new coach Craig Fitzgibbon and have one of the form players in the NRL in Nicho Hynes leading them around in style.

A bumper crowd is assured at PointsBet Stadium on a Saturday night and the home side will go in as clear favourites to rack up an eighth win of the season.

Rabbitohs v Wests Tigers: Murray makes timely return ; Tigers lose Twal

Souths have already lost more games than they did all season in 2021 and their devastating left-side attack seems to have deserted them.

In contrast the Tigers have gradually found their feet and the inclusion of Brent Naden gives them another strike weapon out wide.

When the sides met in round seven it was the Tigers coming away with an upset 23-22 victory on the back of a late Luke Brooks field goal so Michael Maguire's men will have plenty of belief heading into Saturday's rematch.

Warriors v Knights: Tevaga shifts to prop; Clifford's NRL return

Leading 18-12 early in the second half the Warriors had put themselves in the box seat to notch a fifth win of the season but errors again proved costly and the opportunity was lost.

The Knights started well enough against Brisbane and looked to be dialled in but their hopes were dashed by a couple of controversial calls and a late Broncos stampede which blew the scoreline out.

Both sides will be desperate to turn their fortunes around and keep touch with the top eight and whoever controls the ball best and maintains their discipline will come away with the victory.

Broncos go top four after stunning comeback win

Gold Coast dominated the opening 30 minutes and led 24-4 at halftime but capitulated in the second half to concede three tries in six minutes as the Broncos stormed home.

The momentum shift coincided with the loss of halfback Toby Sexton and sin-binning of second-rower Sam McIntyre and centre Esan Marsters just before halftime.

Titans captain Tino Fa'asuamaleaui carried the ball for 177 metres from 17 runs in the first half and finished the match with a game high 261 metres from 23 carries, while making 32 tackles, but he had little support.

Panthers shut out brave Cowboys

However, the Cowboys confirmed they are genuine contenders with a gutsy defensive effort in which they made 425 tackles compared to just 318 by the premiers..

Lock Reuben Cotter made 63 tackles on his own, while rookie sensation Jeremiah Nanai and hooker Reece Robson made 51 each.

All but two members of Penrith's starting line-up carried the ball for more than 100 metres, headed by prop James Fisher-Harris (220m) and fullback Dylan Edwards (240m).

Broncos v Titans: Mam gets another run; Fifita back on deck

Even without chief playmaker Adam Reynolds the Broncos still got the job done in style in Newcastle to make it five wins on the bounce for the first time since 2017 and they look more like the real deal with each passing week.

Such is the confidence in the squad that Ezra Mam slotted in at halfback in the skipper's absence and did a fine job, the Broncos barely skipping a beat as they piled on six tries.

Panthers v Cowboys: Premiers rolling along; Feldt, JT sidelined

The Panthers have dropped just one game all season and have back-to-back premierships firmly in their sights while the Cowboys have risen from the ashes of 2021 to give themselves a legitimate shot at the club's second title.

Todd Payten's men boast the third best attack in the NRL behind the Storm and Panthers but it's their steel in defence that is most pleasing the coach, conceding just 12 points per game compared to 31 per game in 2021.

Munster steals the show as Storm get back on track

Munster will be a key man for Queensland on June 8 and his form in the opening game of Indigenous Round will have had Maroons coach and Storm legend Billy Slater licking his lips.

The Storm entered round 12 under pressure after two straight losses but they found their groove to run in five tries after an early one went begging when Felise Kaufusi's foot went into touch as he attempted to ground the ball.

Storm v Sea Eagles: Grant late withdrawal; Taufua back for Foran's 250th

Coach Craig Bellamy's biggest concern after the loss in Townsville was that the Cowboys had out-competed his men - something that rarely happens to the Storm and certainly won't happen again on Thursday.

Manly have also suffered consecutive losses and face the daunting prospect of being without superstar Tom Trbojevic for the remainder of the season after he dislocated his shoulder against the Eels.

Wins to Wigmen, Gurias, Mioks & Tigers

In the games in Port Moresby yesterday, Wigmen def. Waghi Tumbe 30-24 and Gurias def. NCDC Port Moresby Vipers 18-12.

Up in Wabag today, Mioks def. Bintangor Goroka Lahanis 16-14 and in Lae, Tigers def. PRK Mendi Muruks 12-6.