Round 4

While a Daly Cherry-Evans field goal sunk Canterbury at a sodden 4 Pines Park on Sunday night, the Storm dodged a similar fate when Mitch Moses's attempted one-pointer hit the post - only for forward Ray Stone to scoop up the loose ball and win the game with a try (sadly tearing an ACL in the process). 

Melbourne's third home game in as many weeks - after none since las April presents a great opportunity to return to the winners' circle.

Prop Tom Gilbert, second-rower Griffin Neame and star halfback Chad Townsend all spent stints in the sin-bin as the Roosters ran in six tries-to-one with coach Trent Robinson watching from home after contracting COVID-19.

Assistant coaches Jason Ryles and Matt King oversaw the Roosters' best performance of the season, led by centre Joey Manu, who scored two tries and threw the final pass for two more.

The match was evenly poised at halftime, with the Sea Eagles leading 10-6, but Cherry-Evans took control in the second half and kicked a 20:40, a 40:20 and a late field goal, while also laying on two tries with kicks.

The Raiders paid a high price for errors and penalties near their own line in the first half and while they finished with 24 offloads to Manly's seven, the Green Machine rarely threatened in attack.

After scoring just one try in their season opener against the Bulldogs, North Queensland have piled on 10 in the next two games, including four to gun back-rower Jeremiah Nanai.

With their kicking game on song and their speed men combining well out wide, the Cowboys were far too slick for Brisbane and they'll need to be on song again if they're to down one of the benchmark sides of the past decade.

Playing his first game since suffering a pectoral injury in round one, Johnson quickly found his groove, putting centre Jesse Arthars across with a perfectly timed pass in the fifth minute.

The Broncos then lost Thomas Flegler to the sin bin in the 21st minute and had Albert Kelly leave the field with an ankle injury and the Warriors capitalised through Arthars, who finished off some good lead-up by Johnson and Reece Walsh.

Ricky Stuart's men were 22 points down in the shadows of half-time on Saturday and produced a stunning second-half surge to reel in the Titans and register their second narrow win of the season.

The Sea Eagles were also taken to the wire before opening their 2022 account on the back of a Daly Cherry-Evans field goal.

In round six last year the Sea Eagles headed to Mudgee with a 1-4 record and turrned their season around in a big way with a 36-0 demolition of the Titans.

Having conceded just three tries across the first two rounds the Broncos gave up six to the Cowboys and some of the defensive lapses will give coach Kevin Walters sleepless nights in the build-up to round four.

The Warriors are yet to fully hit their straps but did enough to sneak past Wests Tigers and they'll look to build on that in front of their adopted home crowd in Redcliffe.

Plenty to look forward to in the battle of the big men with Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan matching motors with Addin Fonua-Blake and Matt Lodge, who combined for 298 metres against the Tigers.

With star playmaker and co-captain Nathan Cleary playing his first match since last year's grand final after undergoing a shoulder reconstruction and James Fisher-Harris and Liam Martin returning from injury, the premiers got off to a flying start and were never headed.

It was a high quality contest but Penrith's scrambling defence repeatedly denied Souths, with fullback Dylan Edwards involved in a number of try-saving tackles.

Playing in southerly winds gusting at up to 65kph, the Sharks proved too hard to handle for a Knights outfit who lost Tyson Frizell to a hamstring injury and were already without forwards David Klemmer (knee), Lachlan Fitzgibbon (knee) and Mitch Barnett (suspended).

Stand-in centre Siosifa Talakai was outstanding for Cronulla and made 17 tackle breaks as he scored a try and carried the ball for 228 metres, while creating space for his left edge winger Ronaldo Mulitalo, who ran 207 metres with the ball.

These were the two big changes announced by SP Hunters coach, Michael Marum this week ahead of Sunday’s round four clash against the Tweed Heads Seagulls at the Oil Search National Football Stadium.

Adam Korave returns to the side after sitting out last weekend due to concussion and will start at prop.

Baundo Aba and Julius Yakopa have been named on the extended bench and will become Hunter #61 and #62 if they are named in the final 17.

The 20 man squad (three to be omitted): 

1. Stargroth AMEAN

2. Edene GABBIE

3. Adex WERA