Readers of the preview won’t have been too surprised to see how the Sydney Roosters scored their first try of the night…

We see more passes from the Roosters out of yardage. They aren’t always traditional shifts like we’d see from the Newcastle Knights1 or Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, but short passes between forwards or with James Tedesco stepping in as a distributor around the ruck.

It hasn’t got much better for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks since then. The 18-10 scoreline perhaps flatters them a little bit. With Nicho Hynes out inside five minutes and Mawene Hiroti soon joining him on the injury list, the Sharks are not only down to two bench middles, but two left on the bench in total.

They have points in them. The two tries in as many minutes and three linebreaks to the Roosters' four in the first half are proof of that. However, for a team that can get a bit loose defensively at times, it’s going to be difficult for them to keep up with this fast-moving Roosters side deep into the second half.

Reece Robson averages 55 running metres per game and already has 70 metres in this one. Meanwhile, James Tedesco is finding plenty of joy around the ruck, both as a runner and a distributor. Those darts through the middle will continue to take their toll and, with Daly Cherry-Evans managing the game, create opportunities for the Roosters on the edges soon enough.

Side notes:

• - The Roosters kick-chase has been excellent. One big, thick line is meeting the Sharks on every long kick.

  • - Addin Fonua-Blake has been excellent in his role for the Sharks with 121 metres.

The Rabbitohs might be feeling the better of the two teams going into the break…

Knights dominated the 40 minutes but pushed a few too many passes, kicks on line breaks and Marzhew ending up in touch. They should have scored a lot more than 10 points after playing with 56% possession for the first ~25 minutes.

They’ll clean those issues up in the second half, but we can trust South Sydney will have a plan after halftime, too. They’ve completed at 96% to stay in the fight and will find points with or without Cody Walker at that rate.

Newcastle well on top, but could come to rue those blown chances and the opportunities that might have come on the back of more patient play. Souths will be full of confidence down only four after such a poor start.

The big backrower has been named on the bench to make his return this week. Having not played since Round 15, it looks as though Trent Robinson with ease him into things.

Salesi Foketi will start on the edge, but don't be surprised to see him shift into the middle. Robinson can save an interchange by bringing Crichton on for a middle and moving Foketi in for a spell. Foketi's future is in the middle of the field where he carries the ball strong while being able to act as more of a ball-player than we've seen at NRL level so far in his career.

That column seems about right. I'm surprised there hasn't been a comparative look by everyone at NRL vs NRLW, given the latter has no six-agains. As much as I appreciate fast footy, it does seem some nuance has gone out of the game. Arguably, people will still embrace a slower game, but one with closer results, more variety in attack and less tries, making each try more meaningful :)

Joey Manu has been confirmed as the seventh signing for the PNG Chiefs ahead of their 2028 NRL season.

Is the number in which he has been announced a hint as to where on the field he will play?

Manu isn't a traditional #7. On paper, it's not a great fit alongside Jarome Luai. Still, they've made a few comments and hinted at the importance of this particular number in the list of signingsup until now.

Chiefs Football Manager, Michael Chammas, didn't single out a position when speaking on the signing, but alluded to the possibility of him being available to fill a few - perhaps even halfback.

"He is a world-class footballer with versatility across several positions and can change a game in a single moment with the skills he possesses."

We will need to see how the rest of the roster shapes up over the next 12 months, but at this stage, there is a chance Manu - who will be 32 in 2028 - might fill the halfback position early on.

Getting a look at Dayne Jennings in the South Sydney Rabbitohs Jersey Flegg side.

He hadn’t stood out among the rest like you might have expected until a silky in-and-away step for a flick pass to send his winger down the sideline out of yardage.

Attack isn’t going to be a problem as he advances through the grades to consistent footy at a higher level.

Via Code Sports

“Players who do not genuinely contest the ball will be considered a disruptor.

“Players who arrive early, players not having their eyes on the ball but purely on the man and players who jump through a contest and throw an arm out do not meet the standards for a genuine contest and will be penalised.”

This comes after Mark Nawaqanitawase was penalised for his 'disruptor' on Tom Jenkins. However, the rule still has holes even in the way they describe it...

What part of this isn't Nawaqanitawase contesting the ball?

He gets the contest wrong - because he was escorted off the ball - but he made a genuine attempt to play at the ball.

Like the NRL, I'm still not entirely sure what the rule is...

The St George Illawarra Dragons have a player in Lyhkan King-Togia.

He's 28 games into his NRL career, but after an inconsistent start as a young half, an extended period in reserve grade has set him up well in his return to the top side.

I covered his influence in the Try of the Week in Round 23 and he's laid on another good one for Hamish Stewart to score against the Wests Tigers in Round 24. There is a log jam in the halves for the Dragons next season, and if they can't find him regular time in first grade, somebody else will.

"I feel like physically we're saying all the right things and we know what we need to do. But it looks like we're just not able to kind of meet the physical challenge at the moment.

No excuse here—third game in 11 days and it just looks physically like we're spent at the moment. ... We got a bunch of guys just strapping themselves up to get out and play at the moment."

Josh Hannay's press conferences are always worth watching. He speaks with an honesty and level of detail we don't always get from coaches.

I initially thought he'd run a perfect fade to the outside shoulder of the centre to entice the winger, but with Keano Kini out the back and in no position to legally receive the ball, perhaps Jaylan De Groot got a bit lucky?

AJ Brimson was denied a try earlier in the season running a similar fade from centre, but the look is different...

It's something to keep an eye on in the Titans attack for the rest of the season as they continue to build towards 2027.