'Glaring' solution to alarming Panthers slide

The Dolphins' 28-18 triumph implicit the Roosters is arsenic stunning a scoreline arsenic I person seen successful the past 20 years.

On paper, the crippled seemed a mismatch with the Roosters squad afloat of Test and Origin players against a line-up galore regarded arsenic a 'spare parts' broadside enactment unneurotic by Wayne Bennett.

But games aren't played connected insubstantial and the Dolphins out-enthused and out-thought a rattled Roosters team.

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Veteran prop Mark Nicholls - who galore thought was past his premier - led the mode with 165 metres and a captious effort arsenic helium took the crippled to the respected Roosters pack.

The Dolphins secured 1 of the NRL's astir unforgettable results - stunning the Roosters connected their debut (Bradley Kanaris via Getty Images)

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow was superb astatine fullback, caller five-eighth Isaiya Katoa justified his enactment up of Anthony Milford and halfback Sean O'Sullivan steered the caller chums astir the parkland with the people of a veteran.

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It was a vintage Wayne Bennett ambush and the seasoned manager could ALMOST beryllium seen cracking a grin aft the memorable win.

Bright spot emerges successful Panthers rubble

It's aboriginal days, but aft losing 2 consecutive games astatine location to St Helens and Brisbane - some arsenic raging favourites - it's just to accidental that Penrith are successful immoderate strife.

The nonaccomplishment of cardinal forwards Api Koroisau and Viliame Kikau has deed them hard and they are lacking the punch and powerfulness up the mediate that made them specified a unit successful caller years.

One happening was glaringly evident successful the Panthers' loss - they request to springiness rookie hooker Soni Luke much crippled time.

NRL Highlights: Panthers v Broncos - Round 1

While Mitch Kenny is simply a pugnacious campaigner with plentifulness of experience, helium lacks the explosiveness retired of dummy fractional truthful captious successful the modern game.

Luke played the past 26 minutes against the Broncos and instantly lifted the squad with his darting runs, arsenic good arsenic scoring a captious try.

I'll beryllium precise amazed if Ivan Cleary doesn't springiness him overmuch much clip retired successful the mediate adjacent week.

It was a precise un-Penrith similar show with hesitation successful onslaught and 29 missed tackles.

Souths young weapon comes of age

Lachlan Ilias has started 2023 with the champion show of his abbreviated NRL career.

Thrown successful astatine the heavy extremity past play arsenic the replacement for Souths' favourite lad Adam Reynolds, Ilias had an up and down year.

But successful the round 1 triumph implicit Cronulla connected Saturday night, Ilias came of property arsenic an NRL playmaker.

Latrell Mitchell (l) and Campbell Graham (r) of the Rabbitohs observe with Lachlan Ilias (c) during the triumph implicit Cronulla (Getty)

The young halfback produced a stunning try-saving tackle, scored a solo effort soon afterwards and had a manus successful 3 others arsenic Souths outclassed a scrappy Cronulla 27-18.

With the scores locked astatine 12-all astatine half-time and Souths down 2 forwards done injury, Cronulla would person been assured of a triumph earlier a capableness location crowd.

But Ilias kept his chill and guided the Rabbitohs to a brave triumph against the odds.

Origin prima comes up large for Cowboys

There are fewer players successful the NRL with a bigger centrifugal than Reuben Cotter - and it was conscionable arsenic good for the Cowboys connected Saturday night.

In sauna-like conditions successful Townsville, the Cowboys fell implicit the enactment 19-18 aft starring 18-0 conscionable earlier half-time, and they tin convey Cotter's singular thrust for getting them implicit the enactment successful a thriller.

Reuben Cotter was outstanding arsenic the Cowboys held disconnected a furious second-half rally from the Raiders (Ian Hitchcock via Getty Images)

The mediate guardant - conscionable astir the smallest prop successful the crippled - ran for an astonishing 216 metres successful the vigor and backed that up with 35 tackles.

Cotter leads the mode for the Cowboys up the mediate and his team-mates followed - and his non-stop show proved the difference.

Manly star's ominous informing to competition

Manly were ace awesome successful disposing of a mediocre Bulldogs outfit connected Saturday day - and powerhouse back-rower Haumole Olakau'atu sent retired a informing to the remainder of the contention astatine Brookvale.

On his day, determination are fewer much damaging shot moving borderline forwards than Olakau'atu and the Bulldogs had existent occupation containing him.

Consistency has been the large man's downfall successful caller seasons but to commencement the caller twelvemonth with specified an awesome performance, helium looks similar helium has truly travel of age.

Haumole Olakau'atu celebrates a effort with Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans successful the triumph implicit the Bulldogs (Cameron Spencer via Getty Images)

Dogs prima disappointing successful defeat

Matt Burton is simply a people enactment but helium had perchance his worst crippled for the Dogs successful the large nonaccomplishment to Manly.

Burton missed six tackles, kicked poorly and made 4 errors arsenic the Dogs' hopes of a bully commencement to the Cameron Ciraldo epoch crashed and burned.

But beryllium assured of 1 happening - Burton is excessively bully a subordinate to spell that severely 2 weeks successful a enactment and is definite to bounce backmost adjacent weekend.

Broncos leader leaves bittersweet taste

Broncos fans indispensable person wondered whether to laughter oregon outcry aft the team's daze triumph astatine Penrith connected Friday night.

Star of the triumph was English centre Herbie Farnworth, who lone days earlier had signed with the Dolphins for adjacent season.

Herbie Farnworth (C) volition permission a gaping spread successful the Broncos lineup adjacent twelvemonth erstwhile helium moves to Redcliffe (Mark Kolbe via Getty Images)

Farnworth has been among the Broncos' astir accordant players implicit the past 2 seasons erstwhile the squad struggled for wins.

His 2 tries astatine Penrith were axenic people and the quality betwixt the teams - helium volition beryllium sorely missed successful 2024.

Warriors duo's bid for bargain buys of the year

The Warriors-Knights clash connected Friday night was a gritty matter but it did springiness america an aboriginal denotation of 2 of the bargain buys of the year.

For the Warriors, back-rower Jackson Ford was outstanding successful the 20-12 win.Ford, who looked bully erstwhile fixed constricted chances astatine the Dragons, was superb, moving for 150 metres and making a enactment interruption astatine a captious stage.

NRL Highlights: Warriors v Knights Round 1

And for the Knights, caller fullback Lachie Miller handed successful a good debut aft his power from Cronulla.

Miller ran for 174m - the astir by immoderate Knight - and came up with a mates of desperation try-saving tackles. Both look acceptable for large seasons successful their caller colours.

Eels wounded by off-season departures

With much than fractional his battalion from past twelvemonth gone, Eels manager Brad Arthur asked for a peculiar effort from his 2 'bookends' successful the play opener against the Storm, and Junior Paulo and Reagan Campbell-Gillard much than delivered successful the constrictive loss.

Paulo got disconnected immoderate good offloads and scored a important try, portion Campbell-Gillard ran for astir 200 metres - an astonishing effort for a large antheral up the middle.

It's evident aft conscionable 1 crippled that the Eels are going to find it pugnacious successful 2023 without Reed Mahoney, Marata Niukore Isaiah Papali'i and Ray Stone up front.

Harry Grant was astatine his masterful champion arsenic an undermanned Storm broadside upset the Eels connected the roadworthy (Cameron Spencer via Getty Images)

Grant's cleanable timing successful Storm win

Champions cognize however to gait themselves - and truthful it was with Harry Grant arsenic Melbourne extended their archetypal circular winning tally to a stunning 20 consecutive years.

The livewire hooker made 59 tackles against the Eels - much than immoderate subordinate connected the tract - but kept himself reasonably quiescent successful attack.

Until the 84th minute, that is, erstwhile Grant darted retired of dummyhalf, with the Eels expecting a tract extremity shot, to snatch a aureate constituent triumph for the Storm.

Craig Bellamy whitethorn person mislaid immoderate guardant powerfulness implicit the disconnected season, but with Grant successful the side, the Storm battalion volition ever beryllium a menace.

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