Check out what happened in round 2 of the Pre-Season Challenge.
Final Scores
ROOSTERS 46 d RABBITOHS 10
SHARKS 12 d BULLDOGS 6
STORM 28 d KNIGHTS 10
WARRIORS 34 d DOLPHINS 22
BRONCOS 40 d SEA EAGLES 14
DRAGONS 34 d TIGERS 18
COWBOYS 36 d RAIDERS 26
EELS 26 d TITANS 16
WORLD CLUB CHALLENGE
WIGAN WARRIORS 16 d PANTHERS 12
Current Ladder
Final Ladder: 28 Broncos (points difference 52), Roosters (50); 16 Raiders (+12), Knights (+8), Dolphins (0); 15 Warriors (10), Dragons (-6), Eels (-12); 14 Bulldogs (6), Storm (6), Tigers (-14), Cowboys (-16); 13 Rabbitohs (-14); 12 Sharks (-20); 0 Titans (-22), Sea Eagles (-40).
Review
Embed from Getty ImagesBrisbane has won the 2024 Pre-Season Challenge, finishing on 28 points.
While the Manly Warringah-Brisbane game was a glorified lower grade trial (due to next Sunday’s Vegas games), the Broncos still ran in seven tries at Brookvale (with two for Kurt Falls).
The Sydney Roosters were the other unbeaten team after a huge win over Souths at Belmore. Like the Broncos-Sea Eagles game, Vegas commitments meant this was a glorified lower grade trial, but the Eastern Suburbs club still scored nine tries. Poland international fullback Callum Gromek scored two second half tries as the Roosters built on a 20-6 half-time lead.
Trailing Brisbane and the Sydney Roosters by 13 points, Canberra needed to win and gain at least two bonus points against the Cowboys at Seiffert Oval. It looked likely when Canberra led 14-4 after 23 minutes, but the near full-strength Cowboys dominated after half-time (as the Raiders rested most of their first graders), with a Kyle Feldt hat-trick. Nick Cotric and Peter Hola scored to give the Raiders a sniff at the $100,000, but Thomas Mikaele’s second try put the game away in the final minutes.
Cronulla closed out Friday’s Belmore double-header with a physical and low-scoring win over Canterbury-Bankstown (who were oddly the away team at their traditional home ground): it was 6-6 with eight minutes left before Chris Vea’ila scored the match winner off a Bulldogs error.
A near full-strength Melbourne had a comfortable win over Newcastle in Fiji; the NZ Warriors made the most of their return to Mt Smart Stadium, scoring six tries against The Dolphins; a near full strength Dragons showed their season may not be all doom and gloom, racing to a 24-0 lead in 34 minutes against the Wests Tigers, with a Ben Hunt double; Parramatta defeated the Gold Coast at Ipswich: the Eels led 20-4 at half-time, before a 90-metre AJ Brimson try sparked a Titans comeback.
WORLD CLUB CHALLENGE
Wigan has won their fifth World Club Challenge, with a controversial victory at DW Stadium.
Penrith led 12-10 early in the second half when Jake Wardle scored for Wigan. While it was awarded ‘try’ on field, replays suggested he was short of the line. But the try stood as there was insufficient evidence to overturn it.
Bevan French could have sealed the game in the 72nd minute with a magnificent chase off a scrum-base kick, but he was off-side. A few minutes earlier, a Nathan Cleary try was denied when Taylan May was taken into touch before Cleary scored.
Penrith nearly scored the winning try right on full-time, but May was held up as he went for the left corner.
It’s Penrith fourth WCC loss in four attempts.
Embed from Getty Images
