2024 NRL: Round 16, State of Origin Recap and Key Stats

Check out what happened in round 16 of the National Rugby League competition and State of Origin game 2.

Final Scores

STORM 30 d DOLPHINS 24
TITANS 66 d WARRIORS 6
ROOSTERS 26 d BULLDOGS 8
RABBITOHS 14 d SEA EAGLES 0
TIGERS 48 d RAIDERS 24

State of Origin Game 2

BLUES 38 d MAROONS 18

Current Ladder

Melbourne Storm (Position: 1) 26 pts (103), Penrith Panthers (Position: 2) 24 pts (118), Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks (Position: 3) 24 pts (78), Sydney Roosters (Position: 4) 20 pts (161), Dolphins (Position: 5) 20 pts (60), Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (Position: 6) 18 pts (63), Brisbane Broncos (Position: 7) 18 pts (37), North Queensland Cowboys (Position: 8) 18 pts (-8), St George-Illawarra Dragons (Position: 9) 18 pts (-50), Canberra Raiders (Position: 10) 18 pts (-79), Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (Position: 11) 17 pts (28), Newcastle Knights (Position: 12) 16 pts (-55), New Zealand Warriors (Position: 13) 15 pts (-47), South Sydney Rabbitohs (Position: 14) 14 pts (-112), Gold Coast Titans (Position: 15) 12 pts (-71), Parramatta Eels (Position: 15) 12 pts (-121), Wests Tigers (Position: 16) 12 pts (-105).

Review

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Melbourne are still top of the ladder after NRL round 16 (the second Origin split round). Penrith and Cronulla-Sutherland (who both had byes) are second and third respectively, and the Sydney Roosters are fourth.

The Storm won an entertaining contest against The Dolphins at Suncorp Stadium. The Storm scored five tries to four, with five goals to Nick Meaney and four to Jamayne Isaako. With Melbourne leading 30-18, Isaako scored a length-of-the-field try after catching a Jahrome Hughes kick (though Ryan Papenhuyzen did his best to try and hold him up over the line) as the Dolphins got within eight points. An Isaako penalty goal got the Dolphins within six and they threw everything at the Storm in the final minutes.

The Gold Coast enjoyed a record-breaking win over the NZ Warriors at Cbus Super Stadium. It was the biggest win in the Gold Coast’s NSWRL/ARL/NRL history (beating the Titans’ 44-0 win over the Warriors in 2021 and the Gold Coast Chargers’ 52-4 win over the South Queensland Crushers in 1996). Alofiana Khan-Pereira scored four tries of the Titans’ 11 tries while Jayden Campbell scored 26 points (a try and 11 goals from 11 attempts).

The Roosters climbed into the top four after beating Canterbury-Bankstown at Industree Group Stadium, Gosford. Sam Walker had four try assists and kicked five goals from five attempts. Jeral Skelton’s long-range try kept the Bulldogs in the game, before Blake Steep scored to give the Roosters a 26-8 lead with 15 minutes left. But the Roosters were reduced to 11 by the end of the game: Fetalaiga Pauga sent off and Walker sin binned.

South Sydney won their fourth straight game, beating Manly Warringah at Accor Stadium. The constant rain and absent Origin players meant this was a low-scoring game. Souths led 8-0 at half-time, and there were no more points until Keaon Koloamatangi scored in the 78th minute. It was the first time since 1949 that Manly’s been held scoreless.

The Wests Tigers broke their eight-game losing streak against Canberra, beating them at Campbelltown Sports Stadium. Lachlan Galvin scored a double as the Tigers led 42-8 after 57 minutes. Alex Seyfarth’s sin binning finally sparked the Raiders, with Nick Cotric, Kaeo Weekes, and Ethan Strange scoring while the Tigers were down to 12 men, cutting the margin to 42-24. But Adam Doueihi scored with seven minutes left to seal the result. It was Doueihi’s first game since Easter Monday 2023. Apisai Koroisau finished with 20 points (a try and eight goals from eight attempts).

NSW have levelled the Origin series with a huge win at the MCG. While the 2021 MCG game was moved due to Covid, Victorians (and travelling Queensland and NSW fans) responded to tonight’s game, with over 90,000 attending. NSW led 34-0 at half-time – with Brian To’o and Zac Lomax (who finished with 18 points) scoring doubles. Liam Martin and Patrick Carrigan were sin binned in the 50th minute as tempers flared. Queensland scored three tries after the sin bins (Jeremiah Nanai, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Murray Taulagi) but the contest was over. Despite the loss, Queensland will be looking forward to game three at Suncorp Stadium. NSW haven’t won a decider in Brisbane since 2005.

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Players Making Their NRL Debut

Caleb Navale (Sea Eagles) vs Rabbitohs, June 22 (21 years, 1 month, 14 days old)
Liam Le Blanc (Rabbitohs) vs Sea Eagles, June 22 (19 years, 9 months, 9 days old)
Luke Laulilii (Tigers) vs Raiders, June 23 (18 years, 10 days)

Key Stats

• Titans record their biggest ever win in their club’s history (previous record 44 points versus Warriors, CBUS Super Stadium, 5/9/21)
• Titans record their biggest score in their club’s history (previous record 44 points versus Sea Eagles, 14/8/22; Warriors, 5/9/21; Raiders, 3/7/21 and Cowboys, 28/3/21)
• Titans 30 point half-time lead was the biggest in 2024 (previous 28 by Broncos vs Raiders, 20/4/24; Panthers vs Sharks, 25/5/24; and Storm vs Rabbitohs, 25/4/24)
• Jayden Campbell’s 26 point haul (1 T, 11 G) is the biggest individual point scoring in a single game for the Titans (previous record Scott Prince 20 points vs Tigers, 29/8/09)
• Alofiana Khan-Pereira equalled the most tries in a single game for the Titans (held with Jordan Atkins, versus Cowboys, 14/3/08)
• Keano Kini scored his first career double.
• Blake Steep scored his first NRL career try in his second appearance for the Sydney Roosters.
• Jye Gray scored his first NRL career try in his fourth appearance for the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
• The Sea Eagles were kept to nil for the first time since May 13, 2022 (lost to Broncos 38-0 at Magic Round)
• Wests Tigers ended their ten game losing streak at Campbelltown Sports Stadium (1,464 days ago when the Tigers beat the Cowboys 36-20, 20/6/20)
• Api Koroisau’s 20 point haul (1 T, 8 G) was the biggest individual point scoring in a single game for the Tigers since Pat Richards 18 points against the New Zealand Warriors on August 30, 2015.
• Luke Laulilii scored on his NRL debut for the Wests Tigers.

Upcoming Milestones

• Jamayne Isaako is 45 points away from NRL 1,000 career points.
• David Fifita is one try away from 50 NRL career tries.
• Luke Brooks needs three tries 50 NRL career tries.
• Maika Sivo requires two tries for 100 NRL career tries.
• Alex Johnson is nine tries away from 200 NRL career tries.