2024 NRL: Round 3 Recap and Key Stats
Check out what happened in round 3 of the National Rugby League competition.
Final Scores
PANTHERS 34 d BRONCOS 12
WARRIORS 18 d RAIDERS 10
ROOSTERS 48 d RABBITOHS 6
BULLDOGS 32 d TITANS 0
COWBOYS 46 d DRAGONS 24
TIGERS 32 d SHARKS 6
EELS 28 d SEA EAGLES 24
KNIGHTS 14 d STORM 12
Current Ladder
North Queensland Cowboys 6 pts (48), Sydney Roosters 4 pts (45), Canberra Raiders 4 pts (28), Penrith Panthers 4 pts (22), Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 4 pts (15), Parramatta Eels 4 pts (14), Dolphins 4 pts (13), Melbourne Storm 4 pts (10), Wests Tigers 4 pts (6), Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 4 pts (-3), New Zealand Warriors 2 pts (0), Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs 2 pts (-5), Newcastle Knights 2 pts (-15), Brisbane Broncos 2 pts (-22), St George-Illawarra Dragons 2 pts (-36), Gold Coast Titans 2 pts (-56), South Sydney Rabbitohs 0 pts (-64).
Review
Embed from Getty ImagesNorth Queensland are on top of the ladder after round 3.
The Cowboys scored 42 straight points at Kogarah Oval, overcoming an early 18-4 deficit against the Dragons. After a quiet game last weekend, Valentine Holmes snapped back into form – scoring a try and kicking seven goals, bringing up 1,000 career points in the process.
The Sydney Roosters are second after destroying their arch-rivals at the SFS. While the Easts-Souths games are traditionally fiery, this was a one-sided clash: the Roosters scored eight tries, including doubles to Sam Walker, Joseph Manu, and James Tedesco. Walker also kicked eight goals from eight attempts. A week in the spotlight for Latrell Mitchell got worse when he was sin-binned late in the game.
Penrith finally found some form, belting Brisbane at BlueBet Stadium. Izack Tago and Brian To’o scored doubles as the Panthers built on a 22-2 half-time lead. The big controversy was a hit by Taylan May on Reece Walsh. While May was penalised and put on report (but wasn’t charged by the Match Review Committee), Walsh ended up with a facial fracture, which will have huge implications for a Broncos side already missing Adam Reynolds and Payne Haas.
In what was arguably the most entertaining game of the round – maybe even the season so far – Parramatta defeated Manly Warringah at CommBank Stadium. Both sides made the most of the fine Sunday afternoon, with nine tries in total and multiple lead changes. Manly led 18-16 at half-time before Morgan Harper and Kelma Tuilagi gave Parramatta a 28-18 lead. There was some controversy, when a Tolutau Koula try was denied due to an obstruction, but Corey Waddell scored with eight minutes left to give Manly a sniff.
The NZ Warriors, Canterbury-Bankstown, the Wests Tigers, and Newcastle all won their first games for 2024: the Warriors scored two tries in three minutes in the second half (to Luke Metcalf and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck) to beat Canberra in Christchurch; the Bulldogs returned to Belmore to destroy the Titans; the Tigers comfortably beat Cronulla-Sutherland at Leichhardt Oval (a double to Jahream Bula); and Newcastle held off a fast-finishing Melbourne at McDonald Jones Stadium, defending a 14-0 half-time lead.
Embed from Getty Images
