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

North 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.