This season just continues to dazzle us with phenomenal tries and brutal
big hits. In fact, our producers at NRL.com just can't get enough of
them...<br><br>So much so that they've knocked up a weekly feature which
pin-points the most influential plays in every game... the turning
points or match-winning moments.<br><br>So we hope you enjoy our 'Plays
of the Round' feature. Check out the Round 24 feature below. Did we get
it right? Would have you chosen differently?<br><br>Let us know on
Facebook by <a href="http://www.facebook.com/nationalrugbyleague" target="_blank">clicking here.<br><br><b><br></b></a><b>
Panthers 54 def. Rabbitohs 18</b><br><b>The Moment:</b> Petero Civoniceva isn’t a noted ball player – so it’s not surprising he bamboozled even the TV cameras when helping to set up the Panthers’ third try which rocketed them to a 16-nil lead after just 10 minutes. Swamped by Bunnies defenders 30 metres out from his try line, the Maroons veteran popped an offload which was hot potato-passed to halfback Luke Walsh. The No.7 split the defensive line and raced downfield, turning the ball inside to stand-in fullback Michael Gordon who angled for the left corner. With red-and-green jerseys swarming in cover, Gordon handed the ball off to winger Adrian Purtell 12 metres out; Purtell found Frank Pritchard who promoted for Travis Burns who plunged over for a wonderful 70-metre four-pointer. There was no way back for Souths from there. <br><br><a href="http://www.nrl.com/gameAnalyser/tabId/10910/default.aspx?seasonID=240?seasonid=240&roundid=860&fixtureid=50020102401&videoquality=1&type=linebreak&period=1&time=579">CLICK HERE to re-live this play now.</a><br><br><b>Knights 44 def. Broncos 18</b><br><b>The Moment:</b> The first of Cooper Vuna’s four tries on the night was a staggering concoction that mixed skill, vision, the unorthodox and a skerrick of luck. With the scores locked at 12-all on the half hour, Kurt Gidley attacked the blindside, with centre Adam MacDougall seemingly wrapped up on the last tackle 12 metres out. But ‘Mad Dog’ somehow managed to offload to hooker Isaac De Gois, who found prop Dan Tolar in support. Again the play looked like breaking down – but then the ball spewed loose inside the 10; Tolar freed himself from a tangle of defenders and, with great quick thinking, booted the ball back to five-eighth Jarrod Mullen. The no.6 sized up the play to perfection, angling a left-footed bomb for Vuna on the left flank. All the no.5 had to do was beat his opposite Jharal Yow Yeh from point blank range, and the home side had a lead they would not relinquish again.<br><a href="http://www.nrl.com/gameAnalyser/tabId/10910/default.aspx?seasonID=240?seasonid=240&roundid=860&fixtureid=50020102402&videoquality=1&type=try&period=1&time=1894"><br>
CLICK HERE to re-live this play now.</a><br><br><b>Sea Eagles 19 def. Warriors 16</b><br><b>The Moment: </b>You’ve probably seen enough of Trent Hodkinson’s unfashionable, touched-in-flight field goal which sealed the game for the Sea Eagles in the 76th minute. Regardless, we reckon Warriors prop Ben Matulino’s fumble on the left flank with 14 minutes remaining was the turning point. With the scores locked 16-all, a fifth-tackle option in front of the Manly goalposts saw Warriors no.7 Brett Seymour grubber across field. The ball took a deflection before ‘The Beast’ Manu Vatuvei, his back to the opposition, flicked it to Matulino on the wrap-around. The pass looked a good one but the prop knocked it behind him and tried desperately to retain control while running for the corner post. He crashed over with the ball wedged between his backside and right hand – the refs ruling he lost control as Manly halfback Hodkinson came across in cover. Had Matulino grasped the ball cleanly to start with it would have been a certain try, and a Warriors lead.<br><br>
<a href="http://www.nrl.com/gameAnalyser/tabId/10910/default.aspx?seasonID=240?seasonid=240&roundid=860&fixtureid=50020102403&videoquality=1&type=handlingerror&period=2&time=1601">CLICK HERE to re-live this play now.</a><br><br><b>Bulldogs 22 def. Cowboys 20</b><br><b>The Moment:</b> Had this game been played in the first half of the season Bulldogs winger Steve Turner would not have been awarded his crucial 72nd-minute try that clawed the visitors to within four points of the Cowboys. With the North Queenslanders up 20-12 and on the attack 10 metres out, Matt Bowen hoisted a poorly directed last-tackle bomb towards the Bulldogs’ right flank, which his outside attackers over-ran. Turner charged through on the counter attack, catching it 10 metres out, then high-tailing it down-field with Ty Williams in pursuit. The Cowboys’ winger gathered Turner in just short of the line, his tackle causing the Bulldog’s right foot to knock into the corner post a split second before the ball was grounded. Under the old rules interpretation, contact with the corner post meant a player was deemed out of the field of play. Under the new interpretation, all good… and ‘try’! <br><a href="http://www.nrl.com/gameAnalyser/tabId/10910/default.aspx?seasonID=240?seasonid=240&roundid=860&fixtureid=50020102404&videoquality=1&type=try&period=2&time=2096"><br>CLICK HERE to re-live this play now.</a><br><b><br>Storm 24 def. Sharks 4</b><br><b>The Moment: </b>You’ve gotta feel sorry for Sharks rookie Ricky Leutele. He pretty much did everything right when defending against Storm superstar Greg Inglis in the 48th minute, but Inglis still managed a spectacular try assist for centre partner Dane Nielsen. Lurking on the unfamiliar right edge of the field, Inglis was fed a fairly straight-forward pass from fullback Billy Slater… but with a Mark Gasnier-like show and shimmy, shimmy whoosh, ‘GI’ managed to suck in Sharks winger Luke Covell as Leutele completed a copybook tackle around Inglis’ bootlaces. That moment of indecision was all ‘GI’ needed; as he fell to ground he managed a perfect one-handed around-the-body pass to the unmarked Nielsen who scored, with Cameron Smith’s conversion extending the Storm’s lead to 12-0.<br><br>
<a href="http://www.nrl.com/gameAnalyser/tabId/10910/default.aspx?seasonID=240?seasonid=240&roundid=860&fixtureid=50020102405&videoquality=1&type=try&period=2&time=532">CLICK HERE to re-live this play now.</a><br><br><b>Raiders 32 def. Dragons 16</b><br><b>The Moment: </b>Talk about having the ball on a string! With Canberra leading 6-4 at the 55th minute, Terry Campese ignited a four-try, nine-minute scoring frenzy for the Green Machine when he chanced his boot close to the Dragons’ line. Taking the ball one off the ruck on tackle four, Campo dribbled a kick between Red V prop Michael Weyman and hooker Dean Young, then claimed a perfect sit-up bounce to regather and cross untouched. The Raiders’ pivot summed up the situation perfectly – he noticed Dragons fullback Darius Boyd had been involved in the previous defensive play and was struggling to get back into position. So out-manoeuvring a couple of forwards was always going to be a walk in the park.<br><br>
<a href="http://www.nrl.com/gameAnalyser/tabId/10910/default.aspx?seasonID=240?seasonid=240&roundid=860&fixtureid=50020102406&videoquality=1&type=try&period=2&time=1114">CLICK HERE to re-live this play now.</a><br><br><b>Wests Tigers 20 def. Eels 18</b><br><b>The Moment:</b> Forget Luke Burt’s penalty goal miss 90 seconds from fulltime that, if successful, would have sent this clash to golden point – the Wests Tigers’ fourth try, scored by interchange prop Andrew Fifita midway through the second stanza, was the game’s defining moment. The visitors had absorbed tremendous pressure and, as is so often the case in rugby league, managed to score against the run of play. Off a Justin Horo turnover 65 metres out the Tigers stormed downfield – receiving a six-again call 20 metres out following a deflection off Eels winger Krisnan Inu. Tiger Gareth Ellis steadied the ship before Robbie Farah drifted right out of dummy-half, picking up Fifita on the charge running a slight inside angle. The prop defied the tackle attempt of Nathan Hindmarsh to cross for a 20-6 lead. From there, the Tigers had enough in their tank – just. <br><br>
<a href="http://www.nrl.com/gameAnalyser/tabId/10910/default.aspx?seasonID=240?seasonid=240&roundid=860&fixtureid=50020102407&videoquality=1&type=try&period=2&time=1400">CLICK HERE to re-live this play now.</a><br><b><br>Titans 23 def. Roosters 12</b><br><b>The Moment: </b>The Roosters placed all their eggs in the one basket in the 65th minute – and ended up fried. Trailing 16-10, the tri-colours looked a chance of levelling when a last-tackle grubber was aimed for chasers on the right edge. Unfortunately, that included their fullback Anthony Minichiello – leaving no-one at the back to defend a counter attack. The bounce favoured William Zillman, who scooped up the ball on his try line and raced 90 metres before being dragged down by Roosters halfback Mitchell Pearce. Immediately the Titans sent the ball through the hands to the right flank, where centre Clinton Toopi crashed over as the fatigued Roosters struggled to regroup. Scott Prince’s sideline conversion pushed them out to a 12-point buffer. <br><a href="http://www.nrl.com/gameAnalyser/tabId/10910/default.aspx?seasonID=240&roundID=860&fixtureID=50020102401"><br>
CLICK HERE to re-live this play now. </a><br><br>* The views in this article are the authors’ and not necessarily those of the clubs or the NRL.
You have skipped the navigation, tab for page content
National Rugby League respects and honours the Traditional Custodians of the land and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and future. We acknowledge the stories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the lands we meet, gather and play on.
