NRL Wrap: Fairytales, nightmares.. and Willie Peters to the Knights?

Round 14 was a long one, but it was worth the wait.

From Newcastle’s epic comeback on Thursday night through to Monday’s blockbuster win for the Bulldogs, there was plenty going on across the NRL.

Fairytales? Plenty.

Josh Papali’i got two as he became the most-capped Raider, Lachie Galvin got one on debut. The Dolphins registered their biggest ever win, the Wahs won a fifth straight in Australia.

Nightmares? A few, too.

Daly Cherry-Evans got dumped from Origin, the first time a captain has been ditched mid-series since the 1990s, and Manly chucked a huge lead too. The less said about the Dragons the better. Do the Titans still exist?

Let’s not waste all the good stuff here, though: here was another big week that was.

A good week for…

The Warriors, who defeated the Sharks comfortably to win their fifth straight game in Australia and equal their best record on the road since their Minor Premiership season of 2022.

They won’t get ahead of themselves and dream of top spot quite yet, but victories such as this show that the Kiwis mean business. Prior to Saturday, they had lost on all three occasions that they had faced a top five side, with two defeats to Canberra and one to Melbourne.

Cronulla away should have been imposing, but this is now their third win in a row at Shark Park – and by far the most convincing.

The Wahs thoroughly outplayed the Sharks, battering them through the forwards and tackling them out of the game once they had got their noses in front. Cronulla were turned away time and again when in good ball.

This was a win of the statement variety, from a side that has lacked them.

A bad week for…

Manly, who decided that they were going to beat Newcastle 16-0 at half time and opted not to attack in the second half.

This was framed as an excellent Knights comeback after the side were booed off at the break, but in truth, it was all about the Sea Eagles’ lack of will.

No matter how bad you think your opponent is in the NRL, if you stop trying to score, you will get bitten on the backside. Manly completed at 94% in the second half, which is absolutely a bad thing: that’s what a side going through the motions without risk looks like.

When the Sea Eagles have been good under Anthony Seibold, it’s been when they chanced their arm, backed their speed and played expansive footy. In the first half, they did that at every opportunity.

Why they stopped is a mystery, but they got everything they deserved.

Standout…

Who else could it be but Josh Papali’i?

The Canberra prop broke the club’s all-time record for appearances and celebrated his 319th game with an emotional try that put the tin hat on a come-from-behind victory over South Sydney.

He did it again mere moments later for a double, both from a combined five metres out, and of course they let him kick the goal as well. Fairytales don’t come much better. Ricky Stuart was in tears on the touchline.

Things had been going pretty badly for the Raiders, who trailed 12-0 at one point, and it looked like another milestone match disaster – remember, they lost his 300th, Ricky’s 500th and Jarrod Croker’s 300th too.

But this is 2025, so 12-0 is nothing. They stuck 36 unanswered points on the Bunnies, who, by the end, looked like they’d rather be anywhere else.

Washout…

James Schiller of Newcastle had a red hot crack at this with one of the all-time worst first halves – three errors, seven missed tackles, two tries run straight past him – but seen as he turned it around in the second half, let’s give it to Nathan Lawson of the Dragons instead.

The dual Sevens Olympian was in NRL appearance number two, and looked every inch like a union player trying to learn rugby league on the fly.

He was battered with the ball – 13 runs for 91m is an average of 7m per carry – and went even worse in defence, where he was treated like a training cone.

In fact, a training cone would have been in the right place more consistently: Lawson got a harsh lesson in connectivity, sometimes going and sometimes staying.

One try saw him race out of the line all on his own, then stop still, caught in his own confusion.
The Phins couldn’t believe their luck.

They won 56-6, the second biggest scoreline of the season so far, and it could have been more.

Everyone is talking about…

Lachlan Galvin, of course, who made his debut for Canterbury in their clash with Parramatta on the NSW public holiday Monday.

The new kid on the Bulldogs block came off the bench, but not until late into the second half. The question of where Galvin will play has loomed large, and will continue to do so.

Matt Burton, who has his favoured 6 jersey, was the best on ground for Canterbury in attack with a try, an assist and several rampaging runs, while the next most obvious choice, Toby Sexton, was also excellent.

Galvin replaced hooker Reed Mahoney, sending Sexton to dummy half. He arrived as the Dogs were raining pressure down on Parra at 14-12, and had little involvement as they pulled away.

This is the NRL, though, so there’ll always be a twist: as time ran down on the game, Jacob Kiraz flicked out his 7,000th offload of the game, Josh Curran took it in and there was the new boy on the support to crash over for a first try in his new colours.

After months of chat, debate, rancour and recompense, finally the footy did the talking.

But nobody mentions…

The Challenge Cup Final – at least for now.

Willie Peters must surely have rocketed up the rankings for the next NRL job that comes up following his Hull KR side’s victory at Wembley. Performances are one thing, they have been good for a long time in East Hull, but silverware matters even more.

Peters has extensive coaching experience in the NRL and played for South Sydney and St George Illawarra, but had to go to England to make it as a head coach.

Newcastle, the club he most recently worked for in Australia, might well have a vacancy soon. They’d be mad to overlook their former assistant.

Sam Burgess, the defeated coach, has long been considered on that list but won’t have been helped by defeat, even if his Warrington side were mostly the better team.

Forward pass

It’s Origin again, so a short round in the offing.

A southern Sydney derby between the Sharks and Dragons kicks us off on Thursday night, and with both unlikely to be missing too many stars, it could well be a proper match.

Less so will be Manly’s trip to the Gold Coast on Friday, with two sides desperately scrambling for form, or the other three games, which feature huge outs.

The pick is probably the Roosters’ trip to Newcastle, as there is an outside chance that Sam Walker, who did his ACL at the end of last year, could make a long-awaited NRL return.

He played 40 minutes in the NSW Cup this weekend without incident, and as Origin call-ups bite, Trent Robinson might give his man a go against the Knights.

MONDAY’S READS ON LRL

👉🏻 Hull KR’s Wembley 18th man confirms playing plans after Challenge Cup glory

👉🏻 Challenge Cup finals Team of the Week: Hull KR dominate as four clubs included

👉🏻 Super League injury room: Warrington Wolves suffer blow with update on Hull KR absentee

👉🏻 The Super League players facing bans including Warrington and Hull KR stars

👉🏻 Lewis Dodd’s agent breaks silence on transfer links and Super League return