Around the Grounds: Round 4
Get caught up with all the latest results, judiciary news, injuries and storylines to come out of Round 4.
The round began with a dominant performance for the Roosters over the Broncos on Thursday night before the Eels, Panthers and Knights all maintained their unbeaten start to the year with strong wins.
Sydney Roosters 59 def. Brisbane Broncos 0
It was a one-way fight on Thursday night with the two-time defending premiers flexing their competition muscle over a young Brisbane Broncos side — running out 59-0 despite James Tedesco sitting out of the match with a virus.
Judiciary: No charges.
Injuries: Tedesco will likely return in Round 5, while Victor Radley was helped off late in the contest after having his arm caught in a tackle by Anthony Milford.
Up Next: Brisbane travel to the Central Coast to face Manly on Thursday night while the Roosters take on the Bulldogs at Bankwest Stadium on Sunday.
Penrith Panthers 26 def. NZ Warriors 0
After keeping the Dragons scoreless last week, this time it was the Warriors who couldn't find the try-line in Round 4 with a Matt Burton double helping the Panthers bounce back from last week's draw against the undermanned Knights.
Judiciary: No charges.
Injuries: No injuries.
Up Next: The Warriors welcome the North Queensland Cowboys to Central Coast Stadium on Friday night while the Panthers face the Eels at Bankwest Stadium.
Melbourne Storm 22 def. South Sydney Rabbitohs 8
In a back-and-forth contest, it was the Melbourne Storm who shrugged off last week's loss to the Canberra Raiders with a win that was far closer than the scoreline suggests. The stats column didn't exactly make for pretty reading in this one, with the Storm missing 45 tackles and the two sides combining for 31 errors.
Judiciary: No charges.
Injuries: Josh Addo-Carr battled through a rib injury to finish the match, while halfback Jahrome Hughes will likely miss a few weeks after breaking his hand.
Up Next: Melbourne take on the undefeated Knights at Central Coast Stadium on Saturday while the Rabbitohs will welcome back Cody Walker from suspension as they look to bounce back against the Gold Coast Titans.
Parramatta Eels 19 def. Manly Sea Eagles 16
After trailing 18-2 shortly after half-time, the Sea Eagles were denied one of the comebacks of the season when Tom Trbojevic's pass to Reuben Garrick in the final stages was called forward — leading to much contention and deliberation.
The slender win to Parramatta sees their unbeaten start to the season continue, and they remain on top of the ladder after four rounds of the competition.
Judiciary: Waqa Blake was charged with a Careless High Tackle offence but is free to play next week after attracting only a monetary fine.
Injuries: No injuries.
Up Next: Parramatta will face arguably their toughest test of the season when they take on Nathan Cleary's Panthers on Friday night while the Sea Eagles will take on a Broncos side coming off a heavy defeat in Round 4.
Cronulla Sharks 26 def. North Queensland Cowboys 16
Having overcome a scare pre-game with six players tested for high temperatures, the Sharks also eventually overcame the Cowboys for their first win of the year.
Judiciary: No charges.
Injuries: The Cowboys lost Coen Hess (ankle) pre-game before also seeing John Asiata (knee) and Mitch Dunn (concussion) exit during the game.
Up Next: North Queensland face their first road game of the revised season when they take on the Warriors at Central Coast Stadium while the Sharks will look to make it back-to-back wins against the winless Dragons.
Newcastle Knights 34 def. Canberra Raiders 18
Newcastle continued their unbeaten start to the season with a dominant upset win over the Canberra Raiders at Campbelltown. The return of Kalyn Ponga from suspension coupled with a starring performance from rookie Bradman Best saw the Knights lead from start to finish for their third win of the season.
Judiciary: No charges.
Injuries: Kurt Mann will miss time after suffering an ankle injury, while Kalyn Ponga and Jack Wighton will both be monitored for concussion throughout the week.
Up Next: Newcastle face off against the Storm at Central Coast Stadium on Saturday while the Raiders will look to bounce back against a Wests Tigers side themselves coming off a disappointing defeat in Round 4.
Gold Coast Titans 28 def. Wests Tigers 23
A late try to Titans fullback Phillip Sami gave the Titans their first win of the season after it had appeared Benji Marshall's field goal with three minutes to go would see Wests Tigers home. Michael Maguire's side led by double digits early in each half but couldn't put the Titans away, with Justin Holbrook's side fighting back to claim their first victory in 364 days and move off the bottom of the ladder.
Judiciary: Ash Taylor and Sam Lisone were both cited by the Match Review Committee but won't miss Round 5 with early guilty pleas.
Injuries: No injuries.
Up Next: Wests Tigers play their first home game of the revised season when they welcome the Canberra Raiders to Campbelltown on Saturday night while the Titans face the South Sydney Rabbitohs earlier that afternoon at Bankwest Stadium.
Canterbury Bulldogs 22 def. St. George-Illawarra 2
The return of Kieran Foran for his 200th NRL game proved the catalyst for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs as they recorded their first win of the season with a 22-2 victory over the winless St. George-Illawarra Dragons.
Judiciary: Reimis Smith will miss Round 5 after being cited for a Dangerous Contact - Head/Neck offence, unless he successfully fights the charge at Judiciary.
Injuries: Dragons centre Brayden Williame suffered a nasty leg injury that will likely sideline him for several weeks, while Bulldogs forward Sauaso Sue will be monitored after picking up a head knock early in the clash.
Up Next: The Bulldogs take on the in-form Roosters on Sunday afternoon at Bankwest Stadium while the Dragons host the Sharks at Campbelltown.
