Cleary puts Broncos under Magic spell, high drama as golden Raiders roll Storm, Des on last legs at Titans
Any doubts about Nathan Cleary’s status as the NRL’s most dominant player were erased on Sunday afternoon at Magic Round.
Cleary put on a clinic as the Panthers arose from their slumber to belt the Broncos 32-8 and serve notice to the rest of the competition that if any team can do a Phar Lap and claim the trophy after being in last spot, it’s the one that won the previous four premierships.
It’s also bad news for Queensland with Origin just around the corner because Cleary, fullback Dylan Edwards and lock Isaah Yeo each had their best game of the season as the premiers rattled the Broncos in the middle, then carved them up out wide.
Melbourne and Canberra rounded out Magic Round with an extra-time thriller after a controversial sequence of penalties which wiped off a Storm field goal and ended up in the Raiders booting a penalty for a 20-18 triumph.
The first match was easily the most forgettable of the three-day footy festival with Canterbury stuck in second gear but still motoring way too fast for a typically lacklustre Titans outfit.
1. Cleary presents danger for Broncos
For the first 35 minutes this was a close contest – 8-8, a try each, both teams taking a penalty goal because they were in the middle of an arm wrestle.
And as he has done throughout his career, Cleary broke the game wide open.
First, with a 40/20 kick which ushered in impressive rookie prop Luron Patea’s first NRL try and then with a dummy which mesmerised the defenders for a try of his own which was eerily similar to his match-winning play to sink the Broncos in the 2023 grand final.
Cleary created space for a Tom Jenkins try four minutes into the second term and then repeated the dose for the left winger to grab a double and in the space of 20 minutes of game time, the contest was as good as over at 30-8.
Nathan Cleary evades Patrick Carrigan. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
The Penrith co-captain, who had created the opening try of the afternoon with a superb kick for Izack Tago, had Brisbane under his spell in a performance which should end any talk that Mitchell Moses could get the NSW No.7 jersey ahead of him for Origin I at the end of the month.
Edwards is also facing a fight for his Blues spot in light of Roosters captain James Tedesco’s recent purple patch but he was back to his trademark non-stop performance against Brisbane, bobbing up everywhere in attack and defence.
Panthers deputy chair Greg Alexander said on Fox League that Edwards simply had to be picked for the Blues.
“Edwards is the incumbent. Cast your mind back to game three last year, one of the greatest games we’ve ever seen, one of the toughest Origin games – he was man of the match. I don’t know what else (he can do).
“He has been a by-product of Penrith’s battling form. Individually everyone has suffered a little bit because they lost five games straight. You can’t fault what he’s done.”
2. Brittle in BrisVegas
The more the Broncos play, the harder it is to get a read on how strong they will be in 2025.
A week after thumping the previously unbeaten Bulldogs, they put in a mediocre performance against the last-placed premiers, collapsing in a heap either side of half-time.
There’s a soft underbelly to this Broncos outfit that Michael Maguire was supposed to be surgically removing by whipping them into shape physically and mentally.
Maguire again played Payne Haas and Patrick Carrigan big minutes in a bid to match Penrith’s power game through the middle but it was on the edges where Brisbane were exposed.
Adam Reynolds and Ben Hunt are targets in the defensive line and with second-rowers Brendan Piakura and Jordan Riki not known for their tackling prowess, there’s a brittle edge to this team on either side of the field.
They matched or at least went toe to toe with Penrith in the main statistical categories, enjoyed an equal share of possession with 40 sets each but the Broncos conceded 250 more metres over the course of the game and three more line breaks after their defence was split on seven occasions.
“I’ll put my hand up there, I obviously didn’t have one of the greatest games,” said Reynolds, who twice booted the ball out on the full.
Their 5-4 record is a fair reflection of their hot and cold nature in 2025 and although they look strong contenders to make the playoffs, it would be unwise to think they can challenge for the title.
Ezra Mam returns from his drug-driving suspension next week so he is the wild card in the pack for Maguire if the five-eighth can add some young blood to their geriatric halves pairing with Ben Hunt switching to hooker.
3. Ref puts Storm in a rage as Raiders rise from the dead
Referee Gerard Sutton was at the centre of four flashpoints late in the Storm vs Canberra clash which ended in the Raiders’ biggest win of the season.
First he struck off a Storm field goal late in regulation time and then he gave them a penalty for a high tackle early in the first set of extra time after a second effort infringement was incorrectly called.
But the main drama came when Storm prop Stefano Utoikamanu, while in possession right in front of the posts, got in a tangle with Tom Starling which prompted a scuffle involving several players.
Utoikamanu and Raiders veteran Josh Papali’i were sin-binned and Canberra were awarded the penalty which enabled them to get up the other end of the field when Storm lock Trent Loeiro clipped Hudson Young with a high tackle.
It wasn’t malicious but it was careless and hit him high.
“That’s pretty hard on the Storm player, what’s he meant to do. He’s got to get in front, he lowered his contact and it’s the way Hudson Young carried the ball,” said former Broncos coach Kevin Walters in a string of wrong calls in Fox League commentary to describe what was a clear-cut penalty.
It capped off a remarkable comeback win for Canberra after Melbourne appeared on track for another romp when they crossed the stripe inside the first 15 minutes.
But this Green Machine has plenty of mettle.
The Storm drew first blood when winger Sua Fa’alogo broke free down the right flank but after he was brought down just short of the line, Cameron Munster piloted a cross-field kick for left centre Grant Anderson.
Another Fa’alogo break made it 12-0 when the speedster sprinted along the sideline and kicked infield where Ryan Papenhuyzen was waiting with open arms.
Canberra clawed their way back into the contest when five-eighth Ethan Strange’s crisp pass allowed Savelio Tamale to muscle through Fa’alogo in the corner.
Raiders centre Matt Timoko also unveiled his power close to the line late in the first half to cut the gap to two at the break.
Fa’alogo finally crossed the stripe himself on the hour mark when Nick Meaney’s flick presented him four points on a platter.
Papenhuyzen iced a field goal attempt with six minutes left but it was struck off after Loeiro was found to have used his elbow on Joseph Tapine after the Canberra captain brought him to ground right in front of the posts.
Sutton’s brave call came back to bite the Storm in the 79th minute when Kaeo Weekes raced away from a Matty Nicholson offload, chipped Papenhuyzen and regathered to register a sizzling try in the pouring rain.
4. Fa’alogo can’t be left out anymore
Fa’alogo does not have a permanent place in the Storm’s star-studded backline and is only getting a start because of Will Warbrick’s extended stint on the sidelines due to a heavy concussion.
Quite simply, Fa’alogo is the best player in the NRL who is not regularly in the NRL.
The 22-year-old was making just his 17th appearance since his debut at the end of the 2023 season, chalking up his 11th try in the process.
Melbourne have him under contract until the end of the 2028 but they have also recently extended Papenhuyzen’s tenure for next season, blocking their Samoan rising star’s path to a permanent spot in his preferred position.
With the Perth Bears expected to be officially announced within the next week, they will be in the market for a fullback to build their team around.
Papenhuyzen is only 26 and although he has had plenty of injuries, he has many years left in him while Fa’alogo could be the NRL’s next No.1 fullback.
A difficult decision awaits Storm management.
5. Kiraz boosts Blues chances as Dogs topple Titans
There were plenty of empty seats for the opening match of Sunday’s triple header with many fans wisely choosing to enjoy Brisbane’s sunshine or a few beverages at a nearby establishment before heading to Suncorp Stadium.
And they did not miss much. Canterbury battled to a 14-8 half-time lead before kicking clear with three early tries in the second stanza.
Kiraz, who has represented Lebanon in the Test arena on five occasions, is looming as a Blues debutant for May 28 at the same venue against Queensland with Zac Lomax sidelined by a foot injury.
And the 23-year-old gave his chances a turbo boost with three tries, 229 running metres and a couple of line break assists.
His aerial ability could be an asset for Laurie Daley is the returning NSW coach calls Kiraz up – he outleapt opposing winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira for the opening try of the match, accepted a gift from Stephen Crichton fort his second and showcased his blistering speed to complete his treble.
“If he keeps playing like that he is going to be banging the door down,” Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo said.
“We learned a lot of lessons out of (the loss to Brisbane) last week and I thought the first 20 minutes we played some our style of footy. Then we allowed the Titans back.
“It was very important we came out and controlled the second half and I thought we did that really well.”
The Kick: Hasler on borrowed time
The drums are beating about Des Hasler’s future on the Gold Coast – he has even been given the kiss of death via the public declaration of having “the full support of the board”.
They may as well have told him to hand in his swipe card and clear out his desk.
Hasler has had little impact since taking over as head coach at the start of last season with Sunday’s loss his 22nd from 32 attempts.
He bit the bullet and dumped David Fifita to the Queensland Cup but if he was hoping to light a fire in his under-performing star forward, it did not work.
Fifita touched the ball just 11 times, made nine runs for 58 metres and a modest tally of 20 tackles despite playing the full 80 minutes of Ipswich’s 32-0 loss to the Northern Pride.
“There were just some areas that we wanted him to look at to work on, and some thinking along those lines,” Hasler said
If they wanted him to work on his lack of involvement, the message clearly did not sink in.
Hasler bolstered his roster this year with the addition of Reagan Campbell-Gillard but they need much more than an ageing prop who is past his best.
As painful as it would be for a team that has not won a playoff match since 2010, they need a major roster overhaul and to make a long-term commitment to a younger coach like Josh Hannay, Dean Young or Ben Hornby to bring through a new crop of players with potential.
Because with the way things stand, the Titans are in a never-ending cycle of under-achievement with little hope on the horizon.
with AAP
