The Raiders shed the faders tag to prove they are the real deal, while the Broncos’ season from hell went from bad to worse and a Souths legend achieved a huge milestone.
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Read on for all the talking points from Round 13.
RAIDERS SHELVE FADERS TAG TO STUN ROOSTERS IN COMEBACK WIN
The Raiders may have surrendered a 20-0 lead to the Bulldogs earlier this season, but they showed they are the real deal in a come-from-behind victory over the Roosters in Round 13.
Canberra came back from 12-4 down at half-time to score four second half tries to stun the Roosters on their home turf.
Matty Johns believes the Raiders are becoming a team of destiny based on their penchant for winning close games this season and paid tribute to their young halves.
“You get a real sense of destiny when you are in a football side and you keep winning close games,” Johns said on Sunday Night with Matty Johns.
“They are playing great football. It was a look to the future with Ethan Sanders replacing Jamal Fogarty due to injury.
“I thought he and Ethan Strange formed a combination really well. It was a great win.”
Bryan Fletcher believes the Raiders may have had a comedown from their big win over the Warriors last week, but they showed they are a genuine title threat.
“After last week when they put all that effort against the Warriors in the win over there, I thought they might be a little flat, but it was the total opposite,” Fletcher said.
“Ricky and the coaching staff have done a terrific job. They defended really well.
“They are winning in tight games and we know they can score points because they have touched up a few teams, but they are the real deal.”
Nathan Hindmarsh praised young gun dummy-half Owen Pattie, who again impressed with 34 run metres, a try assist and 22 tackles in the absence of the suspended Tom Starling.
“I thought Owen Pattie at No.9 was outstanding today,” Hindmarsh said.
“He has really brained it at hooker and deserves his spot there.
“They have been doing this for years. They love a tight game and coming from behind and they held on again.”
Johns agreed the Raiders are devolving some real depth at hooker, which has become such a crucial position in modern rugby league.
“Geez they have some depth at hooker,” Johns said.
“They have Starling who is suspended at the moment. They have got Danny Levi and they have Jayden Brailey coming next year.”
Raiders on end of controversial calls | 01:08
BRONCOS’ WOES CONTINUE
The Broncos’ season is slipping away.
Michael Maguire’s side have lost six of their last seven games and have dropped out of the top eight following their 34-6 loss to the Sea Eagles.
Brisbane began the season on fire, winning three of their first five but cracks have began to emerge and skipper Adam Reynolds cut a frustrated figure after their disappointing Round 13 display.
So what is going wrong in Red Hill in his eyes?
“Just our errors and discipline, there are plenty of good things happening but in key moments throughout the game we’re turning the ball over, giving them easy leg-ups and certainly making it hard for ourselves,” he said.
“There were many areas across the park we could have been much better and defence was one of those.
“Internally, we know our beliefs, we know what this team is capable of, we’ll bunker down, work hard and we’ve still got faith we can turn the season around.
“It only takes one week, we’ve got the Titans next week. We need to learn, we need to get better and we need to do it as a group individually and not look externally.”
Should the Broncos go down to the Titans, who have been one of the NRL’s biggest strugglers in 2025, the pressure will only grow on Maguire.
However, the Brisbane coach was adamant that his squad have the ability to compete for the title this season.
“It was a tough old night, patches of what we can do and patches of what we need to improve on,” Maguire said.
“It’s pretty straightforward the way I see it, it’s just being able to do things for longer periods of time.
“We made plenty of errors and gave away a few penalties in the first half which accumulates pressure but you’ve got to handle that.”
The Broncos have also scored more than 14 points once in their last four games, with their attack being exposed against Manly.
Former Storm enforcer Ryan Hoffman was of the belief Maguire was not the problem.
“I’ve been coached by Michael Maguire before. I know that he is a successful coach. But you need to buy into what he’s about,” he said on ABC’s Offsiders.
“He’s going to breed a tough football team, but you’ve got to train tough to be tough.
“Look, I’m going to back Michael Maguire in. I think he’s a very good coach. I think he’s what Brisbane Broncos need.
“I think the players themselves need to understand that ‘this is what we need right now, we need to buy into what he’s about’.”
Ezra BOOED as Manly belt Brisbane | 02:04
SOUTHS STAR CLOSES IN ON RECORD
An emotional Rabbitohs winger Alex Johnston has admitted he was “almost crying” during the game on Sunday after becoming the first player in the NRL era to score 200 tries.
Johnston is now just 13 tries away from breaking Ken Irvine’s all-time record of 212 which has stood for 52 years and was long considered untouchable.
The 30-year-old has endured an injury-plagued 2025 but scored a hat-trick in a 36-30 loss to the Warriors on Sunday afternoon, which takes his season tally to five tries in four games.
Johnston was welling up in an interview with Fox League after the game when discussing what he’s overcome to become the first player this century to score 200 tries.
“The crowd started going crazy and I’m not going to lie, I was almost tearing up,” he said.
“I don’t want to get too deep here but there were some dark times in the past 10 months so it was good to contribute.
“In the middle of the game I was almost crying and just thinking about it now it’s getting me. It’s great support, I love this club and hopefully I keep scoring.”
Johnston said it has been impossible not to think about breaking Irvine’s incredible record, but added he doesn’t think it’ll happen this season.
“Every single person I see in the street brings it up so it’s hard not to (think about),” he said.
“But my goal for this year was to get to 200 and I’ve got there now so whatever I get from now is a cherry on top, but hopefully I get there.”
Wayne Bennett said he was “really proud” of Johnston and revealed South Sydney co-owner Russell Crowe wants Johnston to finish his career at the club.
“He’s a special player, he’s so good,” Bennett said.
“He’s not only a good athlete but he’s also pretty smart the way he positions himself and works it all out and gets to the try line.
“I know Russell Crowe is really proud of him too and it’s really important to him that Alex remains on the wing here for as long as he gets the job done and I feel the same.
“He means a lot to the club and the fans and looks like breaking a record that has been there for a long, long time. It was a great day for him.
“That one where he pulled up a couple metres short of the try line but still got the ball up in the air knowing that if he keeps it there, we’re a chance. You’ve only got that long to think about that stuff and he gets it right.
“He’s only 12 behind now, we’ve just got to keep him on the footy field.
“They go through a lot, these guys, he came back and hurt his back and missed a game then came back and hurt his hamstring and missed more football, that’s all just happened this year.
“It’s a pretty emotional business, you just don’t see all the emotion because they learn to live with it and handle it.
“Their careers depend on their bodies and his was not in a good place.”
AJ scores historic 200th NRL try | 00:33
EELS SHOW HUGE IMPROVEMENTS AMID RYLES’ NEW STYLE
The Eels may have gone down 18-10, but they have come a long way from being thrashed by the Storm early in the season.
The Eels led 10-6 at the hour mark before Nathan Cleary came up clutch to bury them down the stretch, but Jason Ryles side is showing that his plan is slowly working.
Matty Johns believes the Eels’ attack was far more impressive than their two tries suggested on Sunday.
“The last 20 minutes Nathan Cleary just took control, but the Eels are just improving every week,” Johns said.
“10 points doesn’t illustrate it, but I thought some of the attacking sequences that Jason Ryles has put in place were really dynamic.
“I thought their attack looked really good. Some of their young back-rowers were very good.”
Nathan Hindmarsh took notE of the Eels’ short passing game that involves the forwards and the halves, that nearly guided them to victory over a desperate Panthers outfit.
“Iongi at the back was superb and the halves were great, but I did like the passing between the Eels forwards,” Hindmarsh said.
“And the little face ball that the halves were throwing across the forwards and picking out the second man.
“It was a high quality game given where both teams are on the ladder. We know they have got some good footy in them, but both sides are running out of time.”
Jason Ryles explained in his press conference that the Eels have a style and a plan and they are sticking to it.
“That’s our style,” Ryles said.
“That’s the way we play. We don’t copy anyone. We play to what the strengths of our team are.
“We are fast, Dylan Walker plays well with the footy. We’ve got all these different guys with different strengths, so we just need to make sure our style suits that.
“And we’re seeing just little periods of it. We just need to execute one or two of those opportunities, but they scrambled well and showed us what it looks like.
“It’s a different game, so take our lessons, keep going and keep working on our style.”
Panthers down Eels in battle of the West | 02:07
KNIGHTS HORROR ATTACK RETURNS AS O’BRIEN SPARKS DRAW DEBATE
A week after thrashing the Panthers, the Knights came crashing back to earth with a 20-6 loss to the Dragons as Adam O’Brien took aim at the draw after skipper Kalyn Ponga was scratched.
O’Brien pulled Ponga out of the clash to avoid his star captain playing three games in eight days, but the Knights barely fired a shot in attack as a result.
Cooper Cronk believes the gap between the Knights’ best and worst is too great and took aim at their penchant for errors and penalties.
“That’s the storyline against Newcastle if you defend well and limit their opportunities, you will get possession down the other end of the field,” Cronk said.
“The Newcastle Knights have some challenges. They are not only not attacking well, but they have too many errors, defensive lapses and their line speed to start the game was poor because the Dragons were dominating them and opening them up.
“It must be hard being Adam O’Brien because you see what they did against Penrith one week and then the next week they struggle to score points.
“When they catch fire they play well. We have seen them catch fire and play in the finals, but their bad is well below where it should be.”
Cronk believes it was damning the only try the Knights managed against the Dragons involved two forwards.
“The Knights struggled for points again and it wasn’t until the 70th minute that Kai Pearce-Paul scored,” Cronk said.
“If you look at that play, it is Thompson drifting across the field and throwing a flick pass to Kai Pearce-Paul. It was two forwards.
“No Fletcher Sharpe or Jack Cogger or Tyson Gamble involved, so they have got a hell of a lot of work to do.”
Given their horror attack, the decision to rest Ponga due to an ankle injury was called into question, but Cronk defended O’Brien’s call to look after his player’s welfare.
“It would have been a tough call and a courageous call and winning is everything particularly when you are the Knights and are towards the bottom of the ladder,” Cronk said.
“You are judged by your performances and wins and losses determine whether you have had a successful season or not.
“But three games in eight days and one of them being an Origin game, missing one of your best players not only in your team but in the competition.
“That’s the draw and I actually support Adam O’Brien on this. To roll out players three times over the space of eight days over an Origin period, that’s ridiculous.”
O’Brien didn’t miss the NRL over the draw in a fiery press conference.
“Look in this battle we lost to the scheduling and the draw,” O’Brien said.
“Someone has got to play Friday okay we get that. But then they hit us next Thursday as well. Hit us again, so it would have been three games in eight days. That’s not looking after our players, so I had to look after him.
“I always knew that once the draw came out we would cop the Friday after Origin, but it would have been good if someone said, give them the Saturday or the Sunday the following week.
“But whoever does the draws either hasn’t lived it or doesn’t care, so I don’t know which one it is.
“You have got teams like Canberra who haven’t had a bye yet and then you have got teams who haven’t left home in seven games in a row. Like it’s ridiculous.
“But the draw didn’t have anything to do with the way we played tonight.”
O’Brien explains decision to rest Ponga | 05:33
CAMPBELL SHINES FOR DOUR TITANS
Going down by 12 points to a premiership heavyweight is not something Titans fans should turn their noses up at.
That’s especially true when considering Des Hasler’s side were far from their best, committing costly errors at crucial points, and being on the wrong end of a rough officiating call.
Admittedly, there were few shining lights for the Gold Coast, bar perhaps Jayden Campbell. Named at No.7 earlier in the week but shifted to fullback on game day, Campbell showed why many believe his best footy comes with the No.1 on his back.
The 25-year-old finished with 166 running metres, 135 kick metres, one line break assist, and two try assists, including a brilliant 20 metre pass to set up Philip Sami in the 48th minute.
Just about everything good that happened for the Titans flowed through their stellar fullback, a reality that has been true for much of the last 18 months, during which time he has transitioned into the halves.
A large motivator of this transition was the need to fit Keano Kini into the Titans starting side. With the Kiwi international an out-and-out fullback, the decision to shift Campbell to five-eighth was made.
That move did not limit Campbell’s output. In fact, it improved it as he recorded a career high in try assists (11) and equalled his previous best for tries (five).
In 2025, he has remained in the halves, albeit this time donning the No.7. However, with Kini sidelined for another few months with a neck injury and AJ Brimson needing as much game time to adjust to his new-found role at five-eighth, Campbell’s ability to brilliantly play fullback could
With Keano Kini out months away from returning to first grade after suffering a gruesome neck injury and AJ Brimson needing as much time as possible to adjust to life as a five-eighth, Campbell provides Hasler with a ready-made, elite option at the back in the meantime.
And while a spine of Kieran Foran, AJ Brimson, Jayden Campbell, and Sam Verrills may not jump off the page initially, there is the potential for that quartet to drag the hapless Titans out of their current rut.
Des details why Titans were wronged | 02:43
MILESTONE SEA EAGLE LEADS LIGHTWEIGHT PACK TO VICTORY
In rugby league, the common perception is that the bigger the forward pack is, the better they perform. Power is the currency of the middle third, and has been the case for much of the game’s history.
Except this current era. In recent seasons, it’s been the more mobile packs that have more often than not come out on top.
Of course, there is a place for the game’s towering destructors; the Payne Haas’, the James Fisher-Harris’, and the rest.
Yet increasingly it is the nimbler middles who prove more capable of taking advantage of the game’s quickened speed, particularly around the ruck. Think Josh Curran, Cameron Murray, and Kurt Mann.
And think Jazz Tevaga, affectionately dubbed the ‘Bald Eagle’ since joining the Sea Eagles at the beginning of this season.
Having started the season operating as the club’s first-choice hooker, Tevaga has recently transitioned into the club’s first-choice No.13 to great effect.
Against the Broncos, in his 150th first grade game, Tevaga had perhaps his strongest game of the season, running for more metres (140) than any other forward on the field.
Reminder, this was the same field that Haas and Patrick Carrigan were on. Granted that duo were recovering from an Origin contest played out earlier in the week, but it remains a fact Tevaga carried the ball further than them both.
The 29-year-old, who Anthony Seibold credited post-game as having brought “grunt” into his Manly pack, was not alone in his crusade against Michael Maguire’s struggling Broncos.
Ethan Bullemor, another undersized middle forward, ran for 125 metres, Corey Waddell 115, and Nathan Brown, a mixture of old and new prop traits, ran for 90.
Back rower Ben Trbojevic also recorded triple digits running metres, as did all of Manly’s back five.
By comparison, two Broncos forwards – Haas & Carrigan – and three of their backline ran for 100 metres, figures that meant Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam were creating of a lesser platform than their adversaries.
At the heart of it all though was Manly’s milestone man, Jazz Tevaga, whose mobility and speed through the middle proved too effective against a bigger Broncos pack.
Haas to test market value | 01:33
