The protagonists for the 2012 NRL play-offs have now been decided, with Brisbane’s win over Penrith on Friday night meaning the weekend played out with less drama than anticapted, the Broncos’ win guaranteeing the Tigers would miss the Top Eight.
Souths’ defence was the key element in their gutsy 18-6 win over the Knights, with Greg Inglis continuing to inspire the Bunnies from the back. In Queensland, the Broncos farewelled stalwart Petero Civoniceva with a 19-12 win over the Panthers, ensuring the Brisbane-based side would feature in the playoffs despite a run of terrible form in the final weeks of the competition.
Manly’s form could not be more different, with many critics tipping them for the title as their quest to retain their title continued to gain momentum with a 24-16 win over the Titans, while Melbourne kicked the Tigers when they were down, brushing Tim Sheens’ team aside 26-6.
The Roosters looked great the previous week but were no match for the newly crowned Minor Premieres as Canterbury hammered them 42-10, while the Cowboys’ win over Cronulla denied the Sharks a home game in the first round of the playoffs.
In the final clashes of the season’s round-robin games the Warriors were put out of their misery by the Raiders, a stirring second-half performance showing just how lethal the ‘Green Machine’ can be, while the Eels failed to see off legends Luke Burt and Nathan Hindmarsh in style, slumping to a 29-8 loss to the Dragons in Sydney.