Apart from those teams due to play tonight, the weekend saw most clubs have their final hit-out before the 2022 NRL season gets under.
The Mole runs through the key takeaways from each match.
RAIDERS v SEA EAGLES
Jack Wighton showed great character after a horror start to steer Canberra to an upset 18-16 win over Manly on Friday night.
Early mistakes by Wighton gifted Manly two early runaway long-distance tries and it looked like being a long night for the classy five-eighth, who had a poor season by his standards in 2021.
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But Wighton picked up his act, turning the game with a smart solo try right on halftime to reduce Manly’s 16-0 lead to 16-6.
That gave the Raiders the confidence to sail home in the second half and they scored two unanswered tries – one from a Wighton grubber – to over-power a flat Manly outfit.
Wighton admitted after the win that he didn’t feel fit throughout last season and judging by his effort in the final trial, he’s getting back to his best.
It was a bad night all around for Manly with Haumole Olakau’atu (arm), Marty Taupau (back) and Dylan Walker (leg) all hurt … with the season opener against premiers Penrith now just 10 days away.
TIGERS v ROOSTERS
The enigmatic Luciano Leilua showed he could be one of 2022’s big improvers with a match-winning role for the Tigers in their 16-8 boilover of the Roosters.
Leilua has always had the talent but too often marred his game in the past with silly errors and lazy plays.
But it was a different Leilua in awful conditions at Gosford against the Roosters on Friday night.
He made 14 hit-ups – more than any player on the field – came up with four tackle breaks and two line break assists and scored the try that turned the match.
The Roosters led 8-0 early and it looked like being another long night for the much-maligned Tigers.
But they held the Roosters scoreless for the final hour of the match, scoring three tries themselves.
Jackson Hastings had a fine debut in his return to the NRL after three seasons in exile in England, bringing some control to the attack.
James Tamou was one of six Tigers to run for over 100 metres but will miss round one after a dangerous tackle on Roosters playmaker Sam Walker.
The Roosters – fielding close to their best team – were a major disappointment after their bright start and have plenty of work to do before round one.
PANTHERS v EELS
Just how good a player is Nathan Cleary? That question may be answered in round one in two weeks after the Panthers’ woeful 36-0 loss to arch rivals Parramatta.
Penrith coach Ivan Cleary was left with plenty of headaches after his side’s lack-lustre performance at home as they conceded six tries without registering a point.
Yes, there were several stars missing, but it was still a worrying last hit-out before their title defence and the organisational skills of Cleary, out with a shoulder injury, were sorely missed.
The Eels’ halves, Mitchell Moses and Dylan Brown, were outstanding while Clint ‘King’ Gutherson was prominent in attack.
The Eels’ opening try to Isaiah Papali’i after just six minutes will go down as one of the tries of the year despite the atrocious conditions and Parra never looked back from that point.
DRAGONS v RABBITOHS
Young guns Tyrell Sloan and Talatau Amone made it impossible for coach Anthony Griffin to leave them out of round one as the Dragons won the Charity Shield for the first time since 2012.
The annual clash with Souths in Mudgee was a characteristically tough affair but the final score of 16-10 flattered the Rabbitohs.
The Dragons always looked the better side, scoring four tries to two but missing all four conversion attempts. And leading the way were rookie fullback Sloan and five-eighth Amone.
Both showed touches of class and weren’t over-awed by the experience of playing against last year’s grand finalists.
Griffin would have also been delighted with his pack, with Blake Lawrie outstanding, leading the count in both run metres and tackles.
Souths are counting the days until Latrell Mitchell returns from suspension and are still coming to terms with life after Adam Reynolds.
Rookie halfback Lachlan Ilias has potential but will take time to grab a game by the throat the way Reynolds did for so many years in the red and green.
COWBOYS v BRONCOS
Val Holmes turned out to be his own worst enemy as the Cowboys thumped Brisbane in Mackay on Saturday night.
Holmes wants to play fullback again this season, but coach Todd Payten shifted him to the centres in last night’s trial against the Broncos to allow the dynamic Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to play in the number one jumper.
The move proved a master-stroke, with Holmes scoring one try and creating another and Tabuai-Fidow also getting on the scoresheet in the 26-6 rout of the Broncos in Mackay.
The pair are now certain to be retained in those spots for the premiership opener in a fortnight.
The Broncos look all too similar to the team that struggled for continuity for the past two seasons. After taking an early lead, they folded badly and committed some dreadful errors.
STORM v KNIGHTS
Craig Bellamy‘s big guns Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes, Brandon Smith and Nelson Asofa-Solomona all flexed their muscles for the start of the season as the Storm outclassed Newcastle 24-10 in Ballarat.
Munster, in particular, was superb, showing his class at fullback.
As a final trial run, things couldn’t have gone much better for Bellamy’s boys.
They scored some nice tries, worked their combinations and kept Newcastle on the back foot for much of the contest.
The only sour note for the Storm was an early shoulder injury to promising five-eighth Cooper Johns that will have him in doubt for round one.
The Storm made seven line breaks to Newcastle’s one and that will be a concern for Knights coach Adam O’Brien.
Knights’ main man Kayln Ponga was kept relatively quiet but talented five-eighth Jake Clifford showed some nice touches.
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