Big Scores, Big Hits, and Some Surprises!

Magic Round – 2025

Magic Round was nuts, so settle in, grab a cold one, and let’s catch up on the action.

Friday night started with a belter. Sharks had their fins up early, Nicho Hynes leading like a proper general. He bagged a double, steering the boys beautifully around the park. Ronaldo Mulitalo was an absolute pest (in the best way) on the wing, snagging a try and nearly leaping into orbit for another. Parramatta pushed back hard, though, with Clint Gutherson and Mitch Moses linking like they’re sharing the same brain. But honestly, Cronulla’s defense held firm—especially with Briton Nikora tackling anything that moved.

With this win, Sharks cement themselves as genuine contenders, while the Eels must solve their inconsistency if they’re eyeing finals footy.

If you missed this, I’m sorry. Joey Manu basically decided he owned Suncorp Stadium. Manu racked up metres like nobody’s business, offloading and stepping like he was playing touch footy. James Tedesco backed him perfectly, popping up everywhere and causing headaches for the Dolphins. The Dolphins didn’t make it easy, though—Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (“The Hammer”) blitzed through gaps that shouldn’t have existed. Wayne Bennett’s face said it all by the end—close, but no cigar.

Roosters needed this win to kickstart their climb up the ladder. Dolphins, meanwhile, must shore up their defence quickly if they’re serious about September.

Tough one to watch if you’re a Bunnies fan. Parramatta absolutely rolled them. Dylan Brown and Mitch Moses turned the screws tighter than the Rabbitohs could handle. Moses’ kicking was pinpoint—seriously, the bloke couldn’t miss. The Bunnies looked flat, with Cody Walker having one of those nights where nothing clicked. Alex Johnston’s try was literally the only highlight, and even then, the cheering was half-hearted. The Eels are rolling hot right now.

Alarm bells are ringing loud for South Sydney after this flat performance. For Parra, though, they’re finally showing last year’s grand final form.

Now, this was the best match of Magic Round so far. Shaun Johnson, take a bow! He wound the clock back like it was 2014. Two tries, countless line-break assists, and a kicking game that had the Cowboys running in circles. But North Queensland nearly spoiled it—Scott Drinkwater was electric at the back, slicing through defenders and setting up tries. The last ten minutes were pure chaos; Dallin Watene-Zelezniak’s acrobatic finish in the corner sealed the deal. Warriors fans lost their collective minds, and honestly, so did I.

The Warriors keep impressing and have stamped their mark on the top eight. Cowboys are in trouble—another close loss leaves big questions around their finals hopes.

And finally, your favourite battlers, the Wests Tigers, got one! Luke Brooks looked like he’d been reading everyone’s angry Tweets all week and decided enough was enough. He nailed his kicking, set up three tries, and finally smiled at the end. Api Koroisau was relentless from dummy half, sneaking in for a sneaky try that had Dragons fans pulling their hair out. Ben Hunt tried his best to drag the Dragons back into it, scoring a beauty and setting up another, but the Tigers held on for dear life and finally snagged a win.

This victory could spark some belief for the Tigers heading forward. The Dragons, though—pressure mounts with another disappointing loss.

The Bulldogs came out swinging, with Jacob Kiraz absolutely running riot. The man bagged himself a hat-trick and set up another, making the Titans’ defence look lost out there. Even though the Titans hung tough in the first half, only trailing by a converted try at the break, the Dogs just hit another gear afterward. Stephen Crichton and Reed Mahoney chimed in with slick second-half tries, and things got spicy with sin bins handed out like candy—Chris Randall, Brian Kelly, and Jacob Preston all copping time on the sideline. It’s a statement win that puts the Bulldogs at the top of the ladder, proving they’re genuine contenders. Meanwhile, the Titans are left scratching their heads, desperately needing to patch those defensive holes if they’re planning on sticking around in the finals race.

This one was the Nathan Cleary show, plain and simple. The Panthers’ playmaker was everywhere, pulling the strings with a surgical kicking game, including a game-changing 40/20 and a solo try that’ll probably haunt the Broncos for weeks. Brisbane started off promisingly enough, Ben Hunt crossing early, but then they simply lost the plot. Cleary and co. turned on the afterburners, slicing through Brisbane’s defensive line time and again. For Penrith, this win might be the spark they need to get their mojo back for another deep run into September. The Broncos, though—they’ve got some serious soul-searching to do, because performances like this just won’t cut it at the business end of the year.

And finally, we got an absolute thriller. Canberra fought back from being down 14-0 early, with Kaeo Weekes bringing the crowd to their feet with a spectacular late-game try to tie it up. Then came golden point madness—penalties everywhere, tempers flaring, and Jamal Fogarty coolly slotting the winning penalty goal after Hudson Young got caught high. It was tense, controversial, and exactly the kind of gritty win that can galvanise a team. For Canberra, it’s proof they’re capable of digging deep when it counts, lifting them up the ladder. As for Melbourne, their discipline let them down big time, something they’ll need to sort out quickly if they plan on making their usual finals push.