Round 24 of the 2021 NRL season is in the books and finals football is only two weeks away. Before then, the last spot in the Top 8 needs to be secured.
Titans Trip Up
The Gold Coast Titans had an opportunity to blow the Top 8 race open with a win over the 7th-placed Newcastle Knights but tripped up late to lose 15-14.
But following a strong first half in which they built a 12-6 halftime lead, the Titans couldn’t put an end to Mitchell Pearce’s second-half masterclass. The veteran #7 pulled the Gold Coast defensive line to pieces as he passed teammates into positions to roll up the field, and while errors still plagued his side, Pearce remained patient and came up with the goods late.
Mitchell Pearce had some outstanding games in 'that' form run for Newcastle in 2019 but that might be my favourite performance of his in a Knights jersey. He just willed the team to a win when it just didn't look like it was going to happen #NRLKnightsTitans #ComeOutCharging
— Harry Ramage (@harryramage) August 26, 2021
The loss makes things a lot more difficult for the Titans who now need to hope the Raiders and Sharks both lose before beating the Warriors themselves on Sunday afternoon.
Top 8 Picture
Sharks – $1.75: A win over the Storm and they’re in. A loss means they need the Raiders to lose and for the Titans to not beat the Warriors by a significant margin.
Raiders – $2.65:Â Should the Raiders win on Thursday night, a Sharks loss on Friday will secure 8th on the NRL ladder.
Titans – $7: The Titans will know by kickoff whether or not they are a chance. The Raiders and Sharks both need to lose for the Titans to be playing for a spot on Sunday afternoon.
Rabbitohs’ Regretful Win
While the history books will show the South Sydney Rabbitohs thrashing an injury-ravaged Sydney Roosters side, this game will ultimately be remembered as the day Latrell Mitchell took Joey Manu’s head off.
It’s the day the Rabbitohs premiership chances, perhaps even beyond this season, came crashing down in the form of a six-game suspension for their superstar fullback.
Having clawed their way into becoming genuine premiership contenders on the back of a scintillating attack, Mitchell, one of their best-attacking weapons and a key cog in their left and right shifts, won’t be available for the rest of the 2021 NRL season.
https://twitter.com/ChrisGarry7/status/1431428122566488064?s=20
Mitchell is a firey fullback and the intensity at which he plays the game is a big part of what makes him great. Unfortunately, on this occasion, that intensity was directed towards the head of a former teammate. Priors have added an extra game onto his suspension and he won’t be available until early next season. For 2021, the Rabbitohs’ price to win the premiership is out to $11 from $6.50 last week.
Electric Eels Make A Statement
The Parramatta Eels ended their four-game losing streak in Round 23. Still, few expected them to start a winning streak of their own when faced with the Melbourne Storm in Round 24. After all, Craig Bellamy’s side came into this one with 19 consecutive wins under their belt.
But an intense Parramatta side led by halfback Mitchell Moses went set for set with the premiership favourites on their way to a surprise 22-10 win. Isaiah Papali’i and Nathan Brown charged through the middle to combine for 354 running metres between them. The Eels completed at 90% to the Storm’s 69% as Craig Bellamy sat in the coaches box embarrassed with his team’s effort:
“I can’t remember the last time I’ve been as disappointed in a milestone game for one of our players – with all due respect, I’m a bit embarrassed we came up with that performance on a night where Felise is playing his 150th.”
Still, as out of sorts as Melbourne were, Parramatta deserves a lot of credit. They entered with a game plan and stuck with it for the full 80 minutes. It’s not enough to put them up with the contenders just yet, though.
The Storm ($2.25), Panthers ($2.90), Sea Eagles ($7.50) and Rabbitohs ($11) are still ahead of the Eels in the Premiership Winner market at $21.
NRL Against The Spread Standings
A late Raiders try pushed the difference out to 12 points as the Warriors failed to cover their +6.5 line while losing 28-16 on Friday night. The result fastens the Warriors to the bottom of the ATS ladder for the 2021 NRL season. The Storm and Eels will decide who finishes on top following Melbourne’s straight-up loss in Round 24.
After Round 24
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| Top 8 |
Bottom 8 |
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| Storm (17-6) | Panthers (11-12) | |
| Eels (16-7) | Knights (10-13) | |
| Sharks (15-8) | Roosters (10-13) | |
| Rabbitohs (14-9) | Dragons (10-13) | |
| Tigers (13-10) | Bulldogs (9-14) | |
| Sea Eagles (12-11) | Cowboys (9-14) | |
| Broncos (11-12) | Raiders (9-14) | |
| Titans (11-12) | Warriors (7-16) | |
