As it happened: Seven straight for Panthers; Titans stun Wahs; Sharks get home

Full throttle fullbacks: Will Kennedy continued his dynamic season for the Sharks with 184 run metres, three tackle breaks and two try assists while Souths No.1 Jye Gray had 22 runs for 151 metres and two line break assists.

Full-time: The Rabbitohs had just 42 per cent of possession, lost the penalties 10-2 and were forced to make 100 more tackles but still pushed the Sharks to the absolute limit. Ryan Gray came up with a mammoth 68 tackles for the Rabbitohs while Jai Arrow and Lachlan Hubner made 83 tackles between them.

80 min: One last play for Souths with 15 seconds left on the clock but Jack Wighton's kick is fielded by Sione Katoa and the Sharks hang on to down the brave Bunnies.

80 min: Tevita Tatola takes a short pass from Lachlan Hubner and gets the ball down right on the tryline but injures his shoulder in the process. Isaiah Tass converts. Sharks 14-12.

76 min: Will Kennedy gets into the back field and puts a move on Jye Gray but the Bunnies scramble back and somehow cover up again when a try seemed certain.

73 min: Alex Johnston finds space down the left before Souths sweep back to the right and Ashton Ward kicks for Tyrone Munro who can't quite gather the bouncing ball.

70 min: Tallis Duncan jams in hard in defence and forces an error from Nicho Hynes as the Sharks' attack continues to stutter when they get a shot inside the Red Zone.

69 min: A right-side raid by Souths comes unstuck when Isaiah Tass' pass to Tyrone Munro is ruled forward and the Sharks get a scrum on halfway.

68 min: The Sharks kick high again and Ronaldo Mulitalo tries to tap it back again but a knock on is called.

61 min: Braydon Trindall goes high and Ronaldo Mulitalo taps it back to Will Kennedy to offloads to Blayke Brailey for a try that gives the Sharks some breathing space with Nicho Hynes' conversion. Sharks 14-6.

58 min: Rabbitoh Ashton Ward is sent into the game on NRL debut.

57 min: More gritty Souths defence forces an error from Braydon Trindall.

55 min: The Rabbitohs are penalised for a short dropout not going 10 metres before Jye Gray touched it and they again find themselves under pressure. The Sharks get over the line through Ronaldo Mulitalo but the last pass from Chris Vea'ila is ruled forward.

48 min: Toby Rudolf is deemed a Category One head knock after the clash with Wighton and is ruled out for the rest of the night. The Sharks are able to activate 18th man Hohepa Puru because Wighton was binned after the incident.

47 min: Braydon Trindall goes to the air from close range and Tallis Duncan gets up high to defuse the situation.

45 min: Jack Wighton is sent to the sin bin for a shoulder charge. Wighton made heavy contact with Toby Rudolf and their heads clashed but the bunker ruled shoulder charge and 10 minutes.

43 min: Tyrone Munro's horror night under the high ball continues and the Sharks make them pay as Ronaldo Mulitalo crosses out wide courtesy of a clever tap-on from Will Kennedy. The successful conversion from Nicho Hynes gives the Sharks the lead 8-6.

Half-time: Ryan Gray came up with a phenomenal 38 tackles for the Rabbitohs while Jai Arrow made 23 and Euan Aitken 21 as the Rabbitohs dug deep to defend their line despite having only 43 per cent of possession.

40 min: The Rabbitohs are rewarded for their gutsy defence when they come up with the opening try through Tyrone Munro after Jye Gray's speed gets him outside a defender and he tees it up for Munro to plunge over. Isaiah Tass hits the post with the conversion attempt. Rabbitohs 6-2.

37 min: Tallis Duncan loses the ball as he tries to get to his feet to play the ball but again the Rabbitohs hold on. The Sharks have had 60 per cent of possession and countless opportunities inside the Red Zone but can't find a way through.

36 min: On the back of an offside penalty the Sharks are again camped inside the Red Zone but again come up empty with Teig Wilton losing the ball in the collision.

30 min: A penalty against Jack Wighton for obstruction on kick chase hands the Sharks more field position but still they can't crack the Souths defence which continues to hold firm.

28 min: Addin Fonua-Blake heads up the tunnel in a blow for the Sharks after appearing to hurt his leg earlier in the half. He is cleared of any injury and returns to the field in the 51st minute.

26 min: Nicho Hynes breaks the line and looks certain to score but Lewis Dodd does enough to hold him up and the Sharks lose the ball on the next play when Braden Hamlin-Uele puts it down.

25 min: Braydon Trindall goes to the air and Tyrone Munro comes up with a mistake to hand the Sharks a full set inside the Red Zone.

20 min: The Rabbitohs draw level as Isaiah Tass knocks over a penalty goal after Billy Burns was penalised for lying the ruck. 2-2.

17 min: Billy Burns gets across the line but the last pass from Nicho Hynes is ruled forward and the Rabbitohs come away.

9 min: The Sharks take the early lead after the Bunnies are pinged for offside and Nicho Hynes lands the penalty goal. Sharks 2-0.

Late Mail

Rabbitohs: Ryan Gray will start at hooker and Siliva Havili goes to the bench in a late switch. English recruit Lewis Dodd starts at halfback for the first time this season as South Sydney navigate an overflowing casualty ward. Jamie Humphreys has been ruled out with a concussion, while Keaon Koloamatangi (ankle) and Peter Mamouzelos (concussion) are also unavailable. Fullback Jye Gray returns from a thumb injury in a much-needed boost. Ashton Ward is set to debut on a new-look bench.

Sharks: Siosifa Talakai is a late scratching due to illness, with last week's debutant Chris Vea'ila replacing him at centre. Jesse Ramien returns from a hamstring injury in a major boost for Cronulla, however Briton Nikora has been ruled out with a concussion. Billy Burns comes into the back row as a result, with Dan Atkinson added to the interchange. Hohepa Puru is 18th man.

Numbers Game

• The Rabbitohs have won three of their last four games on the Central Coast.
• The Sharks have won their last four games against the Rabbitohs.
• Rabbitohs winger Alex Johnston has scored four tries in three games at Polytec Stadium.
• Sharks winger Sione Katoa has scored four tries in two games on the Central Coast.
• Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett is in danger of equalling his longest losing streak (eight games).

 

Panthers v Wests Tigers at CommBank Stadium

Busting tackles for fun: With returning forward Liam Martin leading the way with eight, the Panthers came up with a monster tally of 47 tackle breaks. Dylan Edwards and Brian To'o broke six tackles each and Luron Patea busted five.

Full-time: That's seven on the bounce for the Panthers who move to fifth on the ladder ahead of a Round 22 clash with giant killers the Titans. The Panthers had 55 per cent of possession and simply had too much class for the Tigers with Dylan Edwards (27 runs for 294 metres) and Brian To'o (19 runs for 185 metres) again dominant.

76 min: Slick hands from Blaize Talagi whose no-look pass opens the space for Tom Jenkins to race away and score in the corner. Jenkins is the Panthers' leading tryscorer for the season with 10. Nathan Cleary pilots the conversion from touch. Panthers 36-2.

73 min: Another kick from the Panthers this time by Dylan Edwards but it is too heavy and goes into touch.

71 min: Lindsay Smith explodes into space off a Nathan Cleary pass and puts in a grubber for Dylan Edwards to chase but the Tigers take it dead.

68 min: Nathan Cleary comes up with a wickedly spinning grubber that evades Tigers defenders and Izack Tago comes through to ground the ball for the Panthers' fifth of the night. Cleary's conversion makes it 30-2.

65 min: A poor play-the-ball by Terrell May leads to a turnover of possession and the Panthers finally open their second-half account when Liam Martin steamrolls Tristan Hope to crash over for his second try of the season. Nathan Cleary converts. Panthers 24-2.

60 min: The Tigers shift right in a bid to create space but Adam Doueihi throws a long ball that goes behind two of his support players and into touch.

58 min: Sunia Turuva has been safe at the back all night and he again comes up with a big play to gather a Nathan Cleary grubber and get back into the field of play. The Tigers No.1 has already clocked up 205 run metres.

55 min: Adam Doueihi launches a spiral bomb but Dylan Edwards is typically assured under the high ball and the Panthers work away from their own end.

45 min: Luron Patea makes a bust and kicks back infield with his left foot for Dylan Edwards to chase. Jack Bird gets back in cover and Edwards knocks the ball on in the contest.

Half-time: The Tigers had their chances but the Panthers had the polish with Dylan Edwards running for 118 metres and coming up with a try assist while Izack Tago clocked up 127 run metres.

39 min: The Panthers come up with an 80-metre special after Casey McLean's offload puts Nathan Cleary into space and he finds Dylan Edwards backing up on the inside for the try that blows the margin out to 16 at the break. Edwards celebrates with a cartwheel and the Panthers are well on the way to a seventh consecutive win. Panthers 18-2.

36 min: Latu Fainu grubbers but the kick is far too hard and goes dead to allow the Panthers to come away.

34 min: Izack Tago is ruled to have lost the ball in a tackle as he tries to offload but the Panthers launch a successful captain's challenge and retain possession but they lose it on the next play when Liam Martin is ruled to have planted the ball and not gotten to his feet to play it.

32 min: Sunia Turuva takes a bomb five metres out from the Tigers line and is worked over in the ruck by two Panthers players, who concede a penalty for a second effort.

29 min: Jeral Skelton spills a bomb to put the Tigers under pressure again and they crack when Dylan Edwards darts out of dummy half and puts the ball on a platter for Casey McLean to score. Nathan Cleary converts. Panthers 12-2.

28 min: Liam Martin is sent into the game by Ivan Cleary for his first action in his return from a wrist injury.

24 min: The Tigers finally crack when Isaah Yeo goes to the line and slips an offload to Lindsay Smith who pulls through Tony Sukkar's legs tackle to score. Nathan Cleary is back kicking goals for the first time since Round 14 and he nails the easy conversion. Panthers 6-2.

21 min: A roll ball penalty against Izaac Tu'itupou puts the Tigers under immense pressure and they are forced to defend consecutive sets after a pass is knocked down by Alex Seyfarth.

19 min: Wests Tigers take the lead after the Panthers are penalised for a time violation in the line dropout and Adam Doueihi bangs over the penalty goal. Tigers 2-0.

17 min: A better grubber from Jarome Luai and the Panthers are forced to knock it dead with Api Koroisau chasing hard.

14 min: Taylan May gets across the line but is held up and Jarome Luai's grubber on the following play is easily defused by the Panthers.

12 min: A rare error from Dylan Edwards coming out of his own end hands the Tigers a great shot at opening points.

10 min: The Panthers go left and Casey McLean tries to flick the ball on quickly to Tom Jenkins but Jeral Skelton jams in and forces an error with the ball floating forward.

7 min: A spectacular leap by Tom Jenkins over the top of Jeral Skelton but the Panthers winger can't bring the ball to the ground and again the Tigers hang on.

4 min: An early air raid from Nathan Cleary but Tom Jenkins can't control the catch and the Tigers bring it away.

Late Mail

Panthers: Liam Martin has been added to the bench an hour before kick-off. Martin returns from a wrist injury suffered in the State of Origin decider. Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo are back on deck after being rested last week, while Brian To'o is set to line up on the wing despite copping a knock to the knee last week.

Wests Tigers: The Tigers are 1-17 with no late changes. Prolific NSW Cup try-scorer Izaac Tu'itupou is set for his Tigers debut and will replace Charlie Staines on the wing. Tu'itupou has scored 66 tries in just 76 games in reserve grade. Adam Doueihi remains at lock and Api Koroisau starts at hooker.

Numbers Game

• The Panthers have won six of their last eight games against Wests Tigers.
• Wests Tigers fullback Sunia Turuva has scored six tries in his last four games at CommBank Stadium.
• The Panthers have won their last five games at CommBank Stadium.
• Panthers winger Thomas Jenkins has scored five tries in his last five games at CommBank Stadium.

 

Warriors v Titans at Go Media Stadium

CNK and RTS deliver: In a beaten side, fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (26 runs for 214 metres) and winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (26 runs for 278 metres) were huge for the Warriors.

Metre eaters: The Titans had 11 players who ran for more than 100 metres with winger Phil Sami (27 runs for 260 metres) leading the way. AJ Brimson ran for 180 metres while Brian Kelly and Jojo Fifita had 14 tackle busts between them. Moe Fotuaika was immense in the middle with 161 run metres.

Full-time: A stunning upset by the Titans as they ensure Des Hasler celebrates his 500th game as a coach in grand style. Jayden Campbell and Kieran Foran dominated all day and steered their team around superbly as they completed 40 of 43 sets.

79 min: Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad puts it down and the Titans clean it up to ensure they will win their fifth game of the season and put a huge dent in the Warriors' top-four aspirations.

78 min: Titans hooker Sean Mullany is sent to the bin for a hip drop tackle.

77 min: Jayden Campbell caps a superb game with an acrobatic intercept to deny the Warriors a tryscoring opportunity down the left edge.

74 min: Another Warriors challenge after Chanel Harris-Tavita is ruled to have ball planted as he tried to get to his feet. The Warriors lose the challenge and the Titans move a step closer to a stunning upset.

73 min: The Warriors launch a captain's challenge after Demitric Vaimauga is pinged for a strip and they win the challenge to go on the attack from 30m out.

67 min: Te Maire Martin tries to tap the ball on to RTS but the jamming Titans defence forces an error and the ball goes out.

66 min: Back to 13 on 13 with Dallin Watene-Zelezniak returning from the bin.

62 min: The Warriors start the climb back when Te Maire Martin busts through tackles and finds Roger Tuivasa-Sheck cutting back on the angle to cross for his eighth try of the season. Tanah Boyd converts. Titans 24-16.

57 min: Jojo Fifita powers onto a Jayden Campbell pass and manages to get the ball down despite the desperate attempt by three Warriors to hold him up. The decision is sent upstairs to the bunker and the try is awarded. Campbell converts. Titans 24-10.

55 min: A roll ball penalty against Kurt Capewell puts the Wahs under pressure again and they lose a man to the sin bin when Dallin Watene-Zelezniak obstructs Brian Kelly on kick chase. 

53 min: Tanah Boyd launches a kick and Leka Halasima contests but he is unable to control the catch and knocks the ball on.

48 min: Titans veteran Kieran Foran comes up with a pearler of a pass to put Phil Sami over for his second try. Foran's pass covered 20 metres and landed on the chest of Sami who crossed wide out. Jayden Campbell converts. Titans 18-10.

46 min: The Titans launch a high ball and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad knocks it on in the contest and the visitors start a new set from 10 metres out.

Welcome back CNK: In his return from a knee injury, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad was superb in the opening stanza, racking up 112 run metres and a couple of tackle breaks while Roger Tuivasa-Sheck ran for 116 metres.

Half-time: The Titans have turned up big time for coach Des Hasler's 500th game, taking the game up to their more fancied rivals. Completing 17 of 18 sets at 94 per cent the Titans recovered from 10-0 down to take a lead to the sheds. 

39 min: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck does his best Superman impersonation to try and touch down in the left corner but the final pass had been ruled forward.

34 min: Titans back-rower Beau Fermor leaves the field for a HIA after landing heavily on his head after contesting a bomb. He was cleared to return.

30 min: Jackson Ford is placed on report for a crusher tackle on Jayden Campbell, who bangs over the penalty goal to give the Titans the lead at 12-10.

23 min: The game settles into an arm wrestle with the sides trading sets and a magnificent take by Roger Tuivasa-Sheck from a spiralling bomb allows the Warriors to come out of their own end but an error by Leka Halasima brings the movement to an end.

17 min: Titans hooker Chris Randall leaves the field for a HIA. He was unable to return to the match.

15 min: AJ Brimson shows great footwork on the left edge and lofts a pass over the top for Phil Sami to cross in the corner. Jayden Campbell misses to the left. 10-10.

13 min: Warriors hooker Wayde Egan leaves the field for a HIA. He fails and is ruled out.

12 min: A long-range special from the Titans after Jaimin Jolliffe's offload puts Jayden Campbell into space and he finds Jojo Fifita for the finishing touches. Campbell adds the extras. Warriors 10-6.

9 min: Another try for last week's match-winner Leka Halasima courtesy of a classy short ball from Chanel Harris-Tavita. Warriors 10-0.

7 min: A high shot by Moe Fotuaika on Wayde Egan invites the Warriors into the Red Zone again and they earn a repeat set when Brian Kelly is forced back in goal after taking a bomb.

4 min: Adam Pompey gets the Go Media Stadium faithful on their feet early with some sweet stepping to leave Jojo Fifita in his wake and dive over for the opening try. Tanah Boyd lands the extras. Warriors 6-0.

Late Mail

The Warriors line up 1-17 with no late changes. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad has been cleared to make his return from a knee injury at fullback. Sam Healey is 18th man in a settled squad looking to build on last week's last-gasp win over the Knights. Marata Niukore will play his 150th NRL game. 

Titans: With Sam Verrills missing the trip to Auckland due to the birth of his first child, Chris Randall moves to hooker with Sean Mullany going to the bench. Jacob Alick shifts from the interchange to the back row in the game day shuffle. Skipper Tino Fa'asuamaelaui (knee) and forward David Fifita (ankle) are out of Des Hasler's 500th game as coach.

Numbers Game

• The Warriors have won five from seven in New Zealand this season.
• The Titans have won five of their last six games against the Warriors.
• Warriors second-rower Leka Halasima has scored five tries in his last six games.
• Titans mentor Des Hasler will reach the milestone of 500 games as premiership coach.