NRL Round 3 results and live updates: Knights hold on against Storm for first win of 2024

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Joshua Mayne
Mark Molyneux
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The new season is just two rounds in but already clubs are feeling the heat with a number of coaches making key positional changes in pursuit of points. 

A change at halfback for the Rabbitohs didn't exactly pay dividends, with Jason Demetriou's side smashed by rivals the Roosters on Friday night.

Although it did for the Tigers on Saturday night, with Aidan Sezer guiding his side to an upset win over the Sharks during his first start at halfback for Benji Marshall's side. 

MORE: 2024 NRL live ladder | Every NRL club's updated injury list | Every NRL fixture and result

Knights survive Storm scare to pick up first win

It may not have been an entirely convincing performance, but Newcastle have their first points on the board this season.

After a strong first half, the Knights were up 14-0 heading into the sheds.

Kalyn Ponga was particularly impressive, finding Enari Tuala with a bullet-like cutout pass for their second try.

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The Storm fought hard to make it a one-score contest but were let down by some sloppy errors, unable to replicate last round's stunning comeback.

The Knights offered little from an attacking sense in the second period, however, did enough defensively to hold on for an important win.

Eels end Sea Eagles' winning run in high-scoring clash

Parramatta edged out Manly on Sunday afternoon in arguably the most entertaining game of the round.

The Eels were down 14-0 early, but halfback Mitchell Moses orchestrated an impressive comeback, with the home side going on to win 28-24.

It marked the end of the Sea Eagles' perfect start to the season, and they will be rueing the 13 errors made during the game.

"It's a good lesson for us ...  we were quite clunky and gave away a number of penalties and made some errors and put some pressure on ourselves," Manly coach Anthony Seibold said.

Api Koroisau stars as Benji Marshall secures first Tigers win

Wests Tigers were caught cold last week in their season opener against Canberra, with Benji Marshall declaring pre-match that he expected a response against Cronulla.

Yet his demands appeared to have fallen on deaf ears when Tom Hazelton barged over after 14 minutes to give the Sharks the lead.

But that was as good as it got for Craig Fitzgibbon’s men, as the young Tigers responded in spectacular fashion to post 30 unanswered points.

Api Koroisau was at the heart of the turnaround with his tenacious nature lifting not only his teammates but also the crowd at a boisterous Leichhardt Oval.

The skipper was everywhere as he jumped on every loose ball and tackled himself to a standstill, while also providing his trademark guile around the ruck to finish with two try assists, 70m and three tackle busts. 

The No.9 was supported by the likes of Jahream Bula - who bagged a double - and new signing Justin Olam who was at his rampaging best on his club debut to mark a memorable first win for Marshall. 

  • Mark Molyneux

Scott Drinkwater opens up on North Queensland Cowboys' red-hot start

North Queensland piled on 42 unanswered points to roll to a dominant 46-24 win over the Dragons which capped their best start to a season since 2007. 

"I’m not going to say we’re back but we’re taking steps in the right direction," Scott Drinkwater told Fox League post-match. 

The fullback had his hands in everything good the Cowboys did as he finished with one try and two assists after North Queensland produced a fightback for the second straight week. 

Todd Payten's men trailed 18-4 early on, until they kicked into gear and overpowered St George Illawarra. 

"In the off-season, we spoke about your personal obligation to the team and what it means being 24/7," Drinkwater said. 

"Coming back in good shape, fit and ready to go - it’s all about personal obligation.

"What’s your routine the night before the game, what you're doing on game day and what you’re eating.

"It’s just those sorts of things so we’re not underdone."

  • Mark Molyneux

Titans battered by Dogs as AJ Brimson bombs certain try

Des Hasler would have been ropeable during Gold Coast’s opening match two weeks ago after they copped a hiding from the Dragons on home soil.

Their attack, in particular, would have been an area of concern for the veteran coach who took his side back to Belmore to take on the Dogs as they attempted to grab a first win of the season. 

Gold Coast appeared set for a perfect start in the first two minutes when AJ Brimson leapt above Blake Taaffe to reel in a kick.

However, the centre then went from hero to zero when he tried to pass to Kieran Foran despite having a clear run to the line which was only a metre or so away.

The Titans’ five-eighth was caught by surprise and put down the ball with Fox League commentator Warren Smith shocked by the play.

"You’ve rarely seen a try bombed as cold as that," Smith exclaimed.

Cameron Ciraldo’s men soon made the visitors pay for the error with Jacob Preston crashing over from close-range to establish a 6-0 lead.

Fellow Canterbury backrower Viliame Kikau then charged down a kick to scoop up the loose ball and score as a mountain of possession finally told for the Dogs, who went on with the job in the second half to claim an impressive 32-0 win. 

  • Mark Molyneux 

Roosters batter Rabbitohs as they celebrate JWH's 300th game in style

It is always must-watch footy when these two rivals go head-to-head, and it was the Tricolours who took home the bragging rights on Friday night.

The atmosphere at Allianz Stadium was extra special, with Jared Waerea-Hargreaves playing his 300th game in the NRL – and it was certainly an occasion to remember.

The Roosters flew out of the gates courtesy of a Dom Young try before Sam Walker got himself involved with a rare double.

Apart from a Jacob Host try in the 50th minute, the second half was more one-way traffic. 

Latrell Mitchell was sin-binned late for a professional foul, with the Roosters scoring two more tries during that period alone.

The Rabbitohs were also let down by their poor completion rating, finishing just 69 per cent of their sets.

The 48-6 demolition notably put the home side on top of the table and pushed the Bunnies right to the bottom.

"Obviously the emotion around the game was very important to us but that doesn't always guarantee a performance," Roosters coach Trent Robinson said.

"I thought it was set up really well from the start – a really simple, clear play and then we took our opportunities."

  • Joshua Mayne

RTS scores as Warriors pick up first win

It was a tightly fought affair in Christchurch, but the Warriors were able to grind out an 18-10 win over the Raiders and pick up their first points of the 2024 season.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck enjoyed his best game since returning to the NRL this year, running for a team-high 188 metres and scoring the try to put the home side up by 8 points in the second half.

The former Dally M Medal winner proved he is still an elite talent, pushing through the Canberra defensive line before willing himself over the line in a moment of brilliance.

The Warriors are certainly a better team than their 0-2 record suggested, so they will be pleased to have picked up a much-needed win.

  • Joshua Mayne

Kevin Walters interview: Broncos coach reflects on Reece Walsh injury setback

"We had Tristan Sailor parked there as 18th man, but he can't come into the game, so we won't be doing that again," Kevin Walters bemoaned after Brisbane slipped to a heavy 34-12 loss to Penrith. 

The grand final rematch already shaped as an uphill battle for the understrength Broncos, but things quickly went from bad to worse when Reece Walsh left the field with an eye injury. 

Their talisman clashed heads with Taylan May but despite passing his HIA he was unable to return due to suffering blurred vision. In his absence, the Panthers ruthlessly exploited the visitors, who were forced to shuffle their backline around. 

"If you lose some of your outside backs...it's a specialist position fullback. Anyway, I'm not blaming that, we just didn't handle the situation well," Walters said. 

"All clubs face it at different times and that's probably the first time this group has had to do it.

"Me as a coach, I've got to pick the right people on our bench to make sure we have good access to cover everything, so I take a bit of the blame there."

  • Mark Molyneux

Taylan May on report after head clash with Reece Walsh sidelines Brisbane star

The grand final rematch took just three minutes to have its first flash point with Walsh forced from the field after a head clash with May.

The Brisbane star was sweeping around the back close to Penrith’s line when May came rushing in to shut down the play.

The centre collided with Walsh’s face though as the two reeled out of the tackle, with the No.1 suffering a deep laceration to his face.

Under advice from Bunker official Ashley Klein, May was penalised for the accidental contact and put on report for the incident.

Referee Gerrard Sutton advised skipper Isaah Yeo that May was put on report for failing his duty of care by not bending his back while entering into the tackle.

Walsh passed his HIA but due to the nature of the cut, he remained off the field for more than 20 minutes as medical staff attended to him in the sheds with Penrith racing into a 16-2 lead. 

The Broncos fullback looked set to return to the fold towards the break but instead he returned to the sheds struggling with blurred vision.

Walsh was eventually ruled out of the match with the visitors losing 34-12 in a miserable night at the foot of the mountains. 

  • Mark Molyneux

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NRL Round 3 draw and results 

Date Match Time (AEDT) Stadium
Thurs. March 21 Penrith Panthers 34 def. Brisbane Broncos 12 8.00pm BlueBet Stadium
Fri. March 22 New Zealand Warriors 18 def. Canberra Raiders 10 6.00pm Apollo Projects Stadium
Fri. March 22 Sydney Roosters 48 def. South Sydney Rabbitohs 6 8.00pm Allianz Stadium
Sat. March 23 Canterbury Bulldogs 32 def. Gold Coast Titans 0 3.00pm Belmore Sports Ground
Sat. March 23 St George Illawarra Dragons 24 def. by North Queensland Cowboys 46 5.30pm Netstrata Jubilee Stadium
Sat. March 23 Wests Tigers 32 def. Cronulla Sharks 6 7.35pm Leichhardt Oval
Sun. March 24 Parramatta Eels 28 def. Manly Sea Eagles 24 4.05pm CommBank Stadium
Sun. March 24 Newcastle Knights 14 def. Melbourne Storm 12 6.15pm McDonald Jones Stadium
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Author(s)
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Joshua Mayne

Joshua Mayne is a content producer for The Sporting News Australia.

Mark Molyneux Photo
Mark Molyneux

Mark Molyneux is a content producer for Sporting News Australia.