3 minute read
Penrith Panthers are breathing down the neck of the Melbourne Storm following another exciting week of action in the NRL.
There are five weeks of the regular season remaining and there is still a lot to sort out before the competition heads into finals.
The minor premiership is one of them, and it is wide open after the Storm slipped to a surprise defeat, while the Panthers continue to pick up wins.
Canterbury Bulldogs and North Queensland also kept their top-four hopes alive with crucial wins, while the race to make the top eight is tighter than ever.
One side that will not be in there however is last season's grand final runners-up Brisbane Broncos, who suffered another loss, ending their hopes.
Let's take a look at the fall-out from a gripping week 22.
Storm suffer Dragons setback
Melbourne Storm saw their seven-match winning streak come to an end as they suffered a surprise defeat to the Dragons.
Craig Bellamy's side remain top of the ladder despite the 18-16 loss on home soil, but for how long, it remains to be seen.
The Storm have now drifted to 6.00 to win the 2024 grand final, and once again Penrith Panthers are the hot fancies.
Penrith are targeting their fourth premiership and can be backed at 3.60 to get the job done.
After beating the Knights 22-14 on Sunday, Ivan Cleary's side are sitting in second spot on the ladder, two points behind the Storm.
Grand final glory will be the aim, but they look good to sweep up another minor premiership along the way.
Roosters look like contenders
Sydney Roosters consolidated third place on the ladder when edging out the Dolphins by six points when the NRL headed to Perth on Friday night.
The Roosters look to be the side most capable of stopping the Panthers this season, but they will need to tighten up in defence.
Even so, Trent Robinson's side can score points for fun and are priced at 4.00 to win the 2024 NRL grand final.
There can be no room for complacency however as they are level on points with the Cronulla Sharks in fourth and just two ahead of both the Bulldogs and Cowboys.
All three of those teams picked up wins and will be keeping the pressure on between now and the end of the season.
Dragons keep hopes alive
The Dragons win over the Storm sees them take eighth spot on the ladder and gives them a great chance of making finals.
However it remains tight and the race to get in their looks set to go right to the wire.
Manly Sea Eagles are in seventh on 27 points, but just three points separate them from the Canberra Raiders down in 10th.
The Dolphins continue to falter following the loss to the Roosters, but remain in contention in ninth spot, if they can stop the rot.
Gold Coast Titans kept their slim hopes alive with a massive win over the Brisbane Broncos in the Queensland derby.