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Melbourne Storm thumped Parramatta Eels 56-18 yesterday (March 9) to become the second team to put on 50 points in the opening round of the 2025 NRL season.
On Friday, Brisbane Broncos thumped Sydney Roosters 50-14 and the Newcastle Knights just edged the Wests Tigers 10-8.
On Saturday, Manly Sea Eagles came close to becoming the third team with a 42-12 win over North Queensland Cowboys in Sydney.
The South Sydney Rabbitohs edged the Redcliffe Dolphins 16-14 in a game that was moved from Brisbane, and the Canterbury Bulldogs were too good for the St George-Illawarra Dragons 28-20.
The weekend before, the Canberra Raiders and Penrith Panthers had wins over the Auckland Warriors and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks respectively in Las Vegas to kick off the season.
The Gold Coast Titans had the bye.
INJURY NEWS
Dragons forward Ryan Couchman played just eight minutes against the Bulldogs before he left the field with a serious knee injury.
Coach Shane Flanagan confirmed the 21-year-old suffered an ACL injury.
Rabbitoh Tyrone Munro may have suffered another collarbone injury after he was forced off in Friday’s game.
He fractured his collarbone during the 2024 pre-season and missed the first five rounds of that season to return in round six only to fracture his collarbone again.
England international Victor Radley suffered a head knock and will miss the next match.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson says second-rower Nat Butcher and rookie prop De La Salle Va’a had been in hospital and would not be available for selection this weekend either.
JUDICIARY NEWS
Rabbitoh Jack Wighton will miss his team’s next game after he pleaded guilty to a Grade 2 careless high tackle on Dolphin Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, according to NRL.com.au.
He was hit with two charges from the match: a careless high tackle and a Grade 1 dangerous contact for a tackle on Daniel Saifiti.
Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton is one of five players charged with dangerous contact after he slid in with his knees in a bid to stop Dragons winger Christian Tuipulotu from scoring a try.
Bulldogs team-mate Jacob Preston was also charged over a tackle on Val Holmes and was the target of a hip drop by Dragons prop Emre Guler, who has also been charged.
Dragons winger Mat Feagai and Cowboy Karl Lawton were the other players charged with dangerous contact.
