Round 13 left NRL fans nothing short of bedazzled and disgruntled. Injuries, upsets and plenty of stories nearing Origin and the halfway mark for the 2024 season.

People out in Sydney’s West had reason to cheer, as Thursday night kicked off a much-needed spark for the Parramatta hopefuls.

The five-game weekend highlighted the influence of a side’s biggest stakeholders – left out through Origin duties.

Many sides rallied despite the absence of key spine members and a depleted pack, as the Dragons took hold of a lack-lustre Penrith, showing fellow outfits the stranglehold state footy has over the NRL and how it changes the dynamic of the competition.

1. Eels pull apart underwhelming competition leaders

The return of Mitchell Moses was godly. His presence was enough to make Nicho Hynes and Jarome Luai shiver prior to Origin one.

Cronulla have conceded more than 30+ points over the last three individual rounds, posing a big problem for the defensive mechanisms of coach Craig Fitzgibbon and the Sharks’ edge. While Fitzgibbon deemed his side ‘flat’, the loss questioned their genuine chances of a deep finals run and their squad depth.

Dylan Brown’s try in the 68th minute summed up their performance. The strong-running No.6 turned the Sharks’ fatigued middle inside-out, as a discipline error at marker from Braden Hamlin-Uele allowed Brown to step his way over without a touch.

The Sharks bench struggled to make a dent on the game, as utility Siosifa Talakai ran out of gas after just 36 minutes. Hamlin-Uele and Royce Hunt had similar fitness woes, combining for just 37 minutes between the two.

Meanwhile, Parramatta fired on all cylinders as Clint Gutherson and Moses brought class back to the set piece and last-play options. Moses was a handful all night on the kick, and showed NSW coach Michael Maguire that he is more than right to step in if Hynes or Luai struggle on Wednesday night.

2. Flanagan walks into Monday with an ear-to-ear smile

Beating the triple-crown Panthers is not an easy task. But when you face Penrith during the interim of Origin, it is your best chance to walk away with two points. Take out the staples of Dylan Edwards, Liam Martin, Jarome Luai, Brian To’o, Isaah Yeo and the Dragons would always have a realistic chance.

Penrith’s stand-in halves Brad Schneider and Jack Cole struggled to get a grip over an inexperienced outfit which was reflected in the post-game statistics.

The Panthers missed 50 tackles compared to St George Illawarra’s 25, while they also conceded twice the amount of penalties (six to three).

Of Penrith’s veterans, Moses Leota came out of the contest with a niggling hamstring injury, adding to a now problematic list due to a Saturday quad scare with Dylan Edwards.

In wet and greasy conditions, the Dragons second-up No.7 Jesse Marschke made his stamp on the game. The four-game NRL rookie assisted two tries and made 27 tackles throughout the game.

Penrith face Manly next week, who will be rubbing their hands together as the premiers look vulnerable.

3. Dogs of War march into June

While the loss of Josh Addo-Carr is a serious out for the Bulldogs’ culture and edge, Round 13’s performance is a massive boost for their confidence.

Canterbury took a stranglehold of Newcastle at their home ground and put in an 80-minute show despite the controversial exclusion of Blues 18th man Matt Burton.

Toby Sexton put in a talisman effort at the helm, while Jacob Preston continued to demonstrate his high work-rate with two tries and 37 tackles.

Newcastle were unable to set free the flair of newcomer David Armstrong, who has been their source of creativity in the spine over the last few weeks. The Knights managed only a penalty goal in the eighth minute, highlighting major issues in their attack, as the Bulldogs had conceded 50 points over the prior three rounds.

Josh Curran yet again had another monster game off the bench, putting in a 66-minute ever-reliable shift.

Ciraldo’s men now move to a tie for eighth on the ladder with the Roosters.

4. Ricky’s Raiders get back to the grind – but isn’t it getting a little repetitive?

After a string of inconsistency, the Raiders got back to doing what they do best – grinding out a satisfying win in an otherwise unsatisfactory performance.

Clubman Jordan Rapana reaped the rewards of the grind after tying up with the Dolphins at 25 a piece in the 77th minute with a first career drop goal. He went on to ice the match in golden point, kicking his second field goal after a total of eight attempts was traded by both sides.

Rapana was all smiles following the tight win, yet it pointed out a possible problem at the nations capital. The Green Machine struggle to steamroll their way to big victories when they are there for the taking.

While the win was seemingly a big scalp against the fourth-placed Dolphins, the Raiders only just managed to hold on – and it’s becoming a trend.

Yes, Canberra smoked the Eels 41-8 in week five of the competition, although since then, their biggest winning margin is a four-point 24-20 triumph against the Bulldogs. They certainly struggle to put away mediocre sides.

Drinkwater lifts Cowboys to major upset over Roosters

The North Queensland No.1 is the type who can truly turn it on. While not commonly mentioned in State of Origin squad talks, Scott Drinkwater has the class and ability to turn more than just heads – but overwhelming odds against the recently red-hot Roosters.

Drinkwater scored a silky try in the second half and set-up a pivotal four-pointer to put the Cows on a level-playing field.

The hard-to-handle fullback broke the line on three occasions and busted through 10 tackles.

While the Cowboys have arguably been the biggest let-down of the 2024 season to date, their Sunday afternoon win was a massive statement to their haters.

On paper the Roosters should’ve won that game by 20+ points, yet the grit of North Queensland and their last quarter defensive efforts secured a crucial two points that was their seventh win for the year.

The Kick – Star-studded Chooks choke

Even without captain James Tedesco, Joseph Manu in the No.1 jersey sounds a warning alarm for all opposition clubs. Add to that Luke Keary, Victor Radley, Brandon Smith and the two high-flyers who sit out wide – Trent Robinson would’ve only thought major ill-discipline could bring down his men.

Yet, statistics say otherwise. Eight penalties to four, which to be fair is a classic Bondi trend over the past decade.

The Roosters missed fewer tackles, made only three more errors and went the contest without a sin-bin, unlike North Queensland, who were without Heilum Luki and stayed strong defensively.

To be competition heavyweights, without doubt a club must put away the bottom eight dwellers. Unfortunately for Roosters supporters, a loss against the Bulldogs in week five exemplified no fixture is a given two points.

Enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves also left the field with a hamstring injury. While not the wrecking ball he was 10 years ago, JWH is a vital culture man, who provides the Roosters with an aggressive kick and positive first 20.

Unlike Luai, Trent Robinson has some work to do on Monday.