Phil Mitchell is a desk editor at The Sydney Morning Herald.
The Bulldogs coach needed stitches after his bizarre mishap late on Thursday night adds to a long list of dramas at Canberra Stadium.
The Panthers scored four tries to one to join the Warriors, Storm, Bulldogs and Tigers as the only undefeated sides to begin the season.
Second-game Eel Jonah Pezet had a blinder against the club he will join next year, inspiring a sensational 40-32 comeback win over Brisbane.
Parra had already had one big win over Melbourne this week, but the ruthless Storm crushed their hopes of scoring another.
Lachlan Galvin made an immediate impact for his new club, scoring a try on debut after being injected into the game midway through the second half.
South Sydney lost the Charity Shield – and Englishman Lewis Dodd may have lost the chance to wear the No.7 to Jamie Humphreys in round one.
Which players stood tallest in Sunday’s premiership decider? Here’s how we rated the performance of every player from both Penrith and Melbourne in the grand final.
Within seven minutes, the 11-Test ex-Wallaby shone oh so bright in the NRL spotlight, leaping above Tyrone Munro to score a spectacular opening try.
Canterbury remain in the hunt for a top-four finish after a fifth successive win.
A bit like the biblical rain, thunder and lightning that thrashed Allianz Stadium on Friday night, the Roosters needed all of 10 minutes to bury Parramatta.