Storm brewing after Manly win with complaints over sin-bin timing
Manly has beaten the Melbourne Storm on a dramatic night at AAMI Park, but it may not be the end of things, amid punch-ups and complaints over timekeeping.
The controversy came after earlier wins for the Titans over Newcastle and Souths over the Cowboys.
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External Link: Storm v Sea Eagles summary
The final game of Saturday's NRL action blew up in the 52nd minute, with a melee resulting in the Storm's Curtis Scott being sent off for punching Manly's Dylan Walker.
However Walker and his team-mate Apisai Koroisau were sent to the sin-bin for their part in the fight.
The drama was only beginning, as Walker and Koroisau returned to the field, only for the Storm's head of football, Frank Ponissi to protest on the sidelines, claiming the timekeepers had made an error, allowing the pair to come back before their 10 minute penalties were up.
External Link: Storm v Sea Eagles chalkboard
Another headache came for Melbourne five minutes from the end, when Josh Addo-Carr was sin-binned for obstruction on Manly's Tom Trbojevic, who had been pulled up less than 10 metres from the line after making a huge line break.
The Sea Eagles had already scored three tries to none — including a try to Tom Trbojevic with Manly still having just 11 men on the field — and Trent Hodkinson's penalty conversion took the score to 20-4.
It wasn't finished yet, however.
External Link: Storm v Sea Eagles stats
Melbourne's Nelson Asofa-Solomona was put on report for a dangerous tackle with less than two minutes left, and then Manly's Moses Suli went over on the final play of the game, with Hodkinson missing the extras as a dirty night ended for the home side.
The Storm — which had gone into the game without suspended captain Cameron Smith — was left on 10 points, keeping them six points behind leaders the Dragons, who will play the Raiders on Sunday. The Sea Eagles earned a fourth win of the year, putting them four points out of the top eight.
Rabbitohs nab Cowboys with last-second penalty
An 80th-minute Adam Reynolds penalty goal has delivered South Sydney a 20-19 NRL win over a North Queensland side also struck down by a suspected medial ligament injury to Maroons prop Matt Scott in Townsville.
The Cowboys took the lead for the first time four minutes from time when Michael Morgan's field goal flew over shortly after Reynolds hit the uprights with his own drop-goal attempt at the other end.
The Rabbitohs marched down the field with less than a minute on the clock but as the number seven attempted another shot to put the game into golden point, Jake Granville was caught offside leaving Reynolds with an easy kick in front of the posts.
External Link: Cowboys v Rabbitohs summary
Meanwhile, Queensland coach Kevin Walters, after having to get used to life without Cameron Smith, looks likely to have to deal with being without Scott for at least Origin Game I with the veteran limping off after being felled in the second half.
Earlier, Rabbitohs hooker Damien Cook scored one try and set up another for George Burgess, in a timely performance that boosts his chances of winning an Origin call-up for the Blues.
External Link: Cowboys v Rabbitohs chalkboard
His try would have been the highlight of most games as he picked up the ball on the fifth tackle and weaved around Frances Molo, Ben Hampton and Corey Jensen at top speed before touching down under the posts.
Of minor solace to the Maroons will be the form of Morgan who produced two superb assists for Antonio Winterstein in each half to score the Cowboys' two tries.
External Link: Cowboys v Rabbitohs stats
The Rabbitohs have their own injury concerns from the game with full-back Alex Johnston (hamstring) and Sam Burgess (glute) leaving the field before half time, although the latter stayed warming up on the sideline through the second term.
South Sydney's seventh win from 11 games keeps them in touch with the NRL leaders, while the Cowboys' eighth defeat surely ends their hopes of finals football.
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Late try gives Titans win over Knights
Gold Coast have snatched a comeback 33-26 win against Newcastle to end a run of five straight NRL losses.
Rookie five-eighth Alexander Brimson was the man of the moment, scoring at the death to cap a remarkable comeback after the hosts had two men sin-binned in a fluctuating second half at Robina.
The 19-year-old's try came after some Kalyn Ponga brilliance looked to have consigned the Titans to a sixth straight loss.
With the game in the balance the Knights full-back raced 95 metres, slicing through some staggered defence and then nailing the footrace for a 26-18 lead.
External Link: Titans v Knights summary
But the Titans replied immediately through Anthony Don to make it a two-point game with 15 minutes to go and then drew level four minutes later.
Ashley Taylor missed a go-ahead penalty goal moments after but they weren't denied when second-gamer Brimson scooped up a loose ball after a spilled bomb at the line to score the winner.
Taylor converted from the sideline and nailed a tough drop goal to ice the much-needed victory and leave Newcastle teetering at 5-6 this season.
Gold Coast had both Moeaki Fotuaika and Jarrod Wallace sin-binned amid repeated time-wasting incidents, with the pair almost subbing in for each other in a penalty-laden second half.
External Link: Titans v Knights chalkboard
The Knights couldn't capitalise though, with the Titans retaining the lead while a man down.
Herman Ese'ese and Dale Copley traded tries either side of Fotuaika's binning before Ken Sio's four-pointer was converted to give the visitors a 20-18 lead entering the final quarter.
Ponga's long-range effort looked to be enough before the desperate Titans stormed home.
External Link: Titans v Knights stats
The home side opened the scoring in the eighth minute after the young full-back spilled a contested bomb.
Half-back Taylor put his mark on the contest with two minutes to play in the half, drawing two defenders in another strong run before a backhanded flick pass found Copley for a 12-8 lead.
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