The charge to the finals is well and truly on in the NSW and QLD Cup.
In NSW, a young Roosters half continues to make a statement amid plenty of speculation about the club's halves going forward. There were also plenty of shock results and big individual performances throughout the weekend.
Meanwhile in QLD, we had the annual Country Round as matches were played in Roma, Innisfail, Gympie, Blackwater, Clermont, Ayr and Warwick, where players and coaches gave back to country areas.
Rodwell's rise gives Roosters food for thought in the halves
With Daly Cherry-Evans' future remaining a headline, Sam Walker in contract negotiations and Hugo Savala extending his contract for two seasons.
It's safe to say the Sydney Roosters halves jigsaw is a little discombobulated at the moment. But as is tradition, there's another piece of the puzzle that makes the solution even more intriguing.
Toby Rodwell is quietly emerging as one of the halves of the 2025 NSW Cup season so far.
After a period away from the side, the former NSW U19 Origin representative has been in blistering touch, including a man-of-the-match performance in the Roosters' big 50-14 win over Newcastle last Friday night.
The 2025 SG Ball Grand Final player-of-the-match is under contract with the club until 2028, but has already emerged as one of the premier playmakers in the second tier.
His ability to play what's in front of him but also to a structure separates him from other halves his age. He can take the ball to the line and score a solo try, or play with enough calm and poise to force a repeat set before punishing the opposition.
The NRL debutant did just that in a statement performance this week. Scoring a great solo try in the first half, he also set up three tries, three line breaks and forced a dropout in a dominant display against second-place Newcastle. He's currently ranked second in the league for try assists and linebreak assists while forcing six dropouts.
If Cherry-Evans does choose to retire at season's end, Trent Robinson might have no choice but to back Rodwell and give full confidence to Walker to run the team. With Savala seemingly as a utility choice going forward with capability to play anywhere and everywhere, the three-time premiership-winning coach has a ready-to-go pivot in Rodwell.
Quickest fullback makes noise for QLD Cup battlers
Now to a player you might not have heard of yet. Let us introduce you to Christopher Woodbridge, one of the fastest players not just in the QLD Cup, but in the game of rugby league, with NRL clubs fast circling the fullback for a deal heading into 2027.
The 25-year-old was clocked running at 38.8 km/h in a match against the Tweed Seagulls earlier this year.
One way to describe Woodbridge is to compare his journey to that of recent NRL debutant Latrell Siegwalt. The fullback was scouted by Western Clydesdales coaches Ben and Shane Walker while playing in the local Toowoomba competition as well as in an Indigenous knockout tournament.
From there, the Walker boys put him straight into the QLD Cup setup as his style of play suits the unpredictable ‘Walker Ball' philosophy. His coaches have nothing but praise for the way he's taken to the QLD Cup, saying, “The way he moves reminds me of some of the players we had in our premiership team at Ipswich.”
That was evidenced on the weekend in their 27-26 upset win over Ipswich, just their fourth win of the season and second win over the Jets. Woodbridge had two of the major plays that turned the tide of the contest.
The first came in the opening five minutes when he took a 100-metre intercept to open the scoring, then in the dying moments, nailing a 30-metre field goal to seal the unlikely victory in Roma.
Other talking points
In Canberra, the Raiders made light work of Wests to the tune of 32-4, continuing an unhappy week for the joint venture. That said, Savelio Tamale took his demotion to reserve grade seriously, becoming a man on a mission to be recalled into the NRL.
Playing on the wing, Tamale scored two tries and busted 14 tackles in a dominant attacking display. Also to shine were Chevy Stewart, who ran for just under 300 metres and busted eight tackles of his own, and unheralded lock forward Malachi Smith, who continues to develop at a rapid rate, making 47 tackles without a miss while running for just under 150 metres.
Elsewhere, Parramatta picked up a huge 10-6 upset win over current table toppers Penrith. It was a match that didn't lack scoring chances, with Ryley Smith's long cutout pass to Araz Nanva sealing the game for the Eels. Young forward Tyrese Lokeni dominated the contest, running for a career-high 187 running metres whilst making over 30 tackles.
In QLD, the rise of the Central QLD Capras continues with a come-from-behind 24-20 victory over the Brisbane Tigers in Blackwater. The Capras were down by two possessions midway through the second half when Nixon Putt and Tane Kiriona came alive with dominant impact efforts to lift the hosts off the canvas, continuing their push for a top four berth.
Meanwhile, a mid-season signing of a playmaker has seemingly sparked Wynnum Manly into a title push for the second season in succession. Last season it was Liam Sutton; this season it's Talatau Amone who played a starring role in their 50-point massacre of Tweed in Warwick.
Amone added two tries, two linebreak assists and a try assist to his tally of impressive stat sheets already accumulated in the green and red of the Seagulls.
Also, young Bronco Antonio Verhoeven had his strongest showing in reserve grade, setting up three tries and busting seven tackles. Jamal Shibasaki nabbed a hat trick off the bench as Wynnum toyed with their opponents across 80 minutes as he looks to revive his NRL career.
NSW Cup Round 21 results
Roosters 50 def Knights 14
Eels 10 def Penrith 6
Warriors 38 def Bulldogs 16
Souths 28 def Storm 22
Canberra 32 def Wests 4
Newtown 52 def Manly 6
Norths 42 def St George Illawarra 20
QLD Cup Round 19 results
Western 27 def Ipswich 26
Souths 28 def Pride 26
Sunshine Coast 32 def Norths 14
Central QLD 24 def Brisbane 20
Mackay 34 def Redcliffe 12
Townsville 40 def Burleigh 16
Wynnum Manly 58 def Tweed 8
Next week will be a condensed wrap-up with just the NSW Cup featuring. This is due to a competition wide bye for the QLD Cup this coming weekend.
