Andrew Johns/Laurie Daley Cup: Top talking points from round five
The script was set for a dramatic conclusion as the race for the finals went down to the final play of the season in the Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley Cups.
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After a dramatic final round of the season, which included some nailbiting catch-up games, the semi-finalists for the Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley Cup competitions have been finalised.
On the back of the weekend’s action and reflecting on the finals ahead, check out some of the top talking points below.
FINAL PLAY DECIDES SEASON
It was heart-in-mouths stuff in the Daley Cup as the Northern Rivers Titans missed out on qualifying for the semi-finals by the finest of margins despite recording a healthy 28-6 win over the Northern Tigers.
In a scene perfectly set for drama, it all came down to the final play of the match and, in turn, regular season.
Needing to win by at least 26 points to jump up into second place in the Northern Pool, the Titans were up 28-6 and were on the attack just 10m out from the Tigers’ line.
Just as he’d done multiple times in the game, halfback Jimmy McCombie put in a dangerous cross-field kick for winger Kyron Nipperess.
In what seemed to be a carbon copy of an earlier try, Nipperess leapt high and did incredibly well to catch the ball. It appeared as though he was going to give his side the dramatic result it needed – only to unfortunate drop the ball in the process of planting it down.
It meant that while the Titans finished equal on competition points with the Knights, their points difference was narrowly inferior (38 v 34) and they missed out on playing finals footy.
KNIGHTS SCRAPE THROUGH
The Titans’ heartbreak was the Knights’ joy as the Newcastle-Maitland Region side held into its place in the top two on account of the result.
The teams’ records were incredibly similar, with a deeper look at the stats showing just how evenly matched they were.
Over the course of the five games the Knights scored 136 points and conceded 98, while the Titans put on 134 and let in 100.
Broken down further, this meant that the Knights edged out their rivals 25-23 in terms of tries, while the Titans kicked 21 goals to 18.
BULLDOGS THE BIG IMPROVERS
The standout team in the Daley Cup has undoubtedly been the North Coast Bulldogs, who continued their excellent form with a 44-6 hammering of the Macarthur Wests Tigers.
While the next best teams – the Knights, Titans, Central Coast, Illawarra and Macarthur – have all lost two games each, the Dogs have stunned the competition by winning five from five to take out the Northern Pool.
It is a remarkable turnaround for the side, which despite containing a handful of players from the current squad, won just one of its games last season, and only won two of its five clashes in the Andrew Johns Cup two years ago. It is also the first Bulldogs team to qualify for the semis since 2022.
One of the keys to the Bulldogs’ success has been their attack. In five games the team has piled on 190 points, more than any other side in both Johns and Daley Cup competitions.
They’ve cracked 40 three times and scored at least 30 in every game so far this season, and will be looking to do the same in the semi-final against Macarthur this weekend.
The 190 points is the equal highest amount scored in the regular season of the competition since NSWRL started keeping records in 2020, equal with the Dragons’ premiership-winning team of 2023.
CONTRASTING EMOTIONS FOR MACARTHUR
On Macarthur, there will be contrasting emotions for the Tigers as both Johns and Daley Cup teams after they experienced a 62-point contrast in the final games of the regular season.
The Johns Cup side will go into their clash with the Knights full of confidence after piling on nine tries in the 48-24 hammering of the North Coast Bulldogs.
However it is a different story in the Daley Cup, who will have to travel up the highway and face the North Coast Bulldogs for the second week in a row after suffering a 44-6 hammering in Tuncurry.
HISTORY TO BE MADE?
There is a good chance a slice of history could be created this year with some teams looking for their first ever victories in the regional rep competitions.
In the Johns Cup, three of the four semi-finalists – the Dragons, Knights and Tigers – have never won the title since its establishment in 2018. Only the Titans have taken it out before, and will in fact be going for their third gong after victories in 2019 and 2022.
Meanwhile in the Daley Cup Macarthur and the North Coast Bulldogs will be aiming for their maiden premiership in the competition. The Dragons, a powerhouse in the age group, will be remarkably going for their fourth title in the past six seasons while the Knights will look to add to the trophy they won in the inaugural season in 2018.
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