The highs and lows from Round 4 of the 2023 NRL NT season

It was another massive round of NRL NT footy with one side playing their first match of the year and a surprise upset in the men’s competition. See all the talking points from Round 4.

It was another massive weekend of the NRL NT with a women’s team making a senior return along with a couple of surprise results in the men’s competition.

In the men’s comp Brothers, Palmerston and Litchfield all came out on top and those same clubs got the honours on the women’s side of the draw.

Here are all the big talking points from Round 4.

Brothers bring the razzle dazzle

Isaac Seden-Kurnoth was among the best for the Darwin Brothers against the Northern Sharks. Picture: Che Chorley

Considering their opposition and the manner in which they won, the Darwin Brothers’ victory over the Northern Sharks was arguably their best since their 2020 grand final triumph.

By no means were the Brothers favourites heading in as the Sharks have been the dominant side over the past two years.

It didn’t look like it would go the Brothers way early on as the Sharks scored first and were lively on the attack on the back of Mitch Burke and Cooper Segeyaro.

But a couple of injuries put the Sharks on the back foot, and suddenly the Brethren were on top.

Caleb Niki and Isaac Seden-Kurnoth were both at their electric best leading every effort, as their attacking flair saw shocking try after shocking try go through.

But most impressive from the Brothers was their defensive efforts, particularly late in the piece where they never gave up in covering the Sharks’ attacking digs.

The Brothers have been consistently strong so far in the 2023 season with a second half fade away in Round 1 their only blip, leading to a loss against the still undefeated Litchfield.

If they keep their momentum up, their Round 6 rematch against the Bears promises to be a thriller, but first they will have to overcome old rivals Nightcliff.

Nightcliff women are back

The Nightcliff Dragons played their first match of the 2023 NRL NT season against the Litchfield Bears. Picture

For a little while it looked as if the Nightcliff Dragons’ women would be forced out of the 2023 competition after missing the opening three rounds of the competition.

However, Round 4 marked their return to the competition against a strong Palmerston Raiders side.

Though there were only eight Dragons on the field due a lack of players they fought Litchfield hard and came away with a try in their 58-4 loss.

It’s a strong positive for a side who were on the brink of being ousted from the competition if they were to have forfeited for a third time.

And while there’s still a long way to go until the Dragons will be competing for top honours it’s both a step in the right direction for the club and boosting numbers for women in league.

Meanwhile, the Litchfield women once again showed their abilities and will be raring to go next week when they take on 2021 premiers Palmerston.

It promises to be a tough battle against a side who beat South Darwin 72-0 in Round 4.

Souths mount a challenge

South Darwin’s Dustin Briscoe was among the tryscorers against Palmerston. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

The results may not be in South Darwin’s favour just yet, but a fighting 32-16 loss to reigning premiers Palmerston is a step in the right direction.

The Raiders breezed to an early lead, and it looked as if a landslide victory was on the cards for the title holders.

However, Souths played within themselves and in the second half took the opportunities that came their way with Brian Carleton, Dustin Briscoe and Denzel Morris all crossing the white line.

There’s a way to go for the Bunnies, but aside from coming scoreless against the Brothers in Round 3 they’ve put up a solid competition in each of their matches so far.

The usual suspects were among the tryscorers for Palmerston including Bradley Hansen, Shane Smith and Matthew Johnson.

But the Raiders will be looking forward to some of their injured stars making a return in coming weeks.

Sharks drop two in a row

Northern Sharks fullback Cooper Segeyaro was a standout despite his side’s loss to the Darwin Brothers. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Over the past two seasons the Sharks have been the best side in the NRL NT competition but after losing two matches in two weeks the side will know they have plenty to work on.

It was a close-run contest against Litchfield which spoke to the Bears form, but the way in which they were exposed by the Brothers hints there are issues the Sharks need to work on.

Fitness has long been the difference between this side and the competition, but with injury issues, missing players and consecutive fades it seems to have become an issue.

Otherwise it comes down to completing sets, as they coughed up possession on more than one occasion.

The big positive is the form of Cooper Segeyaro who was unmatched under the high ball and involved in many last gasp tackles.

Next week’s match against South Darwin will be a good chance for the Sharks to tune up and assess their issues before what’s expected to be another tough game against Palmerston.

Undefeated teams extend streaks

Litchfield in the men and the Brothers in the women remain undefeated after four rounds of competition.

The Bears conceded just one try in their face-off against a Nightcliff outfit who are starting to gain some fluidity, particularly with the return of dual Frank Johnson Medallist Robbie Butcher.

Once again it came down to their rising stars, particularly Trent Wedding and Nathan Dixon, stepping up and taking charge.

And the Brothers women managed to hold off a lively Sharks side 16-14 despite missing a number of their best players due to representative commitments.

The Brothers will be afflicted by similar issues this week with a number of their best out again against Nightcliff, including Bianca Scrymgour, Ivana Schober, Ellie Niki and Latoniya Norris.

But as it stands, if these two sides continue to play as they are they will be tough to offload in either of their respective competitions.