In case you missed all the action, here’s a quick rundown of tonight’s matches.
The Bulldogs picked up where they left off last year, with a round one win against rivals the Dragons, who are waiting for the new combinations to click in 2025.
Daly Cherry-Evans Sea Eagles showed they’re title contenders this season, with a comprehensive victory against the Cowboys in Brookvale.
And finally, the Waratahs are 3-0 to start the season for the first time since 2009.
If you’d like an in-depth analysis of each of tonight’s games, check out our match reports from Adrian Proszenko, Christian Nicolussi and Iain Payten.
We’ll be back next Saturday to bring you all the live action, but until then, stay safe and enjoy the rest of your weekend.
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Match report: Tahs go 3-0 for first time since 2009
By Iain Payten
WARATAHS 34, FORCE 10
The Waratahs have banked three wins to start their season for the first time since 2009, and you can read as much or as little to that as you want.
There’ve been some very good seasons, and more awful ones, in between. And they didn’t make the finals in 2009.
Darby Lancaster celebrates scoring a try.Credit: Getty Images
But for a franchise that finished stone motherless last in 2024, a 17-season first is still a clear sign that things are right back on track at Tah town.
The Waratahs made surprisingly easy work of the Western Force in the end, running in three tries in each half for a cruisy 34-10 win.
The first half was a brutal, tightly contested affair, but the second was all NSW. They dominated just about every aspect of play, and rarely looked troubled in defence.
The Western Force, who’d promised so much early this season, were just not at the races in the second half. A lack of discipline was one of their main undoings. The final tally saw the Force lose the penalty count by a staggering 17-5, and the consistent foot-shooting gave NSW good territory and most of the possession, too.
Some will say the Waratahs have an easier draw than others, and that’s probably true. But you can only beat who is put in front of you, and NSW have done that, and must take advantage of the tailwinds now, given most of their Kiwi rivals are in the second half of the season.
Waratahs coach Dan McKellar.Credit: Getty Images
Perhaps the best thing for Waratahs coach Dan McKellar is that a win was achieved without many of the names you’d assume are in his first-choice side: like Suaalii, Amatosero, Foketi.
And surnames like Grant (Ben and Jack), Gamble, O’Donnell and Talataina stood up.
Multiple wins and big performances from new faces and bench depth won’t be enough to elicit an outward smile from McKellar. But you can bet he’d be smiling on the inside.
Match report: Manly can go all the way if Trbojevic stays fit
By Christian Nicolussi
SEA EAGLES 42, COWBOYS 12
A fit and firing Tom Trbojevic is enough for Manly fans to believe they can go all the way this year.
Trbojevic turning in a focused and physically imposing start of the NRL season in front of his loyal fans on Saturday night.
Two nights after Brisbane let everyone know they are premiership threats, the Sea Eagles and Trbojevic followed suit by thumping North Queensland 42-12.
The match was as good as over after 10 minutes when the home side led 14-0 courtesy of tries to Haumole Olakau’atu, Jason Saab and Ben Trbojevic.
The northern beaches’ locals packed out 4 Pines Park. You can sense their optimism.
If Trbojevic remains fit, the Sea Eagles can go all the way. Over recent years, fans have watched Trbojevic with their hearts in their mouths. His awful run of injuries has bordered on cruel.
Tom Trbojevic makes a line break against the Cowboys.Credit: Getty Images
But he was lovely to watch on a warm Saturday night, and at no stage did he struggle to get to his feet. He looked like a man who was enjoying himself on the field.
Coach Anthony Seibold said Trbojevic had taken a lot of confidence out of his return to international football at the end of last year, while the fullback himself said he was grateful he avoided any surgeries or injuries heading into the Christmas break.
Trbojevic somehow tapped the ball on from Olakau’atu to set up Saab for his four-pointer, then smashed his way through the middle of the Cowboys’ defence to gallop downfield and set up Ethan Bullemor for a try.
Haumole Olakau’atu celebrates with teammates after scoring the opening try.Credit: Getty Images
Saab was given the try assist with a kick for Reuben Garrick’s try in the second half, but it was the subtle work of Trbojevic to send Saab on his way, and then block a few Cowboys defenders from getting to his winger that made the difference.
The uncertainty surrounding what Daly Cherry-Evans does beyond this year means there is a sense of urgency at the Sea Eagles to get the job done. The last NRL player born in the 1980s is keen to play on, but until it is official, Manly will not die wondering.
Cherry-Evans was excellent in the commanding win. So were five-eighth Luke Brooks, Olakau’atu and Saab.
They head to New Zealand to take on the Warriors next weekend, then enjoy a run of games at home, including the Raiders and injury-hit Parramatta.
The Cowboys were always going to struggle when they had such little ball to start the game. They were not helped by a string of penalties to Manly, and did not receive their own penalty until after the half hour.
Force score last but Waratahs win well
By Paul Zalunardo
At least the Force can’t be accused of throwing in the towel.
Despite a heap of errors, and more than enough ill-discipline, they didn’t stop trying.
A late try got the final scored back to 34-10 after Andrew Kellaway had earlier pushed the NSW score beyond 30.
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Full-time: Sea Eagles 42, Cowboys 12
A seriously dominant performance from the Sea Eagles, and the stats showed it.
Burns adds to Cowboys tally
It’s been a tough night if you’re a North Queensland fan, but they’ve finally been able to string some attacking sets together.
Braidon Burns and Viliami Vailea link up for a try now, with Manly maybe letting their guard down a little as we close in on full-time.
Sea Eagles 42, Cowboys 12 with two minutes to go
Drinkwater scores Cowboys first try
As we near full-time at 4 Pines Park, the Cowboys finally get their first points of the night.
It comes off an error from Luke Brooks and Tom Trbojevic, and Scott Drinkwater slips through the Sea Eagles defence on the next play.
I was just about to write a post saying the Sea Eagles had never kept an opponent to nil in an opening round match, and I guess I’ll have to save that for another year...on the other hand, the most points they’ve scored in round one is 44...still plenty of minutes left for them to beat that.
Sea Eagles 42, Cowboys 6 with six minutes to go
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Payto’s view: Waratahs depth looking good
Nico’s view: Trbojevic masterclass on display
Finally, a conversion sails between the posts for Waratahs
After some more enterprising play from NSW, it is Darby Lancaster who scores the fourth try of the night for the home team.
The Tahs now have a lead that they deserve. A successful conversion, the first from five attempts, has the team in blue sitting pretty.
