Storm go top of NRL ladder despite not playing in round 13

Round 13 of the NRL has produced an unlikely result: the Melbourne Storm have gone top of the table despite not playing over the weekend.

A string of upsets meant that those vying for top spot at the halfway point of the season have all stumbled. The Storm, meanwhile, pick up their bye points and waltz their way to the No.1 position.

Sharks and Panthers both upset

In an abbreviated round where seven teams had byes thanks to State of Origin, all but one match produced upsets.

First it was the Sharks vs Eels, where Parramatta managed to snap a five-match losing streak with a boilover against Cronulla.

The home side was buoyed by the return of playmaker Mitchell Moses and captain Clint Gutherson. Cronulla, coming into the clash off the back of a 42-0 hiding last week and missing two stars due to Origin duties, were underwhelming.

Three tries in each half to the Eels was enough to secure a 34-32 victory.

Next, the Dragons shocked the Panthers in Penrith. Perhaps the biggest upset of the round, this is the three-time defending champions’ second loss in three weeks, having also been stunned by the Warriors earlier this month.

It was looking like business as usual halfway through the match, however. Penrith grabbed a 10-0 lead at halftime, but they fell asleep in the second half as St George Illawarra scored 22 unanswered points.

Roosters and Dolphins lose tight contests

The Sydney Roosters and the Dolphins were favourites with NRL bookmakers coming into their games over the weekend as well. However, both fell short in tight encounters.

For the Roosters, it was a late penalty by Scott Drinkwater that sunk them. The club had been ahead 14-4 at halftime, but a strong second-half showing from the Cowboys levelled the match at 16 apiece with just over 10 minutes to go.

With golden point looming, Drinkwater slotted a two-pointer and handed the Roosters their sixth loss of the season.

The Dolphins, meanwhile, went down by one point to the Canberra Raiders in Brisbane. This time, the match did go to extra time. The home side dominated but couldn’t stick the killer blow, with Jamayne Isaako missing three field goals late in the match.

Jordan Rapana made no such mistake, striking the winning points in the 87th minute to take the Raiders to sixth on the NRL ladder.

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