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Twitter reacts as 2017 NRL finalists are decided

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NRL Twitter recap

THERE was plenty of shuffling and scraping in the upper half of the table during the final week of 2017 NRL regular fixtures.

Brisbane’s primary goal was to avoid a qualifier against Melbourne – $1.95 flag favourites at online bookmaker CrownBet.com.au.

The Queensland Police were on top form as ever, but they need not have worried as the Broncos ran out 20-10 winners away at North Queensland.

If Wayne Bennett’s men had lost, Parramatta would have supplanted them in the top three.

The Eels did not have it all their own way against South Sydney, but they scraped a W to set up a date with the Storm.

Credit must go to the Bunnies for troubling one of the competition’s form sides despite missing much of their starting 13.

With Brisbane winning, Sydney also needed a result to secure a home final.

That should have been no issue, but the usually shambolic Gold Coast Titans took them all the way on Saturday.

Although the Roosters got the job done in the end, fans were left ruing yet another unconvincing, error-strewn performance.

It was all on the line for Manly and Penrith at Lottoland, with the winner guaranteed a finals run and the loser at risk of missing the eight altogether.

A defeat of 38 points or greater would have seen the Panthers slip behind the eighth-placed Cowboys in the pecking order, and alarm bells were ringing as the Sea Eagles kicked out to a 28-0 nil lead inside an hour.

However, Penrith steadied the ship with two late tries to lock in a rematch in next weekend’s elimination final.

With the minor premiership wrapped up, Melbourne’s clash with out-of-commission Canberra was little more than an extended lap of honour.

The Storm saluted in signature style as Cameron Smith equalled Darren Lockyer’s all-time games record and the departing Cooper Cronk waved farewell to the AAMI Park faithful.

But it was the referees who took centre stage with their alarming reliance on the NRL Bunker’s video reviews.

The latter rounds of the season have given Newcastle fans plenty of hope for 2018.

Wielding a third consecutive wooden spoon, the Knights very nearly claimed a big kill as they rallied from behind against Cronulla.

The Sharks did enough to win 26-18 and seal fifth place, but their premiership defence was left looking shaky at best.

Wests Tigers and NZ Warriors finished their dismal campaigns with a largely inconsequential tussle at Leichhardt Oval.

The orange and black were too good, winning 28-16 to relegate the Titans to 15th place on the ladder.

It was a big sendoff for James Tedesco and captain Aaron Woods, both of whom are leaving the club next year.

The clash to shape the eight was between St George Illawarra and Canterbury Bankstown on Sunday arvo.

All the Dragons had to do was win to book a finals spot, as they should have expected to do against an opponent with very little to play for.

And yet, as we suggested they might, the Red V choked it up something fierce as the Bulldogs bid a fond farewell to Josh Reynolds.

With that result, the Cowboys somehow scraped into finals despite missing several key figures during the back half of the season.

They will play the Sharks next week for the right to progress into the semis.

Ladies and gentlemen, your NRL final eight for 2017:

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