The numbers that matter
The big winners of Round 4
Newcastle Knights looked to be in serious trouble when both Kalyn Ponga and Dylan Brown went down injured a couple of weeks ago, particularly when they had a terrible set completion rate of just 63% under makeshift halves pairing Tyson Gamble and Sandon Smith in a 38-12 loss at home to the Warriors.
Things looked immediately better with Fletcher Sharpe back at five-eighth and that set rate jumped up to 82% in a stunning performance against the Bulldogs that involved some impressive 'backs to the wall' type football.
They kept the Dogs scoreless in a ten-minute period where Dylan Lucas was off the pitch for a bizarre brain fade in which he tackled Connor Tracey as Tracey headed towards the 20 metre line for a set restart, and turned things on its head by forcing five line dropouts on the Bulldogs in the first half.
The Knights could barely score a try to save their lives last year but now find themselves as one of five clubs to have notched up at least 100 points after Round 4.
The big losers of Round 4
Manly Sea Eagles lost both their third consecutive game and head coach Anthony Seibold, who was promptly dismissed on Friday afternoon by an owner who didn't see early season signs of the progression that he was expecting.
There were green shoots at the back end of 2025 when the Sea Eagles defeated the Dolphins, Dragons and Warriors in quick succession but they find themselves equal second-last in the competition for tries scored (ten), albeit having already had a bye, third-last for set completion rate (76%) and last for possession (45%) thanks in part to that bad completion rate.
Thursday night began in a celebratory mood as the Brookvale faithful had some fun directing their boos and wittiest jeers towards Daly Cherry-Evans but the vitriol was turned on Seibold as they watched their side concede 25 points after half-time to lose in a blowout.
The hiring of club legend Kieran Foran as an interim coach will have a lot of sentimental value, but despite telling reporters he possessed a coach-like mindset on the field, Foran himself couldn't mask the fact that he was not expecting or prepared to step up to head coach level less than seven months after he last played for Gold Coast Titans.
Only time will tell, but Sea Eagles fans will probably be expected to endure a lot more pain in the short and medium term as Foran finds his feet.
The naughty boys
Here are the charges from Round 4 and the penalties available for a guilty plea or if found guilty by the judiciary.
Mitch Kenny (Panthers) - Grade 2 dangerous contact - 1 match ban accepted
Jason Saab (Sea Eagles) - Grade 2 careless high tackle - 1 or 2 matches
Lachlan Galvin (Bulldogs) - Grade 1 dangerous contact - $1800 or $2500
Viliame Kikau (Bulldogs) - Grade 1 dangerous contact - $1000 or $1500
Manaia Waitere (Storm) - Grade 1 careless high tackle - $1000 or $1500
Luke Brooks (Sea Eagles) - Grade 1 dangerous contact - $1000 or $1500
Ben Trbojevic (Sea Eagles) - Grade 1 dangerous contact - $1000 or $1500
Moeaki Fotuaika (Gold Coast Titans) - Grade 1 careless high tackle - $1000 or $1500
Ken Irvine Medal leaderboard
Try of the Week
Harry Grant is still proving himself to be one of the most effective players in the competition, despite his team now falling to a 2-2 record. This is one of the best passes we can remember in a long time.
Next weekend's fixtures
