KEY POINTS:
The statistics from week 26 of the NRL season suggest that the teams likely to win in the playoff series starting on Friday will be those that do the least tackling.
The Eels completed 23/36 sets of six to the Warriors' 33/39 and so, due to errors, Parramatta
made 402 tackles to the Warriors' 271 and lost 28-6.
The Eagles beat the Panthers 34-16 at Penrith, where possession was even.
But penalties led to a 266-294 tackle imbalance. Only 6086 turned out for a game that meant nothing to the home side, the ground announcer told to tone down after asking half-time performers if they could play and declaring: "We need a new coach."
The Panthers board had already discussed cutting Matt Elliot's contract short after two seasons and is expected to do that, Daniel Anderson the tip to replace him.
The Sharks showed some mental softness after leading 18-4 against North Queensland by the break then settling back to allow the opposition to close to 28-22.
Only 7057 turned out to see it as the Sharks were thought unlikely to improve on third position and the Cowboys were stuck in second-last place.
Tackles were 280-304 in favour of Cronulla but the difference would have been greater bar a glut of Cowboys possession at the end, when it was too late.
Newcastle had made 60 more tackles than the Broncos by halftime in Brisbane.
The count ended relatively close at 273-291 but the home team ran in three tries in quick succession against tired opponents while Knights second rower Steve Simpson was sin-binned.
It was an emotional farewell for Wayne Bennett at Suncorp Stadium, where 37,552 turned out to see the home side flatten Newcastle 20-2. He strode around the field then took the podium with son Justin to speak.
It was Bennett's 343rd win from 552 games over 21 years, with 18 appearances in the finals and six titles, an achievement not ever likely to be topped.
Tim Sheens is the only man in the frame, 568 games behind Bennett but his win record is 50 per cent to Bennett's 65, with four titles won at four different clubs.
The Broncos will worry about hooker Michael Ennis being charged for using his elbow to the back of a tackled player, the action penalised by ref Tony Archer, who is fronting as the 2008 grandfinal referee, but not put on report.
The Roosters lost Willie Mason early during the rain-drenched game before 14,127 at the Sydney Football Stadium but still out-muscled the Dragons.
Both teams showed great goal-line defence but the attack from both sides suffered from lack of execution.
The match reviewers will study a shoulder hit by Kiwi Setiamata Sa on Dragons' second rower Ben Creagh who did not have the ball and was KO'd.
The tackle count was Roosters 337 Dragons 292, the only game of round 26 where the winners did more defending.
