Shaun Johnson kicks his first field goal of the match. Photo / Getty Images
Shaun Johnson kicks his first field goal of the match. Photo / Getty Images
The Rabbitohs and Sharks finally got off the mark in season 2018 with their first wins of the year but Canberra and Parramatta remain winless.
Souths answered the call by hitting Manly with a reality check to comfortably defeat the Sea Eagles a week after they thrashed Parramatta 54-0.
The Raiders couldn't follow the Rabbitohs' lead, losing yet another close game by one point as the Warriors pulled off a stunning come-from-behind victory in the nation's capital.
The Eels' cause wasn't helped by Jarryd Hayne going off injured as Cronulla won a dour contest by 10 points.
Parramatta had conceded 86 points in its previous 153 minutes on the field before finally hitting back with a try against Cronulla — but that's where the good news ended as it lost its third game on the trot.
The Eels gave up a 14-0 lead to succumb to Penrith in Round One then were pummelled 54-0 by Manly in Round Two but they finally broke their points drought when Kirisome Auva'a crossed the stripe.
Martin Taupau looks dejected after defeat in the round three. Photo / Getty Images
He did so after Sharks playmaker Chad Townsend scored the opening try following some impressive lead-up work from Paul Gallen as Shane Flanagan's troops led 8-4 after 21 minutes.
Prior to Saturday night Jarryd Hayne was yet to experience victory in his second stint with the Eels and his horror homecoming only got worse.
The 30-year-old pulled up lame in the first half and was in obvious discomfort as he hobbled around the field after the kick off. He eventually left the field with 10 minutes remaining until the break, swearing and looking filthy as he headed to the sheds.
It was confirmed he'd suffered a hip flexor injury and he didn't return, with scans on Sunday to assess the extent of the damage.
At halftime the Sharks led 12-4 and Hayne's injury forced a reshuffle among the Parramatta backline.
Although slated to play the season at centre, he shifted to fullback at times during the opening games of the season and this week the Eels suggested he'd start behind the defensive line against the men from the Shire.
But with the Hayne Plane grounded Bevan French moved to fullback.
Jarryd Hayne walks from the field injured. Photo / Getty Images
Ricky Leutele looked certain to extend Cronulla's advantage 10 minutes into the second stanza when he stepped sharply off his left foot close to the line and barged over the stripe, but some desperate defending kept him at bay as he slammed the ball onto a Parramatta player's head rather than the turf.
Shortly after that the Eels faithful in the stands rose to their feet and offered up a rousing Bronx cheer as their side received its first penalty of the night following 50 minutes of play compared to the Sharks' six penalties.
Sharks hooker Jayden Brailey had a try disallowed after 58 minutes when he was ruled offside after finding himself in front of the kicker.
Townsend added two points to the tally with a penalty goal to make it 14-4 in Cronulla's favour and that's how it remained at full-time.
The Rabbitohs' desperation to win their first game of the year was evident in a rain affected start to their clash against Manly.
In slippery conditions it was Souths who fared better than their northern beaches-based opponents, establishing a 10-0 lead after 20 minutes.
Daly Cherry-Evans and the Sea Eagles suffered at the hands of the Rabbitohs. Photo / Getty Images
The video referee gave Robert Jennings the green light when he slid over in the corner and Alex Johnston was unstoppable in broken play, running the length of the field to register the hosts' second try.
Sam Burgess was inspirational for Souths — particularly in defence — in the opening quarter of the match and he continued to star every time he got near the ball.
The Rabbitohs' dominance continued for the rest of the opening stanza as Richard Kennar added a further five points just shy of the half-hour mark to make it 14-0 at halftime.
The men in red and green kept running with the momentum in the second half as Jennings scored his second try five minutes after the resumption before Jackson Hastings hit back with Manly's first four-pointer on the 52-minute mark.
But then Kennar became the second Rabbitoh to register a double and Jennings completed his hat-trick just after an hour of play and it was 30-6.
That three-try effort in Jennings' 21st NRL match reflected a freakish twist of fate as his older brother Michael — a NSW stalwart currently at Parramatta — also scored his first ever NRL hat-trick in his 21st game too.
Greg Inglis hands off Brad Parker of the Sea Eagles. Photo / Getty Images
Souths ended up winning 34-6 as the Sea Eagles suffered an alarming reality check just a week after thrashing Parramatta 54-0.
"We were flat," Manly coach Barrett said. "They beat us in every department. They wanted it more. They were hungrier.
"It's an attitude thing. We're still a young team. If you're off at all you get beat. It's something we have to learn pretty quickly.
"We didn't handle the conditions well. they bashed us through the middle of the ruck.
"At half-time we were quiet ... A bit shellshocked."
Issac Luke crosses the line to score. Photo / Getty Images
Shaun Johnson kicked two field goals in consecutive sets of six inside the final couple of minutes to help the Warriors make club history by winning the first three games of a season for the first time ever.
Johnson levelled things up at 19-19 against Canberra then the very next set his teammates rolled down the field and gave him a chance to slot another one-pointer from 35m out — and he didn't disappoint.
From being down by seven points with three minutes remaining the New Zealand side escaped with a 20-19 win that left the NRL world in disbelief.
"The Canberra Raiders can't believe it," Fox Sports commentator Matt Russell said.
"I can't believe what I've seen," Dragons legend Mark Gasnier added. Canberra's curse of losing close games went to another level. An inability to get over the line in tight games is what cost the Green Machine a finals berth in 2017 and the same problem continues to haunt the club this season.
Ricky Stuart's men lost their opening two matches by two points and this one point defeat will only add further weight to the argument the Raiders are mentally soft.
Issac Luke crossed for the Warriors' third converted try after scurrying out of dummy-half with a few minutes remaining on the clock before Johnson's kicking heroics broke the Raiders' hearts.
After being on the losing end of 30-28 scorelines in the first two rounds, the Raiders led for the whole game until Johnson sunk the hopes of the home side.
"Everything was against us so to come out the other end with two points is very special and it's right up there (as one of his best wins)," Warriors coach Stephen Kearney said after the game.
"Because we didn't let the game get away from us, I thought there was always an opportunity (in the final minutes)."
Tohu Harris heads for the try line to score a try. Photo / Getty Images
It was all the Raiders early, with hooker Siliva Havili crossing for the opening try in the seventh minute shortly after Warriors star Adam Blair was sent to the sin bin.
He hit halfback Aidan Sezer late with a tackle that didn't impress ex-NSW playmaker Brett Finch.
"That's late, it's in the back, it's just a cheap shot," Finch said in commentary for Fox Sports. "We don't need that in the game."
Gasnier said he applauded the referee's decision because he wants "to see the cheap shots gone".
The home side's momentum continued when they went up 12-0 as veteran Sia Soliola dished off to Elliot Whitehead for a superb try two minutes later to capitalise on the Warriors being a man down.
But the Raiders' defensive woes continued when the Warriors scored through Peta Hiku in their first attacking opportunity with Blair still off the field. Sam Williams ensured the Raiders led 13-6 at halftime when he slotted a field goal only seconds before the break.
Nick Cotric barged his way over in the corner early in the second half to put the Raiders up 17-6 after skipper Jarrod Croker pulled the ensuing kick wide. Tohu Harris then crossed in the corner for the Warriors after 59 minutes to give them a sniff.
Coaches speak out as refs boss admits error
Russell Packer looks on after the Broncos were awarded a penalty in extra time. Photo / Getty Images
After a controversial round three Friday night of football, Ivan Cleary and Anthony Griffin both disregarded an NRL edict not to criticise refereeing calls.
The Wests Tigers and Penrith coaches were measured when quizzed about crucial calls in their sides' respective losses to Brisbane and Canterbury but didn't hide their disappointment.
It comes after all coaches were told in the pre-season not to enter into discussion or criticism of refereeing decisions in the media in 2018.
However, Tigers coach Cleary seemingly had reason to be frustrated after going down 9-7 in golden point to the Broncos.
Forward Robbie Rochow was ruled to not square at marker when he pursued Jamayne Isaako as he attempted a field goal, even if replays indicated it was teammate Pita Godinet who had in fact offended but not played a part in the next play.
Klein.....never to referee NRL again. What a disgrace.
Isaako then slotted the penalty goal to win the game for Brisbane. "There's one thing, do you give penalties in golden point, which historically you don't," Cleary said.
"And the other thing is was it a penalty and I don't think it was. We all make mistakes but that's a big one.
"You could tell by the way the Broncos guys reacted, it was almost as if they were embarrassed to win.
"It's hard, very hard. You've got to feel for the boys, I feel for the crowd. I feel for everyone.
"But anyway, we didn't play good enough ... It's hard to take."
Cleary reportedly received a call from referees boss Bernie Sutton on Saturday morning. Sutton told the Sunday Telegraph the penalty was "incorrect".
Meanwhile, Griffin also refused to blame the referees for a 20-18 loss to the Bulldogs but was baffled by the Bunker's decision to green light Moses Mbye's fifth-minute try.
Griffin claimed James Maloney had been momentarily impeded by lead runner Will Hopoate with Mbye forcing his way through the hole created.
Griffin said video referee Steve Chiddy had set a dangerous precedent and Maloney would have been better off taking a dive in an attempt to draw a penalty.
"It was an obstruction," Griffin said.
"If we've got to take a dive, that's not good for the game and not something we want to encourage our players to do.
"But if we've got to take a dive to save a try, that's what they're encouraging you to do if they let tries like that in.
Penrith skipper Peter Wallace was left scratching his head after Maloney was penalised for a similar obstruction minutes later.
"Both of them were tough calls on us," Wallace said.
"The first one — I thought it was just an obstruction.
"Then a set later they called one on the run that went against us where I thought they made a decision to come in and the outside blokes went past the ball. It's a bit confusing when you're out there."
- With AAP
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