NRL Round-Up: Rabbitohs winger makes history, Melbourne dominates New Zealand, wingers show class

Alex Johnston's 191st try in the NRL moved him past one rugby league legend and put another in his sights.

Melbourne continued to haunt the Warriors while wingers across the league continued to make the impossible, possible.

THURSDAY: Tabuai-Fidow's solo try earns Dolphins breakthrough win in Sydney

FRIDAY: South Sydney punishes woeful Broncos in the wet, Cowboys thump the Raiders in Canberra

SATURDAY: Melbourne continues dominance over the Warriors, Tigers lift themselves off the bottom of the ladder

SUNDAY: Manly overcomes injuries to defeat Dragons, Penrith holds off valiant Newcastle

Here are the biggest talking points from every game of round 15.

ABC Sport is live blogging every round of the AFL and NRL seasons in 2024.

1. Dolphins tick two boxes to solidify finals credentials

Despite sitting fourth on the NRL ladder after 14 rounds there were still questions about whether the Dolphins were a finals team in 2024.

None of the teams they had beaten were sitting in the top eight and they had not yet travelled to Sydney. 

Their 30-28 victory of Cronulla at Shark Park rectified both knocks on the league's newest club. 

Thursday's win had everything coach Wayne Bennett would have wanted.

The Dolphins had an energetic start, leading 22-0 after 25 minutes, and when faced with adversity were able to rally and find a way to win. 

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow is one of the best fullbacks in the league, Kodi Nikorima and Isaiya Katoa are getting better with each match in the halves, and the forward pack led by Felise Kaufusi and Kenny Bromwich have the ability to muscle teams out of games. 

The Dolphins have a historic win in Sydney and will want to use it as a platform for bigger and better things.

ABC player of the year votes:

3. Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins)

2. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (Dolphins)

1. Briton Nikora (Sharks)

(Votes are compiled by the ABC Sport radio commentary team after each match)

2. Brilliance of wingers becoming the norm

Fans at Canberra Stadium were treated to a pair of tries that not too long ago would have been one of the signature moments of an NRL season. 

North Queensland's Kyle Feldt and Canberra's Xavier Savage both scored on Friday night by grounding the ball in mid-air, with the entirety of their body (bar the hand holding the ball) being suspended over the sideline. 

The two tries highlight the tremendous evolution of the wing position. All wingers within five metres of the line (possibly eight for Melbourne's Xavier Coates) believe they can launch into the air and ground the footy. 

The consequence of dropping the ball is not insignificant. A dropped ball over the goal line is a restart for your opposition at the 20-metre line, and a seven-tackle set.

But week after week, these tremendous athletes laugh in the face of gravity as they make the impossible look routine. 

Seemingly there is one magical try from a winger each week, but with two in a match, fans should be able to pause and appreciate the brilliance. 

ABC player of the year votes:

3. Tom Dearden (Cowboys)

2. Scott Drinkwater (Cowboys)

1. Chad Townsend (Cowboys)

3. Johnston a step closer to Ken Irvine's try record

On a terrific night for South Sydney, who beat the Broncos at Stadium Australia, the biggest celebration was left for their fourth try of the evening.

Alex Johnston crossed for the 191st try of his first-grade premiership career, moving him into outright second on the all-time list.

He had been locked with the great Billy Slater on 190 tries for several weeks, but scored his historic try to the jubilation of his teammates.

Often outshone by many of his famous teammates over the years — Greg Inglis, Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker, Adam Reynolds, Sam Burgess — Johnston got his much-deserved moment in the spotlight on Friday.

His 191st try does make him the record holder for most first grade tries for one club, a record previously held by Slater.

Ken Irvine sits on top of the tree with 212 tries over his glittering career for North Sydney and Manly.

Johnston is just 29 years of age and looks set to score well more than the 22 tries needed to become the all-time record holder.

ABC player of the year votes:

3. Keaon Koloamatangi (Rabbitohs)

2. Damien Cook (Rabbitohs)

1. Jai Arrow (Rabbitohs)

4. Tigers win for their fans, who have stuck with them through thick and thin

Being a Wests Tigers fan has been tough over the past few years.

The club has endured back-to-back wooden spoons and came into this weekend on a nine-game losing streak.

But the stars aligned for a gusty, hard-fought win over the Gold Coast Titans.

In the same week a $40m grant to upgrade the club's beloved Leichhardt Oval was announced, the diehard Tigers fans showed up in their thousands.

They have been with this team through thick and thin, many of them starting as Balmain supporters through to the joint venture with Western Suburbs.

The scenes from the hill at Leichhardt Oval were priceless.

Hugging and dancing in the rain, some fans made their own mudslide on the hill in celebration of the win.

These fans deserved the performance the Tigers produced, especially in the second half when they did not give up a single point.

The Tigers are off the bottom of the ladder, for one week at least, and their supporters have a reason to believe there is light at the end of the tunnel, for one week at least.

ABC player of the year votes:

3. Stefano Utoikamanu (Tigers)

2. Fonua Pole (Tigers)

1. Alex Seyfarth (Tigers)

5. Hoodoo continues for the Warriors who lose 16th straight to the Storm

The Warriors' hopes of being a contender in 2024 could rest on what lessons they take from their 16th consecutive loss to the Melbourne Storm.

Even the most pessimistic Warriors' supporter would have believed their hoodoo against Melbourne was going to be broken on Saturday when the New Zealand side raced out to a 14-0 lead in 17 minutes.

But when most teams would crumble, the Storm never lost their cool.

In the blink of an eye, they had four tries in 15 minutes and a half-time lead.

When the Warriors mounted a fightback in the second half, again the Storm remained composed.

Meanwhile, the Warriors did not have the winning mentality they needed to break their hoodoo. A pair of sin-bins, when the game was on the line, was the most glaring example of the difference between the two sides.

How the Warriors react to this bitter loss could have ramifications for their season.

They can take the positives or will the mental scarring be a major hindrance in the big games at the end of the season?

ABC player of the year votes:

3. Jahrome Hughes (Storm)

2. Eliesa Katoa (Storm)

1. Sualauvi Faalogo (Storm)

6. Clear message sent by refs to lower body height

The NRL has doubled down on stamping out high contact in rugby league.

If the send-off of Joseph Sua'ali'i in State of Origin Game I was the line in the sand, then the sin-bin of Roosters' prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was a stake in the ground.

Waerea-Hargreaves was sent for 10 minutes after a high shot in the 33rd minute of Sydney's win over Parramatta.

Not long ago, Waerea-Hargreaves would have only conceded the penalty. It would have been considered an accident and part of the game.

But the new crackdown on contact to the head puts more onus than ever on the defender to lower their body height when making a tackle.

Players like Waerea-Hargreaves, who have made a career as an enforcer on the field, now need to think of their tackle technique before throwing their bodies at the ball carrier.

ABC player of the year votes:

3. Luke Keary (Roosters)

2. Spencer Leniu (Roosters)

1. Junior Paulo (Eels)

7. Manly counting the cost of victory with multiple injury worries

Manly produced a brave performance to defeat the Dragons, but it came at a cost.

The Sea Eagles have a nervous wait, with four players going down with injuries in the first half.

Corey Waddell was able to battle through the second half with an ankle issue, but he looked in discomfort.

Centre Reuben Garrick was ruled out after being sent off for a pair of head injury assessments in the first half.

The Sea Eagles also lost both props, with Taniela Paseka (hand) and Toafofoa Sipley (ankle) not returning to the field after half-time.

Manly at full strength is a dark horse this season and has shown glimpses of matching it with the very best in the competition.

But the win over the Dragons potentially has come at a huge cost, especially with wins during the Origin period at the premium.

ABC player of the year votes:

3. Daly Cherry-Evans (Sea Eagles)

2. Haumole Olakau'atu (Sea Eagles)

1. Kyle Flanagan (Dragons)

8. Next generation of Panthers looks to continue winning

The Penrith winning machine continues in spite of injuries, with the Panthers accounting for a brave Newcastle side at Hunter Stadium.

The Panthers have been affected by injury and the State of Origin season in 2024, but they still remain the benchmark for the competition.

But the focus for Penrith is not about who is out, but who will carry on the juggernaut into the future.

Penrith will lose five-eighth Jahrome Luai, prop James Fischer-Harris and winger Sunia Turuva at the end of this season.

They have lost other great players during this dynasty, including Matt Burton, Stephen Crichton, Viliame Kikau, and Apisai Koroisau.

But there are plenty of other players ready to slot in to continue Penrith's success.

Brad Schneider looked at home in the halves on Sunday afternoon, while forward Lindsay Smith shapes as the future leader of Penrith's forward pack.

ABC player of the year votes:

3. Jarome Luai (Panthers)

2. Moses Leota (Panthers)

1. Bradman Best (Knights)