Round 7 review: Renegades and Marlins break clear

Round 7 separated the leading pair from the chasing pack. New Zealand and Northern moved to five wins, Central and Sydney slipped two points behind, and Brisbane surged into the middle of the table with the biggest victory of the weekend.

Stingrays turn efficiency into a four-point upset

South Coast's 20 to 16 win over Central was the round's tightest result and one of the season's sharpest demonstrations of efficiency. Thunder held 52 percent possession, made 30 line breaks and gained 1,389 metres, but the Stingrays completed 26 of 29 sets and made only three errors.

Ashton Crutcher drove the upset with two tries, two conversions, 222 metres and 31 tackles. Dennis Dufty and Big Beefer supplied the other tries. Mark Lee ran for 338 metres for Central, while Lucie Driscoll and Jayden Davis crossed, but Thunder could not turn its territorial advantage into the final score it needed.

Marlins finish strongly to clear the Bulls

Northern's 30 to 22 victory over Western Sydney lifted the Marlins to ten competition points. Ryan Wilson scored twice, ran for 316 metres, made 28 tackles and broke the line five times. Kaleonalani Mahana'Olu'Olu also scored twice and led the match with 339 metres.

Lucas Duse added ten points and 228 kick metres, while Blakeson Harrison supplied Northern's fifth try. Matthew Harris scored ten points for the Bulls and Kayne Chapman-Kenny ran for 212 metres, but the Marlins' five-try attack created the decisive eight-point gap.

Pirates explode for seven tries in Melbourne

Brisbane's 40 to 12 win over Melbourne was the round's most emphatic performance. The Pirates scored seven tries through Jacob Morrison twice, Jj Keanz, Leni'i Prakali'i, Baron Akeman, Aj Brimmo and Jordan Lewis. Keanz added six conversions for a 16-point personal haul.

Morrison's player-of-the-match display produced an extraordinary 1,108 metres from 52 runs, two tries and four line breaks. Jordan Lewis added 233 metres and six line breaks. Kobe Kelly and Prodji Broughton scored for the Kings, but Melbourne could not contain Brisbane's repeated breaks or match its finishing.

Renegades reassert control against Sydney

New Zealand responded to its Round 6 loss with a 28 to 8 win over the Wedgetails. Jye McCartney scored twice, kicked four conversions, ran for 248 metres and made 33 tackles. Joey Kelly added two tries and 263 metres, with Joshua Simopoulos scoring the fifth.

Sonny Taia Jr supplied Sydney's only try and ran for 240 metres, while Calare Burton made a round-high 36 tackles. The Renegades finished with 1,660 player-table metres and five tries, restoring momentum while protecting first place through a commanding points differential.

Round 7 by the numbers

Players who broke the round open

Jacob Morrison: 1,108 metres, two tries and four line breaks in Brisbane's seven-try win. Ashton Crutcher: two tries, two conversions, 222 metres and 31 tackles in South Coast's upset. Ryan Wilson: 316 metres, 28 tackles, six tackle breaks, five line breaks and two tries for Northern. Jye McCartney: 16 points, 248 metres and 33 tackles as New Zealand returned to winning form. Kaleonalani Mahana'Olu'Olu: 339 metres and two tries in Northern's win.

The ladder after seven

New Zealand retains first place through its huge plus-106 points differential, but Northern is level on ten points and has won five of seven. Central and Sydney remain close enough to recover quickly, while Brisbane's 28-point win has brought the Pirates firmly into the contest for a top-four place.