Doueihi shines in Tigers win as Sharks bounce back

In a round headlined by upsets and a bounce back Sharks win, the Rugby League Insider panel dive into the key talking points including the Dragons slow start and Penrith's brilliance.

Sharks grind out Canberra win

Cronulla responded emphatically to their Dolphins loss, defeating the Raiders in what the panel called the game of the round. Brayden Trindall and Nicho Hynes repeatedly tested Xavier Savage under the high ball, and the Sharks' cohesion was on full display.

"They [Sharks] needed to find a response, after the Dolphins, they were s***house," Hooper said.

"I thought they answered it well."

Despite the loss, all three hosts remained bullish on Canberra. The talent is undeniable, but conceding 28, 40 and 34 points across three losses is a concern for a team built on defensive toughness.

Titans off the mark, Dragons in strife

Gold Coast ended their losing start with a scrappy win over the winless Dragons. Aramo Hau was outstanding with two tries, two line breaks and 31 tackles without a miss. The new-look halves pairing of Lachlan Illias and Jaden Campbell at five-eighth drew praise, with Hooper noting Campbell is better served in a running role than as the primary ball distributor.

The Dragons had enough ball to win but couldn't convert, and their night worsened when Kyle Flanagan suffered a serious head knock and was taken to hospital, though he has since been cleared of serious injury.

"That injury just underlines the fact the Dragons have left themselves exposed in the playmaking department," Savage said.

With Illias, Jonah Glover and Ashton Ward all gone in recent off-seasons, the panel was baffled by the club's failure to address their halfback depth. They face the Cowboys, Manly, Rabbitohs and Roosters in their next four games. The clock is ticking.

Tigers shock unbeaten Warriors in Auckland

Result of the round. No Jerome Luai, trailing 10-nil in New Zealand, and the Wests Tigers still won. Adam Doueihi was sensational with two try assists, two line breaks and over 200 metres, while Jock Madden slotted in seamlessly just days after the death of his grandfather, producing a kicking game with plenty of variety and keeping the Tigers in the contest when the Warriors came hard early.

"I wonder if they'll look back at this game and say that was the turning point," McDonald said. "We didn't have our superstar player in Jerome Luai, but we weren't looking for excuses."

Young Faaletino Tavana also earned rave reviews off the bench, singled out by Benji Marshall post-game after nearly being cut from the squad during pre-season.

Broncos end a week of circus headlines

Adam Reynolds returned to steer Brisbane to a convincing win over the Dolphins at Suncorp. "I thought Brisbane showed some really strong signs... a little bit off the mark in the opening couple of weeks, but now that's victories over decent opposition in the Storm and the Dolphins," Hooper said.

Katoni Staggs was dominant and cult figure Ben Talty produced a stunning flick pass that nearly raised the roof. For the Dolphins, plenty of opportunities created but not enough converted, with the panel noting Christian Welch's side are at their best when Isaako and Cody Nikorima play nice and straight.

Knights end Bulldogs' unbeaten run

Newcastle, without Ponga and Dylan Brown, stunned red-hot Canterbury. Dom Young ran riot and bagged a hat-trick, Phoenix Crossland played through what looked a broken nose, and Sandon Smith continued his case as buy of the season. The Bulldogs were ravaged by injury with five key middles unavailable, forcing Ciraldo to shift Crichton to five-eighth mid-game.

"He's the best centre in the world in my opinion," Hooper said, firmly ruling out any permanent positional switch.

Panthers host Storm in game of the season

Penrith were the unanimous pick as the form team of the competition after dismantling Parramatta. Ivan Cleary described the opening 25 minutes as the best football his side had produced in recent memory, and the panel had little trouble agreeing.

"The Penrith Panthers are unstoppable at the moment," McDonald said. "The biggest sign is things are just going so well for Nathan Cleary. Everything he touches turns to gold."

Tom Jenkins' ten tries in four games and the electric Casey McLean were also highlighted, with Cleary's kicking game drawing comparisons to Joey Johns at his peak.

They host a stinging Melbourne side on Friday night. The Cowboys, meanwhile, pulled off the weekend's other stunner, overcoming a 24-12 deficit to down the Storm with three tries in seven minutes and giving Todd Payten a reason to smile.

Read more on the Round 4 upsets that shaped the round HERE.