Basketball
AFL
Cricket
Horse Racing
NRL
Soccer
Tennis
All Sports
American Football
Boxing
Betting Masterclass
eSports
Golf
Greyhounds
Motor Sport
Rugby Union
UFC / MMA
Penrith look inevitable, the Cowboys outlast Melbourne, and the Tigers land the round’s gut-punch in Auckland. The definitive Round 4 wrap.
NRL 2026: Round 4 in Focus
Round 4 wasn’t a “settle-in” week. It was a week where the NRL drew a thick line between the genuine heavyweights and the teams still pretending it’s all going to click “soon”. The clearest statement came from Penrith, who turned a supposed danger game into a 48-20 demolition and, four rounds in, have built a ludicrous points differential of 140 for, 30 against. That is not early-season fluff. That is control.
But the match that told you the most was up in Townsville: the Cowboys 28-24 over the Storm. It was the round’s defining arm-wrestle, a game where one conversion or one defensive read swung the whole narrative. Meanwhile, the Warriors got punched in the mouth at home by the Wests Tigers, 32-14, in the round’s biggest “wait, what?” result. It’s March, yes, but early signs matter, and that loss will sting because it didn’t just cost two points, it dented the aura.
Elsewhere, Brisbane handled the Dolphins 26-12 without turning it into a track meet, the Roosters flexed at Brookvale 33-16, the Knights banked a useful road win over the Bulldogs 24-16, the Sharks took care of business in Canberra 34-22, and the Titans finally got one on the board, grinding past the winless Dragons 22-14.
#AD 18+ T&Cs Apply Imagine what you could be buying instead. For free & confidential support call 180 0858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
#AD 18+ T&Cs Apply Imagine what you could be buying instead. For free & confidential support call 180 0858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
Exclusive 365AUCODE referral code: bet365 does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers.18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
Cowboys outlast Storm in the round’s best pressure test
Cowboys 28 def. Storm 24
This was the kind of game coaches love and teams hate. Not because it was ugly, but because it demanded discipline on every set, every kick chase, every last-tackle option. The Cowboys didn’t beat Melbourne by being prettier. They beat them by being braver in the moments when the game was begging for a mistake.
The key swing wasn’t a miracle play, it was cumulative stress. Townsville dragged the Storm into repeat defensive efforts, then punished the first crack. And when Melbourne inevitably surged, the Cowboys didn’t blink. A four-point margin tells you it lived on the knife edge, and the ladder context matters: that win lifts North Queensland to 2-2 and keeps them in touch with the mid-pack logjam, while Melbourne drop to 2-2 despite an imposing points tally across the season (136 for after four rounds).
Early rounds can lie, but tight wins like this rarely do. If the Cowboys can bottle this level of composure, they’re not just a “good at home” side. If the Storm keep conceding enough to sit seventh with a healthy points-for total, it hints at a team still calibrating its defensive timing.
Tigers ambush the Warriors at Go Media and flip the script
Wests Tigers 32 def. Warriors 14
This was the shock that made you re-check the scoreline. The Warriors came into the weekend sitting second on the ladder at 3-0 and looking like a team that had finally ironed out the self-sabotage. Then the Tigers walked into Auckland and hung 32 on them.
A result like this is rarely about one moment; it’s about a team losing control of the game’s basic currencies: field position, possession rhythm, and defensive connection. The Warriors have been a points machine early (134 points scored through four rounds), but conceding 32 at home is a defensive red flag you can’t wallpaper over with “it’s early”. The ladder still looks friendly for them at 3-1, but this is exactly the kind of loss that can echo if it turns into a habit against sides willing to play direct and punish edges.
For the Tigers, it’s a season-shaping scalp. Wins like this buy belief and patience. If you’re a rebuilding side, you need proof your best footy can actually hurt good teams. This was proof.
Roosters stroll into Brookvale and remind Manly who owns the tempo
Roosters 33 def. Sea Eagles 16
Brookvale can swallow teams that show up without a plan. The Roosters arrived with one, executed it, and left with a 17-point win that felt even more comfortable than the margin. This was a tempo game, and the Roosters controlled it. They played like the side that understood exactly when to accelerate and when to suffocate.
It also matters in the context of both seasons. The Roosters climb to 2-2, which doesn’t sound inspiring until you look at their points against: they’ve shipped 116 already. So holding Manly to 16 is the kind of defensive correction they desperately needed. The Sea Eagles, meanwhile, take a hit that raises questions about their ability to stay in games when they’re not dictating the contest.
The scary part for opponents is that the Roosters’ attack still produced 33 without needing it to become a chaotic offload festival. If their defence actually tightens from here, they’re going to climb quickly in a ladder that’s bunched from eighth to thirteenth on 4 points.
Knights bank the tough yards as Bulldogs can’t land the killer punch
Knights 24 def. Bulldogs 16
This was a classic “get your two points and get out” win. The Knights weren’t flawless, but they were professional: defend their line, win the moments after contact, and take the scoreboard gifts when they arrived. The Bulldogs hung around long enough to make it uncomfortable, but never looked like the team fully driving the match.
For Newcastle, the significance is bigger than the match itself. They move to 3-1 and sit third after four rounds. That matters because early ladder position changes what you can build: selection stability, confidence in game plan, and the freedom to win ugly while you search for your best attacking shape. Their points differential is modest (100 for, 88 against), which screams “solid” rather than “spectacular”, but solid wins accumulate fast in April.
The Bulldogs, on the other hand, needed this to validate their own progress. A home loss where you concede 24 is survivable. A home loss where you never truly threaten to take control is the part that should annoy their staff.
Broncos handle the Dolphins: controlled, clinical, and never in doubt
Broncos 26 def. Dolphins 12
This wasn’t Brisbane at their most explosive. It was Brisbane at their most grown-up. The Broncos didn’t chase highlight-reel footy; they chased repeat sets, good kicks, and the kind of pressure that makes opponents play from their own end. The Dolphins are good enough to punish loose minutes, and Brisbane simply didn’t give them many.
The 26-12 scoreline reads like a routine win, but it stabilises a season that badly needed stabilising. Brisbane move to 2-2, still sitting 10th with a negative points differential (76 for, 92 against). That tells you they’re not “back” yet, but this is how it starts: a defensive performance you can trust, then an attack that builds on top of it. The Dolphins also land at 2-2 (ranked 8th), and the balance of their season to date is basically written in their for-and-against: 98 for, 90 against. Competitive, but not imposing.
In a packed middle of the ladder, games like this are eight-point swings in disguise. Brisbane didn’t just win; they avoided the kind of messy loss that can spiral.
Sharks punish Canberra lapses and turn the screws late at GIO
Sharks 34 def. Raiders 22
The Raiders have enough fight to stay in games, but not enough polish to close them. That’s the blunt read after Cronulla walked into Canberra and left with a 12-point win. This was a match where defensive lapses got cashed in immediately. You can’t give good sides simple pictures in good ball and expect mercy.
The Sharks needed this. They’re now 2-2 and sitting 9th, with a near-even points profile (100 for, 96 against). That’s the statline of a side still figuring out its ceiling. But winning away, scoring 34, and doing it without the game turning into a coin flip is a strong early indicator that their baseline is improving.
For Canberra, the numbers are ugly. They drop to 1-3 (rank 15th) and their differential is already a problem: 67 for, 116 against. That’s not “bad luck”. That’s losing too many minutes by too many points. Their season isn’t cooked in Round 4, but the urgency is real now. Another fortnight like this and they’re chasing the eight by May.
Titans finally get a reward as Dragons stay stuck on zero
Titans 22 def. Dragons 14
The Titans didn’t win this with flair. They won it with relief. At 0-3, you start playing like a team that’s scared of the scoreboard. So getting to 1-3 matters, even if the ladder still has them 16th. The performance wasn’t perfect, but it had one crucial ingredient Gold Coast have lacked: enough control to protect a lead.
The Dragons are now the only team on the ladder at 0-4. And this wasn’t a one-off heartbreak loss; it’s part of a pattern. Their for-and-against reads like a team that’s competitive for stretches but can’t win the moments that decide games: 68 for, 113 against. That percentage (60.18) is a blunt scoreboard summary of how often they’re chasing.
For the Titans, the next step is obvious: don’t treat this as a season reset. Treat it as proof. If you can beat a struggling team at home, good. Now do it two weeks in a row. That’s how you become a real threat, not a weekly coin toss.
Panthers put on a clinic: Eels get caught in the avalanche
Panthers 48 def. Eels 20
This was the round’s hard truth. Penrith are not easing into 2026. They’re strangling teams. The Eels walked into CommBank and got hit for 48, the kind of number that usually requires either horrific discipline or an opponent that is simply operating at a different speed. This looked like the latter.
Four rounds in, Penrith are 4-0, top of the ladder, and their points against is the statistic that should terrify the competition: 30 conceded in a month. You don’t fluke defence like that. You don’t stumble into it. It’s system, effort, and a spine that understands exactly where the next play is coming from. And when you defend like that, the attack doesn’t need to force anything. You get field position, you get fatigue, you get points in bunches.
The Eels drop to 2-2 (rank 13th) and their defensive record is already screaming: 152 points conceded in four games. Even allowing for early-season variance, that’s a crisis number. Their attack can score (94 for), but if you leak at that rate, you’re not building a finals profile. You’re surviving week to week.
It’s only Round 4, but if you wanted the clearest set of NRL highlights about who looks premiership-ready, this was it.
Ladder implications
The ladder has a familiar shape at the top and a messy fistfight everywhere else. The Panthers are already clear first at 8 points with a monster differential (140 for, 30 against). The Warriors stay second at 6 points despite the Tigers ambush, and the Knights also sit on 6 after handling the Bulldogs. After that, it’s traffic: Storm (7th), Dolphins (8th), Sharks (9th), Broncos (10th), Cowboys (11th), Roosters (12th), and Eels (13th) are all on 4 points. That means one good fortnight can turn “meh” into top-four pressure, and one bad fortnight can bury you in the bottom six.
Down the bottom, the Dragons are the round’s standout concern at 0-4. Canberra and the Titans are both 1-3, and neither can afford to let the gap to the eight become a calendar problem.
Round awards
Best on ground (round): Panthers. Yes, that’s a team, not a player, and it’s deliberate. With no verified individual stat feed provided for Round 4, the cleanest, most honest “best on ground” call is the side that played the round’s most dominant football. Penrith scoring 48 while maintaining their season defensive standard (only 30 conceded across four games) is the most convincing evidence we have.
Best win: Cowboys 28-24 over Storm. Beating Melbourne by four tells you it was earned, not gifted. Those are the wins that harden a season.
Worst loss: Warriors 14-32 to the Tigers. You can lose, but getting opened up at home after a 3-0 start is the kind of result that tests a group’s maturity immediately.
Looking for the best bookmakers to bet on the NRL?
If you’re betting week to week, line shopping matters as much as form. Check our updated list of the best betting sites and bookmaker offers for the NRL season, then line up your prices before you lock anything in.
#AD 18+ T&Cs Apply Imagine what you could be buying instead. For free & confidential support call 180 0858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
#AD 18+ T&Cs Apply Imagine what you could be buying instead. For free & confidential support call 180 0858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
Exclusive 365AUCODE referral code: bet365 does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers.18+ T&C's Apply. What are you really gambling with? Chances are you're about to lose. Set a Deposit Limit For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
FAQ
| Who won Cowboys vs Storm in NRL Round 4? | The Cowboys beat the Storm 28-24 in Round 4. |
| What were the biggest wins in NRL Round 4? | The biggest margin was Panthers 48-20 over the Eels (28 points). Next was Tigers 32-14 over the Warriors (18 points). |
| Who is on top of the ladder after Round 4? | The Panthers are first at 4-0 with 8 premiership points and a points differential of +110 (140 for, 30 against). |
| Which team is still winless after Round 4? | The Dragons are 0-4 after losing 22-14 to the Titans. |
Responsible gambling
Gamble responsibly. For free and confidential support call Gambling Help 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au. You must be 18+ to bet. BettingPro may earn an affiliate commission from links on this page.
NRL Round 25 Results: Highlights & Expert Analysis
NRL Round 25 Preview & Predictions
NRL Round 24 Results: Highlights & Expert Analysis
NRL Round 24 Preview & Predictions
NRL Round 23 Results: Highlights & Expert Analysis
NRL Round 23 Preview & Predictions
NRL Round 22 Results: Highlights & Expert Analysis
NRL Round 22 Preview & Predictions