Conclusion of the fifth round of the Andrew Johns/Laurie Daley Cups

There was plenty of exciting action, with a series of dramatic outcomes leading to surprising inclusions and omissions in the finale.

Don’t forget to catch up on round four’s biggest talking point.

Also check out the top 20 entrants from previous Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley Cups.

Knights top the standings after the regular season

A commanding double win over the Central Coast Roosters in both divisions cemented the Newcastle Maitland Regions Knights as the best-performing club in the regular season.

In the Andrew Johns Cup, the Knights upset the Roosters 30-14 away at the Morry Breen Oval to secure a finals appearance and top the Roosters up the ladder.

The win was the Knights’ third of the season, with one of the season’s star performers Fletcher O’Doherty again crossed from the second row on his fifth attempt of the season.

The Roosters will still advance to the finals despite the loss, finishing with three wins out of five and defeating the Northern Tigers on points difference.

At the Laurie Daley Cup, the Knights crossed six times for a 38–10 win, with two attempts coming from center arms Karl Hennessy.

This ranked first place in the Laurie Daley Cup regular season for the Knights, finishing with four wins from five and a bigger point difference than the Northern Tigers and Illawarra South Coast Dragons, who also both had four wins.

This meant the Knights were the only team alongside the Monaro Colts to have both teams qualify for the Finals, with the Newcastle side statistically having the best performances in both classes.

Northern Tigers turn it on against the Rams

The Northern Tigers set up a clinic in both classes to dispose of the Western Rams.

The Andrew Johns Cup side won 30-10 at full-back at the John Simpson Oval Reece Josephson Crossing for a hat trick.

The win wasn’t enough to send the Northern Tigers through to the finals as although they were level on points with the Newcastle Maitland Region Knights and the Central Coast Roosters they were disappointed by their negative point difference resulting from losses in rounds three and accumulated four.

The same cannot be said for the Laurie Daley Cup side, who with a comfortable 42-6 win cemented a place in the Finals with four wins from five and trailed only Newcastle Maitland Region Knights and Illawarra South Coast Dragons by points difference concerns .

The Tigers hammered their Rams opposition with seven tries to just one with a winger Oscar Atkin pick up a double.

The Western Rams exit both competitions with just two wins from five games in each class.

Tigers final dreams are shattered by Dragons in a thriller

It was late drama in the Laurie Daley Cup as the Illawarra South Coast Dragons defeated the Macarthur Wests Tigers 30-28 at the Kirkham Oval.

The win dashed finals hopes for the Tigers side, who could have gone through to the finals with seven points had they won, but instead dropped out of the competition with five points.

winger Samson McAllister-Wood scored the important late try for the Dragons with less than five minutes to go, with Clay Baldock then converting to give the Dragons a two-point lead.

Other try scorers for the Dragons were Toby Rumble, Lincoln miners, Eden Hodges And Samuel Kennedy who picked up a double.

Two tries for the Macarthur Wests Tigers Rielly Smithas well as attempts Noah McKenzie, Harry Delaney And Jone Rorocolo just wasn’t enough to get the job done.

The Dragons finish the regular season with eight points, leading the Southern Conference and sitting behind the Knights overall.

Monaro storms into the final

The Monaro Colts took crucial wins in both classes to secure a place in the Finals.

For the Riverina Bulls, on the other hand, who return to the drawing board after finishing the season with zero points in both classes, there is no smile.

In the Andrew Johns Cup, the Colts would defeat their opposing Bulls 28-10 at NSWRL HQ Bruce, with the appropriately named Jet Millard Run away for two tries for his side.

That leaves the Colts with seven points in the Andrew Johns Cup, sending them up the ladder to finish just behind the undefeated Macarthur Wests Tigers.

At the Laurie Daley Cup, the Colts went on a try spree with a 42-12 win, and the Bulls just had no answers.

hooker Ethan Alaia and second rower Nicholas Klobucar both crossed for two tries in the impressive win that puts the Colts on six points and into the finals.

Originally published as Round five Wrap: Greatest Stories from the Andrew Johns and Laurie Daley Cups