NRL Round 26: Penrith wins, Manly thumps Dragons, and Broncos farewell controversy

The NRL season features several key results and controversies. The Penrith Panthers secured a 24-10 victory over the Canterbury Bulldogs, led by Nathan Cleary, to remain in the hunt for the minor premiership.

In another matchup, the Manly Sea Eagles defeated the St George Illawarra Dragons 44-10, keeping their slim finals hopes alive. The win also marked the 200th NRL game for Manly forward Nathan Brown.

Conversely, the Brisbane Broncos faced a difficult end to their season, suffering a 46-20 loss to the Melbourne Storm at Suncorp Stadium. The match was overshadowed by a controversial farewell for retiring captain Adam Reynolds. Due to a stadium power outage, the planned tribute and highlight reels could not be displayed on the big screens, resulting in Reynolds' lap of honour being accompanied by commercial advertisements instead. The Brisbane Broncos issued an apology to fans for the technical failure and the lack of a proper send-off.

Looking ahead, the New Zealand Warriors are set to host the Newcastle Knights at Go Media Stadium for Round 26.