The Easter weekend provided plenty of exciting football, with some teams enjoying statement wins, while others did absolutely nothing to console their fans. The Knights continued to look good in beating the Raiders, the Sharks put the Warriors in their place, the Rabbitohs trampled the Bulldogs and the Panthers were at their devastating best against the Storm.
Here's whose stocks are up and down after Round 5.
Our footy experts cast their eye over the week's action to find out whose stocks are up -- whether it's a coaching masterstroke or a player having a blinder -- and whose are down.
Brisbane Broncos
Stocks up: After that awful start to the year the Broncos have knocked off two of their interstate rivals in consecutive weeks and will be hoping to make it a third this weekend. It'll be a tough ask with a rejigged halves pairing and a new fullback, but the ridiculous amount of coverage that the 0-2 Broncos were getting, and the negative chatter around Michael Maguire, seems like it was years ago now.
Stocks down: Injuries can really send a team's season off the rails, but the only small comfort for the Broncos is that they lost multiple spine players in the same game last year as well, and that all ended up OK. Still, it's going to be a little while before we see either Reece Walsh or Ben Hunt on the footy field again and we're all the poorer for that.
- Matt Bungard
Canberra Raiders
Stocks up: The rise of Simi Sasagi continues - another try and the one-time makeshift centre looks like a complete natural after a few weeks. There wasn't a lot to smile about on Sunday for the Green Machine, but it's nice to see someone making the best of a challenging situation.
Stocks down: The kick defence is a genuine, game-losing issue for them at this point. Canberra fans have voiced concerns over their back three repeatedly over the past year or so, but that Phoenix Crossland try was a new low point. Error prone, and more-concerningly, outworked by Newcastle across the whole game, this is not the same Canberra team that shot to the top of the ladder last year.
- Matt Bungard
Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs
Stocks up: For 40 minutes, Canterbury looked capable of taking complete control of the Good Friday clash. They turned a 12-6 deficit into an 18-12 halftime lead, with Lachlan Galvin and Sitili Tupouniua helping swing momentum their way late in the first half. Their physicality and composure were strong during that period, and it again showed this side can trouble good teams when they get field position and play direct.
Stocks down: The second half was where it all unravelled - Canterbury's discipline and execution fell apart. The Bulldogs made several second-half errors, completed just less than 50% of their sets after the break, and let a six-point lead turn into a 32-24 loss. That is the worrying part, more than the result itself. They were in a winning position, but once the game got messy they lost control of it. Against quality opposition, those lapses get punished quickly, and Souths did exactly that.
- Isaac Issa
Cronulla Sharks
Stocks up: This was one of Cronulla's more convincing wins of the season because of the way they responded after conceding first. The Sharks gave up an early try and a penalty goal to trail 6-0, but then piled on 24 first-half points and never really let the Warriors settle. Nicho Hynes was central to it with three try assists, while KL Iro continued his purple patch in the backline. William Kennedy was again among Cronulla's best and grabbed a quick fire double as the Sharks repeatedly found success down their left edge.
Stocks down: The only frustration for Cronulla was that they still leaked 22 points and picked up an injury concern of their own, with Jesse Ramien suffering an MCL issue that requires scans. There were moments where the Warriors made clean line breaks through the middle, and against sharper sides the Sharks will need to be tidier defensively.
- Isaac Issa
Dolphins
Stocks up: Finding positives from such an insipid performance is hard work. Call it ill discipline or call it undue referee influence, but the penalty count 12 minutes into the second half was 8-0 in the Sea Eagles' favour. The Dolphins didn't receive their first penalty until the 55th minute, by which stage they were 30-0 down and completely out of the contest. That much possession, coupled with an inability to compete sets, is going to crush any team.
Stocks down: Mistakes, missed tackles, incomplete sets. The first half of their home clash against the Sea Eagles was a coach's nightmare. And so they trudged off at the break in front of their die-hard Redcliffe fans down 28-0! Coach Kristian Woolf was ropeable in the sheds at halftime, but whatever he said didn't work as they were arguably worse after the break. I have no idea how they found the hide to celebrate a try to the Hammer, which, after the conversion, took them to 52-6 down.
- Darren Arthur
Gold Coast Titans
Stocks up: The Titans were genuinely unlucky in this one - a try disallowed for a pass that wasn't forward was followed by Brisbane immediately scoring in what was a ten-point swing. They outworked their big brother for large stretches of the game, but it wasn't enough.
Stocks down: Given what we've seen from St George Illawarra both before and since, that win over the Dragons isn't aging well. And other than that it's been nothing but more losses to pick up 2026 where they left off in 2025. This was always a project that was going to take time, but they still have no clue who their best halves combination is, nor is their backline firing in the way that they'd want.
- Matt Bungard
Manly Sea Eagles
Stocks up: The Sea Eagles were fired up to perform for new coach Kieran Foran and none more so than edge goliath Haumole Olakau'atu. The big unit cut through the Dolphins defence to set up the first try, before making another powerful run in the lead up to their second. In the second half, with the Sea Eagles completely in control, he charged through Kodi Nikorima's brittle defence for a try of his own.
Stocks down: Simply put, what is going on at the club that allows this kind of performance to come out of nowhere, simply because the coach has been sacked? If the man in charge can have such a detrimental effect on performance, then you have to worry about the professionalism of the players who each week pull on the Manly jersey and are expected to give their all for the club. Will they spit their dummies again if they later decide that they don't like Kieran Foran?
- Darren Arthur
Melbourne Storm
Stocks up: There honestly was not much to like on the scoreboard, but Melbourne at least completed 94% of their sets in the first half and still showed patches of attacking threat when they got into good ball. Against most teams, that level of ball control would keep you in the contest.
Stocks down: This was a brutal reality check. The Storm were blown away 50-10 by Penrith, marking Melbourne's biggest loss since the 2008 Grand Final and the first time the club has conceded 50 points since 2003. What makes it more concerning is that this was not just a case of Penrith ambushing them late. The Panthers led 26-6 at the break and simply overwhelmed Melbourne on both edges, with the Storm unable to slow the game down once momentum swung.
- Isaac Issa
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Newcastle Knights
Stocks up: Take a bow, Justin Holbrook. A Newcastle team with several millions of dollars sitting on the sidelines against a team that finished in the top four last year, and for the second week in a row they've won, and won well.
Stocks down: This is very much "my diamond shoes are too tight" territory, but what are the Knights going to do when Dylan Brown and Kalyn Ponga come back? Both will slot straight back into the team, but what do you do with Fletchers Hunt and Sharpe, or Sandon Smith? Two of them will have to drop out of the starting side and at least one out of the team entirely. You can't keep them all, I suppose.
- Matt Bungard
New Zealand Warriors
Stocks up: Even in defeat, there was still enough attacking threat to suggest the Warriors remain dangerous. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak scored a hat-trick, including a 90-metre intercept, and New Zealand were capable of striking quickly whenever Cronulla got loose with the ball. They also started the game well, jumping out to an early 6-0 lead and looking sharper than they had the week before against the Tigers.
Stocks down: This was another frustrating afternoon because they made life too hard for themselves. The Sharks punished their errors repeatedly, and Andrew Webster's side never looked fully in rhythm once Cronulla started rolling. Webster said post game that they were "trying to finesse our way to victory," which he admitted isn't how New Zealand want to play. Pair that with a mountain of key injuries, and there are questions to be asked at the Warriors.
North Queensland Cowboys
Stocks up: This was one of the most dominant performances of the round. North Queensland ran in six tries in a 32-0 shutout, controlling the game from start to finish and overwhelming the Dragons through both the middle and the edges. What stood out most was their balance. They didn't just rely on one area, they won the ruck, created line breaks, and consistently converted pressure into points.
Stocks down: Very little to fault. If anything, discipline and tightening up defensively in tighter contests will be the next step, but in a game like this, they were close to complete.
- Isaac Issa
Parramatta Eels
Stocks up: The Eels were dominating early until a series of indiscretions on the back of an error saw them scrambling under intense pressure from the Tigers, they managed to repel waves of attack before marching up the other end to score the first try of the game. They showed even further resilience in the second half fighting back to level the scores after being 18-10 down thanks to two brilliant tries to Apa Twidle on debut. Unfortunately they were to succumb to a painful golden point penalty goal.
Stocks down: Errors and infringements meant the Eels had to do way more work than necessary in the first half. Brian Kelly dropped the kickoff following their second try, and dropped it again before the break on the first tackle of a set deep in his own territory. Jonah Pezet kicked the ball dead on the second tackle and Sean Russell knocked himself out and gave away a penalty for a head clash tackle which led to the Tigers first try. Add to those errors, an abundance of six again calls to the Tigers and it was no surprise that the game was ultimately lost to an offside penalty in front of the posts.
- Darren Arthur
Penrith Panthers
Stocks up: Can you just write "the whole team"? If not, lets go with the continued rise of Casey McLean and Tom Jenkins. That combo was one of the great breakout stories of 2025 and both have elevated their game even higher in 2026.
Stocks down: What do you have to be negative about with these guys right now? Are their fans going to get bored winning too easily every week? In all seriousness, it seems as inevitable as it did in 2022 that only one team has a serious title shot this year and barring mass injuries, you'd be foolish to bet against Penrith winning their fifth premiership in six years.
- Matt Bungard
St George Illawarra Dragons
Stocks up: There were very few positives on the field, but individuals like Jaydn Su'A continued to compete, even as the result slipped away.
Stocks down: This was a concerning low point. The Dragons were held scoreless in a 32-0 defeat, managing just two line breaks and never seriously threatening the Cowboys' line. Once momentum swings against them, they're struggling to respond, and their attack lacks the structure or creativity to generate pressure.
South Sydney Rabbitohs
Stocks up: The most encouraging thing about the superb start to South Sydney's season is what a comprehensive team effort it's been. We all know about that vaunted left side attack, but Tallis Duncan on the right has been one of their best performers this season. In fact, through the first four games they've played, it's by my count ten tries down the left, but seven down the right along with one intercept, and one right through the middle.
Stocks down: Once again, Souths had the game in hand bar a couple of moments of madness, which came in a big cluster. Just like that Tigers game, Souths should have been well in front at halftime but trailed due to brain explosions and unforced errors. They were able to shake it off and blow the Dogs off the park after the interval, but this is getting to be a real issue.
- Matt Bungard
Sydney Roosters
BYE
Wests Tigers
Stocks up: The Tigers started with plenty of enthusiasm and they needed it to match the Eels who were really fired up for the clash. This Tigers unit has a calmness that ensures they are never really out of a game. They fought back from a 10-0 deficit to lead 18-10 and didn't panic when the Eels charged back to make it 18-18. Plenty of hard forwards in the middle and flashy backs out wide make them a formidable opponent for any side.
Stocks down: Whilst the Tigers scramble well in defence, they seem to leave weak points in their line, with technique missing at times. The Eels first try came from a failure to number up, the second from allowing Junior Paulo too much room, too close to the line. The two second-half tries to the Eels came from simple passing movements to the winger who was given too much space out wide. They will have to sharpen their defence up if they want to seriously challenge for a Top 8 finish.
- Darren Arthur