The Mole: How referee's 30-year first cruelled Sea Eagles and nailed Anthony Seibold's coffin shut

You have to go back 30 years to the last time the Roosters had a 'perfect' game, failing to give away a penalty.

And the game in which they did it ended up changing the rules of rugby league.

The year was 1996 and the Roosters were up against the Broncos at the old Sydney Football Stadium.

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In those days, a 20m tap restart had to be with the ball placed on the ground and then touched with the boot.

With scores locked at 10-all and time almost up, Broncos prop Andrew Gee for some unknown reason picked the ball up and tapped it to his foot on the 20m line.

Back then, that was an automatic penalty - and a young fella called Ivan Cleary kicked the goal from right in front to win the game for the Roosters.

The loss on Thursday night was the final nail in Anthony Seibold's coffin and the luckless coach will lament that referee Wyatt Raymond didn't give the home side a single penalty in 80 minutes.

The Sea Eagles have been poor - but few clubs can beat a class side like the Roosters without any penalties to give them momentum and field position.

Seibold is a good man and deserved better - and the Sea Eagles now need to get rid of some very dead wood over the summer.

EARLY CONTENDER FOR DALLY M AWARD

Mark down Justin Holbrook as an early contender for coach of the year after the way he has turned around the Knights in just a few short weeks in 2026.

A terrible team to watch in recent years, the Knights have looked a team inspired in 2026 and have done most of it without marquee men Kalyn Ponga and Dylan Brown.

Newcastle were way too hot for a flat Bulldogs team on Saturday afternoon, out-muscling Canterbury up front and out-pacing them out wide.

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Stand-in halfback Sandon Smith was superb and Dom Young showed his class and speed with a hat trick of tries.

The Bulldogs were off their game and their attack has gone backwards over the summer.

RAIDERS NEED TO CHANGE

Canberra need an attitude adjustment - and quickly - or they will miss finals football in 2027.

Last year's minor premiers have now lost six of their last seven matches, stretching back to round 27 last season.

The key games in that losing run were the back-to-back defeats in the finals and it seems the Raiders haven't got that massive disappointment out of their heads.

They made nine line breaks to four against the Sharks on Sunday yet were still well beaten 34-22 at home.

The confidence and drive that saw them win game after game last season is missing and the Raiders look a frustrated football team.

Young half Ethan Sanders is still finding his feet and Canberra clearly miss the kicking game of Jamal Fogarty.

Sharks halves Braydon Trindall and Nicho Hynes played their team back into form, creating five tries between them.

UNDER PRESSURE COACH'S STERN MESSAGE

Todd Payten spent all of last week telling his enigmatic five-eighth Jake Clifford to emulate his opposite number, Melbourne's Cam Munster - with four simple words - "run the ball more".

Clifford took the words to heart - and wow!

Not only did he run for 155 metres to Munster's 120, he scored a try and had a hand in several others to lead the Cowboys to their shock win over the Storm.

The stocky pivot took the heat off Tom Dearden and finished a clear man of the match in the Cowboys' best display in recent memory.

After losing their opening two games, the Cowboys have now come up with back-to-back wins, saving Payten's job with their new-found form.

PROBLEMS COMING FOR RYLES

The Eels are 2-2 after four rounds but the heavy loss to the Panthers on Saturday afternoon will prove costly.

As well as conceding eight tries to the rampaging Penrith machine, the Eels could be without star fullback Isaiah Iongi (ankle) and in-form bench forward Matt Doorey (knee) for an extended period.

After losing J'maine Hopgood for the rest of the season in THAT hip-drop tackle last week, the Eels' depth is being tested early and tested hard.

Jason Ryles has more problems too - the Eels missed 45 tackles in the battle of the west and Nathan Cleary and co. punished them each and every time.

After four rounds, the Panthers are the lone team undefeated with their price to win the title firming by the week.

MADGE'S STERN WORDS CUT THROUGH

It's been well documented that Michael Maguire is a tough taskmaster as a coach - and some of this young generation can't handle that.

But one player who showed he is up to Madge's 'hard but fair' approach is star Broncos centre Gehamat Shibasaki.

After a dream season in 2025, Shibasaki started this year in the bad books. He didn't get a game in round three and was on an extended bench this weekend, unsure if he would play against the Dolphins.

But Shibasaki didn't go around kicking stones or asking for a release, and when Grant Anderson got hurt midway through the first half, he got his chance.

Shibasaki immediately flicked the switch back to his 2025 form, making several strong runs and scoring the try that sealed the win.

It was just the response 'Madge' was hoping for - and with Anderson likely to miss several games, he has a fit and firing Shibasaki back to his best and ready to step back in.

VETERAN MAKES THE TIGERS HIS TEAM

Few would rate Adam Doueihi among the NRL's elite halfbacks - but he came up with one of the best playmaker's games we will see in 2026 to lead the Tigers to an epic win over the Warriors on Friday night.

In a massive boiler, the Tigers came from behind to end the Warriors' unbeaten start to the year, with Doueihi calling the shots in superb style.

The veteran half, in doubt all week with a hamstring injury, created two tries, made two line breaks and led both teams in run metres, breaking the double century.

With the inspirational Jarome Luai missing, Doueihi lifted … and wow!

The Tigers' comeback - and wonderful defence that frustrated the Warriors into error - showed they are a great chance of finals football this season.

The Warriors looked set for an easy win in the opening 20 minutes but the Tigers would have none of it and finished worthy winners.