Whether it’s a flash of individual brilliance, a passage of play that defies belief, or moments that freeze time, Magic Round is built on the extraordinary, the unbelievable. Here are ten moments from the Magic Round archives that define the spectacle and spirit of the world’s largest Rugby League festival ahead of its return next weekend.
1
Michael Morgan bewildering banana kick | 2019
Nothing says magic like bending the ball to your will. Cowboys’ half Michael Morgan distributed a bending ball of beauty to Justin O’Neill from the outside of his boot straight into the breadbasket. Whether by magic or mistake, it did the job of disorientating the Bunnies defence, wrongly assuming it was a kick behind the line. Morgan’s magic trick kick secured both the Cowboys and O’Neill’s 2nd try of the match.
2
Murray Tuilagi’s miracle pass to Drinkwater | 2022
Speaking of Cowboys magic, how about Tuilagi’s miraculous offload to Scott Drinkwater in 2022? Labelled “the best trick of magic round”, just as Tuilagi was getting hit over the line, Tuilagi, horizontal in the air, managed to offload the ball with a miraculous underarm flick pass to Scott Drinkwater before hitting the ground, sending Drinkwater over the line for what would be try of the year.
3
West Tigers 17 minutes of magic | 2019
A magical moment from the tigers in 2019 when they scored 3 tries in 3 sets, 4 tries in 10 minutes, and had 5 tries within the opening 17 minutes to surge to a 24-0 lead over the Panthers. This marked the most points scored by the Tigers in the opening quarter of a match and it’s even sweeter that it was against the Panthers.
4
Valentine “all the way” Holmes | 2025
With a dash of deception and a sprinkle of speed, Valentine Holmes ran 50 metres, tricked two defenders with a show-and-go, and steamrolled over a third Tigers defender to score an unbelievable try in the corner.
5
Su’A slip-up and Bula brilliance. | 2025
In that very same game, 20 minutes after the try from Holmes, it was an all but certain try for Jayden Su’a to close the 20-10 margin against the Tigers before the extraordinary moment Su’A lost the ball mid-air over the tryline without contact, almost as if he was hexed. Bula brilliantly collects the ball without a second thought and from his own tryline, outpaces Sloan and runs 105m to score in the opposite end, with the Dragons left baffled.
6
81 Seconds for Selwyn | 2022
Selwyn Cobbo’s first try against Manly back in 2022 took just 81 seconds after the ball went dead from kick-off. With the last play of the first set, Cobbo plucks a try off a cross-kick from Reynolds at the same time scoring the fastest try in Magic Round history.
7
Ponga and Best pass the 90m test. | 2025
A magnificent moment for the Knights when Kayln Ponga and Bradman Best linked up on the left edge to score a 90M+ try dismantling the Bunnies defence. It was as if they were two parts of the same brain, the ball a magnet between the two with quick hands, pure pace, and Bradman Best’s brute strength to score.
8
Reece Walsh, the pinball Wizard. | 2022
After putting up a bomb for Montoya, who sets up Pompey for the Warriors second try, Reece Walsh converts by playing pinball with the goal posts before it magically ricochets over the crossbar.
9
Flying Fa’alogo’s perfectly placed chip. | 2025
Fa’alogo flew past the Raiders’ defence from inside his own 50m and delivered a perfectly placed chip kick inside to a prime-positioned Papenhuyzen, who went over for the Storm’s second try.
10
Cleary hattrick traumatises Titans | 2021
Nathan Cleary showed no mercy against the Titans’ defence with his performance of three tries, two try assists, and 8 goals in a 28-point contribution for Cleary in a 48-12 victory against the titans.