I was a little worried that Round 2 of the new NRL season might be a slight comedown after an overly newsworthy Round 1. I need not have worried.
There were three absolute nail-biting finishes, the upsets continued to flow and unfortunately saw some sickening tackles that led to players being sent from the field.
We'll be avoiding the topic of what happened on Thursday night, as it was perfectly covered by a fellow writer over the weeekend.
Below are 20 thoughts from Round 2. As with every week they're a collection of quick statements, opinions or even questions from the week that was.
They're not all meant to be deep-thinking opinion pieces but instead discussion points. Let us know where you agree or disagree.
1. Parramatta played a grand final last season. It seems as though the majority of fans need a reminder. I can't believe how many people have written them off despite being only two weeks in. They're missing some serious cattle and have only dropped games to the Storm and Sharks. I'm all for some early season hyperbole but there is way too much talent on deck for it to be over just yet.
2. Talk of disharmony between certain Roosters superstars did look like a little more than just talk on Saturday afternoon. Did James Tedesco put the bunny ears up over Joseph Suaalii during the team photo or something? Keep an eye on that.
3. How Scott Drinkwater escaped being sent off on Friday night is beyond me. For all the talk of protecting players, Drinkwater was allowed to return after a stint in the sin bin despite making no attempt not to shoulder Corey Oates in the jaw. I know they don't take injuries into account but if he returns before Oates, it would be a huge injustice.
4. This next statement will achieve nothing positive but I feel it is very justified. The bunker is an absolute lottery at the moment. Stefano Utoikamanu's try will be replicated and given a penalty before Origin. They didn't even look at the Luke Garner lost ball on Friday despite it being a knock-on every day of the week. You literally never know which way a decision will go on the night.
5. All the sins across the opening fornight suggest this may be the closest competition in years. The Roosters and Storm both look a long way from what we expected, while the Sharks, Eels and Panthers have started slowly. Meanwhile, the Broncos and Dolphins look well beyond what we expected. A close competition is a good one so I am all for it.
6. I am genuinely concerned about Kalyn Ponga's NRL future. I understand Sunday's incident was a front on head knock but he will cop that 20 times a game now he's defending in the front line. I have no idea what the answer is but I absolutely hope Newcastle's management can find it and we can see Ponga back to his very best.
7. I'll ask again - can anyone look me in the eye and say they had the Dolphins sitting at 2 and 0 across two rounds? If so, you're either a Dolphins fan of a terrible liar. I love an upset and the Phins have produced two.
8. Sticking with the Dolphins, Sean O'Sullivan could very well be in talks for buy of the year. J'maine Hopgood looks to have something to say about that early on with his back to back, monster efforts. Sam Verrills has also started very well. It's not always the big names, or big money players, making the difference.
9. I very much doubt we've seen the best game of the season but I'm almost certain we've seen the worst. How the decision-makers came to the conclusion that a Tigers vs Knights game should be the Sunday 4pm game is beyond me. Originally I watched 14 minutes of the first half but it felt like an hour.
10. Braydon Trindall is forcing a potentially very difficult decision for Craig Fitzgibbon. The thought, two weeks ago, was that Hynes would re-join Moylan in the halves the second he was fit. Trindall has produced two magnificent performances. I still expect the obvious decision to be made but it would be harsh on the young number seven to lose his spot.
11. Alex Twal could play 300 games, he'll never score a try. I say this in jest but perhaps it is just not meant to happen.
12. I was very happy to hear Pat Carrigan announce he's staying with the Broncos. He is the kind of player the Broncos have built around and it would have been a shame for him to leave the job unfinished. There's something building nicely at Red Hill and it's good to see Carrigan will remain a part of it.
13. What a difference a week makes. The Bulldogs were the worst team from Round 1, by a margin, yet went down to Melbourne and spanked a side they've struggled against historically. Cameron Ciraldo deserves a pat on the back for overseeing the turnaround.
14. On the surface it may be a little silly but the thought of College Football players who don't make the jump to the NFL coming to the NRL may not be the worst idea. Anyone who has watched the college game has to admire the size, strength and speed of some of the athletes on show. Could work.
15. What is with coaches naming wingers on the bench? Craig Fitzgibbon didn't use Connor Tracey while Jayden Okunbor made a token five minute appearance for the Dogs. I suppose both teams won so the coaches knew what they were doing.
16. Reece Walsh and William Kennedy both entered 2023 under pressure following slow finishes to their respective 2022s. If Round 2 is anything to go by, both look very capable to resign the back-end of 2022 to distant memory. Kennedy scored a hatty en route to one of his best game's while Walsh was almost perfect for the Broncos.
17. How's this for a stat? The Sharks are the equal best-attacking side in the comp on 48 points. They're also the worst defensive side in the competition after conceding 53 points. Rugby league!
18. I will be keeping a close eye on the byes as the season develops. So far we've had two teams win heading into the bye and one team winning off the bye. We'll see how the week off effects teams momentum and see if any trends become apparent.
19. Penrith were hardly back to their breathtaking best this past Thursday night but were far better than the eventual six-point win they recorded. They completed at 80%, played the ball much quicker, on average, than their opponents and their back line players all ran for well over 100 metres. Those are the two things Penrith have built their success on. It was always just a matter of time til they were back.
20. Dragons fans would have been very nervous at 12-2 down on Sunday but what followed was incredible. The Red V put on an attacking masterclass I wasn't sure they were capable of. Tyrell Sloan must have had spiders on him, no Titan wanted any part of tackling the youngster.
Re: Parra. If a decent club loses a couple of games on the trot in the middle of the season, fans and commentators do not work up much of a sweat. They can look back on wins from earlier in the season and feel reassured that the team is essentially sound.
However, losing the opening few games worries them because there is no recent history of wins, and they fear that the wheels have fallen off and the players have forgotten how to play.
Parra will come good. They could probably come better-than-good if Brad Arthur could accept that his bench players will improve if he gives them some decent game-time, and that a fresh bench player will be more effective than an exhausted starter.