A four-game slate on Saturday in the second week of pre-season injury has thrown up plenty of questions, and some answers, for the eight coaches involved.
While some teams will be concerned about their standing ahead of the campaign, others will be thrilled with young talent on display as the Manly Sea Eagles, Wests Tigers, Canterbury Bulldogs and South Sydney Rabbitohs all claimed victories over the New Zealand Warriors, Sydney Roosters, Newcastle Knights and St George Illawarra Dragons respectively.
Here are all the big talking points out of the four games.
Plenty of young Manly forwards are putting their hand up for Round 1
Saturday afternoon saw Manly run away with a 33-18 win in Napier against the Warriors in the wet. With limited forward depth coming into the year, plenty of the young guns put their hand up to let Anthony Seibold know they're ready.
Players like Simione Laifai, Paul Bryan and second rower Hugo Hart all put in strong stints and led their inexperienced side to victory.
With Josh Aloiai medically retiring last year, and Caleb Navale undergoing ACL surgery in a matter of days, Siebold needed to see something from his young crop, and they delivered.
Clearly the weaker side out of the two, Manly's big boys led through the middle, which gave Joey Walsh and Brandon Wakeham all the time in the world to create for their outside backs.
Corey Waddell shifted late from the back row to lock after news of Navales' injury broke during the week. He played big minutes, stiffening up the middle and led the run count for the afternoon with 25.
Laifai ran for over 180 metres, bringing plenty of energy and confidence to the playing group. He was powerful in bending the line with 72 post-contact metres.
Hart, on the left edge, played the entire 80, a strongly built workhorse, who has a background in American football varsity. Drawing similarities to Kotoni Staggs in physical shape and aggression, picked up two tries for Manly.
