The opening two games of the NRL pre-season challenge are in the books, with juniors impressing, players stamping their authority over Round 1 spots, and questions still looming.
Here are all the talking points from the double-header at Kogarah, where the North Queensland Cowboys beat the Canterbury Bulldogs by four points, and the St George Illawarra Dragons to the better of the Newcastle Knights by ten points.
Trey Mooney will be a superb addition for the Knights
Anyone who has watched the career and progression of Trey Mooney probably doesn't need to be told that twice.
Stuck behind a number of talented players in the Canberra Raiders system, the Knights decided to offer him a deal more based on his potential than actual NRL output to this point of his career during the off-season.
The Hunter-based outfit clearly had a plan too.
While he can play lock or prop, he ran out at prop on Saturday against the Dragons, and put it all together in an excellent display full of solid runs and good defence.
Leo Thompson's departure to the Bulldogs meant the Knights needed a ready-made replacement in the front-row, and they may well have found one in Mooney.
Eyebrows were raised at the reported value of the contract he signed, but his potential is simply too great to ignore. It may well be the Knights who find a bargain by the time his deal is all said and done.
