The Canberra Raiders and North Queensland Cowboys have run out resounding winners in Friday night's double-header of Week 2 in the NRL pre-season challenge.
With so many fringe, reserve grade and jersey flegg players running around, it was tough to know exactly where to look or what to take out of either result, but there are still plenty of key talking points.
Here they are.
1. The Cowboys halves are set... But does Todd Payten know it?
Given the Cowboys - at full strength it should be added - played against a Panthers team with only four Top 30 contracted players in it, it's hard to know exactly what to take out of the game.
The weaker, albeit not totally understrength Cowboys, also played against a predomniantly reserve grade and Jersey Flegg Bulldogs outfit last week.
Two victories for the Cowboys are one thing, but it does all come with a grain of salt.
Still, you can only play what's in front of you, and the standout, almost unarguably, has been half Jake Clifford.
His kicking game provides the Cowboys something they simply don't have, and his management of the team is solid too. It's little to no surprise that the Cowboys played their best footy in a poor 2025 season when the halves were Clifford and Tom Dearden.
They must wear the six and seven, in whatever order, when the Cowboys line up against the Knights in Las Vegas. Jaxon Purdue is great, and has utility value, but at this stage of his career, centre is his position.
The question really is whether Todd Payten understands that. To this point, the jury seems out on which way he will go.
