I can't remember seeing a more chaotic opening five rounds of any NRL competition.

It seems like half the competition's coaching staff are under pressure.

At the other end of the competition, the Panthers, the Tigers, the Rabbitohs and the Knights make up the top four. I'd love to have seen the pre-season odds on that happening at any time!

This week we have a potential overhaul at the Dragons, two decisions that have me absolutely baffled, Easter Monday brilliance and much more.

Here are 20 thoughts from Round 5.

1. Sacking coach Shane Flanagan won't solve all the issues at the Dragons, but it certainly won't hurt. Flanagan's recruitment of Damien Cook, Clint Gutherson and Valentine Holmes just screams of 2021 rather than 25/26.

2. If the Dragons are to move away from Flanagan, they absolutely shouldn't move to Dean Young. This "old boys" mentality at the club is the reason they're in the spot they are. They need to look outside the club and bring in someone ruthless to move on from old thinking. Whether or not the upper brass will allow that to happen is another question.

3. Star recruit Daniel Atkinson looks as though he may be a casualty but I'd be looking to switch out Gutherson, Cook and Flanagan for Tyrell Sloan, Jacob Liddle and Kade Reed. There's no risk now. 2026 is done. Flanagan has to take these risks to save his coaching career and potentially provide something positive for suffering fans.

4. Why did the Parramatta Eels sign Jonah Pezet? The one-year deal never really made a lot of sense to be honest. It's not like they were signing Daly Cherry-Evans for a year to try and pinch hit a title. Instead Pezet, who is very much still learning the game, is just developing at the Eels, knowing he's headed to the Broncos next year. Brisbane are getting a free year of development for nothing. Meanwhile Pezet is taking up space that someone at the club next year could be filling. Strange!

5. That Easter Monday game is special! That crowd and occasion makes it mean so much more than a random Eels and Tigers clash. The opening 20 minutes aside, Monday's game was brilliant! The ebbs and flows, the atmosphere, the Golden Point finish. That game seriously saved the weekend.

6. So many coaches should be under pressure right now but there just aren't any ready made replacements. A few seasons ago we had Craig Fitzgibbon, Cameron Ciraldo and Jason Ryles, all demanding jobs. Now there's maybe Matt Ballin, who will surely win the Manly job. Dean Young seems to be the next in line but he shouldn't coach the Dragons for aforementioned reasons.

7. How about Cameron Ciraldo using his press conference to blame referees rather than his massive errors that lead to the Dogs losing their second game in a row? It's so lazy. I don't believe coaches actually mean what they say most the time and only turn up for post match goings on due to being fined if they don't.

8. Ciraldo gave an undeservedly smug interview pre-match on Friday. He sarcastically pushed aside suggestions Bronson Xerri may be used as an impact player in the forwards and was very clear Xerri was there to cover the outside backs. So why, when their left centre Stephen Crichton went down injured, did he not call for his specialist left centre? I don't buy the lame excuses he's presented since not knowing Crichton was that hurt. It was obvious to everyone in the world what was going on.

9. The Bulldogs attack right now, and for much of 2026 has been gross! They are almost unwatchable at times. Since the start of the 2025 season, Nicho Hynes has 26 try assists. Connor Tracey, Matt Burton and Lachlan Galvin combined have totalled 22 try assists.

10. I'm never one to celebrate anyone losing their job but how does Adam O'Brien currently have employment in the NRL? After overseeing the Knights running dead last in 2025, he has turned the Bulldogs into the second worst attacking side in the comp in 2026. Meanwhile Kai Pearce-Paul has turned into an attacking force the second he moved on from O'Brien.

11. Referees, as well as the Match Review Committee, are absolutely letting injuries influence decisions and gradings. I don't disagree with that at all for the record, but the NRL need to admit it. We've seen 30 mid air tackle penalties this year but only one sin bin. Why? Bailey Simonsson's horror injury is why. Again, I don't disagree, it's dangerous and should have had extra action taken. That said, if Simonsson stands back up, it's just a penalty?

12. William Kennedy best value fullback in the comp. Read, not the best fullback in the comp, but the best value. He was best on ground for the Sharks, again, this past weekend. He's been the Sharks second best performer all season despite being the cheapest fulltime fullback in the competition.

13. A few years ago we almost never saw penalty tries awarded. There has been a massive overcorrection and we are now seeing them handed our like Halloween candy. Erin Clark was laughing after being awarded a comical try on Sunday afternoon under the slightest contact. I don't know who is advising the Bunker officials, but we're becoming a VAR-like laughing stock.

14. Just interrupting this week's 20 thoughts to bring you a No Limit Boxing promo. Did you all see Big Bad Nelson As ... how annoying is the constant No Limit advertising during Fox NRL programming? I swear it's become a little footy between propaganda ads.

15. The Gold Coast Titans reportedly requested that the Sharks release Mawene Hiroti early. The Sharks evidently turned down the request, and luckily so. He is likely to be named at centre for the next four weeks as Jesse Ramien and Michael Gabrael have suffered injuries.

16. Manly players were very obviously not playing for Anthon Seilbold. Nothing Kieran Foran said switched that side in the space of a week, to that extent! You have to wonder how many other players and teams are not playing for their coach. It's a shame that Manly fans had to endure three games of rubbish at Brookvale before the move was made. Players obviously had it in them and just didn't.

17. A third Brisbane team makes sense but it's also an opportunity missed. A second New Zealand side is absolutely key, and should be a no brainer for the 20th NRL team.

18. There it too much discourse on social media about "defensive" fullbacks. If your fullback is making 15 tackles a game, it's because your defense is terrible. Fullbacks should be attack first minded. Good under the high ball, first to back up if there's a break, good under the high ball. I know Scott Drinkwater can't tackle but he's a try assist machine. I'm taking Drinkwater every day of the week!

19. The Jonah Pezet signing changed everything but Coby Black's move from Brisbane to Canberra was a strange one. He would be walking into a month of NRL footy after Brisbane's aging halves again suffered injury. Instead he's sitting in NSW Cup, as Canberra's best player. He's probably not far off a debut for Canberra though, given their struggles.

20. Matt Dufty and Trai Fuller are both going to get NRL deals either this year or next. The new, sped up game, dictates you need a fast fullback. Both are playing reserve grade while plodder fullbacks are occupying NRL gigs. I won't name any names here but everyone knows.

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