Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire has comitted to a reshuffle, while St George Illawarra Dragons coach blocked one of his own in two big calls for Round 6, while plenty of other selection decisions are worth more than just a gentle discussion.
Here are all the big talking points from the Round 6 team lists.
Michael Maguire shuffles halves, drops two captains
Wests Tigers coach Michael Maguire has decided now is the time to get busy with his team for Round 6 after five straight losses to start the season - that included a horror show against the Sharks on Sunday where the club scored their first points with just 40 seconds to go in the game off the back of an intercept.
It's arguable that the Sharks at their best may have run up 60 or 70.
In response, Maguire has made the baffling call to move Luke Brooks to five-eighth, and bring a returning Jackson Hastings into halfback in a call which struggles to make sense of itself.
Brooks has played just a handful of games at five-eighth during his NRL career, but more to the point, halves in the modern game play roughly the same role at many clubs, making the number change a head-scratcher at best.
Ken Maumalo and Tyrone Peachey - two of the club's five co-captains - have also been dropped in a sign the Tigers simply haven't started the season anywhere near where they needed to. The axing of Maumalo is somewhat understandable given his effort on Sunday, however, the season has gone from one disaster to the next for the Tigers and they need these changes to work.
Thompson chopped as Titans go for size and strength
Corey Thompson is one of this week's surprise droppings, with the Titans electing to reinstate Brian Kelly after his COVID lay off, while Greg Marzhew and Phillip Sami will take the wing spots.
Thompson, who has been a consistent performer since his arrival on the glitter strip, has seemingly been dumped by coach Justin Holbrook in favour or size and strength, which both Sami and Marzhew bring.
It was though that potentially Marzhew might have been the unlucky one, however, that isn't how it's worked out.
Thompson simply doesn't bring to the table the same physical attributes his competitors do, and so it'll be now intriguing to see if he can force his way back into the side at all this year.
Anthony Griffin sticks firm, but change must be on the way
The St George Illawarra Dragons have surprised many with their Round 6 team by electing to keep Moses Mbye at fullback, while also leaving Jack Bird in the halves.
Tyrell Sloan had a (by all accounts) strong performance in the NSW Cup last week, but clearly, Griffin wants him to spend more time honing his craft before the potential of a recall to first-grade exists.
Jayden Sullivan too won't be far away from a call up after returning from injury through the Cup last week, while Talatau Amone continues to be named on the week.
There was a genuine call and interest in immediate change for the Dragons though, who have endured a disastrous fortnight since electing to make key changes to their spine.
Another loss this week, particularly at the hands of the struggling Knights, will surely be the catalyst for change.
Verrills still part of Trent Robinson's plans
Sam Verrills is back from injury, and maybe slightly surprisingly, straight into the Roosters' starting 13, where he will run out with the number nine jersey on his back against the New Zealand Warriors on Sunday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Verrills has been replaced by a combination of Drew Hutchison, who has been dropped, and Connor Watson, who will continue to come off the bench during the first month of the season.
It'll now be intriguing to see just how Robinson uses Verrills, given Hutchison has been averaging less than 30 minutes per game over the last month.
Verrills will undoubtedly play more minutes than that, however, with Watson and Victor Radley both big-minute players, it's highly unlikely Verrills will receive as many minutes as he has been accustomed too.
Knights call on past, but welcome back boom forward
Edrick Lee is back in first grade.
Not many would have ever expected to read that sentence again after he spent 2021 on the sidelines and was only retained at the Knights by way of a train and trial deal over the most recently completed summer.
It means Hymel Hunt is still not ready for a return, and while Lee hasn't played in 18 months at the top level, he will bring experience and athleticism to a Newcastle team facing a backline crisis when it comes to depth following Dominic Young's injury last week.
The club are also hiding potentially the injury to Adam Clune, who is rated as a 50-50 shot of playing with knee damage.
In a big boost for the Knights as they look to turn around three straight losses however, David Klemmer has been named for an early return from injury.
Eels backline crisis gets worse, but why not youth to fix the issue?
The Eels backline depth was always going to be something of an issue this year, but even they may not have been able to foresee Maika Sivo, Sean Russell, Haze Dunster and Waqa Blake being sidelined at the same time.
In response to the latest set back, Marata Niukore has been selected in the centres, with Will Penisini pushing out to the wing.
While Niukore brings much needed experience and versatility to the side, it, in some ways, doesn't make a great deal of sense when the answer is to push the in-form young centre Penisini out wide.
That is even more so the case when any of Hayze Perham, or more importantly, young duo Samuel Loizou or Solomone Naiduki, could have filled in.
It's time for the Bulldogs to pick and stick
The Canterbury Bulldogs have had something of a miserable start to the year. After a dour Round 1 win over the North Queensland Cowboys in Townsville, they have gone on a four-match losing streak with a team that has, at times, looked disinterested in playing rugby league.
Despite all the doom and gloom, which was particularly on show during Round 4 against the Melbourne Storm in a 44-0 pasting, they were better against Penrith, and a lot of that was down to having Kyle Flanagan in the side.
Despite the media taking pot shots at Trent Barrett and the Bulldogs for most of last week, there is little doubting that Flanagan is the most NRL ready halfback in Canterbury's squad.
It's now time for Barrett and his coaching staff to pick, stick and hope things turn around in the coming weeks.
Savage called up, but what role will he play?
Xavier Savage has been finally handed an opportunity by coach Ricky Stuart as he searches for a way to save a second straight season in Canberra following last year's dismal showing.
Their loss to the Storm on the weekend saw Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad with some strong moments, but also plenty at the opposite end of the totem pole.
It left plenty of fans calling for Savage's inclusion after the young star impressed at the back end of last year following his debut.
He has sat in the reserves so far this year, finally being added to the bench this weekend, however, that makes it incredibly unclear what role he will play.
He certainly isn't about to replace Matt Frawley and play at hooker as a back up option - his only real option is to play at fullback or on the wing, and given Stuart's seemingly lack of willingness to try Nicoll-Klokstad in the centres, it makes the selection of Savage a little bit of a surprise.
