BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 30: Darius Boyd of the Broncos and Anthony Milford (middle) celebrate a try during the round 24 NRL match between the Brisbane Broncos and Parramatta Eels at Suncorp Stadium on August 30, 2019 in Brisbane, Australia. (Photo by Jono Searle/Getty Images)
Every now and again, a round of football can have the tendency to scream boring. Round 11 is not one of those though.
From a club debut for a maligned star, to the Eels and Rabbitohs' continuing hunt for consistency, and other clubs starting to scrap for top-eight spots, this round could have it all.
Add into that State of Origin selection being only a fortnight away, and the last chance for players to impress is approaching.
You may not be able to watch every game in the weekend. But, one game a night and two on Saturday? That's feasible. Luckily, the keys to this round fit into that rule.
Here are all the big talking points ahead of Round 11.
Moving on from an ugly and much-needed win against the Bulldogs, the Knights have got some key players returning they were desperate for. More than just returning players, has been named to play his first game of the season, starting at five-eighth.
While has been named in the reserves, it wouldn't be surprising if he took the starting position, with Milford pushing Phoenix Crossland out of the 14 role.
Whatever the case, Milford brings the talent, experience and X-factor the Knights are yearning for.
Possibly even more important is the fact that Tyson Frizell returns from his neck injury. Slowly, the Knights are getting back to full health. While they have been one of the worst teams in the competition, let's not forget they were hanging with the Panthers in round three until Mitch Barnett got himself sent off.
There is no doubt the Knights have the roster to really contend in this competition. Getting healthy is the first step. Stringing a few wins, no matter how ugly, is the second.
Defeating the Brisbane Broncos won't be easy. But, at home, with Frizell, Milford and a bit of confidence, anything can happen.
The Eels were on top of the world after they handed the Penrith Panthers their first defeat of the year, and first defeat at home in 21 games, a round ago. However, with the Roosters defeating them at Suncorp on the weekend, their season could be in turmoil.
Emphasis on ‘could’.
Facing the Manly Sea Eagles at CommBank this Friday Night, the Eels should be desperate to win. Since Round 5, the Eels have gone win, loss, win, loss, win, loss. They will need to be able to string wins together if they want any hope of winning a premiership in 2022.
Consistency is what separates the great teams from the good teams. It's what separates the Penrith Panthers and Melbourne Storm from everyone else. There is no doubt the Eels have the roster to win the grand final.
They're the only team to beat the Panthers and Storm, but they lack consistency.
The Manly Sea Eagles, on the back of an embarrassing loss, are no easy target. If the Eels lose, they could find themselves sitting in eighth position or lower if Manly do a real number on them. That would be a terribly worrying place to be after their big win.
The North Queensland Cowboys currently sit third outright on the ladder after a highlight-filled performance against the Wests Tigers. Demolishing the Parramatta Eels as part of their current five-game win streak, the Cowboys have proven themselves as one of the better teams in the competition.
A win against the Storm, even without Ryan Papenhuyzen (and possibly Jahrome Hughes) would prove them to be a true contender.
The last time the Cowboys beat the Melbourne Storm was the preliminary final of 2015. From the year the Cowboys won the grand final, they have lost twelve straight games to the Storm.
The Cowboys team is full of confidence. Jason Taumalolo and Valentine Holmes are playing some of their best footy. They have a young core of future stars absolutely soaring, spear-headed by Chad Townsend. There is no doubt they will be champing at the bit to prove themselves against a top team.
Whether they can do it is a question that will be answered on Saturday evening.
After a massive win against the Eels in Magic Round, the time is now for the Sydney Roosters.
You always hear that Trent Robinson and the Roosters like to build slowly into their season, unlike Craig Bellamy who likes to come out strong and then have the option of resting players. Whether this is actually the case for Robinson, they are currently fourth-placed on twelve points.
However, with three other teams on twelve and two on ten points, they are only a few bad performances away from falling out of the top eight. A win against the Panthers this week does two things.
It proves they are the team everyone thought they could be, and it gives them security on the ladder.
The Sydney Cricket Ground on a Saturday night could be the perfect setting for an ambush against the number one team. Roosters fans will certainly be hoping so.
This has always been a question with the Rabbitohs. It was even a question last year, which ended with them a pass away from winning the grand final.
They are just a strange team. One moment they look like the best team in the NRL, even without Latrell Mitchell. Next minute, they're allowing the 11th-placed New Zealand Warriors to score 30 points in the second half.
Last season, they gave up fifty points twice and were a bottom-tier defensive team, then all of a sudden they were stopping the Panthers set after set. Who are the Rabbitohs in 2022?
They can show us this week.
Coming off of a massively disappointing victory (if that's possible) against the Warriors, the Rabbitohs face the Canberra Raiders. While it might sound like a simple win, the Raiders will be feeling confident after a brave performance against the Cronulla Sharks.
The Raiders, who might be the only team to beat the Rabbitohs in the competition for strangest team, would be feeling right in this match.
The Rabbitohs will need to do a job against them to prove themselves as a contender, not just filling out the top eight.