Records have tumbled in Round 1, with the Melbourne Storm, Brisbane Broncos and scoring records in the headlines.
It was good news for the Storm, but the opposite end of the spectrum for the defending premiers during an opening round which raised eyebrows.
Here are all the key figures in this week's edition of Number Up.
Watch this week's full episode of The Loose Carry Podcast in the player above, or on Zero Tackle's YouTube channel.
Storm extend Round 1 record
The Melbourne Storm's 52-4 demolition of the Eels to open the 2026 season made it 23 consecutive first round victories for Craig Bellamy's men.
They last tasted defeat in a season opener back in 2004 when the Knights got them 36-26, however that was in Round 2, with the Storm having a bye in Round 1.
You have to go back to 2001 to find a Round 1 loss for the Melbourne Storm.
Over the years since, the Storm have beaten 13 different opponents, with the Dragons (4), Eels (3) and Sea Eagles (3), the most prolific “victims.”
On 13 occasions they have scored 20 or more during that run, having only conceded a score of 20 or more once.
The last two years against the Eels have been the most productive for the Storm, with consecutive scores of 50 or more.
They are the first team in the history of the game to register 50 points in their opening game of consecutive seasons.
Broncos make history
Some unwanted history for the Brisbane Broncos who made a sobering start to their premiership defence, going down 26-0 to Penrith.
The Panthers, who fell by a solitary point to Brisbane in last year's preliminary final, were denied a shot at a fifth straight title, and turned the tables in brutal fashion this week.
The Penrith Panthers themselves went scoreless in their opening game after winning a premiership, when the Melbourne Storm defeated them 8-0 in 2024.
They would go on to win the premiership again that season, by defeating their Round 1 conqueror in the decider, so recent history is a kind to Brisbane.
It is however their first scoreless game against any opponent since 2021, and the biggest defeat in terms of a margin by a reigning premier since 1988.
On that occasion, it was Manly who went down 44-10 against Brisbane in their first match after winning the title the year before.
18 handling errors and a 60% completion rate hampered the Broncos against a disciplined Panthers attack, coming three weeks after their 30-24 World Club Challenge loss to Hull KR on February 18.
Scoring records tumble
The six again rule tweak is again up for discussion as Round 1 produced a series of blowout results.
The average winning margin in Round 1 was 20.7 points per game, the highest average since 2002 which saw a 24.3 average.
Round 1 saw a large spike in set restarts, with an average of 8.14 per game. Last year it was just under 6.
What will be fascinating is to see which teams can adjust best and maintain their ability to restrict opposition.
Since 2023, Teams have conceded 40 points or more on 131 occasions. Every side has done it at least three times, except the Panthers who haven't done it at all.
In fact Penrith haven't conceded 40 or more points in a game since 2018.
The Dragons have the unwanted record of having conceded 40+ 16 times since Round 1 2023.
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