We are officially a quarter of the way through the 2026 NRL season, and the run to the State of Origin window is underway.
There have been surprises a plenty - both positive and negative.
Two coaches being sacked by this stage of the season has been the biggest shock, but with only one winless team left and three wins separating 2nd and 16th place on the table, the season feels as wide open as any in recent times.
The Penrith Panthers might be back to their dominant ways, but with a shake up of the rugby league landscape, and all of last year's top four sitting outside the top eight, there are plenty of opportunities for the season to continue shaking out in the coming months.
Here is every team's grade for the opening quarter of the season.
The Dolphins
Grade: D
Current record: 12th place, 2 wins, 4 losses, 1 bye, 6 points, - 27
The Dolphins have gone backwards to start 2026, and that leaves Kristian Woolf's side under plenty of pressure on the run to an Origin window where they will no doubt lose plenty of players and be in general disrupted.
It has to be noted they still haven't had Jeremy Marshall-King on the park this year, but their much-fancied attack of 2025 has fallen by the wayside, with the Dolphins scoring just 23 points per game so far this year.
Isaiya Katoa has still had some nice moments, but it does appear some teams are slowly working him out, particularly when Kodi Nikorima hasn't maintained last year's form either.
Tom Gilbert and Tom Flegler haven't quite had the impact they wanted to on return either, and while Herbie Farnworth and Kulikefu Finefeuiaki are the bright spots, there is a lot of work to do for the Dolphins if they want to make the finals for the first time in club history.
Best player: Herbie Farnworth
Zero Tackle MVP leader: Kulikefu Finefeuiaki (16th)
Prediction: 9th
