Round 23 produced two cracking games, a monumental upset, provided a genuine title statement and also locked in a team's first finals appearance.
The Dolphins ridiculous comeback win over the Broncos means they will play their maiden finals campaign in 2026. Well earned!
At the opposite end of the table the Dragons upset the Sharks to keep their hopes of jumping the Broncos or Titans to avoid the wooden spoon.
The Knights, Cowboys and Bunnies all kept their hopes alive while the Dogs fell short.
Fair to say it was a noteworthy weekend of football, and one that produced a plethora of talking points.
Here are 20 quick fire thoughts from Round 23s incredible weekend of NRL action:
1. The Cronulla Sharks continued to read to the script that they've been using for many years now. Win a few games against below par teams, start the media talking up their title credentials, enter a derby as short-priced favourites and lose. Consistently inconsistent!
2. I'll cop heat from the excuse makers here but I am struggling to care. Nicho Hynes consistently turns in shocking performances after a week in the media. The goal kicking record was within grasp so he has been on every program possible. It was no shock that he was the worst player on the park against the Dragons. Could be a coincidence though ... that happens every single time! There's no chance the Roosters or Panthers let that happen.
3. As bad as the Sharks were (and they were very bad) the Dragons deserve a lot of credit. Much has been made about their emerging forward pack but it was Clint Gutherson who tore the Sharks to shreds. He is ageless and every time I think he may be done, he turns in a performance like this. Long live the King!
4. I fully admit to leaning negative sometimes but I am not a fan of "Global Round" at all. All's it does it cheapen Vegas. The whole idea is make Vegas a standalone weekend to kick off the season in Sin City. Now it's just like, a round of footy away from Australia. Yay?
5. How do the Parramatta Eels escape scrutiny? They've been so bad for so long. They've signed terribly the last few seasons and bringing in Jarome Luai for one year doesn't seem like a good idea. Especially when he'll openly be working for PNG on the side. The Eels are lucky the Tigers exist or it would be far, far worse.
6. Mitchell Moses is the player who cops the easiest run in the media. He's a star and on a million dollars a year as a result. That said, when's the last time the Eels played finals? Hand on heart, can you provide me five Moses (non Origin) moments this year that weren't him yelling at rookies or throwing his hands up at the officials?
7. This potential third vs fourth fixture could be fun. That's about it though. It wouldn't mean anything to anyone and is a pure money spinner. I'm never going to say no to more rugby league but last year, as a Sharks fan, I wouldn't have cared less about a game against Penrith whilst Broncos and Storm fans prepared for the game that mattered.
8. Fans of the NFL know exactly the route this will take. Players will withdraw with phantom injuries, rep coaches will chime in, the scores will blow out to ridiculous extremes due to players not wanting to be there. The Pro Bowl in the states is literally flag football and skills contests now. Might as well skip the pain and just make it Oztag to start.
9. The salary cap was designed so that sides like the Penrith Panthers couldn't keep their premiership winning teams together. The PNG Chiefs ridiculous salary cap exemptions mean they can put that side largely back together. I know the players they've signed will be on the older side but this feels like real life Football Manager in NRL form.
10. Perth Bears fans and officials are rightfully ticked off with the tax free ride that PNG are gaining. Perth have recruited ok but every single PNG signing walks into the Bears as their marquee pick up. Moving to Perth is a huge move and it's very obvious now that if one team had the huge leg up, both teams should have.
11. The above said, it was great to see a big turnout for the Storm and Sea Eagles game on Saturday afternoon. The biggest cheers were reserved for those who will become Perth Bears next season. It's good to see as Perth will live or die by home fans getting on board. There won't be big away bays as with more local fixtures. Good signs.
12. Corey Horsburgh is a pretty handy player, but his brain snaps occur far too often and are too costly at this point. The Raiders season was literally on the line on Saturday and he struck out at an opponent which all but handed the Knights the win. Ricky Stuart was right to rinse him in the post match presser.
13. As with every time this happens, the clock run off for conversions becomes an issue in the final minutes. Can we all agree it's time to call time off for all conversions? Penalty shots are different and shouldn't see time called off. That would allow tactics. Conversions though, stop the clock.
14. Whilst we're talking potential rule changes, I hope they don't change the kick off rule. A few years ago I was worried they'd remove the kick off altogether after a concussion or two. Now the NRL will trial the Super League kick off rule that sees the team that scores kick off. I like it the way it is.
15. Luke Metcalf absolutely needs to hold onto the number seven spot for the Warriors for the finals. I know Te Maire Martin has been brilliant in the role but Metcalf is special. Carry Martin on the bench for sure but Metcalf has to start.
16. That Warriors game on Friday night may have been the biggest ever home ground advantage I've ever seen. The Warriors fans were hyped by that pre-match ceremony and the players responded. The Panthers couldn't get a foothold for the opening 20 minutes. Only a late Nathan Cleary run got them close. Huge statement win from the Warriors.
17. Back to potential rule changes, I loathe the fact that a player can be lazy at dummy half, get up to run, have the ball knocked out and benefit via a penalty. We need to reward good marker defence. The big one over the weekend saw Kyle Flanagan penalised for Nicho Hynes lack of awareness. Ok, he wasn't square so the refs got bailed out but the penalty was given for the arms tackle. Ridiculous stuff.
18. How about those Dolphins? Finals footy will finally come for the NRL's newest (at this point) club. What a way to lock it in also after overturning a huge first half deficit at the hands of their most bitter of rivals. That could be the sweetest win in the Phins history.
19. The Match Review Committee downgrading Cameron Munster's charge due to a lack of injury confirms what we've all known for many, many seasons ... that injury (or lack thereof) absolutely comes into it when grading incidents. As it should. Just admit it.
20. This supposed "NRL Cop" who will monitor NRL coverage for negativity will see my numbers explode. Sometimes people just want to read a good rant and read what they're feeling. It'll never stick.
