What a weekend of finals action! We had three upsets, a golden point thriller, one of the most ridiculous games of all time and the re-emergence of a title heavyweight.
There may have only been four games this weekend, but they produced more than enough talking points to match any round of Rugby League.
Here are 20 thoughts from Week 1 of the NRL finals.
1. Opinion seems mixed across social media but that Roosters and Rabbitohs game was one of the all-time battles. A little over the top at times but 35 (34 originally named plus a sub) supreme athletes battling it out with their season on the line in front of a monster crowd in the sunshine. That is what rugby league is all about.
2. All this talk of the Cowboys and Sharks having "soft" draws is ridiculous. They finished third and second respectively and the Cowboys will start massive favourites in the preliminary final. Why can't League fans just enjoy the rise of two sides who nobody predicted would finish in the top four?
3. I'm being forced to admit I was wrong here. Last week I said that the Roosters were the side I considered the biggest threat outside of the four. I was wrong. It's Canberra. It's very much Canberra. They put the Storm away, in Melbourne. They're right in their upcoming game with the Eels up to their eyeballs.
4. It sure was a boring Mad Monday this season. Truthfully I couldn't be happier. The concept of Mad Monday has really gone by the wayside thanks to everyone having cameras on their phones, and national newspapers putting photographers in fruit pickers. The Dragons reportedly said no any Mad Monday shenanigans following their recent history and I dare say other clubs may have followed.
5. There were plenty of suggestions that Ashley Klein lost control of Sunday afternoon's blockbuster. He sent seven players to the sin bin, I'm not sure what else he possibly could have done. I agreed with six of the decisions so it's not as though he was trigger-happy. Just a crazy game played under intense circumstances.
6. I hope everyone is taking the reduced game week to enjoy the NSW and QLD Cup competitions. Tweed Seagulls ran out to a 24-0 lead against the Sunshine Coast Falcons on Sunday afternoon. The Falcons scored one of the tries of the season with under five minutes to go then kicked the winning penalty goal without a single tackle taking place in golden point. You literally had to see it to believe it.
7. I'm an admitted fan of golden point; I love the excitement. That said, for the Cowboys and Sharks game to be decided by a coin toss is a little tough to cop. There was a massive wind at Shark Park at the backs of the Cowboys. That Val kick was as sweet as they come but there's no chance he nails that running against the wind. Holmes took advantage of the conditions but golden try in finals is surely the go.
8. I can't answer as to who is the best prop in the game right now but I am absolutely sure he will be lining up for the Kiwis come World Cup time. Joseph Tapine and James Fisher-Harris are almost unstoppable right now. Only Tapine's teammate Josh Papali'i threatens to come close.
9. People were too quick to write off the Eels following their loss on Friday night. Let's not forget this is a side who has twice beaten both the Panthers and Storm in 2022. Ok they fell short against the minor premiers but they finished fourth for a reason.
10. The previous statement considered, the Panthers reminded everyone of their incredible talents on Friday night. Any talk of Penrith being anything less than unbackable favourites can be now consigned to trash talk. They are head and shoulders above the rest.
11. Why did Andrew Fifita only play 16 minutes on Saturday night? He made 43 metres in a short stint and forced two errors. I cannot believe he wasn't thrown into the mix late on in the contest.
12. The Roosters looked as though they were running away with the NRLW this season but the Knights pushed them all the way yesterday afternoon. With the Broncos falling away it's good to see a new challenger emerge. It's game on with the finals looming large.
13. I love the NFL just as much as almost anyone. That said I am sick and tired of all of these suggestions being floated to make the NRL more like the NFL. It's a completely different world. The game we have is incredible but the pure population in America alone makes it a different kettle of fish. During the week we saw someone suggest all games be run at the same time as if we have enough fans watching to justify that.
14. Alex Johnston crossed for his 30th try yesterday. For the second straight season he recorded 30 tries. Can we just sit on that for a second... Tylan May and Dominic Young, noted try scorers, have a combined 30. Unbelievable.
15. Craig Fitzgibbon needs to give real thought to recalling Lachlan Miller to the side for this Saturday's do or die clash with the Bunnies. Will Kennedy's "effort" on Tom Deardon showed he was not ready to be named. Meanwhile the Sharks missed Miller's speed in a huge way.
16. The Rabbitohs, with 11 men, not only managed to hold the Roosters for the duration of their advantage but they actually crossed for a try of their own. Given the ease in which teams routinely strip numbers when 13 on 13, the efforts by the Bunnies were other worldly.
17. We all knew that HIA's might affect results come finals time but Sunday's game was exactly what we all feared. Head knocks can happen at any time but for the Roosters to lose James Tedesco was the most awful stroke of luck. Player welfare is paramount. The days of Sam Burgess playing on with a broken cheek are gone. For the better.
18. You have to wonder how those Roosters fans booing Latrell Mitchell are feeling.
19. For all the talk of Chad Townsend returning to the Shire following a premiership at the Sharks, it was another former Shark title-winner who had the final say. Valentine Holmes has enjoyed the season of all seasons since his shift into the centres.
20. Away from the field, from this second on any friend who insists on getting married before the grand final is not really a friend. League is life until October 2nd at 10pm.
