This week of footy was exactly what the doctor ordered.
After a horror Round 15, we saw an all-time Origin classic, the best Under 19s Origin yet, five close NRL games and one of the most entertaining halves of footy all year.
We also saw the world close in on a number of clubs and their coaches. More on that later.
This week we saw breathtaking highs, some horror lows and everything in between.
Here are 20 thoughts from the week that was, including NRL's Round 16:
1. The Cronulla Sharks are the NRL's biggest downhill skiers. When things are going well, they ran riot against the Broncos. As soon as Brisbane tightened it up and stopped making errors, the Sharks had no answers. Nicho Hynes went from hero to villain the second things got tough. He was far from the only one.
2. I mentioned this briefly following the Origin 2 loss, but Laurie Daley needs to admit his selection error and immediately name both Terrell May and Keaon Koloamatangi. Stefano Utoikamanu needs to make way while Max King can't start. Start May and bring Koloamatangi from the bench. Or vice versa. Either way, both must play!
3. RLPA CEO Clint Newtown has come out and asked for salary cap increases for the new teams the Perth Bears and PNG. I absolutely hate this! If teams need extra salary cap space to attract players then they are not viable entries into the competition.
4. Following on from the above, what is stopping a team like the Tigers who have finished last three years in a row from reaching out to demand a similar cap concession? Or the Warriors? They can argue the fact Australian players have to move overseas should lead to a cap rise. The Dolphins would kick up a stink after not being afforded the same. I expect the NRL to dismiss this ridiculous comment out of hand. They should!
5. Two months ago the Penrith Panthers were sitting last on the NRL ladder, and we were all laughing it up. They now sit inside the top eight after their NSW Cup side dusted the red-hot Warriors.
6. Sydney Roosters fans seem to have taken Alex Johnston's incoming try-scoring record personally. I've never seen such a huge effort to discredit a player who is literally seven tries away from being the most prolific try scorer in the history of our game. If it were so easy, as suggested, everyone would score 200 tries.
7. Selwyn Cobbo has reportedly been doing the NRL rounds as it looks as though his time at the Broncos is coming to an end. He is a special talent but needs a fresh start. I think the Cowboys offer him the best opportunity but part of me wants to see him join up with Latrell Mitchell at the Bunnies.
8. Speaking of Souths, 'Bud' Sullivan, currently on loan from the Tigers, is supposedly in talks to remain at the Bunnies. He has looked a different player during his stint in red and green and I think it's best for all involved if he remains at Souths.
9. Toby Sexton has reportedly been offered to the Tigers. I'm not sure he becomes their first option at seven (more below). How unfair is it that the current NRL leader's halfback looks the one to make way for a new recruit? Sexton can be rightly furious at the exit rumours.
10. Re the Tigers, I actually liked what I saw in their loss to the Raiders on Friday Night. Latu Fainu shows all the signs of being a special talent. He looked so much bigger than I remember. Maybe the time off through injury has done him well. Starford To'a is so close to becoming the game's next breakout star. Plenty to like.
11. The one thing I didn't like about the Tigers was their bench. It was too small. I am starting to become tired of coaches given free passes on decisions like these. "Coaches aren't the ones dropping the ball or missing tackles" I hear. Well, who is signing these guys and continues to pick the serial offenders? Coaches! Not to single Benji Marshall out as Craig Fitzgibbon, Todd Payten, and many others are just as guilty of this.
12. Mark Nawaqanitawase may be the most entertaining player in the competition right now. He has scored two of the greatest tries of 2025 already. His skillset is something different to anyone else in the competition and it is showing.
13. How good was that Under-19s Origin on Thursday night? Some future stars were on show that night. We were blessed, QLD wins aside, over that 24 hours with two brilliant men's Origin games. The Women's game was close until the Blues pulled away late. Plenty of future NRLW talent was on show too. The future is very bright.
14. Following Zac Lomax's less-than-brilliant night from the tee on Wednesday night, I joked that he would kick "six from six" for the Eels on the weekend. I have never been so sad whilst being right. It happens sometimes, unfortunately.
15. Sticking with the Eels, how good is Jason Ryles looking now? His decision to let Clint Gutherson go was panned by all and sundry, including me. Fast forward to Round 16 and Isaiah Iongi looks a short-priced favourite to win Rookie of the Year honours.
16. Reece Walsh is going to be picked at fullback for the Maroons for Origin 3. Has has been so good across the past fortnight. QLD won Game 2 but Ponga had a rough night under the high ball. He's going to be unlucky to miss out but I'd also argue he was lucky to be there in the first place.
17. The Panthers have every right to be furious about the Nathan Cleary Origin situation. Obviously, Cleary was going to play unless he couldn't walk, but Daley's clearing him in the warm-up when he was obviously hurt could have gone way worse. He was well below par on the night and could have done himself real harm. A lucky escape if he plays this Thursday night.
18. Manly are the worst decision-makers in the competition. Kaeo Weekes, Jamie Humphreys and Latu Fainu are probably the three players they need right now. All were on the books and let go to allow aging players to hold onto their spots.
19. Todd Payten's refusal to play Jake Clifford has cost them massively. The Cowboys were flying with the experienced half. Ok, he wasn't setting the world on fire but Jaxon Purdue's move into the halves has been less than stellar, while young Tom Dufty was scapegoated early and played token minutes from the bench this weekend.
20. The NRL needs to remove Ashley Klein from Origin 3. I don't care which way you sit on his Origin 2 performance, but the fact is, no matter what the penalty count in Origin 3, it will be a major talking point. I'd stand by him if he were a clear better ref than the other option,s but he's not. Just put Adam Gee in there and avoid the noise.
I hadn’t thought about Klein.
If the NRL drops him, then they will be seen as having no faith in his judgement.
If they _don’t_ drop him then the NRL will be seen as not responding to legitimate criticism.
(Whether or not the criticism was indeed legitimate is another matter, of course).
Perhaps Mr Klein could take the issue off the table by _asking_ to not be considered for SOO3, because of the potential criticism of the NRL, no matter what decision it makes on who will ref the match.
That would be seen as statesmanlike, and would not preclude him for being considered for 2026.
Strongly disagree on temporary cap funding. You are setting up new outposts to expand the game, far removed from the Eastern seaboard where established juniors are based. Redcliffe had all he structure and juniors in place before they got the nod. The AFL definitely helped with additional money and I am pretty sure draft picks until their expansion northern franchises were on their feet.
Before you throw Melbourne into the argument l, it was extremely well funded by News Ltd, hardly remote, and close enough to be still accessible to Sydney junior bases. ( though they saw the appeal in a largely untapped qld market).
The Reds were doing ok until scuttled, and Melbourne aside, (with the influx of quality internationals from the kyboshed News Ltd Superleage teams like Lazarus, Kimmorely etc) no one ever gets a title in the first couple years. Even Brisbane with all their origin players, limitless money and all of Qld to pick from took 4 years.
The Tigers have only themselves to blame for their woes and NZ still had a national completion, a nation of players and a country full of companies to sponsor them.
This is some aggressive expansion and bold vision we are looking at here, like The State of Origin, Magic Round or Vegas round 0, Pacific’s Island Rep football. These are all amongst the highlights of the calendar.
If the naysayers got the way, the NRL match of the Round would be Glebe vs Cumberland in front of 406 yawning fans.
PVL has ensured the franchises are sustainable, let’s respect the fact we are spreading the League gospel here and that our brothers and sisters in these new outposts are not so fortunate. Yet.
Give them a leg up for a year or two to help them launch and take away the training wheels. More footy , more funding, more fans.