Round 24 helped set up one of the all time finishes to an NRL regular season.
The Roosters have ensured the battle for eighth spot will go right down to the wire, while the Storm are within striking distance of the Raiders and the Minor Premiership.
The Knights absolutely fell apart meaning the Titans are a win away from avoiding the wooden spoon.
On field we saw a series of all time performances from the likes of Reece Walsh, Scott Drinkwater and Mawene Hiroti. Three superstars of the game!
Below are 20 thoughts from a ridiculous (in a good way) Round 24:
1. This year should see the largest turnover of NRL coaches in recent memory. Des Hasler is gone, Anthony Seibold simply has to go, while Adam O'Brien and Todd Payten should be very, very nervous.
2. I understand you can't just up and sack your coach on a whim as it leads to all sorts of issues, but the lack of willingness to move on from tried, tested and failed coaches is starting to become an issue. Manly fans should boycott next season if Seibold is re-appointed coach. The Knights fans may finally stop turning up in huge numbers of O'Brien continues his stranglehold on the club next year.
3. In this week's edition of refereeing clangers that had to be seen to be believed, Saturday afternoon's NRLW game saw a Titans player roll in a tackle and fall into touch. The lines-woman, less than metre away incorrectly talked the referee into awarding the most ridiculous of penalties. The young referee then went on to talk down to Sharks captain Tiana Penitani-Gray, almost insulting her into challenging. No one can convince me there isn't a very real attitude issue within the refereeing ranks. I could fill the 20 thoughts with another series of shockers from this past weekend, but the post decision stuff was extremely worrying.
4. There is no ride more frustrating yet fun than the Reece Walsh rollercoaster. He can routinely be the best and worst player in the park in a five minute period. This Saturday evening showed the dizzying highs of Walsh's abilities. When he is flying you can create a highlight reel just on his involvement. When he's not, he's actively gifting the opposition. It's a run ride!
5. The officials absolutely nailed the Harry Grant/Moses Leota decision on Thursday night. I know that Grant, erm, made the most of contact, but the fact Leota was standing there as a blocker means it didn't really matter what Grant did. It was a stone-cold penalty and supremely lazy from Leota. If he steps back and out of the way, Penrith win.
6. I said last week that the Roosters need to bail on the Cherry-Evans deal. I just want to double down. They should, as the kids say "ghost" DCE if that contract isn't done yet. I.e. stop taking calls. Pretend like it never happened. I know the emotional toll has been huge but Cherry-Evans has been a shadow of his former self the past month and a bit.
7. How good is it to see the Tigers playing well? They've been the NRL's whipping boys for far too long. It's great to see Benji Marshall's boys putting on performances like this past weekend for their long-suffering fans. They say rugby league is better when the Bunnies and Dogs are playing well. I honestly can't remember the last time the Tigers played this well, but it feels more fun across a weekend when they do.
8. Tom Trbojevic was absolutely flying in the centres. He looked five years younger. Since moving back to fullback, he has been an absolute passenger. If he makes literally any effort at all in that Taylan May try, it's probably disallowed due to an obstruction. The fact that Turbo went at no one meant the Bunker wasn't forced to make a decision. Get him back to the centres!
9. For those who missed it, there were two players sent off in the NRLW game in Hamilton this past weekend. Two dangerous tackles, two justified send offs. Huge calls are made by the officiating team. Well done to all involved.
10. The stream of penalty tries we've seen over the past few weeks has meant that halves are almost exclusively kicking to tall wingers on the last tackle. Why not? If they don't get the try, there's every chance a defender will make a tackle in the air and a weak try will be awarded. It is working wonders for the Storm and Roosters. I believe it's hurting the Eels though as almost every last play option from Moses this weekend was a kick to Lomax. Mix it up!
11. Despite the NRL's horror threats earlier in the year warning players against "staying down", it's 100% crept back into the game. A few weeks ago Jayden Campbell would have been awarded a match saving penalty if he'd stayed down. The NRL said it should have been a penalty but they didn't have time to review. They encouraged this and can't be talking tough when players catch on.
12. Taylan May has been an absolutely magnificent signing for the Wests Tigers. He's only a few games into his NRL return but has been massive on that left edge for his new side. These are the kind of signings that can change a teams fortunes. They took a major risk and thus far it has paid off.
13. Sunday afternoon provided a preview of the Vegas fixture in Round One next season. I know the Knights will have a few of their stars back but the NRL better hope it's a ten times better quality game or the US may ban the code from ever returning.
14. Jye Gray and Tallis Duncan have been absolutely magnificent for the Bunnies in an otherwise horror 2025. Gray has surely earned that fullback spot moving forward. I know Latrell Mitchell will want to return to the number one but he misses far too many games not to move into the centres. As for Duncan, he's going to be a star in red and green for a long time to come.
15. I know the Roosters and Rabbits hold claim to the biggest rivalry in the NRL but in terms of pure entertainment, it's hard to go past the Broncos/Dolphins rivalry. Saturday evening's game was yet another brilliant instalment of the NRL's newest rivalry.
16. On a rare serious note, I am so sick of trainers running to clearly concussed players and clearing them, only for the referee to have to stop play and remove the player moments later. There was an instance this weekend where the time between the thumb going up from the trainer and the referee saying the player has to leave the field was literally a second.
17. Fox Sports need to take the Sky Sports feed with Warriors games, or send commentators. Calling it from the studio on Friday night made it feel like a Covid game. Despite a massive crowd, it sounded like muffled noise in the background as the commentators called off the TV. Very, very poor.
18. Across the past three weeks we saw three dummy haves pass the ball into players laying in the ruck. This lead to a penalty for deliberately throwing the ball into the player, a penalty against the player laying near the ruck, and a call of play on. Thank the NRL Gods that a penalty was awarded yesterday when Apisai Koroisau threw the ball into a guy laying a metre away. This is why fans get frustrated. Four identical instances, three different outcomes.
19. That $4 million gift each NRL side is set to receive is sure going to quieten opposition to the PNG club coming in. Be interesting to see how quickly the Players Union pushes for a cap increase.
20. There are plenty of fans proclaiming that the Kangaroos are "done" or are "in trouble" now that Payne Haas and Tino Fa'asuamaleaui look set to play for Samoa. A side containing the likes of Tedesco, Munster, Cleary, Grant, Yeo, Mitchell, Lomax etc etc isn't going to struggle. I wouldn't worry.
