Round 9 saw the Sharks manage to fend off the Warriors with 12 players for most of the game, the Panthers' long time win streak at home come crashing to the ground, two Queensland sides send messages that they're ready to play finals footy and the Storm continue dominating.
Here are 20 thoughts from an incredible round of rugby league:
1. Will Kennedy's send off may have divided opinion on social media but for mine, it was a send off. Nothing good comes from hanging an arm out when beaten on the inside. It looked worse than it was but it's a tackle the game cannot condone.
2. James Tedesco has taken recent criticism personally. His last few games have been vintage Teddy. He was almost on literal fire against the Titans. Queensland fans would be a little nervous and for good reason.
3. Any one of the Storm spine could be winning the Dally M race right now but the system is set up so they keep taking points off each other. For the record, Cameron Munster is in career-best form, and for mine the best player in the game right now.
4. Watching the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup in England got me thinking is an Australian version possible? The way our second division clubs are feeders to the first-grade sides may be the reason it wouldn't work. That said, there's a certain romance about a Newtown or Magpies side running out to play the Roosters or Bunnies.
5. There was a suggestion that the Eels perhaps looked past the Cowboys last week knowing they had the Panthers this week. I think that's doing a massive injustice to the Cowboys but you cannot convince me that sides don't get up for the true marquee clashes. Parra are the real deal.
6. Sticking with the Friday night blockbuster; for mine that was the game of the season. The forward battle was mouth-watering. For the record that Eels trainer running while Cleary took the shot at conversion had nothing to do with it missing but I would have been just as happy with a re-take. What was he thinking?
7. I was very harsh on the Dragons for allowing Matt Dufty to walk out the door. Reportedly it was his lack of defensive resolve. Watching as he stood and almost insisted Matt Frawley help himself to a try ... maybe they were right?
8. Adam Reynolds absolutely stuck it to his old side this past Thursday night. He was the best on-field and massively outplayed Cody Walker. If I'm a Souths fan I am absolutely filthy right now. Souths look a shell of their 2021 selves and it's all due to Reynolds absence. Someone will point out that Latrell has been missing but they made a grand final without him.
9. Joe Ofahengaue's name seems to have been forgotten early in 2022 but his performance against Manly was Origin worthy. He and Pat Carrigan both had monster weeks and I would be shocked if both aren't in the squad.
10. Sticking with the Origin theme, Reuben Cotter! He simply cannot be overlooked. His form this year has been a big part of what has the Cowboys rolling. The fact he's still listed as a hooker on the Cowboys website further proves how quickly he has risen at prop. An Origin bench spot is his.
11. I think it's time to work on the technology to clone the Trbojevic DNA. Young Ben Trbojevic set 4 Pines Park alight in the second row on Saturday afternoon. His brothers played a big part in the carnage but young Ben arguably upstaged them both.
12. Sunday's win over the Warriors may be the Sharks' most important win of the season to date. They've had better wins, for instance they blew the Dragons away with ease, and having beaten the Eels they've had bigger wins, but to beat a side with at least a player down for 64 minutes is unheard of. The Sharks were the better team even while reduced to 11. That is huge.
13. At first the Bunnies signing Kodi Nikorima seemed a little strange but I wouldn't be shocked if he comes right into the side. They need a new source of attack in the halves. Nikorima could provide it. Right now I don't think they have a choice.
14. Kieran Foran moving to the Titans is not something I would have seen coming, even a month ago, but the Gold Coast desperately need a leader in the halves. Foran is only 32 and is playing some brilliant footy. It's a big outlay for a player in his 30s but this feels a lot like Reynolds signing for Brisbane. Hopefully for the Titans, it works out as well.
15. Someone from the Panthers really has to have a word to Nathan Cleary re his recent comments about Tyrone May. I completely understand he's just talking up his mate but the Panthers have been trying to distance themselves from this for months.
16. Genuine question; do the Titans have a defensive coach? If so they need another five. The Roosters are a brilliant side but they scored some embarrassingly soft tries on the weekend.
17. Magic Week this weekend. One of the highlights of the calendar. I'm very, very worried about the forecast but even if it turned into a game of water polo, the Storm vs Panthers game has been wishing away the days. I hope the rain stays away.
18. Hearing that Souths would have be docked points for playing an unregistered player has me questioning just what is going on at Souths. How does that happen in 2022? How did it get to that stage? Did someone from the NRL not think to mention this? Absolutely farcical.
19. I type this every week but we've seen the worst refereeing decision of the year. Kikau almost Tom Brady passed that knock on it went so forward. How do two touchies and a referee miss it when everyone else in the world saw it?
20. Luke Garner accepting a pay cut to move across Western Sydney to play for Penrith says everything about where both clubs are at. Brilliant signing on the cheap for a team who will need to bring in cut price players to replace departing stars.
