Between two golden point games, the drama around South Sydney and a new rule landing firmly in the spotlight, round six in the NRL was another dramatic one.
Here's ABC Sport's Round-Up for this week.
1. Roosters find the blueprint to success
Every time the Roosters play, the middle of the field should look like a mud pit by the time the game is done.
As inconsistent as Trent Robinson's side has been this year, their best moments and most impressive wins have all come the same way — by directing all their talent, skill and athleticism directly up the centre third of the field.
It dragged them back into the game in their losses to Penrith and Canterbury and helped power them over the top of the Knights after a tough start on Thursday night.
Once Joseph Manu, Victor Radley and Brandon Smith got going up the middle, the game was totally different and it was a glimpse into a future where the Roosters throw the very best of their star-studded roster at opponents in the most direct way possible.
They were a little fortunate to win against the Knights — Junior Pauga probably should have been penalised after his cover tackle on Kalyn Ponga and Newcastle had chances to win late but couldn't take them — but if the Roosters are going to make some noise in this competition the way for them to do so is clear. Put away the knives and break out the hammers because blunt force is the answer.
ABC Player of the year votes:
3 - Joey Manu (Roosters)
2 - Brandon Smith (Roosters)
1 - Kai Pearce-Paul (Knights)
2. Blore becomes what he was always supposed to be
Shawn Blore, Melbourne's unlikely hero against the Bulldogs, might be a new face for many league fans but making big plays in first grade is something he's supposed to have been doing for a long time.
A former Junior Kangaroos captain during his younger days at the Panthers, injuries have long stopped Blore from fulfilling his full potential.
But after four seasons at the Tigers, where he showed flashes of his best football amid a series of knee injuries, Blore has landed at Melbourne, a club who excel at helping players get the very most out of their own abilities.
The 23-year old has ability in spades — you can see it with the lines he runs and the power of his carries, two qualities that helped him score the winner against Canterbury.
He's also a talented offloader and a busy defender. There have been plenty of backrow success stories during Craig Bellamy's time in Melbourne and in Blore, they might have another one.
ABC Player of the year votes:
3 - Connor Tracey (Bulldogs)
2 - Jahrome Hughes (Storm)
1 - Bronson Xerri (Bulldogs)
3. Dolphins depth tested to it's limit — again
The Dolphins strong start to 2023 eventually collapsed under the weight of a difficult injury toll, a fate the club planned to avoid in their sophomore season with some smart recruitment.
But a brutal few weeks has put them back behind the eight ball. Tom Flegler and Herbie Farnworth were both already sidelined and a stinging defeat in the third battle of Brisbane cost them fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and five-eighth Kodi Nikorima to injury, and back-up Anthony Milford to suspension.
It means the competition's youngest club will have their depth tested yet again. Sean O'Sullivan shapes as a capable replacement in the halves but fullback remains a big question mark and as such, Wayne Bennett will have to draw on all his knowledge to steer his charges through such a difficult period.
ABC Player of the year votes:
3 - Selwyn Cobbo (Broncos)
2 - Pat Carrigan (Broncos)
1 - Xavier Willison (Broncos)
4. NRL's disruptive new rule
Constant rule tinkering has been a hallmark of the Peter V'landys era for the NRL. Rules have been chopped and changed in an effort to speed the game up, slow it down and everything else besides.
One of their latest is outlawing "disruptors" — that is, players who leap up after a kick without really trying to contest for the ball.
It's the change literally nobody was asking for, but that's never stopped the NRL before. Policing intent is always going to be tough, but that's the bedrock of this latest change.
The Warriors got pinged for one such challenge early and Manly got the same late in the match. It's hard to see the benefit of such a change aside from making it easier for defending players to field kicks, which is a fine goal if you're the defensive team and puzzling for just about everybody else.
ABC player of the year votes:
3 - Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad (Warriors)
2 - Shaun Johnson (Warriors)
1 - Daly Cherry-Evans (Sea Eagles)
5. The infuriating brilliance of the Cowboys
North Queensland are, by far, the most unusual team in the NRL. They are not just capable of impossible brilliance and basic errors of concentration in the same game or the same half or the same set, but multiple times in the same play.
It was a sloppy, uneven clash between the Cowboys and Parramatta, the finest moment of which came when Scott Drinkwater, the personification of such a peaks and valleys style, finished off a brilliant team try that seemingly put North Queensland back in the match as they trailed by six with just a few minutes left.
But for many minutes beforehand and the passages of play afterwards, it was ugly — forwards ran the wrong lines, halves passed it to them anyway and when it really counted, the side's vaunted attack failed to fire.
What will happen to the Cowboys next week against Cronulla? Will we get the brilliance or the madness? Who knows? North Queensland themselves probably don't.
ABC player of the year votes:
3 - Dylan Brown (Eels)
2 - Clint Gutherson (Eels)
1 - Junior Paulo (Eels)
6. Souths dig deep, but will it be enough?
All the talk through the week was that Jason Demetriou was coaching for his South Sydney life on Saturday against the Sharks.
A win was probably always a little too much to ask, especially given the troops the Rabbitohs lost along the way.
But the Bunnies were better. They were tougher at least, with experienced forward Tom Burgess and fresh playmakers Dean Hawkins and Jye Gray leading the way.
They fought to the end and, for the first time in a few weeks, it really did feel like they left it all out there.
The question now is simple — is that enough to save Demetriou? The playing group responded at his most desperate hour, which is a plus.
But it was still a loss and much of the issues that have plagued South Sydney through six weeks — namely, a lack of defensive resolve and poor attention to detail — remained.
If Demetriou does stay, the season becomes a salvage issue, that much seems certain. A new coach parachuting in could take the tiny sparks Souths showed and helped fan them into a flame, or it could have them totally bottom out and start planning for 2025 way, way too early.
Keep what you have and hope it gets better or risk it all for a little more. It's a classic rugby league gamble and Souths are about to decide if they'll play the odds or not.
ABC player of the year awards:
3 - Blayke Brailey (Sharks)
2 - Dean Hawkins (Rabbitohs)
1 - Cam McInnes (Sharks)
7. High on Zac Lomax
Zac Lomax wants out of the Dragons, but if you expected him to drop his bundle and sulk his way to a new club, you don't know Zac.
Lomax's effort against the Tigers was one of the only reasons the Dragons kept their noses in front, finishing with a try, an assist and three conversions, but it was his work under the high ball that was a real game changer.
Captain and halfback Ben Hunt, himself no stranger to playing brilliantly while not wanting to be in Wollongong, admitted Lomax made him and the team look good by repeatedly giving them extra chances with remarkable aerial efforts.
"The only ones he's not catching are the ones I stuff up," Hunt told ABC Sport.
"He's a real competitor. He doesn't want to let his teammates down when he's out on the field.
"He's always there when you need him."
It's no wonder Luke Lewis gave him three votes. And speaking of…
ABC player of the year awards:
3 - Zac Lomax (Dragons)
2 - Kyle Flanagan (Dragons)
1 - Mikaele Ravalawa (Dragons)
8. A Titanic effort
There isn't a lot to smile about when you've got a 100 per cent losing streak after the first six weeks of the season, and that probably goes triple when you've just lost a heartbreaker in golden point.
But if ever there was a case for turning that frown upside down in such circumstances, Sunday's effort from the Titans was it.
Before the game, Des Hasler made the bold call to drop halfback Tanah Boyd, backing the experience of Kieran Foran and spontaneity of AJ Brimson to deliver some spark.
For most of the night, it didn't really work if we're being honest.
Hovering at or below 40 per cent of possession for the entire match, unable to sniff the opposition's 20m zone, and weathering set after set inside their own.
Every statistic was going against them, including the scoreboard, until Alofiana Khan-Pereira's double in the final five minutes of the game was punctuated by Brian Kelly's sideline conversion to tie the game at 20 after the siren.
They somehow had more energy in the 10 minutes of extra time, despite completing almost 160 more tackles than their opponents, and almost stole victory when Brimson broke through the middle late in the second period, but Foran was unable to nail his shot at field goal.
Ethan Strange then put the Raiders up the other end and Jamal Fogarty finally took care of business, but the Titans had plenty to be proud of, even if their coach was a little distracted by the refereeing.
ABC player of the year awards:
3 - Joe Tapine (Raiders)
2 - David Fifita (Titans)
1 - Morgan Smithies (Raiders)
