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Which current coach is about to be kicked off his illustrious perch? Who is poised to pounce on a prestigious try-scoring landmark? And which woolly icon should fear the viking-clap?
For the answers to these and more, this list has something for every fan regardless of their team’s performance.
Unrivalled, but Cam do better
You’d need to be fired from a cannon to clear Cameron Smith’s steepling trophy cabinet but come October you’ll need the largest calibre.
With only 21 needed to surpass Darren Lockyer (355 NRL games) as the most capped player in premiership history, only a gaffer-taped tribute banner threatens the inevitable.
Although by then, any entangled bling should be the crown belonging to the most prodigious goal kicker of all time. The cagey left-footer needs just 28 goals to pass Jason Taylor’s 942, a record held by the Wests Tigers coach since 2001.
Point scorers: Joey on the ropes
Johnathan Thurston is two points clear of Smith and just five away from joining four others with more than 2,000 premiership points.
With a nose for tries and prodigious right hook, Thurston is odds-on to knock Andrew Johns (2,176 points) from second place. But with the title belt on offer, will the veteran lightweight have the legs to outlast Hazem El Masri’s 2,418?
Elsewhere, and Adam Reynolds is 147 points short of becoming only the third Rabbitohs player to score 1,000 for the club and the first since super-boot Eric Simms in 1970.
Further south and Jarrod Croker made the Raiders’ point-scoring record his own in 2016. Now, at just 26 years of age, he’s only 76 points shy of becoming the 19th player in history to score 1,500 points.
And from one zip-zip to another, Shaun Johnson needs eight points to overtake Kiwi legend Stacey Jones (674) as the Warriors’ all-time leading scorer and only three goals to break the club record.
Try scorers: Robbie’s scoreboard summit
Club-hopping Churchill Medal winner Luke Priddis’ try-scoring record looked safe until South Sydney resuscitated Robbie Farah. Two more tries will draw the ex-Tiger level on 63, the most by a hooker in premiership history.
Further up the all-time charts, and will Billy Slater’s panel-beaten frame last the nine-try journey needed to overtake Steve Menzies (180 tries) into second place?
And how far can Manu Vatuvei climb? Currently in 10th spot with old-time flyer Harold Horder (152 career tries), the 13-year veteran needs another 11 to draw level with Brett Stewart in sixth spot.
But fear the claws; the goanna has the Beast in site – another ten tries races Greg Inglis (138 tries equal 19th with Phil Blake) up the tree and past Bob Fulton into 12th place.
Benji Marshall is long clear of the Tigers den and still rules the record book, but heir apparent Chris Lawrence is just three short of a club record 77 tries.
Semi Radradra is the Eels’ most destructive bump-and-crunch merchant since Eric Grothe Snr. Now in his final year, 19 tries will see the Fijian-Kangaroo bound clear of the Guru and Ray Price (both 78 tries) into fifth on the Parramatta leader board.
Jarrod Croker needs two tries to reach his century and eight to pass Brett Mullins into second place for the Raiders. Only 23 shy of the outright lead, the Goulburn junior’s final landmark should dwarf the Big Merino.
Jason Nightingale is also poised for a ton, currently level with Mark Gasnier, another eight tries will make him the fourth member of the St George-Illawarra 100-club.
Canterbury’s Josh Morris is nine tries short of joining former winger Chris Anderson in third place on the Bulldogs’ top scoring list with 94.
Along with twin brother Brett and father Steve, they’re the slipperiest trio in the business, and the only family with three members in the premiership 100-club.Their combined haul remains uncapped at a remarkable 358 tries.
Games: Cowboy’s two birds with one stone
Johnathan Thurston is equally efficient off the park.
Simultaneous celebrations await his eighth appearance of the season. Not only will the ex-Bulldog march into the elite NRL 300-club but he’ll also pass Matty Bowen’s North Queensland club record of 270 games.
Paul Gallen can join Andrew Ettingshausen as the second Shark to notch 300 games for the club. The Cronulla veteran enters his 17th and final season on 279 games and with a slice of luck, won’t be the only one in the Shire to celebrate a triple-ton.
Ex-Tiger Chris Heighington is just five games away from a forked-tongue blitz to rival his emotion-riddled 2005 grand final wrap.
And Luke Lewis is 16 shy, and with 24 appearances will break the 100-game milestone at two clubs.
Stacey Jones seems certain to surrender two Warriors records in 2017. Simon Mannering only needs four games to become the most capped Warrior of all time with 262.
In just 29 seasons Brisbane has accumulated a lengthy list of one-club legends, including Sam Thaiday who enters his 15th season on 253 games, just five short of Allan Langer in fourth place.
Jarrod Mullen’s dream of joining the top five most capped Knights of all time appears doomed. Robbie O’Davis (223 games) sits 12 clear of Mullen in fifth place – ironically, the margin could have been more had the Churchill Medallist remained drug-free.
In over a century, only eight Roosters have played 200 or more games for the club. Three of those are from the current squad and Jake Friend can join them with 11 more appearances.
Chris Lawrence is six games short of becoming the fourth player to reach 200 for the Wests Tigers and looks certain to leapfrog Chris Heighington and Benji Marshall (both 201 NRL games) into second place for most appearances behind Robbie Farah (247).
Jarrod Croker is poised to join ten other Raiders with 200 or more games for the club. With fourteen more appearances, he will overtake Ricky Stuart (203) and Chris O’Sullivan (204) to become the seventh most capped Raider of all time.
As New Zealand prepare for their 23rd season, Ben Matulino requires just four outings to become the fourth Warrior to play 200 games.
With another four and nine games respectively, Andrew McCullough and Alex Glenn will increase the Broncos’ list of 200-gamers to 13.
And after some tough years, Parramatta should go overboard with celebrations to commemorate Tim Mannah’s 200th appearance. The loyal prop needs 20 games to join 11 other Eels.
Club milestones: Chargers brace for relegation
Parramatta is 16 games away from becoming the seventh team to play 1,600 premiership matches.
Rivals from day one in 1947, Manly has played 47 fewer matches but holds bragging rights with an overall 58 to 46 win percentage.
Cronulla and Penrith entered the mix in 1967. The Sharks have since posted 574 victories while the Panthers, who braved a rough entry, will register win 500 with their third victory of the season.
This year marks the 30th season for both Brisbane and Newcastle. The Knights are nine wins away from 350 – lengths behind the Broncos who’ve already bolted to 451.
And still on Brisbane, their first try of the season will be the club’s 3,000th. Interestingly, 20 per cent have come from just five players, led by Steve Renouf’s 142. The others are Darren Lockyer (122), Michael Hancock (120), Wendell Sailor (110) and Alan Langer (100).
Meanwhile, on the Sunset Strip, a little brother’s own identity continues to grow – in their first fixture of the season, the Titans will equal the old Gold Coast franchise on 246 premiership games.
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