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Well, the NRL is back with a bang. Thank God for that.
We saw shocks in the form of the Dragons crushing the Panthers and the Knights giving the Warriors a genuine scare.
There were classics in the shape of the Cowboys and Raiders game, and signs of resurgence for the Tigers and Eels following troubled 2016 seasons.
Reflecting on an exciting and fast-paced round (except the Dogs and Storm, but the less said about that the better), I have picked out a best 17 and coach of the round, and will also tip the cap to some honourable mentions.
1. James Tedesco (Wests Tigers)
Teddy lit up the entire round with a performance for the ages against an admittedly depleted Souths outfit. A try, two assists, 13 tackle busts and 193 run metres speaks for itself about how he rubbed salt into the Greg Inglis-shaped wounds in Souths’ backline.
Honourable mentions: Darius Boyd (Brisbane Broncos), Josh Dugan (St George Illawarra Dragons)
2. David Nofoaluma (Wests Tigers)
Tedesco’s partner in crime was equally impressive off his wing, as his dangerous running from depth and offloading game broke Souths’ struggling defence open time and again.
Honourable mentions: Daniel Tupou (Sydney Roosters), Nene MacDonald (St George Illawarra Dragons)
3. Latrell Mitchell (Sydney Roosters)
He may have only got a pass mark from Trent Robinson, but Mitchell marked his first NRL game at left centre with a hat-trick, putting himself head and shoulders above the rest of the pack in this round. Showing all the speed, strength and skill that turned heads last year, he looks set for another big year.
Honourable mentions: David Fusitua (NZ Warriors), Dylan Walker (Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles)
4. Konrad Hurrell (Gold Coast Titans)
In a Titans side that got played off the park in the first 40 minutes, Hurrell stood out as a danger man every time he touched the ball. Looks a far cry from the lone figure he cut early last year at Mt Smart Stadium, and is already showing signs of an understanding with Jarryd Hayne and Anthony Don.
Honourable mentions: Brian Kelly (Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles), Tautau Moga (Brisbane Broncos)
5. Bryson Goodwin (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
One of the only Souths players to emerge with any credit after a hat-trick on Friday night, Goodwin rose to the task of salvaging the Bunnies’ pride in the face of a Tigers onslaught and the tragic mishandling of the Greg Inglis fiasco.
Honourable mentions: Shaun Kenny-Dowall (Sydney Roosters), Moses Suil (Wests Tigers)
6. Gareth Widdop (St George Illawarra Dragons)
The Englishman beats out some really tough competition after leading the charge for a rejuvenated Dragons side to maul one of the competition favourites. At the centre of everything the Dragons did, pulled every string all over the park and got a brace of tries of his own to sweeten the deal.
Very honourable mentions: Clint Gutherson (Parramatta Eels), Luke Keary (Sydney Roosters), Anthony Milford (Brisbane Broncos)
7. Corey Norman (Parramatta Eels)
He was the heartbeat for an Eels side looking ready to put a nightmare 2016 behind them. Kicked like a charm out of hand all day, did his fair share of defensive work and led the team all over the park. Manly’s worst nightmare on the day.
Honourable mentions: Johnathan Thurston(North Queensland Cowboys), Josh McCrone (St George Illawarra Dragons)
8. Matt Scott (North Queensland Cowboys)
The Cowboys’ co-captain led by example on a tough, feisty night for both sides at 1300Smiles Stadium, and showed those traits all night. Carried hard in both his spells, got them back on the front foot late in the game to put the Cowboys ahead, and didn’t back down from a challenge all night.
Honourable mentions: Suaia Matagi (Parramatta Eels), Korbin Sims (Brisbane Broncos)
9. Cameron McInnes (St George Illawarra Dragons)
McInnes was one of the big off-season acquisitions for the Dragons, and his defensive work exemplified the team’s new attitude. Led the forward pack around the field well in attack, and tackled everything the Panthers could throw at him. A strong 80-minute performance.
Honourable mentions: Jake Granville (North Queensland Cowboys), Josh Hodgson (Canberra Raiders)
10. Paul Vaughan (St George Illawarra Dragons)
Same story as McInnes in many ways – a man charged with the revitalisation of the Dragons’ pack passed his first Test with flying colours. Carried hard, was reliable in defence and ran his lines well, which was crucial in at least one of Joel Thompson’s tries.
Honourable mentions: Shannon Boyd (Canberra Raiders), Charlie Gubb (NZ Warriors)
11. Gavin Cooper (North Queensland Cowboys)
Put his best foot forward all night, copping a smack from Joey Leilua that the officials missed in the process. Showed great awareness to grab the winning try in golden point, and summed up the determination in his performance.
Honourable mentions: Josh Papali’i (Canberra Raiders), Manu Ma’u (Parramatta Eels)
12. Joel Thompson (St George Illawarra Dragons)
It’s not often a forward grabs a hat-trick in footy these days, and even rarer to do it with such ease against a top side. Thompson showed exemplary forward work.
Honourable mentions: Ryan Hoffman (NZ Warriors), Jame Buhrer (Newcastle Knights)
13. Jason Taumalolo (North Queensland Cowboys)
Another horrible category to pick, but last year’s joint Dally M winner roared back onto the field with a match-winning effort. Almost 300 run metres over 70 minutes tells the story. He dented the Raiders’ defence with every carry, and picks up impossible post-contact yards.
Very honourable mentions: Jack de Belin (St George Illawarra Dragons), Mitch Barnett (Newcastle Knights), Dale Finucane (Melbourne Storm), Jake Trbojevic (Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles)
14. Jason Bukuya (Cronulla Sharks)
Honourable mentions: Jacob Lillyman (NZ Warriors), Tariq Sims (St George Illawarra Dragons)
15. Kane Evans (Sydney Roosters)
Honourable mentions: Daniel Alvaro (Parramatta Eels), Jack Stockwell (Newcastle Knights)
16. Coen Hess (North Queensland Cowboys)
Honourable mentions: Agnatius Paasi (Gold Coast Titans), Ryan Matterson (Sydney Roosters)
17. Joseph Tapine (Canberra Raiders)
Honourable mentions: Lloyd Perrett (Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles), Robbie Rochow (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Coach of the week: Paul McGregor (St George Illawarra Dragons)
Masterminded a victory no-one in their right mind would have predicted. Has his team looking sharp, discplined and ambitious, and if it keeps up they could defy a lot of expectations this season.
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