Penaltythons aside this season has been refreshing as f**k.
I can only assume the Cowboys much vaunted forward pack has met its match, for the fourth week in a row. That is the only reason they'd have wingers taking hit-ups with the game still in the balance. Last year the forwards rolled on. The roll appears to be over.
New era. Teams aren't getting away with slowing the game, so the big teams are tiring, and making errors. Cowboys, Storm, Sharks, Raiders, have all relied on beating the opposition by overpowering them around the ruck. Now it doesn't work, those teams are struggling.
Warriors, Tigers, Dragons, Penrith look fresher and faster.
Well done Warriors. They are the real deal as well (I declared Tigers were last game thread). They look so good with the ball and without it. Look much too strong and fast for the "old" teams.
The futures market won't adjust much yet, Cowboys will still be half the price of the Warriors, but forget the last few years. If the NRL keeps their focus on penalising teams who slow the play, we are in for a different year and new teams will be at the top. Warriors will be one of them.