The big winners of Round 17 were...
They started the season amongst the pre-season favourites and are now finally starting to live up to expectations.
Michael Maguire's Brisbane Broncos after they joined the in-form Storm, Raiders and Panthers to end the weekend with a winning streak of at least three games.
They needed to make a big statement against a top-four side to show that wins against Gold Coast and Cronulla earlier in the month weren't just a case of them being downhill skiers, and they did it in style in front of more than 43,000 people.
After a fast start against the Warriors, there was to be no repeat of the half-time leads they blew against both the Dragons and Rabbitohs in May and they have subsequently made the most of a three-game stretch on home soil surrounding a well-timed bye.
It followed a mixed week off the field during which Selwyn Cobbo announced his imminent departure from the club due to the salary cap squeeze, which accompanied a leaked NRL report showing them to be the number one club in the competition for total revenue earned last year.
The big losers of Round 17 were...
Cronulla Sharks, who after losing three of their last four matches currently the most likely to drop out of the mid-table jogjam.
Just two points separate seventh-placed Penrith and 12th-placed North Queensland after Round 17 and two of them - the Sharks and the Dolphins - have played 16 games so far.
The Sharks were the only one of those six sides to have lost their most recent match and conceded at least 30 points in four of their last five games.
Their only victory during that period - 30-18 against the defensively dreadful Dragons - offers no hope of an immediate turnaround.
Perhaps Craig Fitzgibbon's best hope of getting their 2025 campaign off life support is the fact they've got a bye next week to reset and refresh - but with the Dolphins to immediately follow, he better make the most of it.
NSW name unchanged XIII, Queensland to make shock recall
New South Wales head coach Laurie Daley announced the same starting lineup for the series-deciding State of Origin on Wednesday July 9.
That's despite Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai and Brian To'o all being questionable through either injury or illness.
Isaiya Katoa, Brian Kelly, Jack Williams and Teig Wilton will all train with the Origin squad as unofficial reserves.
Queensland had not named their side as of 9pm AEST on Sunday night, but it was rumoured that 33-year-old Canberra Raiders prop Josh Papalii has been talked out of representative retirement to replace Mo Fotuaika, though it would likely be only for a first-half stint.
Ken Irvine Medal Leaderboard
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow's mesmerising four-try haul against the Rabbitohs propelled him to the top of the try scoring rankings for 2025, whilst Broncos winger Gehamat Shibasaki has overtaken teammate Jesse Arthar with braces in each of his team's three consecutive wins.
It's worth remembering Hamiso didn't open his account until their Round 5 win over the Titans, and his 15 season tries have all come within his last nine appearances - plus his Game 2 double for the Maroons!
Try of the Week: Round 17
It feels like the Dolphins are featuring in this segment on a weekly basis, but few teams can rival the entertainment that their backs are providing the competition in 2025.