The big winners of Round 4 were...
The Brisbane Broncos had a Round 2 hiccup in the nation's capital and it turned out to be the wake-up call they needed.
Michael Maguire's men had two season-defining Queensland derbies to follow and didn't allow either the Dolphins or Cowboys to jump them at the start, taking either 10-0 or 12-0 first half leads on both occasions to ensure they didn't give up control as they did against the Raiders.
Neither of their last two opponents look like compelling threats for the top eight at this stage, but at least the Broncos have stamped complacency out of their game ahead of two home games against the Roosters and Tigers that they'll be expected to win.
Kotoni Staggs is back from injury and Gehamat Shibasaki looked superb as his partnering centre, the latter winning the Battle Medal for being player of the match in the derby victory over the Dolphins.
All things going to plan, they'll face some tougher tests in New Zealand and at home to the Bulldogs with a 5-1 record and then a bye week to pick themselves up.
Speaking of the Bulldogs, they're enjoying their best start to any season of the NRL era, last going 4-0 during the 1993 Winfield Cup when they won their first five games on the way to the preliminary final.
The big losers of Round 4 were...
Sydney Roosters, though at least their medical team and their physiotherapists won't be out of work any time soon after Victor Radley was added to a casualty ward that on Monday had a league-high ten names.
Radley has been urged to retire by some pundits and supporters following another sickening head clash following which he failed a Head Injury Assessment for the sixth time in three years.
Many of the Roosters' injuries are medium to long-term ones that offer little respite for the immediate future.
They're off to their worst start to a season in ten years and a visibly angry head coach Trent Robinson slammed their 30-12 loss to Gold Coast Titans as a below NRL standard performance.
If they can't fire up for an important derby against South Sydney, they're in enormous trouble (if not already).
Don't get carried away about the Panthers
Penrith started 2025 as the second-favourites behind Melbourne to win the Premiership and the fact they're still third-favourites after their 1-3 start to the season is perhaps the most appropriate reminder that they're not yet to be written off.
A slow start is not unfamiliar territory to the Panthers, who won three of their first five games in 2020 (minor Premiers) as well as their Premiership-winning runs in 2023 and 2024.
If they can get the job done at home to the Cowboys this weekend, they're likely to be just one win outside the top-eight and therefore back on track.
Brian To'o has been ruled out for up to one month with an aggravated hamstring injury, but reports on Monday pointed to them getting Nathan Cleary and Dylan Edwards - two core members of their success over recent years - back this weekend.
The Dally M race
South Sydney Rabbitohs fullback Jye Gray is now at the top of the leaderboard after an excellent weekend performance in which he recorded 172 metres gained, a line break and a break assist as well as breaking six tackles himself.
He's unlikely to stay at the top of the rankings for much longer, with head coach Wayne Bennett confirming that Latrell Mitchell will reassume his place in the number one shirt next weekend, demoting Gray to the bench.
Daly Cherry-Evans (Sea Eagles), Tom Dearden (Cowboys) and Wayde Egan (Warriors) were the three men to collect the maximum six votes this round, whilst Jacob Preston (Bulldogs), Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (Titans) and Gehamat Shibasaki (Broncos) all got five each.
Try of the Week: Round 3
Nothing else quite summed up the strength of the Bulldogs' win over Cronulla quite like former Shark Bronson Xerri bulldozing his way to the try line and put his new side ahead 8-6 on the stroke of half-time.