There's no shortage of talking points after what was a highly dramatic Anzac Round.
Melbourne Storm sent Penrith, still undefeated after their win against Canberra, a big message with their demolition of the Warriors to the tune of 70-10.
Meanwhile, the Dragons and Tigers both pulled off highly gutsy wins against the Roosters and Tigers to record successive wins for the first time this year.
On the other end, the Bulldogs, Warriors and Titans sunk to new lows with their seasons slowly starting to drift away.
Here are the key takeaways from round 7.
Talakai's mind-blowing start no fluke
Siosifa Talakai is arguably the form player of the competition over the last month, there's no doubting that, but we might've underestimated just how influential the nuggety Sharks centre is.
After a few strong performances against the Storm, Tigers and Knights, Talakai has genuinely planted himself in the conversation for Origin selection with an effort against the Sea Eagles some rate as one of the best we've seen from a player in his position.
Talakai single-handedly tore through Manly in the first half with two tries, two try assists, three linebreaks, nine tackle-breaks and made 14 runs for 193 metres.
A week ago the prospect of Talakai featuring in Brad Fittler's NSW squad felt like a distant possibility, given the strength of the squad already.
But with 40 minutes of pure domination against Manly, the Tongan star has rocketed to the lead in the race to replace the injured Latrell Mitchell at left centre for the Origin opener on June 8th.
Bulldogs lacking exactly what Adam Reynolds gives Broncos
In what's be an all too familiar sight for Bulldogs fans, their side were the better team for big chunks of Friday night's game against Brisbane but once again walked away empty-handed.
A dominant first half saw Trent Barrett's side lead 10-6 on the scoreboard and on top in virtually every key stat category to have their opponents stumped at Suncorp Stadium.
Then came Adam Reynolds.
While none of the Bulldogs' big names stood up to ice the game, the Broncos' playmaker showed exactly what Barrett's side was missing, grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck and driving his team home.
Brisbane ran in five tries and 28 points in the second half, and Reynolds was in everything, collecting a try and four assists.
Freed and playing with instinct, it was a different Reynolds to the one we've come to know at South Sydney, where he was more or less second fiddle behind Cody Walker when it came to creating with the ball in hand.
With 40 minutes left on the clock and a deficit to overcome, the premiership-winning halfback knew exactly what to do and when to do it.
There's no doubt Barrett's side are lacking player with the control, experience and calmness of Reynolds, but their resilience as a team is also severely lacking.
Te Maire Martin is well up to speed
You wouldn't have known Te Maire Martin hadn't played a rugby league match for 1092 days before lining up at fullback for the Broncos on Friday night.
After fearing his NRL career was over due to a brain bleed suffered back in 2020, the 26-year-old made a triumphant return in Brisbane's thrilling win over Canterbury.
Stat-wise, Martin was solid at the back for Kevin Walters' side, running 12 times for 92 metres, throwing two offloads and breaking two tackles.
However, the numbers don't explain just how involved Martin was in Brisbane's attack in a performance that gave fans a glimpse of the youngster's huge potential.
In what was an emotional night for the Kiwi star, Martin reflected on his journey back to first grade in an interview with Channel Nine post-match.
"I suppose you don't appreciate as much until it's gone and it was really gone for me and got the small opportunity to come up here with the Broncs and I've just taken it with two hands and am really soaking it in because if anyone knows how fast it can be gone it's me," he said.
Given the chopping and changing Brisbane's spine has undergone under Walters, the control Martin showed at the back was pleasing to watch.
Todd Payten has a tough decision to make
Eyebrows were raised at the start of the season when it was announced that Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow had beaten Val Holmes to the fullback slot. All the column inches were filled with the potential issues with parking one of the club’s highest earners in the centres. But the major effect was that it pushed the talented Scott Drinkwater out of the side completely.
If it wasn’t for an unfortunate injury to Tabuai-Fidow, Drinkwater may still not have been sighted in first-grade. He was the forgotten man.
However, since his return, he has reminded Payten exactly what he can offer the Cowboys. With him in the team, they carry more threat out the back, possess more kicking options and have better link play than when Fidow was there in the first month of the competition.
Against the Titans, Drinkwater provided two try assists, ran for just shy of 100 metres and scored a wonderful solo try where he ghosted out the back of a scrum and burnt David Fifita for pace.
When Tabuai-Fidow returns, Payten faces a huge selection dilemma.
Jackson Hastings is everything the Tigers hoped he would be
Wests Tigers fans had been looking for a leader, a marquee man and an individual who can steer them to victories over top sides for quite some time.
And over the past fortnight, Jackson Hastings has shown that he is that man.
The 26-year-old had a rough start to his NRL journey, never cementing himself in stints at two separate clubs, before being shown the door by Manly and heading to the Super League.
His return with the Tigers in 2022 started poorly, with the side losing their first five games and Hastings missing three of them through suspension - but since he has returned, they have looked a completely different team.
Hastings was instrumental in his side's 23-22 victory over competition heavyweights South Sydney on Saturday night, running for 145 metres and touching the ball over 100 times in the match.
His involvement has been top-notch and he brings a calmness that the Tigers have been lacking. Hastings wants his hands on the ball as much as possible, and he's appeared to have taken plenty of pressure off Luke Brooks, who has improved massively on his early-season form.
Michael Maguire's side aren't going to win every week, even if the past two weeks have been fantastic - but as long as Hastings is wearing the No.7 jumper, they'll be in the fight more often than not.
Reed Mahoney is going to prove irreplaceable for Eels
Parramatta fans, players and officials would have been heartbroken to learn that Reed Mahoney would be departing at the end of 2022.
The 24-year-old has signed a multi-year deal with Canterbury for 2023 and beyond, leaving the Eels without a recognised hooker moving forward.
Mahoney's performance in Sunday afternoon's 39-2 victory over Newcastle was sublime, producing three linebreak assists and two try assists, as well as making close to 40 tackles.
And if you look across the competition, Parramatta are going to find it almost impossible to replace Mahoney.
Brandon Smith is heading to Bondi next year. Api Koroisau is moving to the Tigers. Damien Cook and Harry Grant are both locked up with their current clubs.
All of those men are in the upper-echelon of the modern-day hookers, along with Mahoney, which means the departing No.9 will prove irreplaceable for the Eels.
Ben Hunt gives the Dragons hope for cracking the top eight
Early in the opening stanza, the Roosters were enjoying a spell of territorial dominance, when Ben Hunt decided to kick early. He caught James Tedesco by surprise, turned the Roosters forwards around and wrestled back momentum for his side.
Hunt certainly had a game to remember on Anzac Day. He provided a crisp short ball for Francis Molo to score the first try. Then, he put up the kick that Jayden Su’A eventually crossed the stripe from.
Even when his halves partner, Jack Bird, went off injured- Hunt remained in control and guided his team around the park.
However, it wasn’t just his excellent ball playing and kicking game that allowed the Dragons to win. His try-saver at the end, where he scampered down the sideline after Daniel Tupou, will be featured on highlight reels for years to come.
The Storm have their Addo-Carr replacement
Xavier Coates promised to be an exciting young talent when he joined the Melbourne Storm this season, and he has already delivered.
A four-try haul against the Warriors showcased his speed, strength, and passion, well and truly allaying any fears that the Storm would struggle on the wing without Josh Addo-Carr.
As the youngster mentioned in his post-match interview, his scoring opportunities wouldn't be possible without the help of his talented teammates.
But his persistent determination has seen him make the most of those opportunities. Alex Johnston may have trouble defending his try-scoring title this season.
