Round 9 of the NRL season is in the books - and weren't there a few interesting clashes!
Brisbane and Parramatta both scored upset victories early in the weekend, with last year's grand finalists South Sydney and Penrith both suffering defeats.
Newcastle and Gold Coast continued to struggle, while James Tedesco produced his best game of the season.
Here's what we learned from the NRL in Round 9.
Reynolds really is up there with NRL's most influential
Not for the first time this year, Thursday night's clinic against his former side highlighted Adam Reynolds' ability to single-handedly shape a game.
Not to suggest there were any doubts around his influence as a playmaker.
But at South Sydney, his impact on the team was at times overlooked against the flashiness of Cody Walker and Latrell Mitchell and others.
At Brisbane though, Reynolds continues to prove his innate ability to bring a game down to his and his team's level and grind the opposition down with incredible game management.
While the Rabbitohs may have been overcome with the emotion of the clash with their former skipper, Reynolds was pulling all the right strings from the get-go in the 32-12 win.
His kicking, both in general play and from the tee, was pinpoint perfect and gave Brisbane the upper hand on several occasions through the contest, while his ballplaying got them over the line at crucial stages.
How the Rabbitohs let all that go is beyond belief.
There is a third Trbojevic brother in town
In his first starting appearance for the Sea Eagles, Ben Trbojevic scored a memorable double.
The 20-year-old had played in five matches prior to Saturday, but took his opportunity in the starting 13 and ran with it.
On show alongside his older brothers Jake and Tom, it appears that Ben is on a promising trajectory.
He was reliable and strong with the ball and didn't seem too frazzled with his defensive duties.
Give him time, and we might be looking at another star Trbojevic brother.
Walker and Keary not far off
Saturday's obliteration of the Titans could prove a real turning point for Roosters halves Luke Keary and Sam Walker as a partnership.
After failing to combine effectively over the opening eight rounds, pressure was quickly building on the pair, Keary in particular, with the Roosters' attack at sixes and sevens to start the year.
After a loss to the lowly Bulldogs last week, this had to be the game Keary and Walker turned it on and settled the noise, and they did exactly that.
Most importantly, the pair looked as though they were playing with the shackles off, returning to the eye-up football that they're best known for.
You got the feeling the Roosters, and especially Keary and Walker, just needed a free-flowing attacking performance to re-ignite their spark.
While Gold Coast's dire defence certainly allowed for that to happen, it will be interesting to see if this was the win that changed the course of the Tricolours season.
Townsend shaping as NRL's shock buy of the year
It's getting to that time where we start seriously talking about Chad Townsend as this year's buy of the season.
While we think Cronulla's Nicho Hynes has rightfully held that gong over the opening two months, Townsend has blown away those who doubted his move to the Cowboys.
Many questioned the money Townsend was signed to up in Townsville but he's over delivered on what was expected of him this season to be in career-best form.
The experienced No. 7 was all over the highlight reel in Saturday's 36-16 win over the Knights, laying on four tries for the Cowboys, continuing what has been a month of outstanding performances in the side's four-game winning streak.
A lot of what the Cowboys are doing this season has come as a big surprise, but particularly the influence of Townsend.
It's time to talk about Zac Lomax
NSW Origin coach Brad Fittler dubbed him 'The Gifted One' before he had even debuted in first grade - but right now, Zac Lomax is closer to reserve grade than rep football.
The 22-year-old has been ordinary to start the year for the Dragons, completely outshined by fellow centre Moses Suli, and his 'rocks and diamonds' style of play has produced very few of the latter.
On Sunday afternoon against competition heavyweights Melbourne, Lomax looked disinterested and lazy. His attempt to gather a kick in his own in-goal could only be described as laissez-faire, as it almost gifted the Storm a try. Any time he touched the ball or found an inch of space, he failed to capitalise and didn't look to use his size and strength as he should be.
A moment in the second-half when the game was still somewhat in the balance was also extremely frustrating. Lomax made a half-break, but ran sideways and called Mikaele Ravalawa inside - but opted not to pass his winger the ball and simply got tackled without troubling the Storm defence.
Lomax's form has been below-par and his attitude was called out by former teammate James Graham recently, following an incident involving Knights forward Tyson Frizell and an interview where he mocked his coach Anthony Griffin and berated a former teammate in Matt Dufty.
If it wasn't for the Dragons' lack of depth out wide, Lomax would be under fire to be retaining his spot.
A player of enormous potential, Lomax can't coast on that forever. He needs to lift for his side in the next few rounds - he is on big money and signed long-term, and the Dragons desperately need him firing.
