South Sydney are rapidly becoming the pin-up for taking advantage of the fabled 'premiership window' when it's wide open. The decline of the Rabbitohs, steady enough last season and now gaining impressive speed, has their supporters thanking their lucky stars that the triumph of 2014 was real and not a fantastical dream. Imagine for a moment that the Bulldogs were the ones celebrating the premiership instead of the men from Redfern. After bowing out a game away from the decider for the two previous seasons, Souths would have walked away empty-handed for a third-straight year. With salary cap and injury pressure, as well as the relentless march of time, it's highly unlikely they would have soared that high again. Given their woes in 2016, that premiership might be tasting sweeter than ever for Rabbitohs diehards.

2. Dead man's hand

Andrew McFadden's hardline treatment of six of his players could end up being the making of him as a coach. On the flipside, it has also revealed the calamity unfolding across the Tasman as the Warriors try to mould themselves into something resembling a decent team in 2016. McFadden had little choice but to discipline Manu Vatuvei, Ben Matulino, Bodene Thompson, Sam Lisone, Albert Vete and Konrad Hurrell after they were out until 3am playing poker the night after being flogged by the Storm. This could be the moment where he finally puts his stamp on the team and they respond accordingly. It could also be a sign that the coach lacks so much respect that his players felt comfortable boozing on until the wee hours. How they respond on Sunday against the Dragons will be telling indeed.

3. Shouting at clouds

Rugby league does love a controversy, even if it's an invented one. If someone starts shouting about something, the rest of the league shouts back or pats them on the back, often when the evidence doesn't tend to support the faux outrage. Last week was all about the NRL Bunker and whether it was worth the money. Trent Robinson savaged it after his team lost to the Dragons and Matthew Johns went as far as saying he could dispense with video technology wholesale. But there it was, on Thursday night, ticking along like a well-oiled machine as the video officials made the right calls on some fairly tricky tries in the Souths-Tigers game. Broncos veteran Corey Parker said it best when he urged those in the game to work with the system in place and stop expecting absolute perfection from whistle blowers (or button pressers).

4. Baring their teeth

Cronulla's match with the Broncos on Sunday afternoon looks to be the clear match of the round and should give us plenty of insight into how far the Sharks may be able to travel this season. We know most of what we need to about the Broncos; they are deserving premiership favourites, are stacked with talent and have rebounded brilliantly from their grand final heartache. All eyes will be on a Sharks side that continues to fly somewhat under the radar, although Brisbane rate them highly indeed and are expecting one of their toughest matches of the season. If it wasn't for the dominance of the top two on the NRL ladder, there may already have been a few whispers about a fairytale Sharks premiership. If they show they can match it with the Broncos, their long-suffering fans might even dare to dream a little dream.

5. Left-field pick makes sense

Plenty of fans were left deeply puzzled by Mal Meninga's selection of Rooster Blake Ferguson in his Kangaroos side to take on New Zealand in the Test match at Newcastle next Friday. Ferguson has hardly been in sparkling form for a Roosters side sitting near the bottom of the ladder, while young talents like Corey Oates have been flying most weeks. Yet Meninga has had a long relationship with Ferguson, who he mentored during his off-field struggles at the Raiders and helped him get his life and career back on track. In the 2013 Origin series, Meninga remembers Ferguson as a handful for the Blues and clearly feels he can be an elite player among to-shelf company. Any other grievances on Meninga's team should be shelved until after the Test. He was hired to put a rocket under the national side and his Origin record gives him latitude as he settles into the job.

6. Purple reign for Bellamy

Storm coach Craig Bellamy will oversee his 350th NRL game when Melbourne travel to meet the Titans on the Gold Coast on Sunday. His career will already see him be regarded as one of the true coaching greats but the numbers are worth a read to get a grasp on his achievements in the code. He sits eighth in the all-time list in terms of games coached but his 66 per cent win rate is higher than any other in the top 10. And in 14 seasons at the Storm, he has missed the finals just once and helped them feature in five grand finals. Say what you like about the financial assistance given to the club or the salary cap scandals but Bellamy has become as influential there as Wayne Bennett has been to Brisbane. He has a deal there until the end of 2017 but after that, like Bennett, may yet seek a fresh challenge. His pricetag would be astronomical.