However, there is no such thing as a meaningless game.  There is always something to play for when you pull on an NRL jersey.

For the Rabbitohs, it was the challenge of continuing their promising late-season form. Just over a month ago they were humiliated  54-4 by the Canberra Raiders. It was their eighth loss in a row. Only a couple of seasons previous, this great club had been drinking champagne from the winner's cup. This alarming losing streak represented a massive change of fortunes for Souths, who must've felt like they were now drinking vinegar  from sweaty old football boots.

They were totally out of sorts in both attack and defence. Their chances of playing finals football in 2016 had been completely exhausted. Players looked lethargic and unmotivated. The coach looked lost for words.

Within a week, though, Souths travelled south and shook the life out of  the Melbourne Storm, going down in a golden-point cliffhanger.  The following week they travelled to Auckland and blew the  Warriors off the park in a stunning display. They backed up that performance with a gritty and very professional win over minor premiership contenders Cronulla.  This time it was  Newcastle  who would feel the power of the rejuvenated Bunnies. Souths led from start to finish in a dominant 34-12 victory.

So where was all this great form five weeks ago? If Souths are capable of such great football, where was it when they needed it earlier in the season?  When asked the question, coach Michael Maguire shrugs his shoulders and says "our completion rate has improved".

Really? That's it? Completion rate has been the problem?

If that's true, and we have no reason to doubt the coach's read on his team, then why were the South Sydney completion rates so poor for so long?

You don't suddenly lose your ability to catch, pass and hold onto the football. There is always a reason for substandard performances. When you dig down and get to the bottom of those reasons, it's amazing how the ability to play the game to your true ability soon returns.

In this match, players were charging onto the ball, running with intent and supporting the ball carrier. The big difference was that they caught everything. Every pass that counted, no matter how good or bad, the receiver made a real effort to catch the ball. To a man their focus was keen and motivation was high. They made the difficult look easy. Souths  are now playing the kind of football which would trouble any team in the competition. The sad thing is that their season will end this Friday night after they take on their 2014 grand final opponents, the  Bulldogs.

After  months of consistent quality and intensity, one can only think they will be mighty keen to finish the season on a big note against their old rivals.

The Knights? Well, they also had plenty to play for in their last home game of the season.

Forget about it being the ex-players' famous Old Boys' day, or "doing it for Jez" to honour the retirement of their courageous captain Jeremy Smith. These emotional incentives read well in a newspaper. The reality is that they mean little once you get out onto the field of play and your pulse gets up over 160 beats per minute.

For the Knights, this game gave their young players another opportunity to prove themselves in the top grade against quality opposition. It's been a terrible year for the club with only one win and a draw in 23 matches played. However, it's only a losing year if you are not learning something along the way.

I've been impressed with the way the Knights have kept trying to improve every time they play. Sure they have put in a wonky performance here and there along the way, but overall they are a vastly better team today than they were at the start of the season. I can see real improvement in the team and in the individuals. Not one player gave up against Souths in this match. The scoreboard threatened to run heavily against them when Souths were in a good rhythm and on a roll. But the Newcastle lads kept fighting to swing momentum back in their own favour.

There is merit in having a group of players who will uphold such values. It's these  values that will form the foundation on which Newcastle can rebuild this great club.

Forget about where these two teams may currently sit on the premiership ladder.  This was a good game of rugby league, played with plenty of skill and a competitive spirit, from 34 players who prided themselves on their individual performances and their desire to get better.

The players gave it their all. The respective coaches, I believe, would've seen some real positives from a future perspective.

Thank you gentlemen. I enjoyed it too. Great entertainment.