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The Titans and Tigers score more than 100 points, Souths continue their resurgence, and Jahrome Hughes might be the best player in the NRL.
Here are the biggest talking points from every game of round 16.
1. Hughes makes his case as NRL's top player
Jahrome Hughes shouldn't be able to fly under the radar. He's a premiership-winning and international halfback and his resume over the last five seasons stands up with any other playmaker in rugby league.
But somehow, some way, Hughes still isn't getting the wraps he deserves. As we move into the second half of the season, Hughes has a case to being the best player in rugby league this season. The Dally M votes went behind closed doors a few weeks ago, but if the voters have any sense Hughes will be right up there.
His performance in the Storm's 30-24 win over the Dolphins shows why. Hughes, as he always seems to be, was in the thick of the action as he scored a try and played a hand in several more.
After the match, Hughes was critical of his own performance. He said his last-tackle decisions could have been better and he felt he put his team under pressure. Hughes plays like he always wants to be better, but based on how he's played in 2024 it's hard to imagine what that looks like.
ABC Player of the year votes:
3 - Jahrome Hughes (Storm)
2 - Jamayne Isaako (Dolphins)
1 - Christian Welch (Storm)
(Votes are compiled by the ABC Sport radio commentary team after each match)
2. Titans suddenly have strength in depth
As abject as the Warriors were — and let's not beat around the bush, they were shockingly bad — a lot of credit has to be thrown the way of Des Hasler's Gold Coast Titans for their 66-6 demolition job.
Perhaps impressively, it was the blend of old and new, experience and excitement that the very best teams have that was on display at Robina.
Kieran Foran had four try assists in a stand-out performance, while fellow half Jayden Campbell had a terrific performance that saw him score 22 points off the tee and added a try of his own for a total of 26 — both are single-game records for the Titans.
And yet what about young Keano Kini?
The 20-year-old had 234 running metres, 37 of them post-contact, with a game-high three line breaks and six tackle breaks — bettered only by David Fifita.
He was exciting, engaging and always appeared to be a threat, albeit against a Warriors team that seemed to have turned up to battle on the Gold Coast with a surf board and boardies instead of a sword and armour.
But next week AJ Brimson will likely return to the side and walk straight into the number one shirt. It's a good problem to have.
ABC Player of the year votes:
3 - Keano Kini (Titans)
2 - Sam Verrills (Titans)
1 - Kieran Foran (Titans)
3. Roosters crow on soggy Central Coast
Four tries for the Roosters, four try assists for Sam Walker and a perfect five from the tee.
In tough conditions at a sold-out Central Coast stadium, with monsoonal rain coming down in sheets at times, kicking was always going to be the difference.
And it was the difference for the Roosters, particularly from Walker's boot, with the 22-year-old sending up five contestable bombs and five grubbers in the match.
"Sam [Walker] and [Luke Keary] did a great job controlling the game," James Tedesco said.
"In these conditions you need your halves to set the tone and get us in a good spot.
"It wasn't really a game where you can skin them on the edge, we had to go through them or kick to score the points and Sammy nailed all those areas, it was a great game for him."
ABC Player of the year votes:
3 - Terrell May (Roosters)
2 - James Tedesco (Roosters)
1 - Sam Walker (Roosters)
4. Rabbitohs still in finals running?
Five weeks ago, the very suggestion that South Sydney could win four matches in a row would have been absurd. And yet, that is exactly what South Sydney has done.
With byes either side of that run, South Sydney is unbeaten in six weeks.
Sure, they still sit in 14th place on the NRL ladder, but they're looking up the ladder, and all of a sudden, eighth spot doesn't seem too far away.
"100 per cent," Keaon Koloamatangi told Fox Sports as to whether the Rabbitohs were hunting finals.
"We've just got to believe.
"Look at what happened last year, we were first in the comp after 11 rounds and we missed the finals, so hopefully we're going to flip that this year."
Earning a grinding victory against Manly in very difficult conditions would have been a huge boost to their confidence.
ABC Player of the year votes:
3 - Keaon Koloamatangi (Rabbitohs)
2 - Jye Gray (Rabbitohs)
1 - Nathan Brown (Sea Eagles)
5. Doueihi? Yes, he does.
In an NRL career littered with downs, Adam Doueihi had a week of ups for the Tigers.
The versatile back inked a contract extension through 2025 despite not having played since round six last year thaks to his third torn ACL, then made his return to the NRL four days later.
Not only that, he played a blinder at centre for the Tigers as they ran in a stunning eight tries to hammer the Raiders 48-24.
There were some strangely nervous moments for the Tigers, with the Raiders scoring at will when Alex Seyfarth was sin-binned in the 63rd minute.
But it was Deoueihi, 440 days removed from his last NRL game, who sealed the win with a 65-metre intercept try before being quickly subbed out by Benji Marshall.
"I don't think I've run that fast ever in my career. To be back to feel fit and fast is real pleasing for me," the 25-year-old told ABC Sport.
ABC Player of the year votes:
3 - Lachie Galvin (Tigers)
2 - Api Koroisau (Tigers)
1 - Stefano Utoikamanu (Tigers)
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