Melbourne Storm 26 vs South Sydney Rabbitohs 18

The Storm started the season as they have for so many previous years, with a win. They were a class above fellow premiership contenders South Sydney making an early statement for the 2021 season.

No Cameron Smith but the Storm were seamless in their transition away from their former leader, with a pretty easy choice for the three votes.

Dally M votes: 3 - Ryan Papenhuyzen, 2- Christian Welch, 1- Latrell Mitchell.

Newcastle Knights 32 vs Canterbury Bulldogs 16

The Knights needed to beat the Bulldogs to avoid a disaster start to the season and they did just that. They were terrific as they had control of the clash from start-to-finish under wet conditions.

Led by a terrific display from Daniel Saifiti, the Knights were never really challenged in their season opener shortly after their opening score.

Dally M votes: 3- Daniel Saifiti, 2 - David Klemmer, 1 - Jayden Brailey.

Brisbane Broncos 16 vs Parramatta Eels 24

Same old, same old for the Broncos it seems. They fell to the Eels by eight points at home in a disappointing start to the season.

Giving up 24 unanswered points in the second half to fall just short is a heartbreaking return from their 2020 nightmare.

Broncos five-eighth Anthony Milford had a good night trying to will his team over the line, but ultimately it was too much left to too few.

Dally M votes:ย 3 - Junior Paulo, 2 - Reed Mahoney, 1 - Anthony Milford.

New Zealand Warriors 19 vs Gold Coast Titans 6

The Titans bid for a place in the top eight took a blow at the earliest possible stage as they suffered defeat to New Zealand on the Central Coast.

The Warriors proved to be too good in a tough affair where they grinded out a 13-point win, with recruit Addin Fonua-Blake adding plenty of power in the front line.

Dally M votes:ย 3 - Kodi Nikorima, 2 Addin Fonua-Blake, 1 - Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

Sydney Roosters 46 vs Manly Sea Eagles 4

The Roosters made a clear statement in Round 1, proving they are going to be hard to beat.

The Bondi club were in cruise control while dismantling the Sea Eagles at the SCG. James Tedesco showed why he is considered the worlds best player with a stunning display, however it wasn't enough to secure the three votes as Brett Morris' hat-trick stole the show it seems.

Dally M Votes: 3 - Brett Morris, 2 - Lindsay Collins, 1 - James Tedesco.

Penrith Panthers 24 vs North Queensland Cowboys 0

Penrith began their road to redemption with a superb defensive display keeping the Cowboys scoreless.

They were unbreakable in defence and able to attack with constant threat. They look set to compete for the top prize once again after a well round outing for Ivan Cleary's men.

Dally M votes:ย 3 - Dylan Edwards, 2 - Nathan Cleary, 1 - James Fisher-Harris.

Canberra Raider 30 vs Wests Tigers 12

Wests started the season in flat fashion and were rightfully punished by a slick looking Canberra team despite Jacob Liddle opening the scoring.

The Tigers played well below what we would expect from them and showed the gap between their best and their worst is arguably as prevalent as ever.

Dally M votes:ย 3 - Hudson Young, 2 - George Williams, 1 - Jordan Rapana.

St George Illawarra Dragons 18 vs Cronulla Sharks 32

The Sharks went swimming in the wet whilst the Dragons drowned. Cronulla thrived in the testing conditions and were able to put a gap between themselves and the Dragons in what was expected to be a tighter affair.

The Sharks had too many contributors for the Dragons to keep up with and were able to claim bragging rights over their rivals to open their account for 2021.

Dally M votes: 3 - William Kennedy, 2 - Matt Moylan, 1 - Jack Bird.