The NRL is finally back, with the Canterbury Bulldogs kicking off the pre-season in fine fashion, recording a 24-12 win over the Melbourne Storm.
As is the case with every pre-season game, it's not the score that matters, but the storylines that accompany it.
From a star returning to the Bulldogs spine and youngsters showing plenty, here are all the big talking points from Belmore on Thursday evening.
The return of Ryan Papenhuyzen, if it happened during the pre-season challenge, was always going to be one of the feel-good stories of the trials.
And that it did last night.
The star fullback, who missed most of 2023 through a knee injury and then was rubbed out of the finals by an ankle injury that looked so bad it had many fearing his career could be over, returned as if he had never left on Thursday evening.
His ball-running was superb, he laid on a try early, and then came up with a turn of pace to score one of his own in chasing a kick through the defensive line of the Bulldogs.
It wasn't a complete performance by any stretch, but for a player who has only had a small handful of bench performances off the bench at NRL level since August 2022, it was an excellent return, and he will only go from strength to strength.
He wasn't goal-kicking in what could be a bit of news for supercoach or fantasy players, but that will be well down his list of priorities as he tries to cement himself back into the club's number one jersey, which is a role Nick Meaney held last year with success, and Sua Fa'alogo will be chasing this year.
The Bulldogs' situation in the halves has been one which has been followed with interest throughout the off-season.
They have signed players left, right and centre, a number of them who would be able to slot into the halves after adding Toby Sexton in the middle of the 2023 campaign.
The widely held opinion is that Sexton would be given first crack, but that is an opinion that holds a lot less water after Drew Hutchison's performance in the victory over the Storm.
What was most impressive was his control and management during the first half, with the half who had become a genuine utility during his time at the Roosters playing on both sides of the field.
It did seem to minimise the impact of Matt Burton, and it could well ramp up the calls for him to wind up in the centres, particularly given Blake Taaffe's performance at the back - he could quite easily shuffle into the number six with Stephen Crichton to wear number one during the season.
But whichever way Ciraldo goes with Burton and Taaffe, it now appears Sexton may have been bumped down the pecking order by Hutchison, who could be the crucial part of the puzzle Canterbury have missed in attack during recent seasons.
The Bulldogs' backline has more questions than just who will line up in the halves heading into the 2024 season.
Bronson Xerri's signature - and excellent return performance - has certainly thrown a spanner in the works around a number of the seeming certainties for the blue and white.
While Xerri still has plenty to prove, it was winger Jeral Skelton who put his hand up to add to his NRL appearances throughout the upcoming season.
He has made three NRL appearances, but what he would bring to the Bulldogs at first-grade level is something they lack in the outside backs - size, power and aggression.
If you look at the three-time defending premiers, the very premise of their run has been built off big metre eaters in the back three. With absolutely all due respect to Josh Addo-Carr, who has a phenomenal try-scoring record, he isn't big on metres. Jacob Kiraz is a workhorse and is likely to be the other winger.
Blake Wilson has shown impressive signs, and Stephen Crichton will add plenty, but surely Skelton is closing on first grade on a more regular basis.
He made some sloppy errors on Thursday night, which will hold him back, but he also wound up with a try and 142 metres at more than ten per carry to go with eight tackle breaks.
At NSW Cup level last year, the man-mountain made 84 tackle breaks and scored 12 tries in 14 games. It's the sort of attack Canterbury are desperate for as they look to flip the script in 2024.
It'll be little surprise to anyone who has followed the rise of Pezet through the junior ranks, but the young half is going to be a star.
The question in the interim - and in fact longer than the interim given the current contract situation in the Victorian capital - is how does Craig Bellamy find him minutes before he decides to head elsewhere.
His kicking game and control were well above his age and experience bracket on Thursday evening, despite the fact Melbourne eventually lost the game.
The simple fact, and it was proven multiple times last year at both QLD Cup and NRL level, is that Pezet is ready for more responsibility.
Unfortunately for him, he needs to continue to bide his time behind Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster, but the simple fact is he is off-contract at the end of 2025, while Hughes hangs on till 2026 and Munster 2027.
Will Pezet wait that long for a potential opportunity?
While established prop Liam Knight had some - let's call them major ball control issues against the Storm - it was Sam Hughes who stood up and showed exactly why Phil Gould suggested a month ago that it would be his breakout season.
On the back of what has reportedly been an excellent pre-season, Hughes put his best foot forward for the Bulldogs in their win over the Storm, running the ball hard, showing ability at the line and tackling equally as well.
Granted, he wasn't up against a seriously NRL-level forward pack, but neither is anyone at this time of year, and you can only play what's in front of you.
Hughes has impressed at reserve grade level over the last 12 months and didn't look out of place at the top level, so it's little surprise the expectation is that he will go to another level this year.
He may not be in the starting 13 for Round 1, but if he isn't on the bench, then you'd have to expect something has gone badly wrong between now and team list Tuesday prior to that opening game of the campaign.
If it wasn't already clear going into the first trial of the year, Nick Meaney - who has become Mr Fix It for Craig Bellamy and the Melbourne Storm over his two years at the club - must start at centre during Round 1.
He may not have the power, size, aggression or strength of others in the position, but there are no other suitable candidates to be part of a side wanting to win the premiership at one of the competition's toughest positions.
Marion Seve was solid but not excellent against the Bulldogs on Thursday evening. If he was going to put his hand up to start there in Round 1, then he needed a monstrous game.
Reimis Smith likely already has one of the centre positions locked up, while Young Tonumaipea is likely the other option in the squad. I'd anticipate Tonumaipea and Meaney will head to Fiji to tackle the Newcastle Knights next week, but any talk of a straight shootout for a position realistically should be ludicrous.
Smith and Meaney should be Melbourne's starting three-quarters in the opening round when they tackle the defending champions at home.