Impersonating a referee, Will Kennedy silences critics & Titans dazzle: 20 Thoughts from Round 3

Just when I thought I had seen it all, our great game created yet another "... that's new" moment. More on that later.

Round Three produced equal parts magic and equal parts sleep aid in terms of games.

The Warriors/Roosters and Eels/Dogs games were a graft, while the Sharks and Titans lit up their respective contests.

Below are 20 thoughts from Round Three:

1. I'm always quick to jump on a referee, should the chance arise. I'm trying to praise them just as passionately in 2025. Wyatt Raymond was extremely quick to penalise Josh Curran on Sunday afternoon for an incident I've never seen. Curran called an Eels player as "offside" allowing the Dogs to run around the retreating defender. This is absolutely against the spirit of the game and was rightfully penalised. Great move!

2. Will Kennedy entered the season under intense pressure to hold onto his spot. I even predicted Liam Ison would be the Sharks number one after Magic Round. Kennedy has responded with two lights out performances, and a third good game. He'll likely have a one-year contract extension tabled and signed. Rightfully so.

3. I am an unashamed Titans enthusiast. I love the chaos their games present on both sides of the ball. They were blistering on Saturday night. They are the most enjoyable team in the competition to watch. They'll score plenty this season. They'll concede plenty. Appointment viewing!

4. Another week, another round of questions as to why the Bunker can't rule on forward passes. I get it, camera angles etc ... how come they could rule that Ryan Papenhuyzen batted the ball forward on Thursday night? The ball absolutely ended up in front of him, but so did numerous passes that were let go. What's the difference?

5. Kalyn Ponga is set to become the NRL's highest-paid player, just weeks after Dylan Brown was made the game's highest-paid player. Fletcher Sharpe and Bradman Best recently signed big contracts. Newcastle better hope their forward stocks in the juniors are world class.

6. Jye Gray continues to impress at fullback for the Bunnies. He legit made three try saving tackles, in one play, against the Sharks. His head was spinning so quickly that he was called off for a HIA. Surely, there is room for the youngster in the 17 when Latrell Mitchell returns.

7. Canberra were massively outplayed on Sunday evening. Anyone who wants to argue, is wrong. So, of course, Ricky Stuart tripped over himself in excitement, rushing to the press conference to bag the referees. It's tired. No one says the penalty count needs to be equal. Canberra's lack of discipline was the difference, not the referee.

8. I continue to hear talks about the numbers on the back of Braydon Trindall and Nicho Hynes. Who cares? The Sharks look to be playing a very deliberate split system, with both halves controlling the game when needed. Hynes was at first receiver early, then handed over to the hot hand as Trindall kicked the Bunnies off the park. Forget the numbers on their back.

9. Reece Walsh can consider himself lucky to be sitting in the clubhouse this weekend, and probably next, following a horror shoulder charge. Walsh has started the season well below par. Expect a huge performance against the Dolphins on Friday night.

10. Newcastle have been one of the big winners early on. Unfortunately they were a little exposed on Saturday night when their "Ponga magic" game-plan was tested. Ponga, as good as he is, can't run riot every single week. They lacked a Plan B. The bye has come at a perfect time.

11. Last week I stated I'd run with a Payne Haas/Terrell May front row for Origin. I want to throw Lindsay Smith in a a prop off the bench. Add Mitch Barnett and that is a monster middle rotation. Jake Trbojevic, despite being the NSW Captain, is under real pressure to hold onto his spot.

12. Stat attack: The Panthers are yet to win a game in Australia in 2025. Neither are the Dolphins, Cowboys, Eels and Warriors, for different reasons. Is this the first time a team has been 2-1 yet hasn't played in Australia? The Sharks are undefeated in Australia for those wondering.

13. Sunia Turuva continues to shine in new colours. He looks to have been the one to bring the "claws" gesture to the club. The social media team and fans seem to have jumped on it in a big way. The Tigers are flying right now on the back of expansive footy. It's great to see.

14. Is it worth giving Kotoni Staggs a week in QLD Cup prior to his NRL return? The Broncos centres are both playing so well and given Staggs injury history, it may be worth thinking about. I doubt he'll have to return via reserve grade but one of the Broncs centres is going to cop an unfair tap on the shoulder.

15. I made the statement on social media, and I'll back it up here; Blayke Brailey is a top-three hooker in the game right now. See you in the comments.

16. Round Five's clash between the Dragons and Eels is shaping up as a must win for both sides. It also presents both teams with the best opportunity to open their account. The Dragons return from the bye to play the Storm, while the Eels have a trip to Manly ahead. The Cowboys face the Broncos. It doesn't get any easier this weekend of the winless sides.

17. We're about to see what the Panthers system is really about. In the past few seasons they've had Luai to step up in Cleary's absence. Cleary and the Panthers are set to fight his standing down for Thursday night, and if they fail it will be up to their rookie halves.

18. Surely Cherry-Evans can place whatever contract he wants in front of the Manly brass? He's earned it.

19. Addin Fonua-Blake is already proving his value to the Sharks. He has led Cronulla's forward metres, by a long way, across three games and leads the competition in post-contact metres.

20. Hard to believe the Bunnies let Adam Reynolds leave the club due to being too old. You'll have to go a long way to find a fan of the red and green who are committed to the idea of that not being a huge error.