Another week of NRL team lists are in, with the Newcastle Knights and Canberra Raiders big shake-ups headlining the news to come out of Round 9 changes.
Key names for both sides have been dropped, while injuries and suspensions have caused chaos in other sides.
Two Penrith stars are also nearing their return, while Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow's selection is going to be one to monitor in the coming weeks.
Here are all the biggest talking points out of the Round 9 team lists.
Adam O'Brien pulls out drastic measure in last-ditch effort to save season
Newcastle Knights coach Adam O'Brien has sent a bomb through his squad on Tuesday afternoon, with Phoenix Crossland and Adam Clune both missing for the trip to face the Cowboys in Townsville.
The Knights had won two straight to start the season, but have gone on a six-match losing streak since, and have failed to score a try in the last fortnight.
O'Brien had to change something, and while Adam Clune was expected to be left out as he continues to battle with a knee problem, O'Brien has shown the full hand of cards by dropping Clifford, who was hooked during the mauling at the hands of the Storm last week.
Instead, Tex Hoy will join Phoenix Crossland in the halves, with Simi Sasagi overlooked for a move from the centres where he had been given a bath by Justin Olam last weekend while playing out of position.
Sasagi had previously been coming from the bench, but there isn't even room for that this week, with the young gun dropped out of the 17, while Dominic Young and Lachlan Fitzgibbon have been rushed back into the side.
Leo Thompson also comes in at lock, with the side desperate to turn things around.
O'Brien has shown his hand, and the Knights desperately need their wholesale changes to stick.
Ricky's sweeping changes in backline make no sense
The backline selections in the nation's capital have become a game of hokey-pokey more than picking the team.
You could just imagine it now.
"You stick your Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad in, take your Xavier Savage out, put your Xavier Savage back in, take Nicoll-Klokstad back out, return Jarrod Croker to the centres, stick Jordan Rapana at fullback, then move him back to the wing, put your Nicoll-Klokstad back at fullback and shake it all about."
And yes, they aren't strictly speaking anywhere near the lyrics, but that's also about how much sense Ricky Stuart's team selections are currently making.
The Raiders have been terrible in second halves, don't get me wrong. This is a club who, in their six losses, have scored just eight second half points.
The problem could not be more obvious, and yet, Stuart doesn't quite seem to understand that most of it is down to his horrid bench rotations, combined with a pack of forwards who just aren't up to the mark in terms of both play style, speed and fitness.
Just about every team is blowing the Raiders off the park in the second halves, and making a stack of backline changes while rumbling out the exact same forward pack - albeit with Elliott Whitehead back - is unlikely to change much.
They are playing the Bulldogs this week, and while Canterbury are coming off a win, the green machine simply have to win, and have a dominant second half.
Ricky Stuart's job might be on the chopping block next if they don't.
Brown finally back to halves as Opacic returns
Dylan Brown is back into the halves after two weeks of playing in the centres.
The first performance out wide may not have impacted the Eels a great deal, but the next one certainly did, with Brown struggling in his adopted position, and Jakob Arthur making a meal of playing in the halves as the Eels were trounced in a 31-point loss to the Cowboys in Darwin.
Arthur's lack of polish has seen him dropped all the way out of the side, falling behind Bryce Cartwright in the pecking order for a spot on the bench, while Brown moves back to his regular spot at five-eighth.
It was a move which was almost forced, to trial Brown at centre given the unbelievable injury toll on Parramatta, however, it's a move which should never be repeated unless it's the last possible option.
Parramatta could easily have trialed Ryan Matterson or Bryce Cartwright out wide, and if it ever comes to it again, should do so before shifting Brown away from the spot where he was setting the NRL on fire.
Eels fans will now be crossing their fingers that the star five-eighth can regain his early-season form.
Harper on the outer as Trbojevic party rolls at Manly
Three Trbojevic brothers will be in the starting side for Manly on Saturday afternoon as Des Hasler's side get set to do battle with a rejuvenated Sea Eagles outfit.
Ben Trbojevic's first NRL start - after playing a handful of times from the bench - comes on the back of an excellent performance off the pine last week when he was forced to replace the now injured Brad Parker.
With Parker out for at least four weeks, but likely a whole lot longer, and the youngest Trbojevic brother seemingly now overtaking Morgan Harper in the line up for a spot in the centres, he could have a long and significant chance to make the spot his own.
Ben Trbojevic has often been described as better than his brothers at the same age, and a decent stint of becoming accustomed to the NRL will be intriguing to follow in the coming weeks.
Jason Saab's spot in the side could also depend on the form of Christian Tuipulotu over the next couple of weeks, with the young duo having a chance to force Hasler's hand into long-term change.
Kevin Proctor's selection should face heavy criticism
What has Titans head coach Justin Holbrook seen in Kevin Proctor this season so far that the masses haven't?
There was almost a universal eye roll among league fans, and more specifically Titans fans, last week when Holbrook elected to start Kevin Proctor in the second row ahead of David Fifita.
Fifita, who came from the bench, has now injured himself and will miss four weeks, seemingly giving Holbrook the right to go ahead and name Proctor to start again.
But it just makes absolutely no sense.
From the three penalties he gave away in the opening ten minutes of the shellacking at the hands of the Cowboys, to the struggle for metres, Proctor has been a shell of his former self this year, and it's a trend which has followed his performance slope over the past couple of years on the Gold Coast.
Proctor, the former Titans captain, reached a new all-time low last week, running just four metres and carrying the ball once despite playing for 45 minutes.
It doesn't matter which way you spin it, that's a droppable offence - not one which should see you remain in the starting side ahead of the likes of Sam McIntyre.
At this point, the Titans would be better off shiting Isaac Liu or Tino Fa'asuamaleaui out to the edge than continuing to persist with Proctor.
No room for Moale as Demetriou sticks with balanced bench
Davvy Moale is something of a surprise omission from South Sydney's side to take on the Brisbane Broncos as Jason Demetriou sticks to playing a back - Jaxson Paulo - from the bench.
Maybe even more surprising is that the back isn't Isaiah Tass, who has been maintained in the starting side ahead of Taane Milne, who gave up his spot with a suspension last week.
Paulo played a grand total of zero minutes from the bench last week.
Not deterred though, Demetriou has stuck with the status quo, instead, dropping Moale to accommodate the return of Liam Knight, which makes next to no sense.
Knight is solid, but Moale is the future of the club.
A decision worth monitoring in the weeks to come.
Penrith duo near return
The Penrith Panthers have named Moses Leota and Brian To'o amongst their reserves, meaning the duo are both an outside chance of playing on Friday evening in the battle for Western Sydney against the Parramatta Eels.
Both players have been out with long-term injuries, while the Panthers have gone about their business, winning eight straight games to start the season.
The fact they have done it without two of their grand final heroes from last year is quite the story.
To'o, who is the game's most important winger, could well slot in for Charlie Staines if he is ruled fit, while the return of Leota could see Matt Eisenhuth move back to the bench and leave no room in the team for Jaeman Salmon.
Another sub-plot to watch though is the fact that neither Taylan May or Stephen Crichton trained on Monday. Robert Jennings could be in line for a call up if they don't recover in time.
No room for the Hammer in Cowboys 13
Intriguingly, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow will play from the bench again this week.
All signs had been pointing to him talking the spot on Peta Hiku, who was replaced by the Hammer last week.
But that hasn't happened, with all five of last week's backline - Scott Drinkwater, Murray Taulagi, Kyle Feldt, Hiku and Valentine Holmes - keeping their spots.
It means Tabuai-Fidow will once again be used as something of a super-sub off the bench, and against the Knights, who are struggling horrendously, there is no reason he won't have similar impact.
Still, one to watch in the coming weeks.
