One down, 24 to go.

The first eight games of the 2021 NRL season didn't just provide us with our initial set of winners and losers, it raised another series of questions.

With each of the league's 16 teams set to do battle again this weekend, we attempted to answer the major issues facing their playing lists and coaches alike.

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St George Illawarra Dragons

Which poor soul is tasked with marking Jason Taumalolo?

A quick scan of this week's team sheets will show you the unlucky man is 24-year-old Tyrell Fuimaono.

At 186 centimetres and 99 kilograms, the Penrith born Dragon is well and truly outsized by the Tongan international, with Taumalolo standing at 191 cms and tipping the scales and a gargantuan 117 kgs.

Now it could be argued that these measurements are merely semantics, but if that is your contention, how safe would you feel with the Cowboys' lock bearing down on you? Especially after his coach has already lit a fire beneath him.

St. George remain both rank outsiders in this contest and hot favourites to claim the spoon this season, so it is not just this aforementioned miss match that has them behind the eight ball, but it certainly doesn't help their cause.

Fuimaono will be desperate for help if Taumalolo runs straight for the full 80-minutes in Townsville, so the onus is on veteran forwards Paul Vaughn, Trent Merrin and Tariq Sims to get their hands dirty as well.

If the Dragons produce another bruise free performance on defence, walk off the park with spotless white jerseys and allow Taumalolo to run rampant, you can be sure that Anthony Griffen will be cursing his opposite number for firing up his star forward.

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