2021 has been an incredible season.
Whichever way you fall on the new rules, one thing can't be argued - we've seen a mountain of points and as a result, entertainment across 22 rounds.
There are some major positives, and honestly just as many flaws, but all in all I believe we'll all look back at 2021 as being one of great fun.
Three Manly players, wearing jerseys one, two and three in fact, sit on 19, 20 and 20 tries respectively. Alex Johnston sits on 24 tries despite missing recent games due to injury.
Prior to Johnston's recent injury he was well on track to cross for 30 or more tries. Sitting on 24 in just 17 games, there's a very real chance the Souths winger could have smashed through the 30 barrier.
Considering no one has scored more than 30 tries since 1954, we're talking historic stats here.
The try-scoring record of 38 set all the way back in 1935 might have been a little bit of a stretch, however, if the Bunnies went deep into the finals, who's to say Johnston wouldn't have scored 14 more tries in the upcoming ten or so games.
Rueben Garrick's 268 points puts him just 27 points behind Hazem El Masri's superstar effort of 294 in 2004.
He needs just 32 points to become the first player to ever score 300 points individually across a regular season.
Given Manly's ability to belt sides silly and with two seemingly easy opportunities to continue to build upon their record of half-century-plus scores, I'm backing the Sea Eagles' winger.
The Storm's 743 points scored dwarfs their 631 points in 2019. This despite Melbourne winning the minor premiership across 25 games.
Records are tumbling en masse.
Simply put, the 2021 NRL season looks a lot like the controversial "super suit" era in the swimming.
For those who don't remember the super suit era, back in 2008 and 2009, world records fell routinely to swimmers who had never previously threatened said records.
In the year 2009, a ridiculous 147 world records were broken in super suits. 43 were set in one meet, the 2009 World Championships.
Every time class swimmers jumped into the pool they were threatening or breaking records.
The era is unfortunately not looked upon fondly by fans of the sport. At one time the constant records being not only beaten but smashed threatened to ruin competitive swimming.
2021's record season looks as though it may be the start of its very own Super Suit era.
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Before the massive pile on in the comments, I'm mainly in favour of the faster game brought upon by the new rules.
Results will settle next year or in 2023 as teams recruit, train and suit there game to the faster paced environment.
Forwards will train their bodies to be leaner and I'd suspect we'll see faster, fitter forwards emerge in the near future.
As it sits now, Cody Walker is sitting on 31 try assists. Tom Trbojevic has 25 despite only playing 13 games. He's averaging almost two per game.
Last season I thought Shaun Johnson's 23 in his 16 games was downright ridiculous. Turbo has more in three less games already this year.
In 2019 Mitch Moses set up 24 tries in 24 games.
If Walker continues his insane level of form there's every opportunity we're looking at 40 try assists before grand final day.
Walker would be a superstar in any era and under any set of rules. That said, the faster, more open game completely suits his game to a tee.
Not for a second am I suggesting Walker's try assist record should be in any way discounted. He's the main reason the Bunnies are playing so well.
However, not for a second am I suggesting that Walker would have set up 31 or more tries in 2016 either in a different environment.
The faster rules certainly have provided far greater opportunities, however, it's not the only factor.
The recent crackdown of high tackles has provided more opportunities for playmakers to take advantage of overlaps due to sin bins and send offs.
Covid has created a bubble environment that limits players' fitness when called upon.
With the New South Wales and Queensland Cups having played minimally across two seasons, it takes longer for fringe players to come in and hit the ground running.
Everything spun in together creates a perfect storm for point-scoring that we've never seen previously.
That environment is the NRL's super suit.
Whereas 2020 was largely a write off considering the shorter season, messed up fixtures and the mid-season break, 2021 will be remembered as a record-breaking season.
Hopefully far more positively than the super suits era.
