It was an interesting post-Origin round with the depleted Panthers somehow losing to the lowly Titans, the Warriors winning in Christchurch, the Bulldogs taking a golden point victory over the Sea Eagles and the Roosters firmly putting the Sharks in their place.
Here's whose stocks are up and down after Round 16.
Our footy experts cast their eye over the week's action to find out whose stocks are up -- whether it's a coaching masterstroke or a player having a blinder -- and whose are down.
Brisbane Broncos
BYE
Canberra Raiders
Stocks up: Even on the road against one of the competition's in-form sides, they stayed in the contest for the first 40 minutes and forced Melbourne to earn everything. Their defensive effort kept them within striking distance at times, and there were moments where they looked capable of turning the game into a genuine grind.
Stocks down: Ultimately, they just lacked the polish to capitalise on their opportunities. Against elite sides, you don't get many chances, and the Raiders weren't clinical enough when those moments arrived. The effort was there, but the execution wasn't quite at the level required.
- Isaac Issa
Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs
Stocks up: It was a gritty defensive effort which allowed the Bulldogs to remain in the game long enough to kick the golden point field goal for victory. The Sea Eagles are a very slick attacking unit, and did cross for three tries, but the desperately scrambling Bulldogs defence prevented many more. Connor Tracey stood up to ongoing criticism with a energetic performance.
Stocks down: Can anyone seriously work out what Cameron Ciraldo is doing? Bronson Xerri and exciting halfback prospect Alex Conti sitting on the bench, while Ciraldo rotated forwards without rhyme or reason. On the field, the world's best centre was playing five-eighth, halfback and who knows what other position, with mixed results. Matt Burton no longer kicks the ball and Lachie Galvin looks confused as to what his role is. I guess it worked?
- Darren Arthur
Cronulla Sharks
Stocks up: Blayke Brailey and Nicho Hynes got through the whole game. With a bye next week there were plenty of Sharks fans who were confused as to why either of them were being rushed back, but the Sharks backed their medical staff and while the game didn't go the way they wanted, there's no new setbacks for two of their most-important players.
Stocks down: Discipline was very poor and they were losing their heads by the end of this one when it became clear the result was only going one way. It's been a knock on this team for years now; we can see them turn in their best game of the year one week, and then very little a week later. This competition is very up for grabs in terms of top four spots, but this was a big one to lose.
- Matt Bungard
Dolphins
Stocks up: This was seriously impressive. Missing several stars through Origin and injury, the Dolphins still found a way to make it seven straight wins. Kodi Nikorima stepped up brilliantly, taking control of the game, creating opportunities and reminding everyone of his value to the side. What stood out most was how comfortable they looked despite the players unavailable, this is a team that genuinely believes in its systems right now.
Stocks down: If there's a criticism, it's that they still allowed the Tigers to stay in the game longer than they probably should have. But when it mattered most, they found another gear and pulled away.
- Isaac Issa
Gold Coast Titans
Stocks up: Their best win in a few years; I understand the Panthers were missing some guys, but who cares? They still beat the Warriors with this squad, and had a mountain of possession. Given the sheer amount of ball the Panthers had inside Titans territory, it should have been a far greater margin by half time - this isn't the first time the Gold Coast have shown a bit of defensive steel against a solid opponent, but it was definitely the most impressive.
Stocks down: No negative vibes this week. Enjoy the win Titans fans, and doesn't Zane Harrison look fantastic? The young half is complimenting Jayden Campbell perfectly and they might have something long-term there. Plus, those jerseys look great. As I said on Boom Rookies last week, I don't think anyone would mind if they just became the Chargers full time again.
- Matt Bungard
Manly Sea Eagles
Stock up: The Sea Eagles remain an extremely dangerous team with the ball, and the return of Tom Trbojevic only added another weapon to their arsenal. Luke Brooks had a particularly active game, making and setting up several breaks against the scrambling Bulldogs. Their defence was largely effective, restricting the Bulldogs to just the two tries.
Stocks down: The Sea Eagles really should have won this game, the errant boot of Jamal Fogarty proved extremely costly, as did their handling errors. The Sea Eagles scored three tries to two, but Fogarty missed all three conversions as well as a one-point field goal attempt and a two-point field goal attempt. If Reuben Garrick had the kicking duties, Manly take the two points from this one.
- Darren Arthur
Melbourne Storm
Stocks up: Melbourne reminded everyone why they remain one of the competition's heavyweights, despite their standing on the ladder. With Cameron Munster celebrating his 250th game, the Storm delivered a professional performance, controlling territory, defending their line when Canberra threatened and finding points when opportunities presented themselves. It wasn't flashy, but it was the sort of mature win that good teams produce during the Origin period.
Stocks down: The only frustration was that they never completely put the Raiders away. Canberra hung around long enough to keep the result honest, and Melbourne probably left a few points out there during periods where they had complete control.
- Isaac Issa
Newcastle Knights
Stocks up: Great to see Sandon Smith back - his scheming around the ruck and ability to bring the wide men into play was vital, especially without two of their best players. The Knights still have a dilemma of too many talented players and not enough spots for all of them in the spine positions, but that's a great problem to have.
Stocks down: For the first time this year, we saw that this team can't get to its ceiling without Kalyn Ponga. They've had a couple of good performances without him, sure, but barely scraped home against the team in last and squandered plenty of good ball opportunities. They'll get him and Dylan Lucas back down the stretch and everything should be OK.
- Matt Bungard
New Zealand Warriors
Stocks up: Christchurch got exactly what it wanted. The Warriors were outstanding in a 38-20 win, playing with energy from the opening whistle and feeding off a packed crowd in their first premiership match at the new venue. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad was everywhere, the middle forwards laid the platform, and once they found momentum they never really let North Queensland back into the contest. This looked like a genuine top-four side taking care of business.
Stocks down: There honestly isn't much to complain about. If anything, they'll be disappointed they couldn't completely eliminate a few errors that briefly allowed the Cowboys back into the game, but that's nitpicking after a performance like this.
- Isaac Issa
North Queensland Cowboys
Stocks up: There were patches where North Queensland looked dangerous. Scott Drinkwater had moments, Jake Clifford's kicking game created opportunities and they showed enough attacking spark to suggest they can still trouble good sides when they build pressure.
Stocks down: But, they spent too much of the afternoon reacting rather than dictating. The sin bin to Jason Taumalolo didn't help, injuries again disrupted their flow, and once the Warriors gained confidence the Cowboys struggled to slow the game down. For a side pushing for a finals spot, this was a disappointing step backwards.
- Isaac Issa
Parramatta Eels
BYE
Penrith Panthers
Stocks up: Liam Martin being back and playing well is a classic case of the rich getting richer. Is he doing enough to get back in the frame for Origin? Who knows, but once that period of the year is over they'll be back to firing on all cylinders. Blaize Talagi looked comfortable with a more senior role in the team in the absence of Nathan Cleary, and luckily at one point Dylan Edwards looked to have picked up a knock, but was fine.
Stocks down: I cannot exaggerate just how much ball they had on the Gold Coast line - to only come away with three scores is pretty woeful, but again, a testament to the effort that Josh Hannay's players put in. It's not something I think we need to be concerned about down the line given the absence of the best halfback on earth, but it was still some pretty poor attacking options at times.
- Matt Bungard
St George Illawarra Dragons
Stocks up: When you're in the spot that the Dragons are in, honourable losses aren't the end of the world, especially given that this same Newcastle team towelled them up a few weeks ago. Still, it came down to that final play and that's a brutal way to lose a game when it was so close to being stolen.
Stocks down: The Dragons ran the ball really well and that young forward pack is going in the right direction, but they still struggle to create - most of their points coming off kicks. A solitary linebreak against a Newcastle defence that isn't that flash is nothing to smile about.
- Matt Bungard
South Sydney Rabbitohs
BYE
Sydney Roosters
Stocks up: Aside from the last few minutes, a fantastic first half showing was more than enough to see them hit cruise control after the interval and get to the finish line. The pressure was relentless, they were asking questions of the Sharks in the air and on the ground, and ensured the ball never really went the wrong side of halfway. It was oddly similar to the second half when they played Cronulla in Perth a couple of months ago.
Stocks down: It's going to be such a shame to see Mark Nawaqanitawase leave. I get it, I understand it, and he may well be back - but there's few players in the entire sport that provide the entertainment value that he does at the moment, and he scored another pair of tries late on in this one (and how many wingers score the second one?) to seal the match.
- Matt Bungard
Wests Tigers
Stocks up: There was enough fight here to suggest the Tigers haven't gone away despite their injury toll. Jarome Luai was heavily involved again, creating opportunities and trying to drag his side back into the contest, while the Tigers competed far harder than they did a fortnight earlier against Penrith.
Stocks down: The problem was that they simply couldn't handle the Dolphins once momentum shifted. Injuries continued to pile up, defensive lapses proved costly, and they had no answer when the Dolphins targeted their weakened right edge after halftime. It's now back-to-back losses, and the timing couldn't be worse with the competition tightening.
- Isaac Issa