HOW ROUND-24 OF THE NRL PLAYED OUT: * QUOTE OF THE ROUND: "It was probably one of the worst fields I've played on for a while." - Parramatta's Clint Gutherson sums up the embarrassing drainage situation at Allianz Stadium on Friday night, where the $828 million venue turned into a giant swamp for his side's loss to the Roosters. * STAT THAT MATTERS: Some quirky scheduling meant South Sydney hadn't played at Campbelltown Stadium since 1999, before Western Suburbs and Balmain merged to form Wests Tigers.
The Rabbitohs will have wished they never returned after an 18-16 loss to the joint venture on Saturday night. * MAGIC MOMENT: Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow's effort to run down the Foxx, Josh Addo-Carr. The Canterbury flyer looked certain to score when he took the ball out of his own end, only to be sent over the sideline metres from the tryline.
* TALKING POINT: Are Melbourne the new premiership favourites after beating Penrith? Melbourne can have the luxury of resting players in the final three weeks, while there are questions over whether Nathan Cleary will be fully fit and firing for the start of the finals after his shoulder injury. * MAN OF THE ROUND: Valentine Holmes. Was given a bath by Kotoni Staggs last week, announced he was leaving North Queensland for St George Illawarra, then responded by destroying Canberra in the Cowboys' 42-4 trouncing of the Raiders.
* CASUALTY WARD: Panthers - Nathan Cleary (shoulder); Sea Eagles - Tommy Talau (pec), Gordon Chan Kum Tong (shoulder); B.