STORM SCORING SPREE SETS ALL-TIME RECORD
It's official - Craig Bellamy's Purple People have made the best start to a season, attacking-wise, in rugby league history.
Not since the game began in Australia in 1908 has a team smashed the 500-point barrier after 15 rounds.
The Storm achieved the milestone in their romp over the Tigers and have now notched 538 points after 15 rounds - a stunning average of more than 35 points per game.
The next best team after 15 rounds was St George in 1959 - in the middle of their remarkable run of 11 straight titles - but they are way back on 480 points.
The only teams in the modern era to top 450 points after 15 rounds are the 2002 Warriors (460) and this year's Panthers (456).
While the Panthers have been superb all season, there is no doubt that the Storm is the team they all fear - especially after their scary demolition job on the hapless Tigers.
EELS' BEST BUY BUSTING TACKLES EVERYWHERE
Has there been a better buy this season than Isaiah Papali'i at the Eels?
Papali'i had four fair seasons at the Warriors before crossing the ditch over the summer and has really stepped up, playing superbly game-in, game-out for Brad Arthur.
Last week, the hard-running back-rower produced 11 tackle busts - a record for the Eels in the NRL era.
Just to show it was no fluke, the Auckland-born 22-year-old repeated the effort in the win over the Bulldogs on Sunday.
BRONCOS HELP BUNNIES TO POST-WAR FIRST
The bumbling Broncos keep setting unwanted records - and were at it again in the 46-0 thrashing by Souths on Thursday night.
The scoreline gave Souths their second win to nil in a season for the first time since way back in 1939 - the year World War II began!
That season, the Rabbitohs beat Easts 12-0 and Norths 53-0 before the world went to war.
It's taken more than 80 years for the Rabbitohs to repeat the effort, downing Canterbury 38-0 in round four before shutting out the hapless Broncos.
FIT PANTHERS POUNDING RIVALS INTO DUST
There are so many ingredients to Penrith's stunning run of success - class, speed, confidence, enthusiasm and power to name just a few.
But one that is over-looked is one of the game's real basics: fitness.
Remarkably, the Panthers have lost just one second half all season - when they were without their eight best players due to Origin and suspension against the Tigers.
The game is faster than ever - but as rival teams run out of gas in the second half, the Panthers thrive, often racking up big scores.
The injury-ravaged Roosters did well to lead Penrith 12-0 early - but were steamrolled 38-12 when the final siren rang.
That is the challenge to rival clubs in coming weeks - to not only match the Panthers early but go the distance with them.
SHARKS FIND KILLER INSTINCT UNDER HANNAY
It wasn't that long ago that Cronulla were renowned for not being able to shut down close games in the vital dying stages.
But that's all changed in the past month, as fill-in coach Josh Hannay has the Sharks on track for an unlikely finals berth.
The Sharks have won four straight games - and two of those have been by one point and another by two points.
Cronulla showed cool heads to hold off a fast finishing Cowboys team in Townsville on Friday night, edging home 26-24 in a vital game.
HUMILIATED TIGERS HIT THE BLOCK BUTTON
Wests Tigers fans were so disgusted by their team's tackle-shy effort against the Storm that the club took the drastic measure of blocking replies to their full-time Twitter post with the final score.
But that didn't stop Tigers fans venting their frustration on their own accounts at probably the club's lowest point in the past few years as they slumped to an embarrassing 66-16 loss.
Many Tigers fans called for heads to roll after the Storm beat the clock for much of the first half and only took the foot off the accelerator in the second half, saving the Tigers from even further embarrassment.
Super coach Tim Sheens has a massive job restoring harmony at the out-of-sorts Tigers when he arrives in a couple of weeks.
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from WWOS https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/mole-hits-misses-melbourne-storm-point-scoring-record-parramatta-eels-isaiah-papalii/ba45ae18-fbf8-407c-a872-798aa8288ad7
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