From the Townsville faithful celebrating their wizard's antics to a Canberra viking clap, we've once again been treated to Finals footy at its very best. Forget the players on the field for a second and just ponder two Finals games being played outside of the NRL's apparent Sydney home, in front of fans who view either team as a huge part of their local community, if not the focal point of their community.

Having a constant wave of high-intensity, closely fought Finals games is enough for me. However, this was a weekend that showcased everything that I currently love about the NRL; led by the growth of the game that means that North Queensland Cowboys and Canberra Raiders are both among the NRL's upper echelon, drawing in big crowds and delivering entertainment by the truckload. The fans up in Townsville and then Canberra contributed to either game being the spectacle it was, when you put quality footballers in front of their beloved fans, you get the goods served up on a platter.

If you put Johnathan Thurston in extra-time, in front of his beloved Townsville fans, he'll deliver. I mean, it just feels like a certainty don't it? Benji Marshall's flick pass in the '05 Grand Final is and always be monumental, as will Thurston's droppie from last year's GF (the wobbly bugger) but Thurston's play in extra-time of the Cowboys' win over Brisbane is in a similar bracket. The only thing hold it back is that it wasn't in a GF, other than that, this play caused me to lose the plot.

As a few good judges have noted though, it started with our man Jason Taumalolo. Taumalolo had a tumultuous week with the egg-throwing stuff and all, then being judged the best player in the game by those who matter the most and Taumalolo laid the platform as he has done all season for Thurston's wizardry. Neither Taumalolo or Thurston are from Townsville, heck, they aren't even from North Queensland but they might as well be. Thurston's greatness means he is Townsville, while Taumalolo was snapped up from South Auckland by the Cowboys as a teenager and has basically grown to be a man in Townsville.

Taumalolo was kept quiet last week by Melbourne; 8 carries, 85m, 41 tackles in 49 minutes.

Against the Broncos, Taumalolo played like Jason Taumalolo and that in itself is borderline amazing. There aren't too many NRL forwards right now who can say that they have had a similar influence in how a position is played to Taumalolo, as Taumalolo wears the No.13 jersey and combines the speed and footwork of fullback with the size and power of a prop. Taumalolo doesn't run straight, submitting in a tackle or fall on his belly for a quick play-the-ball. Taumalolo sprints in behind the ruck, he might break an ankle while he's at it and then with two blokes on his back, he walks another 5m down the field.

Taumalolo was his usual beastly self this week against Brisbane; 23 carries, 251m, 11 tackle busts, 28 tackles in 75 minutes. 

Taumalolo set up the play for Thurston with a stereotypical Jason Taumalolo carry, then Thurston picked out his man in the Brisbane defensive line. Sam Thaiday and Thurston are Queensland, Australian and Indigenous comrades, yet Thurston picked out an exhausted Thaiday and skipped to his outside, put a fend on his chest and then delivered a flick-o-da-wrist.

Michael Morgan, the kid from Townsville who cut back in-field purely off of instinct then scored the winning try. 

At this stage of the game, Thurston is sticking out like a sore thumb as his signature competitive spirit oozed from his body and he's the sort of player who could be too good for many players on his own team. Morgan wouldn't have known what was going to happen when Thurston got the footy; Thurston sparked something and Morgan reacted. That sums up where we are at with the Cowboys as they have the game's best players and fantastic role-players, who are all on the same page of this weird NRL book.

Watching this game through a kiwi lens, also meant that any time I saw that black headgear appear, I perked up. Kalyn Ponga made his NRL debut in the midst of all of this, which is freaky enough and it was hyped up as a 'huge gamble' by Cowboys coach Paul Green, however Ponga showed why we've been waiting to see him in this arena for so long ... despite him only being 18-years-old (and now we wait to see where he'll go next - stay with the Cowboys bro).
Ponga isn't overly big, he's not built like Kyle Feldt or Corey Oates. Ponga's a fullback; a slippery bugger who has the sort of low key power that reminds me of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

This meant that Ponga was often carting the ball into a grizzly pack of Broncos defenders who were out for the blood of a debutant, not that Ponga cared. We caught a glimpse of his running ability as he whacked multiple defenders off his left foot, however his willingness to take tough carry after tough carry was what impressed me the most. 16 carries folks, 16 carries and 162m with 5 tackle busts on debut. 

I've definitely had a soft spot for Penrith - there was something about that viking clap though. The viking clap wasn't rewarded with a win last week and from a neutral perch, I wanted to see the Raiders fans enjoy a Finals victory. A brutal Raiders team ensured that this would happen and when this Raiders team is at full-strength - with Josh Hodgson and Blake Austin in their spine - they have pretty much every base covered.

Much has been made about the Raiders recruits who have moved to Canberra to be part of the Raiders resurgence under Ricky Stuart. Those recruits were fantastic once again last night with Hodgson and Austin doing what they do helped by halfback Aidan Sezer steering the team admirably, Junior Paulo running for 143m off just 13 carries, Elliot Whitehead playing his own role (17 carries/122m) in the most dangerous right edge in the NRL alongside Joey Leilua (14 carries, 110m, 1 try assist, 6 tackle busts, 3 offloads) and Joseph Tapine came off the bench once again to bring the ruckus with 105m off 11 carries via 3 tackle busts.

Much is made about the Raiders recruitment, in part because of the players that have left Canberra. Josh Papalii is a prime example of the Raiders wise links with Souths Logan up in Queensland, as he is a Logan junior who is now part of the Canberra fabric (like Taumalolo now being part of Townsville's fabric) and he's playing as if he bleeds lime green. Papalii has been a beast all season and 2016 has unquestionably been his best season - headlined by his absence from Queensland's team in the loss to New South Wales - and delivered what must be considered a fairly standard display of power; 16 carries, 151m, 2 tackle busts, 3 offloads. 

Papalii has come through the Raiders system, as has Jack Wighton and Wighton is blossoming nicely into a lethal fullback. The Raiders have size/power through the middle and then out on the edges via Papalii and Whitehead, Wighton is the icing on the cake though as he's big enough to offer a similar dose of go-forward, yet he's got the speed and skill of a top-tier fullback (15 carries, 153m, 2 tackle busts, 1 line break).

Wighton has been on the scene for a few years now, which has come with confusion around which poisition best suits him; he's a fullback and he's going to be the Raiders fullback for a long time (where he plays his rep footy is a different question). In Wighton and obviously Jarrod Croker, the Raiders have two blokes who are the Canberra Raiders, throw Papalii into the mix and there's a core group of Raiders who have stuck with the Raiders through thick and thin. I get goosebumps watching the Canberra crowd celebrate their team with the viking clap/general shenanigans and while they are in this position thanks to recruits and shrewd pieces of business, they have some pure-breds in their holding it down.

We've been treated, our bellies are full for now. Immense pressure, freakish skill, big body contact and adoring fans expressing their love. I'll never be full of that, but ya know, gluttony is a sin and all. Jah bless.