In various states of the foetal position, it’s what’s being whispered to calm the nerves up and down the eastern seaboard – most urgently, most anxiously repeated among the Eels, Titans and Broncos masses.

And louder still among neutrals, all those who remember the 2021 season of blowouts and set restarts that prompted a dialling back of rules and an unofficial asterisk attached to the try and points-scoring records of the day.

And rugby league typically finds itself in this position most opening weeks of a season – as players, coaches and especially fans wrestle with the newest rule or “interpretation”.

More penalties are blown, more mistakes are made and the pendulum swing is greater between lopsided contests and upset wins.

After a reasonably sound start in Las Vegas (the Dragons’ understandable gripes about a 9-3 penalty count and contentious calls aside), the NRL’s expanded deployment of set restarts took hold.

In 2025, an average of 5.9 set restarts and 10.7 penalties were blown each game.

© Brisbane Times