Fremantle sit on top of the AFL ladder at 11-1 on a club-record winning streak. The numbers behind it - a revamped attack and the league's stingiest defence - make the Dockers a genuine premiership contender for the first time in a decade.
There is no Argentina or France in Australia's group this time. With an expanded format and three beatable opponents, the Socceroos' draw is as open as it gets — but a squad carrying 17 World Cup debutants and questions over depth has to take the chance.
NSW's 22-20 win was the greatest comeback in State of Origin history — but it turned on a 58th-minute send-off that carried no suspension, and on Queensland's own bench errors. The series is far more open than 1-0 suggests.
