After another big weekend of sport in the Illawarra and further abroad, here are five things we learned.
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You Blue-ty!
As we're based deep in Blues heartland, where else would we start?
After a tense, tight opening half, an eight-minute scoring blitz during the second half - where NSW dived over for three tries - led Brad Fittler's men to a comprehensive 44-12 victory in Perth.
Nathan Cleary was the architect with two tries, two assists and two line breaks, also nailing seven conversions to finish with a personal tally of 24 points. Debutant Matt Burton, James Tedesco and Jake Trbojevic were also among the shining lights for the winners.
In terms of an Illawarra representation, Ben Hunt was the sole player on show from the Red V, with the veteran putting in a typical gritty performance for Queensland.
The win keeps the series alive - who else can't wait for Game III in Brisbane?
Butchers hold on... just
Sticking with the rugby league theme, Thirroul notched up their best win of the Illawarra League, but boy was there was nervous moments for fans.
The Butchers hung on by the skin of their teeth after Wests fell just short of an epic comeback at Parrish Park on Saturday. The visitors had jumped out to a commanding 26-6 with 22 minutes to play before the Devils came home with a wet sail, eventually falling just short by 26-24.
Stand-in skipper Ryan Fletcher was a relieved man after the game.
"You're always glad to get a win over Wests at [their] home. I think all we took from our last game against them was that we couldn't play any worse to be honest," he said.
"We knew we had a job to do coming in undermanned or whatever it was but I was just glad to get the two points."
Starting on the right foot
How easy is this coaching gig, right?
Less than 48 hours after taking over the reins, Craig Thompson's time as Corrimal head coach started in ideal fashion on Saturday with the Rangers claiming a 3-1 win over Bellambi in the Illawarra Premier League.
Afterwards, Thompson himself admitted to yours truly that he was still learning all of the players names, but he was relieved the side could secure a much-needed victory. It was a crucial result too, with Corrimal adding some breathing between themselves and the Rosellas and last-placed South Coast United, who remain etched in a battle to avoid relegation in 2022.
"It's my first week in the job and I'm still getting to know the characters, but they're a good bunch of players. It was a good win but we should probably win at Bellambi," Thompson said.
"But they're a good bunch. We've just got to put our heads down and have a crack."
Kangaroos hop on
There hasn't been much for Kangaroos AFL fans to cheer about this year, but it's a far different story for their namesakes in the local South Coast competition.
They were challenged early on Saturday, but Figtree remain undefeated in 2022 after securing a 39-point win over Northern Districts at Hollymount Park.
After holding a slender lead at quarter-time, the visitors surged ahead with seven unanswered goals to set up the 12.8 (80) to 6.5 (41) win to strengthen their hold on top of the Men's Premier Division ladder.
"It was a tough game for our guys. They played well-structured football and moved the ball really well when we let them," Figtree coach Michael Coleman said.
"From outside the club, you look at the undefeated stuff and it looks good. But from inside, we just move into every game and the boys are stepping up when they need to."
Ouch, that hurts!
Finally, it's sad to wrap up our debut segment on a sour note, but we have to mention the Matildas' thumping 7-0 loss to Spain in the early hours of Sunday (AEDT).
While it was only an international friendly, it is worrying signs for Tony Gustavsson's side, with the Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand just 12 months away.
A host of stars were rested, including skipper Sam Kerr, Alanna Kennedy and the Illawarra's own Caitlin Foord, as Matildas fans were given a glimpse of some future Aussie stars.
One of those young guns looking to impress is Figtree's Mackenzie Hawkesby. The Sydney FC star is part of the Australian squad in Europe, however, the 22-year-old wasn't given an opportunity during Sunday's defeat.
All of us in the Illawarra hope she gets a run when the Matildas return to the field to tackle Portugal on Wednesday.