Three of six games last weekend were genuine blow-outs, decided by more than 30 points.

A couple were inflicted by the outstanding Roosters and Broncos teams, while the battling Raiders put 56 points on the Bulldogs, who scored 24 of their own.

Those scorelines tell me that fatigue is affecting some sides and their ability to defend. And they speak to something else, which is a far bigger issue.

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We don’t have full-time athletes yet, for the most part, and therefore recovery is not an even playing field in the NRLW competition.

Some of our elite players who are on better contracts, their in-season recovery would be virtually the same as the men’s NRL players. They get decent sleep, they get ice, massage and physio at the right times.

Others are going to work. Some are on their feet all day in physical jobs and others have emotionally draining occupations.

Many of those elite players, who also got an earlier start to the season with the State of Origin series, are at the most successful, best resourced clubs. More players at those clubs have the chance to train and recover to professional standards.

Look at the Roosters, the competition leaders. Stacks of marquee players, as a Sydney club they don’t have to fly so much – and they’re five wins clear of the teams on the fringes of the finals spots, after just eight games. There’s every chance they go undefeated not just through the regular season, but as back-to-back premiers.

But even then, there’s girls at the strong clubs who just have a different existence to their star teammates. The NRLW’s minimum wage this season is $41,800.

The only answer? Universal full-time professionalism, but until then, inequality is an issue that can’t help but impact the quality of the competition.

ROLLICKING RAIDERS

Where have the Raiders been? And where have the Bulldogs gone? That 56-24 result at Belmore was amazing on both sides of the ledger.

Players like Zahara Temara and Simaima Taufa have been consistent performers all season for Canberra but this was the game where all their teammates stood up and played to their potential.

Should they beat Wests Tigers on Saturday, it should be enough to avoid the wooden spoon and at least walk away from this season with something to build on.

The Bulldogs were on the wrong side of a game that produced 80 points in just 70 minutes. To the above point, this is a new team without any huge stars and plenty of players who came up from the Harvey Norman Women’s Premiership, so perhaps fatigue is playing a factor in a winless run of six games that’s followed two wins to start the season.

TIMELY TITANS

Gold Coast have entered the top six at the right time, though they’ll have to do some work to stay there. With games against the Eels, Knights and Raiders remaining, the Titans should have at least two more wins if they’re serious about playing finals.

Lailani Montgomery looks good at fullback for them, Taliah Fuimaono has been in nice form at five-eighth, while young centre Phoenix Raine-Hippi looks more at home with every involvement in the NRLW and scored an exciting opening try on the weekend in a 22-4 win.

Georgia Grey can’t stop scoring tries, bagging a hat-trick to sit equal-fifth on the tryscorer charts this season with seven from eight games. The Titans just kept going back to her through ‘Fui’.

Meanwhile, the Dragons just never seem to get out of the blocks. They couldn’t find any rhythm or exploit their backline speed and Teagan Berry was kept at bay, which is a big feather in the cap for Gold Coast given she’s a genuine match-winner.

TERRIFYING TRICOLOURS

Another convincing win from the Roosters was no surprise but the half-time score of 12-all was, as they took on the Eels. The competition leaders looked as under-pressure as we’ve seen them all season … right up until they scored 44 unanswered points in 35 minutes in the second half.

Even gun players like Isabelle Kelly were well contained in the first half, but then, BOOM. Whatever the half-time message was that coach John Strange delivered, it worked!

With a hat-trick to Taina Naividi, plus doubles to Tarryn Aiken and Jess Sergis, it was just another dominant performance once the Roosters flicked the switch. Unlike the start of the season, where the Roosters opened games strongly then sometimes didn’t finish sides off, they’ve delivered outstanding second halves in the past two weeks.

It’s frightening to think that they still have the potential to put together their best efforts from both halves. We likely haven’t seen them at their best yet.

BOOMING BRONCOS

It almost felt personal, the way the Knights targeted Tamika Upton in the first 20 minutes against the Broncos. They smashed their former fullback – which certainly isn’t a new tactic, but this was next level and there really seemed to be feeling behind it.

But good luck stopping Tamika, who still came out with a try and 172 run metres. This game was 2 v 3 on the ladder, so I was hoping it would be closer than the 46-16 scoreline we ended up with, albeit from a close 18-16 half-time score.

Georgia Roche was good again in the Newcastle halves alongside Jesse Southwell but the Broncos’ capacity to remain unfazed under early pressure again shone through. They can just weather the storm and find another gear.

And here’s something that’s crazy to think about. If the rumours are true and Jesse ends up with the Broncos, just imagine how lopsided the next contest between these two sides would be.

I stand by what I wrote last week: that the Queenslander in me would love to see Southwell playing for the Broncos and helping them to further success. But at the same time, for the sake of the competition, I don’t want to see Brisbane suddenly putting 60 points on strong clubs like Newcastle.

STRONG SHARKS

The Warriors continue to challenge every team they face and compete until the end of the game, as they did in a 22-14 loss to Cronulla. Playing the Dragons this Saturday, they should be confident that their top-six hopes are still alive despite having slid to seventh.

The Broncos and Tigers are their other remaining opponents, so they should back themselves to win two from three and put pressure on the Titans, who are just one point ahead of them. Getting Apii Nichols and Patricia Maliepo back on the weekend was a big plus.

The Sharks were tested early by New Zealand and showed excellent composure under pressure. It’s an encouraging sign for the Sharks that they seem to be building momentum and finding the form that got them into the grand final last year.

Emma Verran showed her class for Cronulla with a try in each half down in Hamilton. And a shoutout to Jada Taylor, who returned after a year out with a serious knee injury at a great time in the season for Cronulla, giving them extra class and depth.

This is still a team with some serious players, so we can’t write off the Sharks.

COWBOYS COUP

Wests Tigers played so well and showed such great improvement in this game. Honestly, they may have lost 60-0 earlier in the season against a Cowboys team travelling this well, so 30-8 with a halftime score of 12-8 was credible.

The Tigers still have a chance to avoid the wooden spoon if they can knock off Canberra on Saturday and keep their points differential above the Raiders by scoring some more points. That will be a massive game for both clubs at GIO Stadium; no one ever wants the spoon.

Sitting third with a 6-2 record, the Cowboys are now sure things to make their first NRLW finals appearance, which is a brilliant achievement for the club. And their big players are lifting at the right time.

Kirra Dibb seemed to lift really significantly in the second half against the Tigers after scoring in the opening term, while Mackenzie Weale was a welcome return and provided the expected physicality up front and presence in defence. Emma Manzelmann was precise once again with her decision-making to run at dummy-half and bagged the opening try, while Jakiya Whitfield got her side’s final four-pointer.

No doubt it’s a tough end to the season for North Queensland, with both the Roosters and Broncos looming in their final three games; but what it might at least do is give them tough games at the right time of year, so even if they lose they at least know exactly what’s required in the finals.