KEY POINTS:
The bar in the NRL entertainment stakes wasn't just hoisted a few notches last weekend - it was sent positively soaring into the stratosphere.
And I'm not just talking about that stunning Warriors-Roosters encounter, which rates as my match of the decade. There was footballing excellence in every match.
I reckon rugby administrators all over the world will be interrupting their rehearsals of the French version of "crouch, hold, pause, touch, engage, collapse (oh bugger)" to thank their lucky stars the NRL will be all over in late September, and not around for comparison with their increasingly poor product.
To describe last weekend's round of NRL football as sensational is an understatement.
Over four days we saw what skill, speed, and athleticism was all about.
The Warriors- Roosters golden point draw was the icing on the cake.
This standard of league has been waiting to happen for a number of weeks. The competition is so close and hard-fought that when one team climbs to a new standard, almost instantly a number of other clubs follow. The bar gets higher - and also more crowded.
Last weekend we saw the product of two young and fearless coaches - former teammates Ivan Cleary and Brad Fittler. Both were outstanding players, cool and clinical. They brought fresh perspectives to how the game could be played. Neither saw too many barriers to showcasing their extraordinary skills.
At the Warriors, Ivan Cleary has gone about his business quietly and methodically. I observed during their flat patch earlier in the season that the Warriors had the ability to drag teams down to their level when they weren't travelling well. Now, remarkably, we're seeing Cleary's Warriors forcing opponents to lift their skill levels just to stay in touch.
Cleary is now getting the best out of his players on a consistent basis - and it's starting to rub off on other teams.
And Fittler has had an immediate impact after taking over from Chris Anderson.
Under Anderson, who looked to have health problems, the Roosters were a shambles.
I always felt Fittler had the ability as a player to keep everything in perspective whether things were going well or not.
Like Cleary, it seems that he has brought this laid-back approach to his coaching.
But coaching is a bit like riding on the back of a tiger. If you fall off, you get eaten. Fittler has managed to hang on for the critical first few weeks.
I had a suspicion the Roosters had a soft underbelly, and they had been performing on emotion for their new coach. But they certainly stepped up on Sunday, even when they looked gone for all money at 30-18 down.
Cleary is a similar character to Fittler. A great bloke who has managed to put coaching, and the pressure of it, in perspective.
He is very competitive but it is not the end of the world if one of his players drops the ball or makes a mistake. His handling of giant winger Manu Vatuvei after the young bloke's shocker against the Eels convinced me of that.
When I look at the recent performances of the Warriors I can't help thinking there's been a definite change within the outfit.
Perhaps it's just a simple change of routine, or the benefit of having more stability in being able to put the same team on the field week by week.
Whatever it is, players are taking more individual responsibility, and seem to be enjoying their football more. Of course that comes from winning, but for the first time in a long while, there's an expectation that the Warriors WILL win each time they take the field.
In this form, the Auckland-based side need not fear any other team in the NRL. Even at 16-0 behind on Sunday, you couldn't escape the feeling that it was only a matter a time before the Warriors opened the floodgates. There was more patience than we've seen before, and consequently fewer errors. No silly penalties. No dumb plays.
There's no doubt that the mild-mannered Cleary is the reason behind what is the most dramatic change in the NRL this year.
Even in the face of some diabolical refereeing Cleary has handled himself with character and class. It is no coincidence his team are now playing with class and style.
Having Steve Price leading the side and playing as though he's at the start of his career is certainly a benefit.
Price appears to ensure that Cleary's plans for each game are followed to the letter.
My guess is that the coach's game plans are very simple. It was critical six or seven weeks ago that to get his players back on track again he had to get into their minds and make them believe in themselves.
Whatever he did, and however he did it, it has worked.
While much of the credit for the season's turnaround should go to the coach and his skipper, the outstanding form of fullback Wade McKinnon has injected a whole new attacking dimension into the Warriors.
Certainly the decision to trade up from Brent Webb has proved to be a touch of genius. I'm sure the Warriors wouldn't swap their number one for any other fullback in the NRL.
Like Price, McKinnon seems to be getting better by the game, and is clearly the form fullback of the NRL. At this rate he must be a front-runner for the test against the Kiwis in Wellington in October.
Nothing gives a coach the warm glow as much as knowing that every time your main strike player gets the ball something could happen.
But one lesson anyone wanting to be a coach should learn is that the most important asset you take into the role is your own personality.
The moment you try and copy someone else you come unstuck.
Players will pick it up straight away. Players want and need the coach to be himself and it is abundantly clear to me the Warriors' players are getting this with Cleary.
Tomorrow night's game against the Titans is another big challenge for the Warriors and shows this competition just does not let up.
The Titans have had a mixed season and are another club with a rookie coach who has a great future.
John Cartwright is doing a good job in his first year but he is well supported by chief executive Michael Searle who must rank as one of the best in the NRL.
Between them they are developing a culture that I believe will deliver success over the coming years.
The Warriors will need to bounce back mentally after such a draining game at Aussie Stadium and if they do they should be too strong for the Titans, who are breathing down their necks three points behind in 10th spot.
They play a fast game and will approach the clash like a semifinal.
The Titans have shown they are prepared to think outside the square in their game plans and it is a change in tactics that could secure them a win against the odds.
