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Pandemics, lockdowns and 15 NRL rivals certainly can't.

With a 16th straight triumph over a badly depleted Penrith outfit – their nearest competition in 2021 to date – Melbourne bested their own club record, and have drawn within striking distance of the Roosters' all-time 19 consecutive wins in 1975.

Craig Bellamy remembers that run well, as a St George fan whose sister was married the same grand final day the Dragons were drubbed 38-0.

Melbourne announced on Friday they have locked him into a three-year contract extension.

He was already under contract until the end of next season so he will stay at the Storm at least until the end of 2025 after inking this new deal.

Back in sky-blue and sky high after NSW's record 50-6 Townsville trouncing of Queensland, Mitchell made a few more things clear in the aftermath of a rousing Origin return, a few more headlines for the road.

"I'm not satisfied, the job's not done yet."

Fair point. For a man blessed with such audacious ability, hanging your hat on one 80-minute Origin blitz after two years absent would be one hell of a waste.

Latrell Mitchell's drop-punt might have sailed through the posts, might have swung just to the left.

Hard to tell in the dazzling early morning eastern suburbs sunlight. Hard to miss the 1000-watt smile flashed afterwards though.

Mitchell is back in NSW camp.

Shades of that sky-blue, Viv Richards with a Steeden swagger, are back too, balanced with an appreciation for the finer things in rugby league and life.

Did he miss it?

"Most definitely, everyone does," says coach Brad Fittler.

With the NRL already indicating the recent crackdown on dangerous contact won't be put aside for Origin, Annesley used his weekly football briefing to both provide stats that show the message is in fact getting through to players, and also ask that players do the right thing and not play for penalties.

"This is one of the genuine games of sport," Annesley said, with a thinly veiled swipe at sports like soccer where players notoriously feign injury looking for penalties.

Like his father Justin and other male family members, Yeo has a tattoo with the name of his late uncle Gerard and the date of the Bali bombing on October 12, 2002 in honour of the then 20 year-old, who was one of six Coogee Dolphins players killed in the terror attack.

Yet it is also a reminder for the Penrith co-captain of how far the Yeo family’s rugby league roots extend and the support they received in Dubbo, where Isaah is considered the "perfect role model" for aspiring juniors because of the sacrifices he made to achieve his NRL dream.

An emotional Morris hung up the boots at the age of 34 on Monday at the SCG, bringing to a close one of the great rugby league careers.

Morris's 276th NRL game in round eight was his first as Roosters captain but ended in disaster when he suffered an ACL rupture late in the win over the Knights.

"You never want to go out the way I did with the injury," he said.

When he sat back down a few minutes later, he was kicking himself.

"I had to cut it short. I ended up sobbing halfway through, I just couldn't get any more words out," Luai tells NRL.com.

He wasn't the only one. Luai's son Jarome, the latest in a line of NSW five-eighths from Kenny to Daley, Fittler to Maloney, kept his head low for a long time.

For the Luai family though – mum Raumako, Luai's partner Bailey and his three younger siblings, heads have never been held higher.

The players felt the same, O’Brien said, especially on their annual “Once A Knight” Old Boys’ Day at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday.

Despite the presence of their 2001 premiership-winning team and more than 100 other former players, who formed a guard of honour before the game and hoped to inspire a special effort from the current crop, the Knights were never in it.

Newcastle conceded eight tries and scored just one – by Enari Tuala in the 76th minute to avoid a shut-out – to suffer their eighth loss from the past 11 games.

The Raiders made the announcement on Monday, saying they would work with the Integrity Unit during the process.

"The club has informed the NRL Integrity Unit and is working with them to investigate the incident. Until the investigation is complete Curtis has been stood down from all club duties," the cub said in the statement.

Scott, 23, arrived at Canberra from the Storm 18 months ago, scoring three tries in his 23 appearances for the Green Machine.