Just a couple of weeks ago, it seemed like the Michael Maguire era for New South Wales was already descending into chaos. A heavy defeat at home had pessimism at an all-time high. Queensland fans were already flying high, and articles were being penned about how Billy Slater had earned a gigantic contract extension at the helm.
The MCG was to be the site of the funeral in 2024, before Lang Park served as the grounds for the coronation.
But it's funny how things pan out sometimes, isn't it?
The Blues produced a ruthless display that may well be without peer at this level. Even in recent shellackings like 2021's opener and 2015's decider, the game was really blown out as it progressed, rather than being beyond doubt within half an hour or so.
For Maguire, things couldn't have gone better. The announcement of his appointment as Blues coach was met with relative apathy, his team selection for Game I widely criticised, and the ensuing result even more so.
But the thing about both the team and result in Sydney a few weeks ago was that neither was really in his control. A slew of players he wanted in the team were unavailable or underdone and not picked, and the game was over as soon as Joseph Suaali'i collected Reece Walsh high and got himself sent off.
But for Game II, we saw a team far closer to what Maguire would have wanted from the jump. Dylan Edwards was healthy and named at fullback, Souths' duo of Latrell Mitchell and Cameron Murray returned and Mitchell Moses was trusted to steer everything around.
For all of those players, their inclusions couldn't have gone much better. Edwards scored a try and was his usual busy self, Murray was the tone setter for an unbelievably mobile and frantic NSW pack, and Mitchell set up Brian To'o with a glorious flick pass, scored one himself and was a presence in defence.
So much was made of Mitchell's return to this level, where he was so dominant in 2021. Regardless of your thoughts on him, he is a lightning rod for discussion in this sport in a way that nobody else is. A player who set up the winning try in a grand final, has looked dominant in big games in both the tri-colours and the cardinal and myrtle, and who has had great nights in rep footy before.
Despite all of that, he was easily the man under the most external pressure - but turned in a diamond of a performance on both sides of the ball.
But it was Moses who truly stole the show. The best player on the field who kicked well, ran well, passed well and made a world of difference.
It wasn't just the new boys who impressed, though. Reece Robson, one of the few bright sparks from Game I, was immense defensively once again. We're still waiting for 'The Payne Haas game' at this level, but he was sensational. Along with Murray, and Angus Crichton, the pick of the forwards.
From the first set of the game the Queensland forwards looked a yard slower and significantly less mobile than their New South Wales counterparts - the only question is how they rectify that before the decider.
The Blues have struggled for decades at Lang Park. Regardless of how many Victorians were cheering for the Maroons tonight, the atmosphere will be infinitely more hostile for New South Wales, as well as familiar for Queensland.
There will undoubtedly be changes for Slater to consider - the decision to replace Selwyn Cobbo on the bench and not replace him with another outside back was immediately felt when Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow had to leave the field for a chunk of the first half, but you'd have to think with some lacklustre performances from other outside backs on the night that Cobbo is almost certain to return, whether it's start or off the bench.
Queensland looked much better in the second half but that is fool's gold - the game was well and truly out of sight. Save for a couple of melees, the Blues didn't need to show anywhere near as much aggression as they did before the break. It was far more even on the scoreboard, but that doesn't matter.
There was a semi-final in 2014 when Michael Maguire's team raced to an incredible 40-0 lead before putting the cue in the rack and winning 40-24. Plenty of critics opined that such a casual nature to the contest when it was beyond doubt could come back to haunt them. They scored 62 points across the prelim and grand final and won the premiership.
After the match, Daly Cherry-Evans spoke about the importance of the second half - but none of that really matters. What matters is three weeks from now.