And then there were three. Anyone who thought the NRL premiership was a two-horse race between Brisbane and North Queensland may have to adjust their predictions after Melbourne's superb one-point win over the Cowboys at Suncorp Stadium.
It might have been the best curtain-raiser rugby league has ever seen. In the first of the Saturday night double-header, the Storm withstood an early barrage from the defending champions to roar back and seal it 15-14 with a field goal from inspirational captain Cameron Smith.
With Brisbane's rugby league cathedral sold out for the evening, both teams delivered a contest worthy of their billing at the top end of the table. And while the Cowboys were ice-cold at the end of their grand final triumph over Brisbane, this time it would be the clinical Storm that took care of business in what was technically a home game.
Smith's field goal was only the second of his career but it would announce the Storm as a genuine title contender. They, along with the Sharks, are ensuring the Queensland powerhouse clubs won't have things all their own way in 2016.
The neutral setting was appealing for the Cowboys as they crossed in the fourth minute, with Gavin Cooper the recipient of a gift from Suliasi Vunivalu after the winger bumbled Johnathan Thurston's soaring bomb.
Cooper could have made life easy with a short pass to Lachlan Coote but did enough to get the green light from the Bunker and have his side off to the ideal start in front of the pulsating crowd.
The sight of prop Matt Scott limping around with an ankle injury wouldn't have filled Maroons coach Kevin Walters with joy as he watched on ahead of his broadcast duties. Scott would shake off the blow and get his big body back in the contest.
After 15 minutes, it was 6-0 and one-way traffic. North Queensland were at their dominant best, hammering the Storm line and having almost 70 per cent of the ball. More points seemed only a matter of time.
When they did arrive, it was through a penalty rather than a try as Melbourne closed down attack after attack. Thurston would eventually settle for a penalty goal and a comfortable 8-0 lead.
Melbourne aren't the kind of team to spend a half on their heels and momentum spun sharply in the 24th minute, when Smith put Tohu Harris over for the softest of tries near the Cowboy line.
Three minutes later and a rare mistake from Lachlan Coote saw Kevin Proctor scoop up the crumbs with a skillful piece of ball handling. He charged over and in the blink of an eye the Storm were in command 12-8.
Smith knocked over a penalty early in the second to add to the lead but it wasn't long before the Cowboys began their surge. Jake Granville produced a dazzling piece of dummy-half play to put it on a platter for Michael Morgan and it was 14-all and game on in Brisbane.
The heroics were fast and free from that point. Jason Taumalolo chased for 70m to cut down Vunivalu, then bounced up and nailed Cameron Munster in a pair of try-savers that had the Cowboys roar with approval.
Soon after, it was Munster that put his body on the line to take the steam out of Antonio Winterstein as the line beckoned, then Tohu Harris somehow held him up when it appeared he simply had to fall over to score.
When the clock ticked past 70 minutes both sides were thinking field goal. Smith bagged a wobbly one from right in front to make it 15-14 with eight to play. Thurston chose to run when he had his chance, before being felled as he tried to chip behind the Storm line.
It was the Storm that held their nerve when the result hinged on the final plays. The Cowboys were uncharacteristically messy when constructing their late sets and it would leave them offering too little, too late.
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