And then there was Penrith...

What a weekend of embarrassing thrashings for the only three teams still in with a chance of claiming the wooden spoon. The Sharks, Roosters, and Warriors lost their matches by a combined total of 140-26. If the season lasted a few more weeks then newspapers, magazines, and websites around the country would need to start finding some extra space on their pages just to fit these sides' negative points differentials onto the competition table.

It won't be long before the Sharks and Roosters reveal just how desperate they are to avoid coming last - you'll know they're serious when they take penalty and field-goal attempts at 30-nil down just to help improve their for-and-against column. It's not as if either team seriously believe they're going to scrape off the bottom with actual victories. Only a salary cap scandal from another club can save one of these sides now.

At least Sharks and Roosters players escaped the humiliation of being crushed so convincingly in front of their home fans... oh wait, actually no they didn't. That's so humiliating I didn't even see it coming after it had already happened.

And then there was Penrith. Oh dear. Their match against the Broncos started like a basketball game with points (and the lead) being traded more readily than illegal DVDs at a Bangkok market. By the end, though, Panthers players seemed to be under the impression that they actually were basketballers, so keenly did they attempt not to risk a foul by making contact with the man carrying the ball.

Of course the fact that they led at half-time, lost by 34, and alarmingly dropped outside the top eight will have concerned them, but the fact that they conceded over three times as many points as England's middle order scored runs in the 4th Ashes Test must truly have them hiding in shame.

The Sharks, Roosters, and Warriors all have an excuse - not being very good. And not having much to play for except pride, which let's be honest is not much at all really. But the Panthers were fighting for their finals lives. They should've been hungry and eager to win. As it was even the spider on my living room ceiling seemed utterly unimpressed by their lack of intensity.

It's that time of year when clubs are either itching to progress to the finals or have long since given up and are dreaming of island holidays and cases of beer. Who will be thrashed next week? Well to be honest, probably the same teams that were thrashed this week.