As this column understands it, the momentum is with Reynolds, who played two losing matches for NSW in 2016. Reynolds and Keary make sense, not just because they combined at Souths to win the 2014 premiership before Keary joined the Roosters and won a comp there, too.

He plays on the right side of the field, while Keary forms the game’s most lethal left edge alongside fellow Roosters Boyd Cordner and Latrell Mitchell, who left the field with what appeared to be a serious groin injury in the first half before returning in the second to help the Roosters hold on against Canberra.

Against the Cowboys, Reynolds was tradesman-like, complementing Damien Cook and Cody Walker with aplomb, deftly kicking short and long (except for one out on the full) and directing the play.

Reynolds’ Origin candidacy was one of several sub-plots played out over the past four days: from troubled Storm centre Curtis Scott racing 100 metres to score against the Eels and celebrating with a “shoosh” gesture at the camera, to Dragons halfback Ben Hunt fumbling a critical dropout against the Warriors, prompting a group of young men dressed as Mexicans to chant, “How goooood? How goooood? How goooood?”

Few left Brisneyland feeling the pressure more than Penrith chairman Dave O’Neill, who went several different shades of grey in the corporate suites on Friday night as the Tigers ran in try after try in the first half. He facilitated Ivan Cleary’s move from the Tigers to the Panthers this season. As it stands, it looks like several players are not playing for the coach.

While half-time couldn’t come quick enough for Penrith on Friday night, it brought good news for NRL commercial manager Andrew Abdo. His phone pinged with a text revealing 31,000 people had already come through the gates. By the end of the night, more than 41,388 had turned up, despite heavy rain.

It was one of several numbers the NRL was spruiking at the end of Magic Round. Ratings were up 3.5 per cent while a total crowd figure of 134,677 was posted. That’s an average of 33,500 a day. That’s a massive result.

The whole premise of Magic Round was about “unity”, which is rare in rugby league because few sports hate themselves so much. That sense of togetherness was there for all to see on Friday night when Caxton Street was closed to traffic at 5pm.

Thousands of fans made their way down the hill towards Suncorp and every club – past and present – was represented. People in old Balmain jumpers walked alongside an army of Penrith’s “chocolate soldiers” from the 1980s.

“Go the Bears!” shouted Broncos fans from the doorstep of the iconic Caxton Hotel at a group of fans in North Sydney jerseys.

The vast array of jumpers shouldn’t surprise. Brisbane is a one-team town but it’s not exclusively full of one-team supporters. The NRL’s research says in a city of 2.2 million there are 800,000 rugby league fans. About 400,000 support the Broncos. Another 80,000 support the Cowboys. The remaining 320,000 support the other 14 clubs.

Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones is desperate to keep headline sporting events in Brisbane and given the success of the past four days you can’t imagine the NRL wanting to take it anywhere else – for now.

If the NRL can narrow Magic Round to three days by persuading Channel Nine to drop the Thursday night match, it will become even more popular. The dry May weather is also an attraction. The ground staff deliberately backed off watering the playing surface and the result was a fast pitch that didn’t chop up but also led to plenty of tries.

The real winner of the weekend? The fans. It was a true test of endurance. Most of them got through, even the pack of fans from Sydney who didn’t just dress-up like Reg Reagan but lived like him.

The Caxton was a focal point, just as it has been for decades. Broncos coach Anthony Seibold was spotted there on Saturday while Langer was a regular attendee each night. Alfie would’ve slept well on Sunday night. With so much on his mind, Brad Fittler not so much.

Andrew Webster travelled to Brisbane courtesy of Tourism and Events Queensland and Brisbane Marketing.