Apparently almost ten weeks had passed since rugba leeg... sorry, rugby league - was last on our TV screens before Parramatta and Brisbane put us all out of our misery on Thursday.
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It felt like more than ten months, the longest of my life. All of us need something to look forward to and for us sportsball types it the prospect of watching a 34 fit men bash the snot out of each other each weekend.
The meme of the lonely man springs to mind. You know the one - the moustached bloke sitting on a swing chair looking crestfallen, staring off into the distance as if he has nothing to live for, and is completely dead inside.
That's how weekends have been for me. Wandering around aimlessly without the pleasure of screaming "get 'em onside, refs" at the idiot box at the pub with a schooner in hand.
I'll put my hand up. I thought Project Apollo had as much chance as pulling off their ambitious May 28 date as they were of landing on Mars.
I wrote in this column about a month ago that if the NRL could overcome the enormous hurdles placed in front of them by coronavirus to become one of the first sports on the planet to return by then, I'd also take Margot Robbie out.
Safe to say that didn't happen and I sank a few cold ones on the couch instead, but having some sport back on our screens is the next best thing.
It gives you that extra spring in your step. A bit more pizazz to get things done in your day-to-day life because there's now something exciting to live for again.
The big downside to the NRL's anticipated return is the slanging match between rugby league and the AFL.
Code wars? More like code warzzzzzzzzzz.
NRL commentators have thrown grenades like "we've caught the AFL flatfooted" given they will restart their season a fortnight earlier than their rivals.
The AFL returned serve by claiming the fact they're a more national game makes it harder for them to overcome border restrictions and get the game up and running.
That conveniently ignores the fly in the ointment the New Zealand Warriors have provided the NRL, but that's beside the point.
Surely, when everyone is crying out for some normality and entertainment in their lives, we can put aside the schoolyard squabbling and just appreciate some positivity has returned to our lives.
For those of us like myself who follow both codes, it's energy-sapping, negative nonsense that effectively accomplishes nothing.
Let's all just be thankful the footy is back, every aspect of an AFL and NRL players' life can stop being compared to Michael Jordan documentary The Last Dance and the excruciatingly bad hot takes can be put on ice for now.
If someone suggests again we play a three-game grand final series, or this year's premier shouldn't be awarded the trophy, I'll scream blue murder.
Long live the great game of rugba leeeeg.
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