Any rugby league World Cup is going to have its fair share of blowouts. Given the talent disparity between the best teams in the world and the rest, it's part of the cost of doing business.
The Australians were always expected to easily beat the Cook Islands in their tournament opener at York. And they delivered, running red hot in the cold conditions en route to a 74-0 win.
The Jillaroos won the last World Cup over New Zealand and have only improved in the years since, after five seasons of the NRLW.
There's a chance they'll end this World Cup as the finest women's rugby league team to ever walk the Earth, and New Zealand seem their only true challengers (the Kiwi Ferns beat France 46-0 in their opener).
Outside of Australia, New Zealand and England, rugby league is still very much a developing sport, especially in places such as the Cook Islands, Canada and Brazil, which lost by a combined 164 points in the first round of matches.
Totally eliminating blowouts is impossible. There will always be teams that struggle, sure as there will always be teams that excel, and sometimes you have to take your medicine.
But a key priority for World Cup organisers should be taking whatever reasonable steps possible to limit the blowouts.
To that end, the decision to play matches over 80 minutes and to introduce the controversial set restart rule is a curious one.
The duration of NRLW matches has gradually risen over the years, and right now it's at 70 minutes.
Super League matches run for the full 80, but many women's competitions in the rest of the world can run for 60 minutes or even fewer.
Players at the top level in Australia are also afforded the opportunity to play more regular matches than any other country.
As Jillaroos coach Brad Donald jokingly said, his team could play 120-minute halves if need be.
The game in Australia may have evolved to the point where the game's biggest stars are edging towards professionalism, but many of the players the Jillaroos will face through the tournament are amateurs.
As such, the decision to play games over 80 minutes only takes the gap in talent and conditioning between the likes of Australia, New Zealand and everybody else and widens it even further.
Cook Islands coach Rusty Matua did not make excuses for his side's heavy loss and had no issue with the length of the match, but he did point out some of the challenges developing nations face.
"They've got the resources of the NRL, multi-million dollars, they flew here first class, got $20,000 for making the side and have huge match payments. We only met the night before we flew to England," Matua said.
"We only have the time we've had here to gel as a team, which is really hard.
"Even just trying to select our side was really hard. We had girls from the Cook Islands flying to Australia and New Zealand to trial for us.
"You've got amateurs up against full-time professionals."
It begs the question: In the face of all those obstacles, why add another? Why stack the odds for the favourites?
The Cook Islands team did what it could to provide some stiff resistance and did have a few bright points.
Front-rower Kerehitina Matua was particularly strong, and she provided the highlight of the Moana's night when she rattled Australian winger Julia Robinson with a ferocious front-on tackle that threatened to bring down York's famed city walls.
But for the most part, the Cook Islanders were helpless to stop the Australians' onslaught.
Fullback Sam Bremner was untouchable, running in four tries, and could have dodged the raindrops that fell over York Community Stadium if she'd felt like it.
Even as the conditions worsened, the Jillaroos zipped the ball from sideline to sideline with ease and looked every inch the tournament favourites they were promised to be.
As with the men's competition, a big defeat can still be the bridge to a brighter future and there is something worthwhile to be had from every game, no matter the scoreline.
But like the decision to adopt the set restart rule in the men's tournament, playing matches over 80 minutes takes the blowouts and blows them out again.
