A
Set small text size
A
Set the default text size
A
Set large text size
The closer we get to the finals, the more apparent it is that the NRL 2025 premiership is a race in four.
Canberra, Canterbury and Melbourne have been the standout teams all season and premiers Penrith are making a late charge.
Everyone else is battling away, some under the false pretences of being able to suddenly spark into gear for the playoffs with most of the rest just trying to finish as high as they can on the ladder.
The Raiders and Bulldogs bounced back after dud losses the previous week to rack up impressive wins over the Sea Eagles and Warriors respectively, delivering huge body blows to their fading chances.
Here’s how the teams stack up after Round 23.
1. Raiders (Last week 1): No matter what Manly threw at them, Canberra’s defence repelled them and when the tide started to turn, they cashed in.
It seems sacrilegious to compare Ethan Strange to Laurie Daley but the left-foot step, right-hand fend, power close to the line is reminiscent of the Green Machine’s greatest five-eighth and the current occupant of the No.6 jersey is only into his second season at NRL level.
2. Storm (2): They have had a sneaky big injury toll this season.
But unlike pretender teams, true contenders roll with the punches to stay in the title hunt.
3. Panthers (3): It’s starting to look like the impossible dream of rising from last in Round 12 to a fifth straight premiership is becoming a probability.
This will be the toughest assignment in their dynastic run but with nine wins on the trot, it’d be brave or foolhardy to write them off.
4. Bulldogs (4): A very strong bounce-back win over the Warriors for Cameron Ciraldo’s squad.
The surprise move to start Bailey Hayward at hooker worked a treat and he is going to be the long-term owner of the No.9 jersey so it’ll be interesting to if Ciraldo reinstates Reed Mahoney given he is off to the Cowboys next year.
Naufahu Whyte and Aublix Tawha tangle. (Photo by Regi Varghese/Getty Images)
5. Roosters (9): They get a major bump in the rankings after obliterating the Dolphins to such an extent Greenpeace were getting ready to step in.
They are a year away from being genuine title challengers but Trent Robinson’s investment in youth this season will yield huge dividends in the near future.
6. Broncos (5): With Adam Reynolds, Ezra Mam and Selwyn Cobbo hamstrung for a month, a serious reshuffle is needed by Michael Maguire.
Time for Reece Walsh to get even more involved because Ben Hunt and Billy Walters will need help to get the attack firing.
7. Sharks (6): After four wins on the trot Cronulla looked complacent against the Dragons.
Perhaps the soft end-of-season schedule lulled them into a false sense of security.
Whatever it was they never got out of second gear at Kogarah.
8. Dolphins (7): They fell back to earth with an almighty thud that would registering the Richter scale.
Their attack is their strength but their defence had been solid up until the 11 tries they leaked to the Roosters. Finals now looking shaky.
9. Eels (11): The class of Mitchell Moses was the difference in getting the win on Sunday over the Cowboys.
It’s not quite the sky is the limit for them next year if he is healthy all season but with a bumper crop of prospects plus the experience of Junior Paulo, J’maine Hopgood, Zac Lomax and Josh Addo-Carr they should finish a helluva lot higher.
10. Warriors (8): You don’t need to be Roxette to realise they’re fading like a flower.
There was plenty of grit shown by Andrew Webster’s patched-up line-up on Saturday night but they were outmuscled by the Bulldogs right across the park.
11. Tigers (12): Their minute playoff hopes go on the line this Sunday against an equally desperate Manly.
Clint Gutherson reacts after scoring. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
12. Dragons (13): Last week’s announcement of Shane Flanagan’s contract extension was a minor surprise but well deserved considering he’s kept this rebuilding team on the field on the playoff periphery while giving plenty of new talent a run in 2025.
Two more debutants in centre Hayden Buchanan and second-rower Jacob Halangahu did their jobs in Saturday’s Sharks upset and there is plenty of upside for St George Illawarra over the next few seasons.
13. Sea Eagles (10): They can score a spectacular try, as they again demonstrated at Canberra on Friday.
But they can also concede some mighty soft ones, which will be the main reason why they won’t be one of the eight sides playing on past the end of the regular season.
14. Knights (14): The fact that they have failed to score in the opening half in 50% of their matches this year underlines how dire the situation has become.
Don’t worry, Newcastle fans. The sixth or seventh best five-eighth in the competition is coming to town next year on the most lucrative deal in NRL history after his form dropped to such an extent that a team that has been near the bottom of the ladder all season has barely used him over the past month.
Latrell Mitchell of the Rabbitohs tackles Jayden Campbell. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
15. Rabbitohs (17): Their 80-minute “titanic struggle” with the Gold Coast on Sunday showed what we suspected all along – they’re both about as bad as each other.
Fortunately for the Bunnies, goal-kicking got them over the line to boost their chances of avoiding their first wooden spoon since 2006.
16. Titans (15): It was so very Gold Coast of them to lose at home to Souths in the Spoon Bowl.
With Tino Fa’asuamaleaui and Jayden Campbell getting itchy feet before heading to the negotiating table, more pain could be on the way for the NRL’s perennial battlers.
17. Cowboys (16): Their season can be summed up by that last play against the Eels. Down by one. They roll the dice with a shift to the left instead of taking a leveling field goal attempt and totally botch the play with the decoy runner crashing into the defender.