State of Origin is officially in the rear-view mirror and the run home into NRL finals has begun, with plenty of teams still vying for spots in the top eight before September.
With eight rounds of action remaining, it’s time to separate the contenders from the pretenders and the sure things from the also-rans.
Manly have dropped out of the top-eight. Getty Images
Nine.com.au looks at the run home and finals hopes for every club below.
Locked in
No surprises here, but the Panthers have already guaranteed a finals berth and it would take something insane for them to miss the top-four.
In the fair dinkum department, anything less than a minor premiership would be a surprise given the fact Penrith face six teams who currently sit outside the finals picture in the remaining two months of the regular season.
The other two teams who are all-but secured for September are the second-placed Warriors and third-placed Roosters, who sit two wins behind the Panthers.
Andrew Webster’s men have been consistent all season and it would be surprising to see them drop out of the four, especially with an even slate of home games.
As for the boys from Bondi, this has been one of their better seasons since the departure of Cooper Cronk and look primed for a top-four finish.
However, away trips to face finals hopefuls in the Knights and Cowboys will be tricky, while a blockbuster round 24 clash with the Panthers will provide a true assessment of the Roosters’ premiership credentials this year.
Almost assured
Cronulla have quietly gone about their business over the past couple of months, but put the competition on notice with a ridiculous 66-0 win last weekend against another side closing in on a finals spot in the Dolphins.
With a soft schedule that includes games against three of the bottom-four sides on the ladder, the Sharks should be featuring in September once again, but the biggest question mark will be whether they can go deep into the post-season.
As for the star-studded Dolphins, they will be hoping the round 19 thrashing was only a blip on the radar and Kristian Woolf can help them correct course with the majority of their players back from Origin this weekend.
The absence of Isaiya Katoa is going to hurt them, but given the Dolphins have a bye up their sleeve and face all of the current bottom-four teams in their remaining seven games, a maiden finals appearance feels inevitable.
South Sydney have managed to hold onto a top-eight spot for now despite being without Latrell Mitchell for much of the season and once the superstar centre is back on deck, expect to see them flex their premiership muscle.
Latrell Mitchell is nearing a return from injury. Getty
On the bubble
The big surprise packets this season have been the Knights, who have shot up the ladder under coach Justin Holbrook and are on the cusp of going from wooden spooners to the top-eight if they can maintain some form.
It won’t be easy for Newcastle given they face a tough run home that includes the Sharks, Roosters and Warriors, but remain a solid chance of making the cut and will more than likely know their fate when the round 27 bye rolls around.
North Queensland have been another shock contender this year and have a few things going for them in the remaining eight rounds.
Firstly, the Cowboys will welcome back Tom Dearden from injury in round 20, while they only have to leave Queensland once in their last seven games and still have a guaranteed two points up their sleeve with a round 25 bye.
Tom Dearden is closing in on a return from injury. Getty Images
Kieran Foran’s appointment as head coach did wonders for the Sea Eagles for a couple of months, but things have started to unravel over the past four weeks.
Manly still have one bye left on their schedule, but are facing a tough stretch of games that will test Foran’s coaching ability and the depth of their squad.
Another rung down the ladder from those three teams is the Bulldogs and Storm, who are almost reaching desperation stakes with eight rounds to go.
Canterbury were blown off the park last weekend and now need to win at least six of their remaining matches, while Melbourne are set to be without Cam Munster for at least a month in a major blow to their finals aspirations.
Mathematical hopes
When the word “mathematical” starts getting tossed around, you know it’s getting extremely desperate and that’s the case for a handful of teams.
Last year’s minor premiers the Raiders are still six points behind the finals picture, but do have a bye up their sleeve and a few games they should win, but will need to be almost perfect and cause some upsets along the way.
A season that started with plenty of promise for the Wests Tigers has fallen to pieces, largely due to injuries, but remain a slim hope and are in the same position as the Green Machine with one bye left in their schedule.
Brisbane appear destined to go from premiers to the bottom-four after a horrible season and need to win all of their remaining eight games to play finals.
The only other team who can mathematically make a late run are the Eels, but would need some 2009 Jarryd Hayne-level magic to pull it off.
No chance
They haven’t been as poor as their spot on the ladder suggests, but the Titans′ very slim chances of playing finals football died in round 19.
And of course, rounding out the ladder is the Dragons, who have managed just two victories all season and look all-but guaranteed to finish last.
Every club’s run home
Panthers (32 points, +290): Broncos (H), Eels (A), Raiders (H), Warriors (A), Roosters (H), Storm (A), Bulldogs (H), Tigers (H)
Warriors (28 points, +194): Dragons (H), Bulldogs (A), Titans (A), Panthers (H), Broncos (A), Rabbitohs (A), Knights (H), Sea Eagles (H)
Roosters (28 points, +76): Storm (H), Knights (A), Cowboys (A), Bulldogs (H), Panthers (A), Tigers (H), Dolphins (H), Rabbitohs (H)
Roosters players celebrate a try in round 17. Getty Images
Sharks (26 points, +123): Knights (H), Sea Eagles (A), Rabbitohs (H), Dragons (A), Raiders (H), Titans (A), Eels (A), Storm (H)
Knights (26 points, +39): Sharks (A), Roosters (H), Broncos (A), Raiders (A), Titans (H), Sea Eagles (H), Warriors (A), BYE
Rabbitohs (24 points, +86): Raiders (A), Storm (H), Sharks (A), Eels (H), Bulldogs (H), Warriors (H), Titans (A), Roosters (A)
Dolphins (24 points, +64): Cowboys (H), BYE, Dragons (A), Broncos (H), Sea Eagles (A), Eels (H), Roosters (A), Titans (A)
Cowboys (24 points, -16): Dolphins (A), Broncos (H), Roosters (H), Titans (A), Eels (A), BYE, Tigers (H), Raiders (H)
Sea Eagles (22 points, +132): Titans (A), Sharks (H), BYE, Storm (A), Dolphins (H), Knights (A), Dragons (H), Warriors (A)
Storm (20 points, -2): Roosters (A), Rabbitohs (A), Bulldogs (H), Sea Eagles (A), BYE, Panthers (H), Broncos (A), Sharks (A)
Bulldogs (20 points, -102): Tigers (H),Warriors (H), Storm (A), Roosters (A), Rabbitohs (H), Dragons (A), Panthers (A), Broncos (H)
Raiders (18 points, -91): Rabbitohs (H), Tigers (H), Panthers (A), Knights (H), Sharks (A), Broncos (H), BYE, Cowboys (A)
Tigers (18 points, -130): Bulldogs (A), Raiders (A), Eels (H), BYE, Dragons (H), Roosters (A), Cowboys (A), Panthers (A)
Broncos (16 points, -126): Panthers (A), Cowboys (A), Knights (H), Dolphins (A), Warriors (H), Raiders (A), Storm (H), Bulldogs (A)
Eels (16 points, -176): BYE, Panthers (H), Tigers (A), Rabbitohs (A), Cowboys (H), Dolphins (A), Sharks (H), Dragons (A)
It’s been a tough year for the Eels. Getty
Titans (14 points, -112): Sea Eagles (H), Dragons (A), Warriors (H), Cowboys (H), Knights (A), Sharks (H), Rabbitohs (H), Dolphins (H)
Dragons (10 points, -239): Warriors (A), Titans (H), Dolphins (H), Sharks (H), Tigers (A), Bulldogs (H), Sea Eagles (A), Eels (H)
NRL predicted ladder after round 27
1. Panthers (46 points)2. Warriors (42 points) 3. Sharks (40 points) 4. Roosters (40 points)5. Dolphins (38 points) 6. Cowboys (38 points) 7. Rabbitohs (36 points) 8. Knights (36 points) 9. Sea Eagles (32 points) 10. Bulldogs (26 points) 11. Storm (24 points) 12. Raiders (24 points) 13. Wests Tigers (22 points) 14. Broncos (18 points) 15. Eels (18 points)16. Titans (16 points) 17. Dragons (14 points)