They’ve been top dogs all season, but the Panthers have dropped in the Power Rankings after their loss to the Warriors where they were hit with a major injury blow.
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Read on for our Power Rankings ahead of Round 24.
1. SYDNEY ROOSTERS
While Penrith has been the more consistent team across the entirety of the season, the Roosters are in the better form as of late even if their most recent win was far from convincing.
In fact, outside of the historic win over North Queensland, the Roosters haven’t quite put together a strong 80 minutes since the 26-0 shutout victory over Canberra in June.
Either way, the Panthers looked a bit shaky during the Origin period and were dominated by the Warriors on Friday night so it’s the Roosters who come out in top spot.
The Roosters are flying high at the right time of the season ahead of a blockbuster showdown with Penrith.Source: Getty Images
2. WARRIORS
The Warriors also jump the Panthers even though they sit one win behind both Penrith and the Roosters.
That is because Andrew Webster’s side has been in fine form outside of the 18-6 loss to the Bulldogs, demolishing the Titans and Tigers before last week’s statement win against the Panthers.
The Warriors look to really be putting it together at the right time of the season and are winning on the back of their defence, while Te Maire Martin’s injury may be a blessing in disguise if it gives Luke Metcalf a chance to blow out the cobwebs before the finals.
Of course, there didn’t seem to be any cobwebs anyway based on his performance last Friday.
3. PENRITH PANTHERS
Speaking of which, the Panthers drop down to third after the news they will be without Isaah Yeo for at least a few weeks with no guarantee he will return before the finals.
With Mitch Kenny and Casey McLean also still sidelined, there are some question marks over Penrith for the first time this season.
Now, a win over the in-form Roosters on Thursday night will go a long way to quieting that outside noise.
But outside of the win against Canberra in Mudgee, the Panthers haven’t quite look like the clear-cut premiership favourite they once were earlier in the season.
4. CRONULLA SHARKS
Honestly, the Panthers could have even dropped behind the Sharks if Cronulla had won on the weekend as expected.
That is how good Craig Fitzgibbon’s side had been in recent weeks. But the hype train came to a crashing halt on the weekend with a shock loss to the Dragons.
It may have been the loss Cronulla had to have before the finals, because there is something to be said about falling into a false sense of security.
But the Sharks can’t afford to slip up any further with very winnable games against the Raiders, Titans, Eels and Storm to come in the next month.
Sunday may have been the wake-up call the Sharks needed, but they have a dream opportunity to right the ship before the finals start.
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5. DOLPHINS
If you think back to Round 19, the Dolphins could be in a very different situation to the one they sit in now.
Kristian Woolf’s men have locked in a maiden finals berth, but were hammered 66-0 by the Sharks, with the NRL newcomers desperate for a positive response.
They got just that, beating the Cowboys, Dragons and Broncos in a heated Battle of Brisbane derby to seal their finals fate.
It’s been a truly impressive campaign by the Dolphins, but their biggest downfall is still the same one that let them down last season — their defence.
Across those three wins, they still conceded 70 points, and shootout rugby league rarely results in a premiership.
If Woolf can get the Phins’ defence humming, they can definitely make a title push. But if not, it was fun while it lasted.
6. NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
If you tell us you predicted the Knights to be performing this well, you’re a liar.
Justin Holbrook has done a fantastic job to get this side primed for a finals appearance this season and they sit two points ahead of the Rabbitohs and Cowboys.
Their season could well have been very different too, when you consider how games tight games they have gone down in.
They lost by one point to the Roosters, two to the Sharks, two to the Rabbitohs and also two to the Storm way back in Round 14.
Newcastle seem to just always be in the contest and have been delivering without some key names like Daniel Saifiti and more recently Dylan Brown and Dylan Lucas.
Overall, it’s been a solid campaign for the Knights and a deep finals run would be the icing on the cake after many predicted them to be battling for the wooden spoon.
Kalyn Ponga will ead the Knights into the finalsSource: Getty Images
7. SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
Typical of the Rabbitohs, Wayne Bennett’s team have been very inconsistent of late.
South Sydney bested the Eels, lost to the Sharks, scraped a win over the Storm and were then defeated by the Raiders in their last four outings.
Up and down — a consistent theme for this side throughout their 2026 campaign.
However, what has been consistent is their ability to score points and that does give Souths a big boost in their chances of securing one of the last finals slots.
Cody Walker has been impressive in recent weeks, while Latrell Mitchell was even spotted at training as he eyes a shock comeback from a nerve injury.
The Rabbitohs do have a tough run home with the Bulldogs, Warriors, Titans and Roosters looming — but making the finals from here would prove they can shake up the finals.
8. CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN BULLDOGS
There’s certainly an argument for the Bulldogs to be higher on this list given their recent performances.
But a tight loss to the Roosters in their last outing keeps them on the fringes of the top eight for now, although proves they can keep up with the heavyweights.
The key to the Dogs’ surge has undoubtedly been Stephen Crichton’s switch to into the halves, which has taken pressure off young gun Lachlan Galvin.
It’s been somewhat of a surprise to many just how impressive Crichton has been as a creative ballplayer and his leadership has been on full display in the spine.
While Cameron Ciraldo has previously been widely criticised for his halves decisions, this one he certainly got right and now Canterbury are humming.
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9. NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
The Cowboys have a genuine trump card when it comes to their run home — but their form has seen them drop out of the top eight in these rankings.
Their 82-12 loss against the Roosters in Round 22 is almost unforgivable. It’s a loss that shakes any club to their core, and one that left the club’s coaching staff scratching their head.
While Todd Payten’s outfit were able to bounce back with a 30-8 win over the Titans, huge question marks still remain over this side.
Regardless, they have a dream run home.
They face the Eels, enjoy a bye before clashes against the Tigers and Raiders to round out their season and they currently sit inside the top eight, with a two point buffer over the Bulldogs.
Should the Cowboys slump out of the finals from here, it will be a big failure for the Townsville club.
10. MELBOURNE STORM
It’s been an unusually lacklustre season for the Storm and their finals hopes are dashed.
But regardless, they managed to pile on the points against a Sea Eagles outfit desperate to win and boost their finals hopes.
They did so without a list of big names, with players such as Cooper Clarke and Hayden Watson showing there’s a host of young guns ready to stand tall in the future.
The Storm’s season may be over, but they can now begin to build for 2027 with Craig Bellamy once again at the helm.
It will be a tough end to the year though after their Round 24 bye, facing the Panthers, Broncos and Sharks. So fans will get a clear indication of where this side are truly at come the end of their campaign.
Unsettled Canberra Raiders forward Corey Horsburgh has been dropped after he was sent to the sin bin last weekend. Picture: NRL ImagesSource: Supplied
11. CANBERRA RAIDERS
This is the way the Raiders’ season ends, not with a bang… but with a Corey Horsburgh slap.
While ‘Big Red’s’ brainfade certainly wasn’t the singular reason why Canberra missed the finals in 2026, it certainly got rid of any hopes they had leading into Round 23.
His decision to give Dane Gagai a slap and earn a sin bin saw the Knights secure a tight victory and Ricky Stuart was rightfully fuming post-match.
Regardless, as aforementioned, the Raiders have been unable to back up their minor premiership heroics from 2025 and started their campaign off slowly after a golden point win over the Sea Eagles.
They sit above Manly in these rankings due to a four-game string of wins that kept their finals hopes alive, but overall it has been a disappointing campaign.
12. MANLY SEA EAGLES
They continue to slide down the list after losing their fifth-straight game last weekend against a depleted Storm.
They’ve gone from a top four candidate to a side who looks like it’s lost its identity after coach Kieran Foran questioned their toughness after giving up 42 unanswered points in the Storm game.
Their injury toll is mounting with the latest big name, Taniela Paseka, going down with a knee injury last weekend.
They’ve got the Dolphins at home this week and another loss officially rules them out of the top eight.
There will be a huge weight on halfback Jamal Fogarty’s shoulders without most of his spine partners available.
13. PARRAMATTA EELS
They haven’t won back-to-back games since Round 3 and have only beaten one top eight team this season and that’s the eighth-placed Cowboys.
They let Souths get out to a 28-0 lead by halftime last weekend before almost snatching the record comeback victory.
Just when they were getting over their injury curse, it struck again with exciting prospect Isaiah Longi injuring his knee.
It obviously weakens them in a key position for the remainder of the season but they do get veteran Dylan Walker back and he’ll add a lot off the bench.
Mitchell Moses needs to finish off the season well so his team can finish above a chasing pack behind them.
Dragons forward Toby Couchman returns to beef-up the forward packSource: Getty Images
14. ST. GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
Despite being destined to get the wooden spoon, they’ve jumped up in the Power Rankings thanks to one of the biggest upset wins of the season against local rival Cronulla.
They have a huge opportunity to go back-to-back against the lowly Wests Tigers and get Toby Couchman back from a concussion issue so they’re pretty much full-strength which is rare at this time of the season.
A repeat of last week’s performance and they should win and maybe even move up a spot or two on the Power Rankings next week.
They’ve only held teams to 16 points or less on three occasions this season which is something they need to rectify.
The club looks to be heading in the right direction with a lot of excitement already about next year with all the recruits they’ve made.
15. GOLD COAST TITANS
There was a period where the Titans won four from seven and looked like they were going to give the top eight a late shake.
But after two heavy defeats at home, first-year coach Josh Hannay admitted his side was tired and feeling the rigours of a long NRL season.
They’ll need to find some energy this Sunday because they travel to Newcastle to face an in-form Knights.
Kalyn Ponga will have no issues punishing a tired footy side.
Losing halfback Zane Harrison for the season is a blow, but an opportunity for Lachlan Ilias to show he’s not a spent force in the NRL.
They get three home games to finish the season which will be a relief.
Bronocs squad suffer another blow | 00:29
16. BRISBANE BRONCOS
It’s been just about the worst title defence in modern history by a club with many advantages over their rivals.
To think they’re second last on the ladder is unbelievable given their roster.
They were out of finals contention after the loss to the Cowboys three weeks ago and the change in their attitude on the field has been there for all to see.
They’ve been flaky at best against the Knights and Dolphins and look like they can’t wait for Mad Monday.
And it could get uglier this week at home against a red-hot Warriors outfit who are playing for a minor premiership.
News Adam Reynolds has injured his calf is one of many blows they’ve received, almost on a weekly basis, this season.
17. WESTS TIGERS
Not one thing has gone right for this club since Jarome Luai told the club he was leaving to head off to the PNG Chiefs.
They’ve since gone from third to 14th and could finish the round in second last spot if they lose and other results don’t go their way.
They haven’t won a game since June 14 and if they don’t beat the Dragons on Sunday they’ll likely not win another game this season due to the tough draw they have.
Their final three games are away from home against the Roosters, Cowboys and Panthers.
They won’t get the wooden spoon but could enter the 2027 season on an 11-game losing streak.
Benji Marshall has a hell of a lot of work to do to turn this joint around.