The period after Origin is supposed to be a thrilling, white-knuckle ride to the finals where teams are desperately trying to snare one of the eight playoff berths.
In an ideal world, it would be no longer than five or six weeks so that there’s a short, sharp lead-in to the finals where every match has extra intensity.
But even after this week’s round, another seven are still on the schedule and some teams are already playing like they want the year to end yesterday.
They are trying to kid themselves into thinking they have plenty to play for but the standard of matches is dropping off dramatically, particularly when a playoff contender lines up against one of the also-rans.
There was a predictability and cruise control element as the Dolphins downed the Cowboys and Penrith squashed Souths with lopsided games such as these likely to become more common in the final two months.
And Sunday’s two games, while close, were grinds, particularly the Tigers-Titans tussle, which showed exactly why both teams have fallen well short of the finals equation in 2025.
Here’s how the teams stack up after Round 20.
1. Raiders (Last week 1): They didn’t have it all their own way against Parramatta, but they finished with a wet sail with three tries in the last 10 minutes to blow out the final margin.
Humming along nicely is this Green Machine.
2. Bulldogs (3): Cameron Ciraldo was very happy with the Lachie Galvin to halfback experiment even though a narrow win from a try in the closing stages, albeit off a Galvin pass, does not mean the move is necessarily a success.
But at least the Dogs now have settled on a combination, one which has high upside, but could also bring them undone with such a significant change being made late in the season.
Lachlan Galvin. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
3. Storm (2): The loss to Manly was a massive surprise, particularly after they had one six on the trot.
No need for panic, but they have a short turnaround heading into this Thursday’s trip to Allianz to face the Roosters.
4. Broncos (4): They head the bye and they have a couple of warm-up bouts against Parramatta and South Sydney before getting a true litmus test against the Storm in Melbourne in a few weeks time.
5. Panthers (5): They were able to rest Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo and still have way too much firepower for the depleted Bunnies.
They also have a favourable little run of Tigers, Titans and Knights before they put their credentials on the line against the Storm in Round 24.
6. Warriors (7): Relieved coach Andrew Webster summed it up well after the game when he said they looked like they’d lost the match three times over before pulling the result out of the fire in Newcastle after the siren in one of the more remarkable finishes in recent times.
They have maintained their four-point buffer over the Broncos on the ladder despite Luke Metcalf going down injured and with Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad not far back from his knee injury, they should hang on to the double chance in the finals.
Leka Halasima celebrates. (Photo by Scott Gardiner/Getty Images)
7. Sea Eagles (8): At last they put together a top quality performance against a heavyweight opponent.
That’s three wins on the trot now since their 20-point upset loss to the Titans. And if they can knock off the Bulldogs this Sunday then maybe they’ll have one foot in the finals.
8. Sharks (9): They seem to be getting back to their best with Blayke Braley in a particularly fertile purple patch.
His one-handed pick-ups from dummy half signify a player with the utmost confidence at the moment and they should put up a huge score on the Rabbitohs in Gosford this Saturday.
9. Dolphins (10): Like Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow as he cruised to the try-line, the Dolphins didn’t look like they got out of third gear in their 19-point triumph over the Cowboys.
It’s incongruous that they could have a differential of plus 169 yet have an all-square 9-9 record for the season to sit in ninth spot smack bang in the middle of the ladder.
10. Roosters (6): The decision to recall Chad Townsend for the injured Hugo Savala, ahead of Sandon Smith, was baffling to say the least.
Poor old Chad was found wanting in his return to Shark Park and surely Trent Robinson won’t make that mistake again if Savala’s wrist is no good for Thursday’s Storm stoush.
11. Knights (11): They were the better team for 79 minutes and 59 seconds at McDonald Jones Stadium on Sunday and the way in which they lost to a spectacular try after the siren pretty much sums up a week in which their coach’s position was cast under serious doubt and their captain’s commitment to the club was yet again questioned before he eventually put out a mealy-mouthed retort to reports suggesting he was again eyeing off a switch to Kiwi rugby.
12. Tigers (13): They get a bump up the rankings by virtue of the fact that they won on Sunday but their triumph over the Titans couldn’t have been less convincing.
If they ever get a calm head on their shoulders they will be a decent team but they are still helter-skelter from go to ruh-roh.
13. Eels (12): The decision to omit Dylan Brown from the game-day line-up was a bold one but Jason Ryles is clearly investing in the future and why bother giving the Kiwi pivot more game time if he is off only operating at half rat’s pace as he waits out his final season before cashing in at the Knights.
14. Dragons (15): Yet another narrow loss for Shane Flanagan’s troops – in the past three weeks they could have, should have and didn’t win against the Raiders, Roosters and Bulldogs.
They were in a position to win each game down the stretch but a combination of poor options and perhaps a dud ref call or two has conspired against them but still they need to play smarter.
15. Rabbitohs (14): With Keaon Koloamatagi now out for the season, their line-up is barely a fraction above NSW World Cup standard.
The players aren’t giving up and Wayne Bennett won’t let them but the wooden spoon is a definite possibility as the losses keep racking up and it would be surprising if they win more than one or two games in the final seven rounds.
16. Cowboys (16): Some of their defensive lapses against the Dolphins were inexcusable and if the North Queensland board is looking for a reason to get rid of Todd Payten then their continual inability to defend even the most basic of attacking raids could be the final nail in his coffin.
17. Titans (17): With Tino Fa’asuamaleaui hobbled for a month with a knee injury, their hopes of rising to the dizzying heights of 16th are looking shaky.
Circle the calendar for August 10 when they have a Round 23 showdown with Souths which could decide who receives the NRL’s most unwanted trophy for 2025.
