The final round of the NRL’s regular season has nothing but finals seeding up for grabs with the Top 8 picture set.
To help you decipher all eight games, Oscar Pannifex is back on deck for his final home and away preview of the season!
Brisbane botched just about everything they could in a horror NRL Round 26 and it’s difficult to see them getting up for this one. Reports out of Red Hill have ‘Madge’ staying on next season but we can expect a bit of movement in this roster between now and then.
Canterbury are also officially out of finals contention but there’s plenty more to play for in Belmore right now.
The Bulldogs have played themselves into form in the back end of the year and while the shortcomings of Stephen Crichton at five-eighth were made painfully clear last week, I like them to finish on a winning note here.
Prediction: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (-10.5) line,
Anytime Tryscorer: Stephen Crichton @ $2.50, Matt Burton @ $2.20
In typical Titans fashion, the Gold Coast threatened with an unlikely comeback midway through the contest last week before illdiscipline again proved their undoing. There’s plenty of genuine positives around Josh Hannay’s maiden NRL campaign but they’ve run out of troops through the middle and were made to look silly by Cam Murray on Sunday.
The Dolphins can do similar things through Jeremy Marshall-King, Kurt Donoghue and Isaiya Katoa around the ruck in this one if they play it right.
With the healthiest roster of any team booked for the finals, there’s a bit of a narrative forming for Redcliffe in the post-season. A defensive clinic here against the Gold Coast will only add to that narrative.
Prediction: Dolphins 13+ @ $1.90
Anytime Tryscorer: Kulikefu Finefeuiaki @ $3.90
A potentially-season ending injury to Sam Walker will command the headlines this week but in Hugo Savalo, Daly Cherry-Evans and Victor Radley (all rested this week), Easts have the brainstrust to remain a premiership threat.
Opposing them this week (and with a chance to deliver their bitter rivals a third-straight loss) however is a near-full strength South Sydney side preparing for their first finals campaign since 2022.
Wayne Bennett’s efforts to guide and galvanise his playing group through an emotional taxing year might just go down as one of his greatest coaching achievements. I like them to spoil the party here this week and kickstart an unlikely run into the post-season.
Prediction: South Sydney Rabbitohs 13+ @ $1.32
Anytime Tryscorer: Alex Johnston @ $1.36
No matter the odds stacked against them, this Warriors side continues to find a way. With a pieced together spine and no right to win against Newcastle last week, the Wahs once again came home strongest late in each half. Jett Cleary was clutch on debut but he was set up for success by Wayde Egan (rested here) and this monster Warriors forward pack.
The concern for Andrew Webster though will be leaking near-30 points in consecutive weeks.
The best part of New Zealand’s game this year has been in their repeatable efforts in yardage and their defensive resilience. Up against another team this week who like to move the ball in attack, this is a big watch for the Warriors defence.
Prediction: New Zealand Warriors @ $1.30
Anytime Tryscorer: Chanel Harris-Tavita @ $2.85
North Queensland were far from convincing but did enough against Wests last week to secure a ticket to the 2026 NRL finals series. How much of a feature they can really be beyond this weekend now comes down to their defence.
For Canberra, it’s a last chance to farewell Josh Papali’i on a winning note after an agonising loss to Brisbane in NRL Round 26.
Fresh off the bye and with more to play for than the finals-assured Cowboys, I like Ricky’s Raiders to end the year with a bang. Their willingness to promote the ball and move their opponents middles around profiles well against this big Cowboys pack.
Prediction: Canberra Raiders to Win @ $2.45
Anytime Tryscorer: Josh Papali’i @ $5.75, Owen Pattie @ $5
If Cronulla’s last month of footy has taught us anything, it’s that Braydon Trindall has been the best five-eighth in the NRL in season 2026. The once-lethal Sharks attack suddenly looks hapless with Niwhai Puru and Nicho Hynes failing to have the impact Trindall was enjoying on fifth tackle with a kick, run or pass.
Those poor ends to sets is leaving more work for this monster Sharks forward rotation to get through in yardage, and they profile poorly against the work of Harry Grant behind any quick rucks in this one.
Melbourne started slow against Brisbane but ended up just about where they should’ve; piling on 46 points against a hapless Broncos defensive system.
The Sharks will present a sterner test here early but I like Grant to find the holes when- and wherever they appear.
Prediction: Melbourne Storm @ $1.36
Anytime Tryscorer: Harry Grant @ $3.05
A 38-18 scoreline against a finals bound opponent might read like an outlier for this embattled Eels side but in reality, it was a deserving win to cap off an exhausting but encouraging year under Jason Ryles.
Parramatta continue to play to – or sometimes beyond – their ability and last week was the perfect example. Hard working, mobile middles and willing outside backs got to work while Mitch Moses, Junior Paulo and Ronald Volkman produced enough class in moments to post a memorable win for the blue-and-gold faithful.
All that said, I like St George-Illawarra to do similar things and serve the Eels a taste of their own medicine here.
Presented with a winnable game to cap off a horror campaign, there’s been enough genuine positives in this Dragons side to like them at underdog odds in this one.
Prediction: St George-Illawarra Dragons 1-12 @ $3.40
Anytime Tryscorer: Toby Couchman @ $6.25, Valentine Holmes @ $2.10
It felt like everyone was keen to write Penrith off a few weeks ago amidst the hype of Easts and New Zealand but with one game to play before finals, the Minor Premiership still up for grabs, Mitch Kenny named to return and Isaah Yeo looming in the reserves, this is all feeling eerily familiar for the Panthers.
For Wests, they couldn’t back up the heroics of NRL Round 25 but put up a fight against North Queensland last week. It’s been another long year for Tigers fans and it’s difficult to see them making this a contest for long.
Prediction: Penrith Panthers 13+ @ $1.46
Anytime Tryscorer: Liam Martin @ $3.40, Brian To’o to Score 2 Tries or More @ $2.75
