NRL finals race going the distance with four teams scrambling

August 28, 2023 4:19 pm.by Wayne Heming

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The tightest NRL premiership race in recent memory is going right down to the wire.

The make-up of the final eight positions will not be known until NRL match number 408 of the season between Cronulla and Canberra at PointsBet Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

It’s that close.

There are six games this weekend that will impact the final standings, as well as deciding the minor premiers and which eight teams move forward into the NRL finals.

The Broncos, Panthers, Warriors, Storm, Knights, and Sharks have already booked their spots in the finals.

Canberra, South Sydney, North Queensland, and Sydney are battling it out for the remaining two spots.

Of that group, the Rabbitohs have the best points differential of 73, ahead of the Cowboys (36), Roosters (-38), and Raiders (-119).

Injuries and suspensions last weekend have added an extra twist, while Penrith, Brisbane, and Melbourne face big decisions on whether to rest some star players in the final round.

If Brisbane can break a seven-year hoodoo against Melbourne at Suncorp Stadium on Thursday night, they will capture their first minor premiership since 2000, the year they beat the Sydney Roosters 14-8 for their fifth title.

Broncos coach Kevin Walters captained that side in his final season for Brisbane.

From all reports, more than 40,000 tickets have already been sold for Thursday night’s game, even though a number of stars from each club could be rested.

Should Brisbane drop their final game to the Storm, who hold a dominant 39-13 head-to-head record in 52 clashes since they joined the competition in 1997, and Penrith bounce back with a win against the Cowboys, the Panthers will take the minor premiership with a superior differential.

The last game of the 2023 regular season between Cronulla and Canberra is huge for the Raiders, who have to win because of their horrible differential of -119 points.

Canberra have elected to challenge a grade-one shoulder charge levelled against Queensland representative Corey Horsburgh in the hope of having him cleared to play against the Sharks

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