The teams that had their shortened 2020 match regular season cut back further in missing out on the play-offs. Twenty matches for those departing early. For the NZ Warriors (pictured scoring above), surely mixed emotions, not playing in the finals but at last being able to return to New Zealand to see family. This after having to stay in Australia for the season. On to the rankings from the bottom.
16th: 6 points, Brisbane Broncos (Queensland).
A team with a proud history was humiliated this season. They had their longest losing streak in club history of 11 matches, which could be added to at the beginning of the next season, as it's still open-ended. Overall, their points differential was -18 points per game overall 20 games. The team had better players than this result would suggest. It was the first wooden spoon in their history.
15th: 6 points, Canterbury Bulldogs (Sydney).
The poorest team on paper (in my estimation) and therefore my favourite to come last. They went close but a superior points differential saved them. They didn't do badly in that, a -11 points per game for the season. A solid side but that isn’t enough in the NRL.
14th: 10 points, North Queensland Cowboys (Queensland).
I wondered how the club would fare once JT retired a few years back (a former star player). Well, they have struggled and this poor season was about right for the team as it is presently. It goes to show how important a skilful playmaker is if that was ever in question.
13th: 14 points, Manly Sea Eagles (Sydney). The team from the north side of Sydney Harbour had the potential to be playing finals football but fell someway short this season. They didn't seem to be able to play for a full 80 minutes, having good spells but then letting their opponents off the hook.
12th: 14 points, St George-Illawarra Steelers (Sydney/NSW Country).
This unique club straddles both Sydney suburbs and a city further south in the NSW state. I wasn’t expecting them to make the finals and they delivered on that. However, their points differential of just -4 showed they were not far off the pace.
11th: 14 points, Wests Tigers (Sydney).
This was a team I saw as finishing anywhere. It was hard to predict how they would go and as is often the case in a tough competition, such sides often end up at the wrong end of the ladder. -3 points on average were not bad at all.
10th: 16 points, NZ Warriors (Auckland, NZ).
The coronavirus disrupted the team badly in the early part of the season. It wasn't even a given that they could compete. They eventually stayed in Australia away from their families for a prolonged period. At first, they really struggled but gradually a closeness seemed to develop and the latter part of the season went well for them. Their efforts and personal sacrifices the team made earned them much respect. A points differential of -6 points but considering the circumstances, a fine result. Credit to the coaching staff too.
9th: 18 points, Gold Coast Titans (Queensland).
This relatively young club has struggled but with a new coach, they went above my expectations. I was thinking maybe second to bottom but the top of the also-rans instead. A -6 points differential wasn't that flash but they did something they have previously struggled to do, that is win close games. They were last by some distance last season so this was a huge improvement. It will be interesting to see if they can build on the progress in 2021.
| Rk | Team | Pts | W | L | Diff | |
| 9 | Gold Coast Titans | 18 | 9 | 11 | -117 | |
| 10 | New Zealand Warriors | 16 | 8 | 12 | -115 | |
| 11 | Wests Tigers | 14 | 7 | 13 | -65 | |
| 12 | St George-Illawarra Dragons | 14 | 7 | 13 | -74 | |
| 13 | Manly Sea Eagles | 14 | 7 | 13 | -134 | |
| 14 | Queensland Cowboys | 10 | 9 | 15 | -152 | |
| 15 | Canterbury Bulldogs | 6 | 3 | 17 | -222 | |
| 16 | Brisbane Broncos | 3 | 3 | 17 | -356 |