The top eight sides moved on to the finals series, the reigning premiers the Penrith Panthers from Western Sydney the favourites. In fact, they were going for a third consecutive title.
Round 1: The top two sides in the league both won their games by generous margins which was an ominous sign. The other two were very close, the Canberra Raiders and Cronulla Sharks bid adieu.
Round 2: Those two comfortable winners had a week to rest and recover while the other four remaining sides did battle. The Kiwi based side overwhelmed their opponent but Melbourne had to really fight to get past a plucky Sydney Roosters. The two vanquished ended their season while the victors moved one.
Semi Final: The best two sides for the year came back from their week off and emphatically showed they were not going to be denied their opportunity in the grand final.
Grand Final: A tight first half had the scoreline favouring the Panthers 8-6. However, they were trailing 8-24 with only 18 minutes left on the clock. Then came a stunning fightback that had them snatch the lead with only a couple of minutes left.
Summary: Undoubtedly the two best sides made the final, both ending the regular season on 42 points with only goal difference handing the league title to Penrith. The grand final reflected that closeness and again it was the Panthers narrowly winning the contest.
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