NRL 2026 Finals (Men)

If you missed my coverage of the regular league season, you can see it by clicking here.

All the top eight sides hit the first round of the finals. Four have a second life if they lose. For two it's sayonara. 

First round: The two that went were the South Sydney Rabbitohs (6th in the league) and North Queensland Cowboys (8th). The NZ Warriors (2nd) and Sydney Roosters (4th) lost so missed out on a bye. 

Quarter finals: An out of form Cronulla Sharks (5th) were blown away by the Roosters. The Warriors didn't lift enough for the finals and were ousted by the Newcastle Knights in a somewhat controvesial cliff hanger. 

Semi finals: The Dolphins (3rd) had been hot leading up to the finals series but were outplayed by the Roosters. Favourites the Penrith Panthers (1st) were likewise upset by the Knights.

Grand Final: The Roosters were favourites but the diogged Knights were not out of the equation. The Knights led 12-6 at the break but with less possession and a poorer field position, it was always going to be tough. Yet the Knights only lost by one point. That determination summed up how they got there. 

The Roosters played a grand final how it should be played. Give the opposition as little as possible. The stats say they should have won by more but the margin of victory isn't the point. Winning the grand final is, no matter how you do it.

The highlights of the final are below. Best watched at YouTube. 

NRLW 2026 Finals (Women)

Six clubs lined up for a shot at the coveted crown, the grand final. The third to sixth sides comprised the first round. The regular season summary can be seen by clicking here.

Quarter finals: The Wests Tigers (4th in the league) and Newcastle Knights (6th) ended their journey here. The Wests lost out in a tight one. In came the top two league teams for the semi final.

Semi finals: Neither match had a run away scoreline. The League winner and hot favourite Sydney Roosters went through and the Brisbane Broncos (3rd in the league) defeated second placed Gold Coast Titans. 

Grand final: Last year's finalists were back for round two. Brisbane edged that match but the Roosters were favoured to reverse that result. So it proved with the Roosters taking a 26-0 half time scoreline. The game was over but the second half was close. 

The highlights are below, best watched at YouTube.

European SL 2026 Finals

The 2026 season has concluded. How have the top six clubs fared? Here's my assessment.

6:Leigh Leopards. Sixth in the league and out at the first hurdle in the finals, the quarters. They wanted more as they made the semi finals in 2025 but not good enough.

5: Hull KR. Grand final winners to a quarter final exit, but poor discipline and perhaps over confidence unhelpful to the cause. Fifth in the league too.

4: Leeds Rhinos. Second in the league gave them a bye but narrowly lost their semi final match. There was some murmuring about the penalty that sunk them but I thought it fair. A good season but not quite there.

3: Wigan Warriors. Already had won the league and cup, they were so good on their day but their semi final was a poor effort. Comprehensively beaten and not a reflection of their season.

2: Warrington Wolves. Always the bridesmaid but never the bride, this was their chance to make it their year. Third in the league and a grand finalist. They recently have often played in the finals series and have made grand finals, but their last grand final victory was 1986! They need to catch the bouquet.  

1: Wakefield Trinity. The Trinity comes from when they were formed in 1873 as a team associated with a church. Their last grand final victory was 1968! Since then they have struggled to emulate their better times. They were in the second division in 2024.

Fast forward two years. They came fourth in the league and then won three games to take the grand final. They led 19-0 at the break and despite losing the second half on the scoreboard, were just too good. Well done Trin. A highlights video will follow soon. 

If you missed my coverage of the league season, simply click here.

The highlights are below. Best watched on YouTube.