The opening week of the 2026 NRL finals delivered tight contests, dramatic moments and a major upset. Newcastle and Cronulla kept their seasons alive, while South Sydney, Canberra and North Queensland bowed out.

The regular season has come to an end, and the final round delivered plenty to remember. Penrith secured the minor premiership with a dominant win over the Tigers, while South Sydney produced a statement victory against the Roosters. There were also tight finishes for the Warriors and Dolphins, a farewell victory for Josh Papalii, and a dramatic final win for Melbourne. With the finals now set to begin, here is how the final round unfolded.

The Newcastle Northstars are champions. After finishing the regular season on top of the ladder, Newcastle have completed the job, holding on for a tense 2–1 victory over the Canberra Brave in the AIHL championship game.

The Warriors retained top spot on the ladder, South Sydney secured a long-awaited finals berth, while the Sharks’ top-four hopes were extinguished. At the other end of the table, Brisbane suffered another heavy defeat, while Manly and Parramatta produced emphatic wins.

The Newcastle Northstars and Canberra Brave will meet for the title after contrasting semi-final victories on Saturday, with Newcastle dismantling the Sydney Ice Dogs while Canberra produced another extraordinary comeback win over the Melbourne Mustangs.

The AIHL playoffs got underway with exactly the sort of drama you’d expect from sudden-death hockey. Both preliminary finals were thrilling affairs, with the Canberra Brave finally finding a way past the Sydney Bears after trailing three times, while the Sydney Ice Dogs survived a Perth fightback to book a meeting with the league-leading Newcastle Northstars.

The AIHL regular season is over, and it could hardly have finished with a more dramatic final weekend. Newcastle Northstars secured top spot, while Melbourne Mustangs and Canberra Brave finished level on 61 points behind them. Adelaide, meanwhile, finally gave their supporters something to celebrate with a convincing final-day victory over Perth.

Round 25 has thrown the NRL finals race into further chaos, with the Wests Tigers producing one of the biggest upsets of the season to beat the Roosters and open the door in the minor premiership race. Penrith took advantage with a gritty win over Melbourne, while the Warriors moved into first place, the Sharks strengthened their top-four hopes and Manly kept their own faint finals dream alive.

The AIHL ladder has been reduced to a remarkable three-way tie at the top. Newcastle, Canberra and Melbourne Mustangs all sit on 59 points after a weekend that saw the Brave make perhaps the biggest statement of the season. Canberra travelled to Newcastle and came away with a convincing win before backing it up against Brisbane, while the Northstars responded on Sunday to remain level with their two closest rivals. At the other end, Adelaide endured another difficult weekend,

The Roosters moved to the top of the ladder after a tense win over Penrith, while the Warriors strengthened their top-two hopes by dismantling Brisbane for the second time this season. Newcastle also booked its finals place, while the Dolphins continued their charge towards the top four. At the other end, Manly’s finals hopes officially disappeared.

The race for the AIHL minor premiership remains completely undecided. Newcastle and Melbourne Mustangs both finished the weekend on 56 points after splitting their two games, while Canberra continued its remarkable late-season run with another four-point weekend. Perth, meanwhile, endured a brutal pair of defeats against the Mustangs. At the other end of the ladder, Adelaide and Brisbane - both already out of playoff contention - produced another pair of entertaining games, w

The Dolphins produced a remarkable comeback from 24-0 down to stun the Broncos, while the Warriors handed ladder leaders Penrith a significant blow. Melbourne kept their faint finals hopes alive, Newcastle strengthened their own top-eight push and the Dragons produced one of the upsets of the round. Here is the weekend’s action.

Round 22 produced one of the most remarkable scorelines of rugby league history, with the Sydney Roosters piling on 82 points against North Queensland, while the Warriors officially booked their place in the finals. Elsewhere, the Dolphins strengthened their top-four credentials, Canterbury claimed an important win over Melbourne, and Newcastle piled more misery on Brisbane.

With the Mustangs sitting out the weekend, Newcastle took full advantage in the race for the minor premiership, while Canberra continued its surge to climb into outright third. But the biggest story belonged to Adelaide. After months of frustration and only one previous regulation-time victory all season, the Adrenaline produced one of the biggest upsets of the year to finish the weekend on a high.

The AIHL title race remains impossible to separate. For the second straight week, Newcastle and the Mustangs matched each other stride for stride, leaving both sides level on 50 points atop the ladder. Behind them, Canberra continued its excellent late-season form, while Melbourne Ice kept its finals hopes alive in another high-scoring weekend.

Round 21 delivered another pivotal weekend in the race towards September, with the Panthers strengthening their grip on the minor premiership, South Sydney keeping their finals hopes alive, and Canberra producing one of the most dominant performances of the season. Elsewhere, the Roosters pinched a thriller in Newcastle, the Bulldogs stayed in the top-eight hunt, and the Sharks dismantled Manly at Brookvale.

The Melbourne Mustangs produced another flawless weekend to draw level with Newcastle at the top of the ladder, while Canberra continued its late-season charge and Melbourne Ice reminded everyone they remain a dangerous finals contender.

This week saw the Brisbane Broncos producing one of the biggest upsets of the season, the Sydney Roosters strengthening their top-four credentials, and the New Zealand Warriors overcoming a controversial contest to cement their place near the top of the ladder. Elsewhere, Canberra held off a spirited South Sydney comeback, while the Dolphins and Titans enjoyed important victories.

After Week 13, Perth and Newcastle sit locked together on 44 points, while Melbourne Mustangs have surged into genuine contention just behind them. The weekend also saw some huge individual performances, with Kale Costa and David Gaeta producing standout offensive displays.

Cronulla produced one of the biggest wins in recent club history, while Melbourne survived a tense finish and the Cowboys stole a golden-point thriller on the road. Here is the full weekend review.