GET READY FOR FINALS WEEK 2 - All You Need to Know Before Kick-off

And then there were six! Finals Week 1 saw both the Rabbitohs and Cowboys tumble out. The Roosters and Warriors both lost their Qualifying Final, but get another chance to redeem themselves thanks to finishing in the top four. The BettingTop10 team breaks down the most important news impacting the six remaining teams in the hunt for the 2026 Premiership.

With the Penrith Panthers putting their feet up this week, they still remain the favourites to take out the Premiership according to NRL betting odds. All eyes were on Nathan Cleary after he was put on report and spent 10 minutes in the bin last time out.

While he has since been cleared to play, there are more concerns around Cleary. With the star halfback currently battling a stress-related bone issue in his foot. The two weeks between games would be much needed as he races against the clock to prove his fitness.

The Dolphins charged home last time out to beat the New Zealand Warriors on the road. The Warriors do have another chance, though, as they welcome the Newcastle Knights to Eden Park. The Warriors had to make a lot of changes on the fly last time out.

Hopefully, that doesn’t happen again, but we still see injuries and question marks around several key players, including Jackson Ford, Luke Metcalf, and Leka Halasima. We could, however, see the great Dallin Watene-Zelezniak return.

This is the first time the Dolphins have made it into the finals, and it’s clear they still know what they’re doing. They’re straight into the Preliminary Finals after producing a great comeback win in New Zealand last time out. 

Aside from the footy itself, there is also a potential salary-cap squeeze. Winning a Premiership (or coming close) tends to result in players demanding more cash, and with 15 players in free agency from November 1, we could see some movement here.

The Sydney Roosters were in that game up to their eyeballs against the Panthers, but couldn’t pull through with the win. They still get another chance to make the Preliminary Finals, though, as they come up against the Cronulla Sharks. The Roosters have already beaten the Sharks twice this season.

For all your Roosters fans out there, I’m sure you’re already keeping a close eye on Sam Walker and his recovery from recent ankle surgery. He is reportedly making great progress, and we may even see him return if the Roosters can make a deep finals run. On top of this, Angus Crichton may also make his return this week.

The Sharks have made it to the second round of the finals after knocking out the North Queensland Cowboys. Braydon Trindall made his return from a dislocated shoulder last time out, and while he did look uncomfortable at times, he still played a major role in helping his side get the win.

All eyes will be on Trindall once again to see if he is able to back up again against a seemingly tougher opponent in the Roosters. When Trindall and Nicho Hynes are on their A-game, it looks like the Sharks can topple almost any team in the NRL. So let’s see how they go together this week!

The Knights had been copping injury after injury throughout the regular season, but continue to find a way, and now find themselves in the second week of the finals after getting the better of the South Sydney Rabbitohs 20-10. They were the underdogs for that game, and will also come into this clash against the Warriors as the underdogs.

They face more injury and suspension issues coming into this game. As we already know, Jacob Saifiti’s season is over after a four-match suspension, and Trey Mooney is out with a scapula injury. Just like Sam Walker, though, Dylan Lucas is reportedly making great progress with this ankle fracture. He’d still be a slim chance to return this season, though.