GET READY FOR ROUND 23 - All You Need to Know Before Kick-off

We’re really getting down to the nitty-gritty now! Just a handful of rounds to go, and at this time of year we’re presented with an interesting scenario where teams that have a lot to lose are up against teams that are simply playing for pride. Before all the action of Round 23 kicks off, the BettingTop10 team break down the biggest news stories.

The Sydney Roosters are realistically the only team that can challenge the Penrith Panthers for top spot on the ladder (with the New Zealand Warriors also a sniff). However, Roosters fans were given a little scare in their last game against the North Queensland Cowboys.

James Tedesco didn’t play in the second half of the Roosters' history-making 82-12 win over the Cowboys after rolling his ankle. It looks like it was just precautionary measures, though, and the club expects he’ll be cleared for this round’s match against the Canterbury Bulldogs.

The ladder-leading Panthers are still the heavy favourites to win the Premiership according to NRL betting odds, and have some injury concerns of their own as well. Casey McLean recently had hand surgery and will miss a few weeks.

On top of this, we’ll likely see Dylan Edwards on the sidelines for another match after suffering a shoulder injury. Mitch Kenny remains out of contention as well, as he continues to battle a leg injury.

With just a couple of rounds to go, the South Sydney Rabbitohs are clinging onto a top-eight spot. They are currently in seventh, and it’s been a hard slog considering the amount of injuries they’ve suffered all throughout the season.

Still, they’re in with a solid chance, and all eyes continue to be on Latrell Mitchell, who suffered a back issue in Round 9, and we haven’t really seen much of him since. He seems to get better, then suffer a setback.

Coach Wayne Bennett provided an update recently about the superstar, stating Mitchell is set to see a famous spinal specialist. Spinal surgeon Mark Winder has worked with the likes of Anthony Minichiello and Karl Oloapu.

Bennett, however, put a wet towel on the idea that Mitchell could be back soon. While there’s currently no talk of surgery, and Mitchell’s issue is getting better, it’s not at a point where he can return to the field. Will he miss the rest of the season, or come good just in time for the critical Bunnies matches?

Now, let’s take a look at the Cowboys, who sit just outside the top-eight, in ninth spot. There has been a lot of drama off the field surrounding their captain Tom Dearden and his long-term future at the club.

There have been rumours swirling around for months that the star would ask for an early release from his contract, so he can move to Sydney to be with his pregnant partner, who lives in NSW. It looks like that’s all been put to bed now.

Dearden fronted the media to shut down the rumours and confirm he’ll be playing for the Cowboys until 2029. The captain has had an injury-riddled 2026, and we haven’t seen him play since Round 10.

Maybe this is exactly what the Wests Tigers need: a bye. They get to try and clean up their off-field mess, and pick up two Premiership points as well. After their last game against the Parramatta Eels, I think we all need a break from the Tigers!

Reports out of the Tigers’ camp this week suggest that coach Benji Marshall is set to use this week off to evaluate if he should send some players off for the season-ending surgery they require. Most notably, Jahream Bula, who has been battling a shoulder injury for a while now.

Going down this road could inject some youth into the squad and give young players some much-needed NRL experience. It seems like Marshall hasn’t made up his mind yet, so this is certainly something to watch.

Now, onto the Adam Doueihi drama that just keeps on giving. While Doueihi and the Tigers have seemingly kissed and made up, there’s still a heap of tension at the club. The saga has now moved on to who exactly leaked the information in the first place.

There are claims that Doueihi had a hand in leaking all the details. There seems to be a lot of division and finger-pointing at the club. While the players and staff may deny it, there’s certainly a culture issue at the club, and it runs deep.

Let’s move on to the Melbourne Storm now. While they won’t make the finals for the first time since 2010, they are looking to their future. Two of the Storm’s most promising stars, Hayden Watson and Jai Bowden, have been locked in until 2030.

The pair made their debut last time out against the Bulldogs, and impressed. They are both just 19 and worked their way through Storm’s academy pathways program. The club clearly has a long-term vision with these two, and it’s exciting to see how high they go.