GET READY FOR ROUND 24 - All You Need to Know Before Kick-off

Only a couple of rounds to go before we get into finals action in the 2026 season! Some teams are vying for a top-four spot, while others will be glad to just make the top eight. With so much happening in the lead-up to the finals, BettingTop10 is the place to be as we go through all the biggest stories you need to know before Round 24.

What a game to kick off Round 24! The first-placed Penrith Panthers face off against the second-placed Sydney Roosters. This could very well be a preview of a Preliminary Final or Grand Final, so strap yourselves in.

It may be one vs two, but it’s the Panthers who are still the favourites in the NRL betting odds for the Premiership, but the Roosters have certainly been closing in on them in recent weeks. Both teams are sitting on 36 Premiership points, and this game is effectively a four-point swing to the winning side.

The Panthers don’t exactly have the best of recent form coming into this one, but the same can be said for the Roosters, who continue to win but don’t really instil a lot of confidence. The Panthers went down to the Warriors last time out, while the Roosters squeaked through with a two-point win over the Bulldogs.

The Premiership favourites will have to play their final games of the regular season without their captain, Isaah Yeo, as well. Yeo injured his pec in the game against the Bulldogs. While he has managed to avoid surgery, he will likely miss the rest of the regular season.

The Panthers have also been involved in some major signing news this week, and they’re on the losing end of it! One of the best wingers in the game, Brian To’o, has announced he’ll be leaving the Panthers to join the PNG Chiefs in 2028. To’o will also join his former teammate and good friend, Jarome Luai, at the Chiefs.

In a major clash like the Panthers and Roosters, the Roosters fans will be sweating on the fitness of their captain, James Tedesco, who missed the last game with an ankle injury. There are positive signs coming out of the Roosters’ camp that the star will play, so watch this space.

There has been movement in the Latrell Mitchell camp for the South Sydney Rabbitohs this week, as the star has been spotted training with the team. The Bunnies are currently sitting in seventh spot on the ladder, and would really benefit from their $1.1m man back in the fold.

Mitchell has been plagued with injuries for multiple seasons now. For the 2026 season specifically, we haven’t seen him since Round 11, where he picked up a lower back injury which in turn resulted in nerve damage. To add salt to the wound, he has also been dealing with a calf injury.

There were fears that Mitchell wouldn’t even return for this season, but those fears were somewhat squashed on Tuesday when he stepped out to train with the team. It’s still a long road from training with the team to playing in a match, but it’s a key step (and we’re going in the right direction now!).

If the St. George Illawarra Dragons want to keep their slim chances of finishing without the wooden spoon in hand, they’ll have to beat the Wests Tigers this round. The Tigers have been somewhat of a dumpster fire as of late, so it shouldn’t be that hard to beat them, right?

Don’t forget the Dragons have already beaten the Tigers only a couple of rounds ago. The future is looking brighter for the Dragons as well, with some key signings announced recently. We’ll see the likes of Kodi Nikorima, Luke Metcalf, and Keaon Koloamatangi all join the Dragons.

To top it all off, the Dragons are coming off a high of just their third win of the season when they took down a top-four team (the Sharks). For this round’s clash against the Tigers, it looks like Toby Couchman will return to the fold.

This will be a welcome addition, but the squad still has major injuries to players like Jaydn Su'A (won’t be back until 2027), Hame Sele, and Hayden Buchanan (out for the season). It’s clear the Dragons are already in rebuild mode, but still can finish the 2026 season strongly.