When half the competition has nothing to play for, the NRL has a problem

August 3, 2026 — 3:30pm

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Much of Round 22 felt like we were watching two NRL divisions: teams readying for the finals and teams readying for Mad Monday.

The Panthers, Roosters, Warriors and Sharks looked like they are building game plans to hold firm for the last two weeks of the season.

With expansion coming, the shallowness of the competition is a concern for the NRL. The divergence in standards and motivation is exaggerated by the fast pace of the game.

The Cowboys, who embarrassed themselves in an 82-12 defeat to the Roosters on Thursday, were in eighthplace going into that game.

This is the thinnest competition for years, and most NRL fans could have made alternative September holiday plans as far back as June.

How to keep more people interested? The AFL came up with the gimmick of copying the American NFL and growing the top eight into a Clayton’s top 10, giving two extra teams a second chance with a four-team wildcard round.

A cynical commercial play it might have been, but cynical commercial plays are the NRL’s bread and ever more thinly spread butter.

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© The Age