The NRL’s heavyweights have fallen off a cliff. And only one is climbing back up

June 8, 2026 — 5:00am

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Within moments of Keano Kini chipping, chasing and shunting the reigning premiers into a fifth straight loss on Saturday night, the question pinged in from the rugby league ether via the group chat.

“Has an entire top four missed the finals the following season?″⁣

No. Never. Not once since 1908.

And even with the Storm, Broncos, Raiders and Bulldogs sitting between positions 11 and 15 on the NRL ladder (with the Titans in between) after mostly miserable starts to 2026, odds-on, this won’t be the year either.

The NRL’s bewildering insistence on awarding two points for a bye makes a liar of the ladder.

Take those two-point gifts away for a true mid-season snapshot, and Melbourne rank behind the eighth-placed Rabbitohs, not by four competition points, but only on for and against.

Through set restarts, injuries and hubris though, history could well be matched, if not made, by the falling heavyweights.

The drop-off of 2004 premiers Canterbury, the runner-up Roosters and fourth-placed Panthers in 2005 is the only time three of the previous year’s top four have been missing come September.

On form and the first 13 rounds of 2026, it will be Mad Mondays and........

© The Sydney Morning Herald