The NRL season is reaching its climax, with just eight weeks to go until the grand final. As we did last year, we're taking stock of the current standings and making predictions for the remaining games. The Penrith Panthers are looking strong, with a likely finish of 1st, followed by the New Zealand Warriors in 2nd. The Sydney Roosters and Cronulla Sharks are also in the running for the top spots, with the Roosters likely to finish 3rd and the Sharks 6th. The Dolphins and North Queensland Cowboys are in a tight race for 7th and 5th places, respectively, while the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Melbourne Storm are struggling and likely to finish 10th and 8th. The Canterbury Bulldogs and Wests Tigers are in a battle for 11th and 12th places, with the Canberra Raiders and Brisbane Broncos in 13th and 14th. The Parramatta Eels and Gold Coast Titans are in the bottom two, with the Eels likely to finish 15th and the Titans 16th. The St George Illawarra Dragons are in last place, with a likely finish of 17th. As for the finals, the Penrith Panthers and New Zealand Warriors are set to face off in the qualifying final 1, with the Sydney Roosters and Newcastle Knights in qualifying final 2. The North Queensland Cowboys and Melbourne Storm will battle it out in elimination final 1, and the Cronulla Sharks and The Dolphins in elimination final 2.
