The NRL has a slightly odd situation where the top two teams don’t seem entirely interested in who actually finishes the home and away season in first place. Particularly for Penrith, where anything less than another premiership is deemed as underachieving. Brisbane, too, have their eyes set on the main prize, If they win tonight they will have gone to nineteen wins, from thirteen wins last year and seven wins the year before that. But they need to go deep into the finals, their club culture is predicated on winning.
The AFL is having their pre-finals weekend off, a break designed to eliminate the masses of players being rested that we’re seeing in the NRL. It would be interesting to see if an NRL pre-finals bye would have the same effect. I think rugby league’s impact nature and the extra games the elite players have during State of Origin would see those who were able to take two weeks off. Two weeks would be too long for AFL players.
(Draws count as correct)
NRL (last round 6/8; season tally 127/180)
Brisbane
Manly
Easts
New Zealand
Penrith
Newcastle
Gold Coast
Cronulla
(Draws count as correct)
AFL (last round 5/9; season tally 138/190)
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