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After 28 weeks of action, the NRL 2023 has been narrowed down to just four teams. This weekend, another two will go home, with the Grand Final being set. Can the Storm upset the Panthers? Will New Zealand make their first Grand Final in 12 years? We take a look at the latest NRL standings, and break down the most recent NRL results ahead of week three of the playoffs in 2023.
National Rugby League results – playoffs week two
Contents
Looking at the latest NRL results, here’s how week two of the playoffs panned out last weekend:
- Melbourne Storm 18-13 Sydney Roosters
- New Zealand Warriors 40-10 Newcastle Knights
It was a weekend of comebacks, with both of the first week’s beaten teams bouncing back strong to book their spots in the preliminary finals this weekend. First, the Melbourne Storm put aside a disappointing thrashing at the hands of the Brisbane Broncos, and gritted out a hard-fought 18-13 victory over an in-form Roosters side, putting to a stop their winning streak at the same time.
To close out the weekend, the New Zealand Warriors extinguished a winning streak themselves, denying the Newcastle Knights a club-record 11th win in a row, by thumping the visitors 40-10 at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland. The triumphant romp sets up a Broncos vs Warriors clash this weekend, leaving the Panthers to take on the Storm in the other preliminary final.
Who will come out on top this week?
National Rugby League standings – updated after regular season
With the regular season complete, here’s how the NRL ladder is looking as ahead of week two of the playoffs:
| Rank | Team | Played | Won | Draw | Lost | Differential | Points |
| 1 | Panthers | 24 | 18 | 0 | 6 | +333 | 42 |
| 2 | Broncos | 24 | 18 | 0 | 6 | +214 | 42 |
| 3 | Storm | 24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | +168 | 38 |
| 4 | Warriors | 24 | 16 | 0 | 8 | +124 | 38 |
| 5 | Knights | 24 | 14 | 0 | 9 | +175 | 35 |
| 6 | Sharks | 24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | +122 | 34 |
| 7 | Roosters | 24 | 13 | 1 | 11 | -24 | 32 |
| 8 | Raiders | 24 | 13 | 0 | 11 | -137 | 32 |
| 9 | Rabbitohs | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | +59 | 30 |
| 10 | Eels | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | +13 | 30 |
| 11 | Cowboys | 24 | 12 | 0 | 12 | +4 | 30 |
| 12 | Sea Eagles | 24 | 11 | 1 | 12 | +6 | 29 |
| 13 | Dolphins | 24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | -111 | 24 |
| 14 | Titans | 24 | 9 | 0 | 15 | -126 | 24 |
| 15 | Bulldogs | 24 | 7 | 0 | 17 | -331 | 20 |
| 16 | Dragons | 24 | 5 | 0 | 19 | -199 | 16 |
| 17 | West Tigers | 24 | 4 | 0 | 29 | -290 | 14 |
With the top eight set, nine teams saw their seasons end, while the remaining eight headed into the post-season. Already, four teams have been eliminated, with the Canberra Raiders and Cronulla Sharks losing in week one, and the Sydney Roosters and Newcastle Knights joining them in week two. This week, the winners of the semi-finals will face the winners of the qualifying finals, with the losers going home, and the winners moving through to the Grand Final next week.
Understanding the NRL ladder
The National Rugby League standings are about as simple as it comes in terms of points systems used in sports competitions.
Teams compete over a 27 round regular season, with each side playing 24 matches and receiving three byes. A win is worth two points, and a loss worth zero, and a draw worth one. Teams will also automatically receive two points on each of their bye weeks.
The top eight teams on the NRL ladder at the end of the regular season move through to the post-season, where four weeks of finals footy will determine the NRL champions for 2023.
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