Who is top of the NRL ladder in 2026?

The Penrith Panthers lead the 2026 NRL ladder after Round 14 with 12 wins from 13 games (26 points including one bye, +273 differential). The New Zealand Warriors are second at 9-3 with 22 points and the Sydney Roosters third on 20 points.

Which teams are in the NRL top 8 in 2026?

After Round 14 of the 2026 NRL season, the top 8 are: 1. Panthers, 2. Warriors, 3. Roosters, 4. Sea Eagles, 5. Dolphins, 6. Sharks, 7. Knights, 8. Rabbitohs. Cowboys and Wests Tigers sit 9th and 10th - both on 16 points but outside the eight on differential.

What is the biggest surprise on the 2026 NRL ladder?

The biggest story after Round 14 is the Sea Eagles, Dolphins and Sharks all surging into the top 6, with the Dolphins on a 4-0 run and Newcastle drifting back from 4th to 7th. The Cowboys remain on the wrong side of the top 8 cut despite winning eight games. Three teams are now jammed on 18 points and three more on 16.

How many rounds in the 2026 NRL season?

The 2026 NRL Telstra Premiership season consists of 27 rounds. The top 8 teams at the end of Round 27 qualify for the NRL finals series, which culminates in the Grand Final in October 2026.

Who are the NRL premiership favourites in 2026?

Check our NRL Premiership Odds 2026 page for the current futures market. Panthers have shortened to $2.37 after a 4-0 run. Warriors ($9.00), Roosters ($9.00) and Sea Eagles ($13.00) headline the chasing pack.

Where can I find NRL scores for this week?

NRL scores for Round 14 2026 are available at nrl.com. Our NRL Round 14 tips page covers every match with full analysis and results. We update our ladder page after every round throughout the 2026 season.

Home › NRL 2026 › NRL Ladder

NRL 2026 · After Round 16

NRL Ladder 2026 - Live Standings & NRL Scores

Short Answer

The NRL ladder after Round 16 shows Panthers 28pts (12-2) after a shock loss. Warriors jump to 24pts in 2nd. Dolphins, Roosters and Knights all win to move to 22pts — Dolphins 3rd, Roosters 4th, Knights 5th. Sea Eagles, Rabbitohs and Sharks all on 20pts in positions 6–8. Top 8 cut at 18pts. Updated after every round.

Key Findings

→NRL teams receive 2 competition points for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss - a bye counts as a win
→Point differential (points scored minus points conceded) is the primary tiebreaker when teams are level on points
→The top 8 teams at the end of Round 27 qualify for the NRL finals series
→Home and away records matter significantly in NRL - GIO Stadium (Raiders) is one of the toughest away venues in the competition
→The Panthers have won the most NRL premierships since 2021 and remain the competition benchmark

Live 2026 NRL ladder after Round 16. Panthers 28pts (12-2) after a loss. Warriors 24pts (10-4) in 2nd. Dolphins, Roosters and Knights win to reach 22pts and move into 3rd, 4th and 5th. Sea Eagles (20pts), Rabbitohs (20pts, bye), Sharks (20pts) fill positions 6–8. Cowboys and Tigers both on 18pts outside the eight on differential. Full standings and finals race analysis.

Updated after Round 16 · 22 June 2026 · 27-round season · Top 8 qualify for finals

2026 NRL Ladder - Round 16 Standings

Finals position (top 8)

Outside top 8

Pos	Team	P	Pts	W	L	Bye	PF	PA	Diff	Home	Away	Form	Next	Odds
1	Penrith Panthers	14	28	12	2	2	455	183	+272	6-0	6-2	WWWL	R17	$2.45
2	New Zealand Warriors	14	24	10	4	2	414	244	+170	6-2	4-2	LWLW	R17	$9.00
3 ▲	Dolphins	14	22	9	5	2	414	285	+129	4-3	5-2	WWWW	R17	$9.00
4 ▲	Sydney Roosters	14	22	9	5	2	360	306	+54	5-2	4-3	LLLW	R17	$10.00
5 ▲	Newcastle Knights	14	22	9	5	2	392	358	+34	5-2	4-3	LWWW	R17	$21.00
6 ▼	Manly Sea Eagles	14	20	8	6	2	379	263	+116	4-3	4-3	WWWL	R17	$14.00
7 ▲	South Sydney Rabbitohs	13	20	7	6	3	386	300	+86	5-2	2-4	LLWB	R17	$14.00
8 ▼	Cronulla Sharks	14	20	8	6	2	374	329	+45	6-2	2-4	WWWL	BYE	$21.00
9	North Queensland Cowboys	15	18	8	7	1	363	394	-31	4-3	4-4	LWLL	R17	$41.00
10	Wests Tigers	14	18	7	7	2	333	417	-84	5-4	2-3	WWLL	R17	$81.00
11	Melbourne Storm	15	16	7	8	1	388	368	+20	5-3	2-5	WWWW	R17	$21.00
12	Canterbury Bulldogs	14	16	6	8	2	246	342	-96	5-2	1-6	LWLW	R17	$81.00
13 ▲	Brisbane Broncos	14	14	5	9	2	281	389	-108	2-5	3-4	LLLB	R17	$41.00
14 ▲	Parramatta Eels	14	14	5	9	2	284	433	-149	3-4	2-5	LLWB	R17	$501.00
15 ▲	Gold Coast Titans	14	12	4	10	2	267	357	-90	2-3	2-7	WLLW	R17	$1001.00
16 ▼	Canberra Raiders	15	12	5	10	1	281	404	-123	2-5	3-5	LLLL	R17	$101.00
17	St George Illawarra Dragons	14	6	1	13	2	204	449	-245	0-6	1-7	WLLL	R17	$1501.00

Source: NRL.com · Updated after Round 16, 22 June 2026 · Green border = top 8 cut-off · Odds from Sportsbet

🏆 Best Betting Sites → 📋 All 130+ Bookmakers →

NRL Ladder Analysis - Round 16

🔥 Story of the Ladder

Panthers lose for just the second time all season — still clear on 28pts but now 12-2. Warriors take 2nd spot outright on 24pts after winning. Dolphins, Roosters and Knights all win to jump to 22pts. The Dolphins rise to 3rd, Roosters to 4th, Knights to 5th. Sea Eagles drop from 3rd to 6th after a loss.

⚔️ Top 8 Battle

Positions 6–8 are a logjam: Sea Eagles, Rabbitohs (bye) and Sharks all on 20pts. Cowboys and Wests Tigers both on 18pts outside the eight on differential. Storm win to reach 16pts — climbing fast with four straight wins. Bulldogs also 16pts. Raiders drop to 16th after a loss — now level with Titans on 12pts.

💫 Biggest Movers

Dolphins (4-0 form, $9.00) rise to 3rd — now just 2pts off the Warriors. Storm on a 4-game win streak, climbing from 11th. Panthers lose for just the 2nd time in 16 rounds — the competition benchmark is human after all. Broncos and Eels both had byes and move to 14pts.

🏆 Premiership Race

Panthers ($2.45) remain firm favourites despite the loss. Warriors ($9.00) and Dolphins ($9.00) tied in the market. Roosters ($10.00) firming. Knights ($21.00) and Sea Eagles ($14.00) solid in the top half. Check our NRL Premiership Odds for current betting markets.

Best Bookmakers for NRL Betting

Betr

Best NRL same-game multi builder - exotic markets and in-play betting

Bet Now →

Sportsbet

Widest NRL market range - futures, game markets, player props and SGMs

Bet Now →

PointsBet

Sharpest NRL odds + unique PointsBetting on NRL stats and match outcomes

Bet Now →

Related NRL pages

NRL Tips 2026 Round 17 Tips NRL Premiership Odds Best Sites for NRL AFL Ladder 2026 Compare Betting Sites Best Betting Sites

Frequently asked questions

The Penrith Panthers lead the 2026 NRL ladder after Round 16 with 28 points (12-2, +272 differential). The New Zealand Warriors are second with 24 points (10-4). Dolphins, Roosters and Knights are all on 22pts in positions 3–5.

NRL Round 16 scores and results are reflected in the ladder above. For live scores during games, visit nrl.com. Our NRL tips page covers every match with full analysis updated each week.

After Round 16 the top 8 are: 1. Panthers (28pts), 2. Warriors (24pts), 3. Dolphins (22pts), 4. Roosters (22pts), 5. Knights (22pts), 6. Sea Eagles (20pts), 7. Rabbitohs (20pts), 8. Sharks (20pts, BYE in R17). Cowboys and Wests Tigers are 9th and 10th, both on 18pts but outside the eight on differential.

Melbourne Storm sit 11th on the 2026 NRL ladder with a 7-8 record and 16 points after Round 16. They've won four straight and are closing the gap — 4pts outside the top eight with 11 rounds remaining.

The 2026 NRL season runs for 27 rounds. The top 8 teams at the end of Round 27 qualify for the finals series, culminating in the NRL Grand Final in October 2026.

Check our NRL Premiership Odds 2026 page for the full futures market. Panthers ($2.45) remain clear favourites. Warriors ($9.00) and Dolphins ($9.00) are joint second in the market, with Roosters ($10.00) and Sea Eagles ($14.00) also in contention.