A 27-round season means there is no official halfway point of the 2026 NRL season, but 14 rounds completed seems as good a time as any to call it officially the downhill run.
As the State of Origin period rolls on, and the ladder becomes a distorted mess (just look at the teams who are yet to have a bye), the run to the finals still has plenty of wiggle room, but some times have shone against pre-season expectations, and others have flopped.
When we checked in after seven weeks in our quarter season report, two coaches had already been sacked.
That carnage has come to an end, and with every team now having at least one win, the idea of a team going winsless is over.
Plenty has changed through the middle of the ladder over the last seven weeks, but it's still the Penrith Panthers proving they are the NRL's dominant force.
Here is every team's grade, best players and ladder predictions as we hit half of the 2026 NRL season played.
Wests Tigers
Grade: C+
Current record: 10th place, 6 wins, 6 losses, 2 byes, - 78 F/A, 16 points
Run home: Titans (h), Dolphins (h), Knights (a), Dragons (a), Warriors (h), Bulldogs (a), Raiders (a), Eels (h), Bye, Dragons (h), Roosters (a), Cowboys (a), Panthers (a)
The Tigers were one of the good news stories early in the season, but the doors have well and truly blown off in the last couple of weeks.
Injuries have been a real thorn in the side for Benji Marshall's side, but the way their defence has fallen apart, there are bigger issues at play.
The Penrith record loss is fresh in the mind, of course, and given pre-season expectations, they are still passing the grade at the moment, but it won't last for long if they can't find a way to get back in the winner's circle.
Big couple of weeks coming up for the jointv-enture with a very tricky run home including their last three on the road if they want to play finals footy.
Best player: Alex Twal
Zero Tackle MVP leader: Adam Doueihi, 22nd, 66 votes
Prediction: 11th
