We've reached the halfway point of the 2025 NRL season, and the competition is still tighter than ever. Just six points separate 5th place from last, meaning the Top 8 could look very different come finals time.
With all 17 clubs still in the hunt for a playoff berth, one thing is clear: no side in this competition is invincible.
What is the chink in your club's armor? We analyse every club's kryptonite as we inch closer to finals footy.
1Wests Tigers: Inability to avoid controversy
The Wests Tigers looked set to impress in 2025, with a barrage of star recruits joining Benji Marshall's ranks in the pre-season.
With Terrell May, Sunia Turuva, and Jarome Luai pulling on the Orange and Black jumper this year, Tigers fans would have been expecting a more triumphant first half to the season than the one they have received thus far.
While it's easy to point to the Lachlan Galvin controversy as the sole reason for the derailment of their club's seemingly failed premiership prospects in 2025, the issue roots deeper than one man.
The Tigers, as they have been known for over the years, simply refuse to move out of the limelight, with multiple players on their roster landing themselves in media scrutiny over the last few months.
Whether it's May threatening to throw his Blues jersey in the bin, Turuva posting inappropriate jabs on his social media, or the entire organisation being sued for internal bullying, the Tigers' lack of social awareness is what will inevitably result in them missing out on a premiership in 2025.
