Join me in shedding a tear for the end of the NRL regular season.
For nine fanbases it was the last time to see their team go round in 2026 before the long, difficult off-season ahead.
For the final time this season we look at the weekend that was, in terms of Power Rankings.
Just to change it up a touch, the top eight entires here are listed in order of where I believe their title aspirations lay.
The bottom nine are ranked on where their season has been overall, with some recency bias to keep theme with the "form matters" format.
Where did your team land on our final NRL Power Rankins, following NRL Round 27?:
1. Penrith Panthers (Last Week: 2)
The Panthers wrapped up the Minor Premiership via a crushing 38-10 win over the Tigers and undoubtedly enter the Finals series as the team to beat ... again!
Dylan Edwards won our Zero Tackle Player of the Year award on the back of yet another huge effort here. Casey McLean bossed the game for 80 minutes.
Tom Jenkins topped the NRL try scorers (with Alex Johnston) after crossing for his 29th and 30th tries of the year. Isaah Yeo returned to make them even more dangerous.
Penrith start the shortest priced favourites of the weekend against the Roosters.
2. New Zealand Warriors (1)
The Warriors fell just short of capturing the Minor Premiership but enter Finals on the back of a brilliant 31-30 win over Manly.
Taine Tuaupiki crossed for a hattrick of tries. I didn't even have him in my top few players on the field, such was the performance of both sides.
Te Marie Martin and Jacob Laban were the standouts for me, although re-watching the highlights Tuaupiki certainly did feature heavily.
The game of the round awaits as the Warriors host the Dolphins on Saturday evening. A win here means they won't need to leave New Zealand until the Decider.
3. The Dolphins (3)
The Dolphins enter their first Finals on the back of a 24-20 win over the Titans on Friday evening.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow is breathing fire right now and continued his good form via a try double. Herbie Farnworth had a quiet night with just a try, 147 run metres and seven tackle breaks. Cheat code!
The Dolphins backs have been lighting up the competition all season. Don't let the score-line on Friday fool you, this team is ready to go.
They travel to New Zealand, as outsiders, knowing they can outscore anyone on their day. I am looking forward to this game more than anything I can ever remember.
4. Sydney Roosters (4)
The Roosters rested a large majority of their First Grade squad during their 50-20 loss on Friday night to the Bunnies.
No one is paying any attention to this result but the Roosters have limped into Finals on the back of a month of horror footy.
Hugo Savala will have to have the month of his life for the Roosters to get back to their previous selves. He has the talent.
All the big guns are back for Sunday's game against the Panthers, including Angus Crichton.
5. South Sydney Rabbitohs (5)
The Bunnies have roared into the Finals over the past few weeks. Friday's 50-20 win over the Roosters, albeit a heavily undermanned version, will provide plenty of confidence.
They shape as the team outside the Four most likely to threaten the big guns.
Cam Murray may be the in form forward across the competition right now. Latrell Mitchell now has big minutes under his belt also.
Souths enter Friday night's elimination game as heavy favourites over the Knights. Should be a ripper in front of a massive crowd.
6. Newcastle Knights (6)
The Knights return after a bye and should be refreshed heaving into die-or-die footy.
No team is more threatening from anywhere on the park than the Knights. They're missing some big names but still have plenty of fire power.
They make the short trip to play Souths on Friday night. Fans should be confident after a brilliant season that saw their side return to Finals after last year's last placed finish.
7. Cronulla Sharks (7)
The Sharks are another team who have limped into Finals footy. Their last play loss to the Storm was actually encouraging given Craig Fitzgibbon finally named some of the club's young talent.
Cronulla have been awful over the last month with their sole win coming in unconvincing fashion over the Titans.
Braydon Trindall returns to play the Cowboys this Saturday night. The side has fallen to pieces since the literal minute he came off the field.
The Sharks look to be making up the numbers despite finishing fifth. With that said, they start heavy favourites on the weekend.
8. North Queensland Cowboys (8)
The Cowboys round out the Finals competitors but much like the Sharks, look to be there for nuisance value only.
They copped 50, at home, to the eliminated Raiders on Saturday and looked very much out of sorts.
Truthfully they couldn't improve their standing so part of me thinks they took a slight break on the night.
This side is very capable of upsetting the Sharks on Saturday night. The talent is certainly there, as is the speed the Sharks cannot match.
9. Manly Sea Eagles (9)
A season that promised so little, then so much, ultimately ended on Saturday in heartbreaking fashion.
Manly's 31-30 loss to the Warriors largely sums up their season to be honest. At times they were attacking wizards, at time they were comically bad in defence.
They certainly feel like the "best of the rest" when it comes to teams that missed the Finals.
Foz-ball absolutely saved a season that looked like it was headed toward a 15th placed finish, but it just couldn't deliver Finals footy in 2026.
10. Canberra Raiders (11)
Canberra's season ending on a high via a 50-20 win over the Cowboys. The game included a try by Josh Papalii in his final game.
Overall Raiders fans will be devastated to miss Finals after last year's Minor Premiership but it's not all bad.
Coby Black produced one of the all time, potentially the greatest of all time, performances on debut. What an excitement machine he is.
Canberra head to Bali knowing that special times are ahead.
11. Melbourne Storm (11)
The Storm ended a rare down season with last minute heroics in defeating the Sharks on Saturday night.
Harry Grant was a wizard for 80 minutes and reminded us all of his hold on the Kangaroos number nine jersey.
No Melbourne fan will be happy with missing Finals, it's just not something that happens to those wearing purple.
That said, Craig Bellamy is sticking around and Sualauvi Fa'alogo emerged as one of the game's premier talents this season. Not all bad.
12. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs (10)
The Bulldogs horror 2026 ended via a 34-20 loss to the out of sorts Broncos on Thursday night.
Lachlan Galvin should probably win their Player of the Year award. Jacob Preston, if not for injury, could have joined him on stage.
2026 was a lost year for the blue and whites, who still don't know what their spine looks like.
Cameron Ciraldo must use this off-season to make some difficult decisions to fire this side back to Finals footy, which should be a minimum each year.
13. Brisbane Broncos (14)
The Broncos may have whipped the Bulldogs on Thursday night but you can't convince me they were a better team this year.
Their title defence was an abject failure, being eliminated from Finals footy for many weeks now.
Payne Haas exits the club on the back of a monster performance. I thought Ben Hunt had his best game of 2026 in his final game of the season.
Their is way too much talent on this roster to reproduce their 2026 effort next year. Surely. Right?
14. Parramatta Eels (13)
The Eels 2026 season ended on Sunday afternoon via a 24-22 loss to the Dragons. Unofficially it was over two months ago.
Jack Williams and Brian Kelly split the team award but they honestly wouldn't have had too much competition.
Dylan Walker crossed for a try in his final game of NRL. Jordan Samrani has been unearthed this year. That's a big positive.
Jason Ryles has overseen two awful seasons now and needs a turnaround next year. Jarome Luai arrives, on loan almost, in November.
15. St George Illawarra Dragons (16)
I know the Dragons finished last this year but they were much better than the two sides below them. Results matter but I'd much rather be a Dragons fan now than the below.
Tyrell Sloan's magnificent two-point field goal won them his final game in the Red V.
Toby Couchman capped off a brilliant season with a 200 metre run game and could be a smokey for World Cup honours. Dylan Egan may be there beside him.
The Dragons 2026 was awful in a vacuum but overall it should provide a brilliant platform for an exciting future.
16. Wests Tigers (15)
The Tigers early season promised so much but ended in, unfortunately, typical Tigers fashion. They were no match for the Panthers on Sunday afternoon.
Solomone Saukuru scored another try and has provided some late season excitement.
Despite some fun moments, especially at Leichhardt Oval, but overall it ended in a 15th place finish. I'd argue that flatters them.
I don't know what's ahead for the Tigers. I think moving Luai on a year early will ultimately prove to be the right move. Otherwise though.
17. Gold Coast Titans (17)
I was once so high on the Titans. I end the year with them as rock bottom. Their loss to the Dolphins on Friday provided a perfect snapshot of 2026.
At times they were blistering. A pure joy to watch. At other times you couldn't pay me enough to watch.
The future is bright on the Gold Coast, with a super exciting spine locked in for many years, but 2026 was a year too early.
I believe in Josh Hannay and they look good moving forward. That said, they'll want to forget 2026.
