The 2025 NRL season is drawing to a close with the final two rounds set to wrap up in the next few weeks and it’s still too close to call. Although we have a reasonably solid idea of who will compete in the finals, the premiership winners remain up in the air. The Raiders could claim a historic victory with their first premiership win since 1994, but we could just as easily see the Storm stealing it in the final.
You also can’t count out the serious challenge presented by the rest of the eight qualifiers for the finals. In particular, the Panthers are on the hunt for their fifth premiership in a row and are hard to write off. Let’s take a look at the teams that still have a chance of going all the way in the Grand Final on October 5th.
Raiders Lead The Way
We’re kicking off our list with the top of the table —Canberra Raiders —who are two points clear of their closest rivals Melbourne Storm. It’s been a strong comeback for a team who missed out on the finals last season.They’ve shaken off any bad memories to have a very memorable season, winning 18 of their 22 matches and claiming 42 points overall¹. The Raiders are set to win their first minor since 1990 and will go on aschallengers for their first premiership since 1994.
Standout Performances For The Raiders
Throughout the season, the Raiders have put in strong team performances, but their showing in the 25th round really highlights why they find themselves at the top of the leaderboard. In what has been dubbed the ‘Miracle in Mudgee’, whichis surely a challenger for try of the season, the Raiders scored a stunning Golden Point try against the Panthers on August 22nd².
Theteams were tied with16 points at the end of normal time, but it was Kaeo Weekes’ try in the dying moments of the first half of extra time which stole the show and the victory for the Raiders. The 90-meter try started when Jed Stuart caught the rebound from the Panthers’ Nathan Cleary’s goal attempt. Stuart carried the ball before passing to Ethan Strange who broke away from the Panthers’ defense before passing to Kaeo Weekes for a stellar team try.
Could The Raiders Go All The Way?
The Raiders seem unstoppable when it comes to topping the table and claiming the minor this season, but what are their chances when it comes to the premiership? Wewouldn’t put it past head coach Ricky Stuart, who was actually playingforthe Raiders team the last time they won the premiership. Stuart has easily been one of the bestcoaches this season, making valuable substitutions at prime moments. This season’s Canberra Raiders display the same tenacity, grit and free flowing play that Stuart had as a player³.
They also boast incredible individual performers from the likes of Ethan Strange, who has scored 12 tries, fivegoals and 11 try assists this season, and Sebastian Kris, who has eighttries and 202 made tackles. The combination has made for one of the most impressive teamsin recent years and is why the Raiders have the best odds of winning the 2025 NRL Premiership.
Second-Place Storm
The next big challenger for the 2025 NRL premiership is without a doubt second-place Melbourne Storm. While we might have had our doubts earlier in the season, Storm havebeen shining, going undefeated in the five games since their loss in the 19th round to the Eagles⁴. They also got off to a strong start this season by winning six of their nine opening matches.
When Has Storm Been The Brightest?
There’s been plenty of high points for Storm this season, including the impressive shutout against Wests Tigers back on May 11thwhere they won 64-0. Ryan Papenhuyzen led the way in the Mother’s Day crushing, scoring three tries within the opening 17 minutes alone⁵. The fullback contributed an impressive 36 points —the most scored by a single Storm player in a match and Storm’s biggest win ever.
Eliesa Katoa has been another standout player for the Storm with the back rower playing every match, scoring 11 tries and totaling 34 offloads. Of course, where Katoa really comes into his own is in defense, where he’s made 702 tackles at an outstanding 92.1% efficiency.He’s also kept his title as one of the league’s hardest workers, running a total of 3,089 meters this season. There’s no doubt that Katoa will play a central part in the Storm’s challenge for the premiership.
Could Storm take the 2025 NRL Premiership?
Given their current performance, we don’t think you can write the Storm off at all in the race for the 2025 NRL win, but it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. They’ve missed key players like captain Harry Grant, who suffered a hamstring injury at the start of the year and is currently serving a two-match ban after a grade 2 shoulder barge on the Bulldogs’ forward Harry Hayes⁶. Although it’s probably the best timing to serve a ban, with Storm all but guaranteed to make it through to the finals, it could disrupttheir winning momentum going into the finals.
The Storm havealso struggled against our list leader, the Raiders, losing two out of three of their match ups this season with scores of 36-10 and 20-18. Since those games, they’ve gone from strength to strength in the league with Katoa and Papenhuyzen leading the way. We find it hard to write off Storm given their recent run and are sure they’ll be tough competition in the finals.
Panthers Claw Their Way Back
Now, this one might seem a little left field or be a bit harder to see, but you needto stick with us. All NRL fans know that one of the Panthers, the Storm or the Roosters have featured in every final since 2015⁷. In our opinion, the Panthers are the most likely teamto keep the 10-year run going. They showed their class in their most recent game by pushing top of the leaderboard Raiders all the way with only extra time separating the two sides.
Panthers welcome return to form
The Panthers finally seem to firmly have their eyes on their prey in their recent run of matches with a triumphant return to form. There’s been a lot of chatter about a monumental fall from grace for Panthers following last season,wherethey claimed their fourth title on the bounce. While they certainly haven’t reached the dominant heights of those seasons, you can never count the Panthers out.
The 2025 Panthers team has certainly shown glimmers of their true potential. We can’t forget that this is a team which went on a nine-game winning streak between June 1stand August 8th,which includedgames against top challengers like Warriors and Bulldogs. The hallmark of a Panthers’ performance has been low scoring, closely contested games, so it’s not surprising their defense is the one of the best out there. For instance, Hooker Mitchell Kenny is one of the competition’s leaders when it comes to tackles made with 887 at an efficiency of 91.9% this season.
Could Panthers Make It Five In A Row?
We know Panthers have got a ways to go if they want to contest for their fifth NRL premiership in a row. They need to lock down that top eight finish first, as they currently sit in seventh. However, both their form coming into the season and their impressive unbeaten run during it must be acknowledged.
We’re not saying the Panthers have completely blown us away in 2025, but given their history in finals, it’s hard to rule them out. After all, once the Panthers get their claws into a premiership, they’re hard to shake.
Which Teams Could Win The 2025 Premiership?
It’s been a close season, and we expect that the finals will be equally hard to call. It could be one of the first years that all eight teams that make the finals have a real chance to go all the way. The Raiders should enter as favorites to claim their first premiership in over 30 years but expect to see the Storm hot on their heels.
We also can’t completely discount the Panthers, who are on the prowl for their fifth premiership in a row and could turn up in their classic finals form to clinch the win. While the current top teams will have the best odds going into the final matches, don’t discount the challenge that will come from the rest of the eight qualifiers.
¹ NRL 2025 Ladder, Written by NRL.com, Published by NRL.com.
⁴ NRL Round 19 Team: Lists & Updates, Written by BetKiwi, Published by BetKiwi.
⁵ Record Breaking Paps Helps Storm Embarrass Tigers, Written by AAP, Published by ESPN.