The last round of the NRL premiership is usually
something of a “non event” – but this weekend, after 25 rounds and 175 matches
every prize (including the wooden spoon) is still up for grabs.

The final seven matches of the home and away series will
decide: The minor premiership; the all important top four places; the
8th and final place in the semi-finals next weekend; and the unwanted
wooden spoon.

As of today the top eight reads like this: Eels,
Dragons, Broncos, Tigers, Storm, Cowboys, Sharks and Sea Eagles.
By Sunday night it’s conceivable that this order will
be changed completely. That is how close the 2005 premiership has
become.

The Sea Eagles have a precarious hold on 8th
spot. If they are beaten by the Raiders in Canberra tomorrow night, then both
the Panthers and Roosters can tip them out if they win their final games on
Sunday. And as a number of writers have pointed out, you have to
question whether any of the three deserve to be in the finals. The Sea Eagles, Panthers
and Roosters have all lost more games than they have won AND have had more
points scored against them than they have scored. That’s what you get when you have eight semi-finalists
in a fifteen team competition.

Tonight the Eels get the chance to put the minor
premiership almost beyond reach if they defeat the Broncos. Even if the Dragons
win on Sunday, the Eels superior averages will surely give them the number one
spot. If the Broncos and Dragons both win it’s a much closer contest on
averages.

While the Tigers hold down 4th spot (and a
home semi final), they could lose it to the Storm or the Cowboys. And the Storm
and Cowboys are under pressure for 5th and 6th spots from
the Sharks if they lose. And it’s just as uncertain at the fag end of the
premiership as well. The unwanted wooden spoon is really a race between the
Rabbitohs and the Knights. If both win, the Knights will end up in last place,
as they will if both lose. On their recent form, neither deserve to end up in last
place but a season is judged over 26 rounds not the last half
dozen.

After this weekend, seven teams will hang up their boots
for the 2005 season. And the seven will certainly include the reigning premiers,
the Bulldogs. With such an open and interesting premiership right to
the very end, is it any wonder that the National Rugby League has been able to
report this week extraordinary growth in some key areas this
season.

Sponsorship this year is up 39 per cent on last year;
licensing (royalties on gear sales etc) is up by 41 per cent; and crowds totals
are up by 12 per cent. The State of Origin games have been the top three rating
shows of any kind in Sydney and Brisbane this year, and NRL games account for
nine of the top ten rating programs on pay television this
year. And 2GB’s rugby league coverage at the weekend is the
top rating program of any type in Sydney this year.

So a final premiership round in which every game has
some impact on the way the season ends – minor premiership, top four places,
semi finals makeup and wooden spoon – is surely a worthy ending to the
premiership rounds of rugby league’s best season.