The NRL will continue its successful 2025 trial of Sunday finals into preliminary final weekend, while the Dolphins have been given the Friday night spotlight.

Coach Andrew Webster and two enforcers were part of the last team to bounce back from a week one loss and win a grand final. Andrew Voerman

Gorden Tallis has slammed Jarome Luai’s messy exit from the Wests Tigers and believes it could have lasting consequences for the star’s relationships with other players inside the NRL.

The NRLW will farewell two of its most influential figures with Sydney Roosters pair Millie Elliott and Corban Baxter announcing their retirements.

NRL sources say the Warriors should have been penalised three times for impeding Dolphins aerial threat Jack Bostock, prompting a warning ahead of next weekend’s preliminary final. Christian Nicolussi

The Sydney Roosters have added motivation in their premiership push this season after stalwart NRLW players Corban Baxter and Millie Elliott announced they will retire from professional rugby league at the end of 2026.

The Warriors and Knights are both sweating on the potential returns of big names for this weekend’s semi-finals, with one Newcastle star targeting a “crazy” comeback.

Jarome Luai’s deteriorating relationship with the Wests Tigers has ended with the star five-eighth opting not to attend the club’s end-of-season awards’ night.

For the last week, there’s been conversation, opinion and a game trial regarding a smaller sized football in the NRLW.

The Warriors have come under the microscope for illegal blocks on Jack Bostock, with Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf reaching out to the NRL over the matter.