<p>With the 2025 NRL season kicking off in Vegas this weekend, it’s time to take on the daunting task of predicting how the ladder will look after the dust of 27 rounds of rugby league finally settles.</p> <p>Who will be this season’s surprise packet? Who will collect the dreaded wooden spoon? And who will scale the lofty heights of Mt. NRL and finish top of the pops?</p> <p>We’ve dusted off our crystal ball and run the rule over all 17 teams to predict who will finish where. Without further ado, here are our NRL ladder predictions for 2025.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>NRL Ladder Predictions 2025</h2> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>17. South Sydney Rabbitohs</h3> <p>Injuries and exits have been the tale of tape for South Sydney heading into the new season.&nbsp;</p> <p>Returning super coach Wayne Bennett might not be enough to save this seemingly sinking ship, after the club confirmed long term injuries to both Cameron Murray and Latrell Mitchell on the eve of the new season.</p> <p>With both of Souths’ million-dollar men sidelined for the foreseeable future, coupled with the departure of long-standing rake Damien Cook, we’re tipping Uncle Wayne to collect the first wooden spoon of his illustrious career.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>16. New Zealand Warriors</h3> <p>When over 500 games of NRL experience walk out of your door in the form of Shaun Johnson and Tohu Harris, it’s never a good sign.</p> <p>Add to that the departure of rampaging prop Addin Fonua-Blake and things are looking a little grim across the Tasman.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>15. The Dolphins</h3> <p>Teams that Wayne Bennett leave historically struggled the next season, and we’re tipping that trend to continue in 2025.</p> <p>The NRL’s newest club unsurprisingly has one of the thinnest squads in the competition and we think rookie coach Kristian Woolf will have his work cut out keeping the Dolphins away from the foot of the ladder in 2025.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>14. Wests Tigers</h3> <p>Surely, they won’t make it four in a row. Unfortunately, we’re talking about Wooden Spoons here, not premierships. The anti-Panthers, the Tigers have finished dead-last three years running.</p> <p>You’d hope the additions of Jarome Luai (Panthers), Sunia Turuva (Panthers), Jeral Skelton (Bulldogs), Royce Hunt (Cronulla Sharks), Jack Bird (Dragons) and Terrell May (Roosters) will keep them off the bottom in 2025, otherwise, perhaps they are beyond saving.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>13. Sydney Roosters</h3> <p>Unanimously tipped to struggle in 2025 as they undergo a full rebuild, the Roosters have lost an eyewatering amount of top tier talent.</p> <p>Joseph Suaali'i (rugby union), Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Hull KR), Joseph Manu (rugby union), Luke Keary (Catalans), Sitili Tupouniua (Bulldogs) and Terrell May (Wests Tigers) will all be plying their trade elsewhere this season and as a result we have the Chooks roosting at 13th.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>12. Newcastle Knights</h3> <p>Ponga can’t do it all, but he might have to. Yes, Newcastle have some exciting outside backs, but their halves stocks leave a lot to be desired.</p> <p>Unless Ponga goes nuclear, as he is known to do, we can’t see the Knights making the eight this year.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>11. Canberra Raiders</h3> <p>Ricky’s Raiders have been treading water for some time now. There is no doubt they have a talented squad on paper, but injuries and inconsistencies continue to cost them.</p> <p>We’re predicting another season of mediocrity for the Green Machine and perhaps a change in the coach’s box come season’s end.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>10. Gold Coast Titans</h3> <p>The Titans are doing what the Titans do best, convince everyone that this is the year they finally click into gear and make an assault on the title.</p> <p>They have arguably played the most eye-catching brand of footy this preseason, with new halves combination of AJ Brimson and Jayden Campbell nothing short of pure dynamite.</p> <p>Unfortunately, we’ve seen this movie before. You’re not fooling us this time, Titans.&nbsp;</p>

<h3>9. Parramatta Eels</h3> <p>It’s a new era at the Eels this year. They’ve bid farewell to their long-term coach and captain and brought in rookies to replace both.</p> <p>The early signs under new mentor Jason Ryles are promising and the new attacking combination of NSW teammates Mitchell Moses and Zac Lomax is one to watch this season.</p> <p>A return to the finals might be a stretch too far for Parra in 2025, but the future looks bright for the once electric Eels.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>8. St George Illawarra Dragons</h3> <p>For us, no team has recruited better than serial under achievers St George. A hat-trick of high-profile new recruits in the form of Valentine Holmes, Clint Gutherson and Damien Cook appears to already be paying dividends.</p> <p>They all impressed in preseason and while they are all a little long in the teeth, the Red V should be able to get a few good years out of them, starting with 2025.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>7. Manly Sea Eagles</h3> <p>When you’ve got established rep players like Daly Cherry-Evan and Tom Trbojevic heading up your spine, you’re always in with a shot at finals footy.</p> <p>Their forward pack is nothing to scoff at either and we’re tipping them to mirror their 2024 finish and come seventh again this season.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>6. North Queensland Cowboys</h3> <p>If the Cowboys get off to a fast start this season, they are top four contenders. They finished fifth last year after getting their act together after a sluggish start.</p> <p>Too temperamental to get a true read on, sixth seems like a respectable and realistic finish for this exciting outfit.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>5. Canterbury Bulldogs</h3> <p>Are the Dogs of War really back? We’re about to find out. Canterbury’s defence in the second half of last season was nothing short of impeccable and harked back to a time when the likes of: Willie Mason, Mark O’Meley, Roy Asotasi and Sonny Bill Williams donned the blue and white.</p> <p>Can the Doggies run it back in 2025 and assert themselves as a premiership force? We believe so.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>4. Cronulla Sharks</h3> <p>After falling one game short of last year’s decider, the Sharks will be hungry to at least go one better in 2025.</p> <p>They have one of the best spines going and wingers who make metres and score tries for fun and if they can avoid the injuries that slowed their momentum last year, they can certainly find themselves in the top four come season’s end.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>3. Brisbane Broncos</h3> <p>New season, new coach, new expectations. On paper Brisbane’s squad is arguably the best in the competition.</p> <p>The addition of former prodigal son Ben Hunt has added priceless versatility to their setup and if Michael Maguire can keep everyone fit and out of trouble, you’d have to think the upper echelons of the ladder await.</p>

<h3>2. Penrith Panthers</h3> <p>Penrith have shown in recent years they are more concerned with the actual premiership as opposed to the ones of the minor variety.</p> <p>Often resting their stars after securing a top four berth, they are happy to occupy second, third or fourth and be fresh for the finals.</p> <p>If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. Will they win an unprecedented fifth straight premiership though? Well, that’s a question for another time.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>1. Melbourne Storm</h3> <p>Topping our predicted 2025 NRL ladder are the Melbourne Storm. It might be seen as the boring choice as they finished here last season, but they’re the favourites for a reason.</p> <p>Bellamy, Munster, Hughes, Grant, Papenhuyzen, should we go on? When you’ve essentially got a rep team running out every week, you’re going to be there or thereabouts.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h2>NRL Minor Premiership 2025 Odds</h2>