So you’re watching the games. You’re starting to get the rules. You can follow the tackles, spot the kicks, maybe even recognize a few players by their jersey number alone (since, yep, still no names on the back).

But what’s the big picture? How does a season actually work? How many games do they play? What are the finals? And what’s this mysterious “State of Origin” everyone seems to treat like a national holiday?

Let’s zoom out and break it all down. This is the roadmap to the NRL season—from Round 1 to the Grand Final, with a MASSIVE rivalry series squeezed in the middle.

The Regular Season

The NRL regular season features 17 teams (as of 2025), playing across 27 rounds, (equivalent to weeks in the NFL). Each team gets three byes, which helps balance out the uneven number of clubs. Most weekends, all teams are in action—except during rep rounds or when State of Origin is on.

The ladder (what they call the standings in rugby league) is determined by a simple points system:

• 2 points for a win
• 1 point for a draw
• 0 for a loss

No overtimes, no bonus points, no complicated tiebreakers. If two teams are tied on points, rankings are decided by points differential – how many more points they’ve scored than conceded across the season.

At the end of Round 27, the top 8 teams on the ladder move on to the finals. Everyone else? They pack it up and start thinking about next year.

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The Finals Series

The NRL Finals are like a condensed playoffs bracket—fast, high stakes, and ruthless. Only the top 8 teams qualify, and the entire series runs over four weeks, ending with the Grand Final.

Here’s how it works:

Week 1:

• Qualifying Finals: 1st vs 4th and 2nd vs 3rd
  → Winners go straight to Week 3 (Prelims)
  → Losers get a second chance
• Elimination Finals: 5th vs 8th and 6th vs 7th
  → Losers are out
  → Winners advance to Week 2

Week 2:

• Semi Finals: The elimination winners face the qualifying losers

Week 3:

• Preliminary Finals: Now it’s do or die. The winners from Week 2 face the rested teams from Week 1.

Week 4:

• NRL Grand Final: The last two teams face off, usually at Accor Stadium in Sydney in front of 80,000+ fans.
  It’s the Super Bowl of rugby league, only with fewer timeouts and way more sweat.

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What Is State of Origin?

Even if you’re brand new to the sport, you’ll hear about State of Origin – and fast.

It’s a 3-game series played mid-season, pitting the best players in the league against each other. But instead of club teams, it’s Queensland Maroons vs New South Wales Blues, based on where each player first played junior rugby league.

Yep, this is pure state pride on the line. These guys aren’t just playing for a team, they’re playing for where they grew up. And the rivalry is fierce.

It’s fast. It’s brutal. It’s personal. It’s Alabama vs. Auburn in the Iron Bowl, if the players also happened to be teammates during the rest of the year.

Each game is played in front of a sold-out crowd, with millions more watching from home. And while it doesn’t affect club standings, it’s considered a true badge of honour – and a career-defining stage.

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Post Season

Once the season ends, players aren’t necessarily done. Many of them head into international matches, representing countries like:

• Australia (the Kangaroos)
• New Zealand (the Kiwis)
• Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, England, and more

There’s also the Rugby League World Cup, held every few years, and other test matches and regional competitions. Some players also take part in the Pacific Championships or the All Stars match at the beginning of the next season.

The NRL season may be over by October – but for the best players, the game never ends.

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Quick Recap

NRL Format	Details
Teams	17
Season Length	27 Rounds + 3 byes
Ladder Points	Win: 2, Draw: 1, Loss: 0
Finals	Top 8 teams
Grand Final	Late September / October
State of Origin	3-game series mid-season
International Play	Post-season tournaments and test matches