We look at how the NRL NT sides are shaping up heading into the 2023 finals
The NRL NT finals are upon us and we’ve broken down how each side is shaping up heading into the first week. Who will lift the trophy at the end? Take our poll.
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The NRL NT finals are here once again with the remaining four A-Grade and women’s sides all well aware of the task they have ahead of them.
Will reigning premiers Palmerston be able to go the long way around to win back-to-back trophies?
Or will the red-hot Northern Sharks keep up their recent run of form and storm their way through the finals series just as they have the back end of the season?
Or perhaps the honours will go to Litchfield and Brothers who have both proven themselves improved sides throughout the season.
And what about the women’s? Will the Darwin Brothers continue to dominate, or will one of the chasing pack close the distance for the big dance?
We have taken a look at each of the remaining A-Grade and women’s sides heading into the first weekend of NRL NT finals.
WOMEN’S ANALYSIS
Darwin Brothers
Record: 13-0-0
Points: 468-84
Key player: Latoniya Norris
Playing Palmerston in the major semi final
What more can be said about the Darwin Brothers women?
For so long now they’ve been the trendsetters in the women’s game and it’s been no different in 2023 following another undefeated season.
They are the favourites to take out the crown off the back of a season where they conceded just 84 points from 13 games, they missed two due to opposition forfeits.
Just twice this season have they been troubled, once in Round 4 where they narrowly beat Sharks 18-14 when they were missing the majority of their starting team on representative duties.
And in Round 12 when they literally needed a last-minute winner to separate themselves from second-placed Palmerston.
The latter match is what every other finals bound side will be looking at hoping they can use it as inspiration to get the better of this Brothers unit.
But it’s a tall ask, with this side the best whether it comes to attacking prowess or putting on the defensive pressure.
Latoniya Norris was already a known commodity having won the 2020 Gaynor Maggs medal, and this year she’s back playing consistently and most importantly scoring tries.
Her tally of 25 is the most of any player in the competition, and she’s expected to be at her lethal best throughout the finals series as well.
What’s more is the second placed on the list is big forward Ellie Niki who has 17 tries to her name off the back of her devastating carries.
And then there’s Jacinda Summers, Ivana Schober and Janna Ransome alongside an ongoing group of younger players who are all lethal on their day as well.
However, the side will be without Niki, Norris, Schober and captain Bianca Scrymgour for their major semi-final.
Can they go back-to-back or will this winning run which extends back to the opening round of 2022 continue for another year?
Palmerston Raiders
Record: 10-0-4
Points: 292-150
Key player: Lucy Aigea
Playing Brothers in the major semi final
A near-constant at the top of the table for the past three years, the Palmerston Raiders head into finals with a double chance yet again.
It’s been a consistent season for the Raiders who have beaten every side except for the Darwin Brothers, a hump they haven’t been able to get over since their 2021 grand final victory.
But they’ve come close in that match-up faltering by just 10 points at home in Round 2, before their Round 12 face-off in which they faded late to concede defeat.
In the latter Palmerston absolutely controlled the opening half with their big forwards catching Brothers’ defence by surprise on the offence.
It didn’t come off in the end, but it was a sign that on their day the Raiders can mix it with anyone, particularly when their star Lucy Aigea is firing.
Outside of Aigea’s prowess, it has also been a strong season for Kagui Gimini at full back who has scored 14 tries throughout the season, while Aigea has 12 to her name.
Elsewhere, Victoria Alley has also had a good year with the side guiding the group around as a playmaker, while Briannon Ross has led her forward-focused side well in her first year as captain.
But the Raiders also know they’re a side with a target on their backs with the following group of Litchfield and Sharks improving across the season.
Litchfield were the side to expose Palmerston late in the year beating them 22-4 in what was Palmerston’s worst defeat.
And it’s a defeat Palmerston know they can’t have a second of if they’re any chance of playing in the grand final.
At their best with their forward charging through Palmerston can live with the best, but if they’re down a couple of their game breakers they’ll be fighting off the chasing pack.
Litchfield Bears
Record: 8-0-6
Points: 232-188
Key player: Rhiannon Fecht
Playing Sharks in the minor semi final
The Litchfield women are no doubt the big improvers of the 2023 season to the point where they’re rubbing shoulders with the big two.
They were courageous and showed big hearts in 2022, but suffered on the personnel front, sometimes down to just 10 players, including in a match they famously won.
The depth has been there in 2023 with a young core of players coming through from their minor premiership winning under-17s side.
And it’s clear to see that with depth has come results, and they’ve only got better as the season has wore on including a 22-4 defeat of second-placed Palmerston in Round 14.
This is a side full of exciting players who can turn a game on a dime given a chance including the past two Gaynor Maggs winners Rhiannon Fecht and Kiyanah Toy.
Fecht has been particularly electric in her first season in a Bears jumper often playing the catalyst for a try-scoring move with her sniping runs around the corner.
Beyond the pair of best and fairest winners there’s plenty of exciting young players coming through at the club while captain Shari Togo continues to lead by example.
If their progression continues they are a genuine chance of making the NRL NT grand final, but first they need to beat both Sharks and whoever comes their way in the preliminary final.
Litchfield also come in as the best-rested side having had their bye in the final round followed by the general week off.
Will that work in their favour?
Northern Sharks
Record: 5-0-9
Points: 194-318
Key player: Ayesha Kay
Playing Litchfield in the minor semi final
It has been an up and down season for the Northern Sharks women’s side, who at one point looked like they could contend for a top two spot.
However, after was a promising start to their season where they were pushing the big two they’ve fallen away a bit in the back half of the season.
A lot of their early success was inspired by the presence of the hard-running Shae Muhleisen, who was a dominant force for the club while she was around.
And she further showed her prowess when she captained the Territory All Stars to victory in this year’s edition of the Deadly Cup.
However, without her Sharks have been missing a piece dropping with only one win to their name since Round 9, that coming against South Darwin.
They put on a fighting showing against Litchfield in Round 13 losing 26-10, but still scoring tries to prove they are dangerous when given the chance.
Captain Ayesha Kay is the key to this side as the playmaker who can be lethal when she gets a bit of run and has support around her.
Tamara Madzika is also an elite runner who can frighten opposition defences when she gets going with ball in hand.
And while they don’t have winning momentum, finals are a different ball game and perhaps will be Sharks opportunity to prove they can take the fight to their opposition.
MEN’S ANALYSIS
Northern Sharks
Record: 13-0-2
Points: 698-141
Key player: Mitch Burke
Playing Litchfield in the major semi-final
Once again they’re the benchmark side and once again they’re the team everyone needs to beat to get their hands on the premiership trophy.
It was a slow start to the season by their standards losing to both Litchfield (16-14) and Brothers (34-6) in Rounds 3 and 4 hinting at a lack of match fitness early in the season.
But as all good sides do they very quickly bounced back smashing the reigning premiers, Palmerston, 74-0 just two weeks later to prove they’re still the top dogs.
Since then they’ve gone undefeated winning 11 games in a row with little sign of slowing down despite recent injuries to key players including five-eighth Brent Crisp.
However, no side knows better than the Sharks that no matter your results you cannot be complacent heading into finals.
They were in a similar position heading into the 2022 finals series jumping straight into the grand final, and it was there that a first half send-off blew their premiership chances away.
They’ve learned the lesson and now know any send off or sin bin could be another killer for their title hopes.
It’s hard to find a weak area in the Sharks squad with both their backs and forwards absolutely dominant from the middle of the season onwards.
Captain Mitch Burke runs the show from the halves choosing the right options in attack and is particularly deadly passing off the short, inside ball to expose a defensive gap.
And he’s got plenty of running options to choose from with Clint Chettle, Cooper Segeyaro, Samuel Pearson, Bailey Zaro and Brody Bordina all able to cause damage.
The Sharks’ forwards aren’t too bad either with Adam Hall and Jacob McCarthy among those able to gain metres on the carry or take some back on the tackle.
Once again they’re the favourites to take home the title, but the question is if they can get it done this year.
Litchfield Bears
Record: 11-0-4
Points: 504-216
Key player: Nathan Dixon
Playing Sharks in the major semi-final
Litchfield were the frontrunners for a large period of the season going unbeaten until their second meeting with Sharks in Round 8.
The young Bears have been a building side over the past three seasons and this year is a real chance for the group to get some reward for their efforts.
Nathan Dixon has been the best five-eighth in the league building on the promise which earned him the 2021 Rising Star as well as the Eric Johnston Rugby Union best and fairest that same year.
His ability to pick a pass or find space with his kicking game has unlocked many a Litchfield attacking move and the likes of Corey Gregory have been all too happy to take advantage.
However, he was an injury concern after the Round 14 match against Palmerston.
Trent Wedding has also been among the comp’s best in his first season as captain inspiring big showings from fellow forwards Brody Race and Dillan Vanderburg.
In a testament to the club’s depth Litchfield has also been among the sides to blood the most young players through the year futureproofing the team for years to come.
However, they do come into finals lacking winning momentum with just two wins from their past five games, neither of which came against another finals side.
And while all three losses have been tight, and one possibly to be blamed on two send offs, it will be a concern for the club.
Incomplete sets have been the side’s issue in recent times with slipped ball and penalties going against the Bears where they were the most clinical side early in the season.
It’s an area they need to rectify if they want to come out on top against sides that have and will punish any mistakes.
But otherwise, if it all comes together, they have proven they can beat anyone in this competition and have all the ingredients needed to go the full distance.
Darwin Brothers
Record: 10-0-5
Points: 532-216
Key player: Caleb Niki
Playing Palmerston in the minor semi-final
The Darwin Brothers have been in the mix with the top sides all season, despite some fluctuations in form across the year.
They remain the only side to have kept Sharks to a single digit score all season, beating them 34-6 in Round 4.
However, more recently the Sharks humbled Brothers in Round 15 beating them 30-4 and ending what was a five match winning streak at that point.
It was not the note the Brethren would have wanted to end their regular season on missing out on the finals double chance as a result of the loss.
However, Brothers are still one of the most exciting sides in the comp making up for their smaller player size with plenty of razzle dazzle on offence.
They’re a side that at their core know how to play running rugby and love nothing more than taking advantage of an opponent’s mistake and beating them on the counter attack.
And key to those counters is their full back Caleb Niki, who is easily among the league’s best players with his ability to fight through or evade tackles when on the attack.
Heading into finals the side will be hoping to have both captain Isaac Seden-Kurnoth and Danny Warren back and playing their best after intermittent game time throughout the year.
And up front Elijah Coombes has developed into one of the best ball carriers constantly taking on opposition defences, or hitting them just as hard when he gets his chance to tackle.
But it’s been the return of veterans such as Drew Tobin and Aaron Pollard around a young core which has really helped elevate the side in 2023.
Brothers are another side that has all the pieces for a successful finals charge, they just weren’t able to produce it consistently enough throughout the season to take a top two spot.
At their worst they are a side who can get caught up in the niggle and give away needless penalties, while at their best they can cut any side to pieces.
It’s all about which side turns up on the day.
Palmerston Raiders
Record: 8-0-7
Points: 414-338
Key player: Blake Fletcher
Playing Brothers in the minor semi-final
The reigning premiers have struggled for consistency unable to settle on a concrete starting side as injuries plagued the side.
They started to play their best footy late in the year with a close loss to Brothers, who they did beat in Round 7, followed by a 86-6 win over Nightcliff and a 28-22 victory against Litchfield.
Going on last year’s results they are a side who enjoy flying under the radar, however they will not be favourites against anyone they face come finals time.
The Raiders have just two wins from nine games against finals-bound opposition, and while a dream run from fourth is never impossible (see Brothers 2020) it will be an uphill battle.
Most important if they are to make a finals charge is to get their big guns back in the side and playing consistently, which they’ve lacked all season.
Blake Fletcher, who captained the Indigenous All Stars to victory in this year’s Deadly Cup, is the most important player as a real danger man running the ball or exposing space with his boot.
It’s little wonder Palmerston’s best results have come when he’s been in the side, rather than without him as they were at times early in the year.
Brad Hansen is another club stalwart who the side will want back in following injury, while others such as Ed Murphy, Jake Rainger and Matthew Johnson have also all been in and out of the side.
Meanwhile, Steve Smith has been a constant in his first year as captain bringing the hard hits in defence and urging his side onwards when they need go forward.
What they need is momentum and while they’ve won their past two matches, they have also had two weeks off with the South Darwin forfeit followed by the general bye.
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