Sat 7 Nov · 8:05pm AEDT · McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle
New Zealand v Tonga
Tonga by 2
New ZealandTonga
NRL Tips: 2027 Pre-Season
The NRL is off until March, so this weekend's tips are the World Cup semi-finals. Every 2026 game stays graded below.
2027 draw: not published by the NRL yet. We check nrl.com every hour and the full Round 1 grid goes up the day it lands.
World Cup semi-finals this weekend
Our rating pick for each game, with both sides' named teams.
Sun 8 Nov · 8:05pm AEDT · Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Australia v Samoa
Samoa by 2
AustraliaSamoa
Final at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane: Sun 15 Nov 7:35pm AEDT. Teams decided by the semi-finals. Team lists
How the 2026 tips went
Every game of the season, tipped with only the results known before it.
- Our model
- 132 from 213
- Best SMH tipster
- 137 from 213
- Zac Bailey
- Home team every game
- 116 from 213
- margins within 6 points
- 62
2026 expert leaderboard
The Sydney Morning Herald panel, our model and a tip-the-home-team baseline, scored on all 213 games.
| Rank | Tipster | Correct | Strike rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zac Bailey | 137/213 | 64.3% |
| 2 | Billie Eder | 134/213 | 62.9% |
| 2 | Jordan Baker | 134/213 | 62.9% |
| 4 | Dan Walsh | 133/213 | 62.4% |
| 4 | Zoe Samios | 133/213 | 62.4% |
| 6 | Our model | 132/213 | 62% |
| 14 | Home team every game | 116/213 | 54.5% |
2027 predicted ladder
Average wins, top-eight chance and premiership chance from 10,000 simulated seasons.
| # | Club | Wins | Top 8 | Premiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 14.3 | 70% | 13% |
| 2 |  | 14.2 | 69% | 12% |
| 3 |  | 14.0 | 67% | 11% |
| 4 |  | 13.5 | 61% | 9% |
| 5 |  | 12.9 | 55% | 7% |
| 6 |  | 12.8 | 54% | 7% |
| 7 |  | 12.8 | 54% | 7% |
| 8 |  | 12.8 | 53% | 6% |
| 9 |  | 12.6 | 50% | 6% |
| 10 |  | 12.2 | 46% | 5% |
| 11 |  | 11.8 | 41% | 4% |
| 12 |  | 11.2 | 34% | 3% |
| 13 |  | 11.0 | 32% | 3% |
| 14 |  | 10.7 | 30% | 2% |
| 15 |  | 10.4 | 26% | 2% |
| 16 |  | 10.0 | 22% | 1% |
| 17 |  | 9.5 | 18% | 1% |
| 18 |  | 9.4 | 18% | 1% |