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NRL 2027 Betting Guide: National Rugby League Information
This betting guide focuses on the National Rugby League, better known as the NRL, and previews the 2027 season.
Founded in 1998, this rugby league competition grows from 17 to 18 teams in 2027 with the arrival of the Perth Bears, and a team from Papua New Guinea is due to follow in 2028. Seventeen of the 2027 clubs are Australian, and the other is the New Zealand Warriors.
Below, we preview the 2027 NRL season, look back at past champions and break down historical odds and favourites' statistics to help inform your betting on the National Rugby League.
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2027 NRL Preview: Champions, Favourites & Format
Who won the NRL in 2026?
The Sydney Roosters are the reigning NRL champions, having won their 16th title by beating Newcastle Knights 19–18 in the 2026 Grand Final on 4 October. The Brisbane Broncos won the 2025 title, defeating Melbourne Storm 26–22 in the decider.
When does the 2027 NRL season start?
The NRL season runs from March to October. The 2027 campaign is set to open on the weekend of 27–28 February with two matches in Las Vegas as part of Rugby League Las Vegas. Melbourne Storm face Wests Tigers, and Parramatta Eels take on Gold Coast Titans. The Grand Final is scheduled for Sunday 3 October, with the venue yet to be confirmed.
Who are the favourites for the 2027 NRL premiership?
The Penrith Panthers finished top of the 2026 regular-season ladder to win the minor premiership, and they will be looking to return to the top after winning four straight titles between 2021 and 2024. They also return to their rebuilt home ground in Penrith for 2027.
The Sydney Roosters start 2027 as champions, with head coach Trent Robinson having now led the club to four titles (2013, 2018, 2019 and 2026). Newcastle Knights were beaten by a single point in the 2026 Grand Final and will want to go one better.
| NRL 2027 03 Oct @ 09:30 - Grand Final Winner | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 6.50 | |
| Sydney Roosters | 6.50 | |
| Penrith Panthers | 7.00 | |
| New Zealand Warriors | 7.50 | |
| Melbourne Storm | 10.00 | |
NRL tips and the best rugby league tipsters
Head over to the OLBG Rugby League Tips to see who our tipsters are backing to win, not only the outright winner but also matches throughout the season.
Additionally, if you only want to view the tips from the top tipsters, those who have shown a profit on rugby league over the past year, then head over to the Best Rugby League Tipsters page.
What is the NRL format?
The 'Premiership Rounds', also known as the regular season, are set to run for 27 rounds in 2027, with each club having three byes and playing 24 matches.
With the Perth Bears joining as the 18th club, most rounds will feature nine matches, although weekends affected by State of Origin will have fewer.
In terms of the scoring system, it's a fairly simple two points for a win, one point for a draw and also two points for a bye.
The top 8 teams at the end of the regular season advance to the 'Finals Series', where they compete to make it to the Grand Final.
The Grand Final will decide the champions, and it has been played at Stadium Australia (now Accor Stadium) in Sydney every year since 1999, apart from 2021 when it was held in Brisbane.
Where to watch the NRL in the UK
For residents of the UK and Ireland, you can catch all of the NRL action on the Sky Sports channels. The matches are also available to stream on the WatchNRL service.
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NRL Past Winners: Premiership History & Last 10 Champions
The South Sydney Rabbitohs have won the most titles, or 'premierships', with 21 to their name. They have also finished as runners-up 14 times, and their most recent title came in 2014.
The Sydney Roosters moved up to 16 titles by winning the 2026 Grand Final, beating Newcastle Knights 19–18. They have also been runners-up 15 times, and their previous title came in 2019.
The St. George Dragons are next on 15 titles, including 11 consecutive premierships between 1956 and 1966. The club now operates as a joint venture with the Illawarra Steelers, as the St. George Illawarra Dragons, who won their own title in 2010.
The Balmain Tigers are the only other club in double figures, with 11 titles. They now form part of the Wests Tigers joint venture, which won its own title in 2005.
The last ten NRL champions
| Season | Winners (Title No.) | Score | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sydney Roosters (16th) | 19–18 | Newcastle Knights |
| 2025 | Brisbane Broncos (7th) | 26–22 | Melbourne Storm |
| 2024 | Penrith Panthers (6th) | 14–6 | Melbourne Storm |
| 2023 | Penrith Panthers (5th) | 26–24 | Brisbane Broncos |
| 2022 | Penrith Panthers (4th) | 28–12 | Parramatta Eels |
| 2021 | Penrith Panthers (3rd) | 14–12 | South Sydney Rabbitohs |
| 2020 | Melbourne Storm (4th) | 26–20 | Penrith Panthers |
| 2019 | Sydney Roosters (15th) | 14–8 | Canberra Raiders |
| 2018 | Sydney Roosters (14th) | 21–6 | Melbourne Storm |
| 2017 | Melbourne Storm (3rd) | 34–6 | North Queensland Cowboys |
NRL Favourites Statistics: How Often Do Favourites Win?
Favourites in the NRL have been far more reliable in some seasons than others. Between 2017 and 2019, no season saw more than 67% of favourites win, but that rose to 74%, 76%, 72% and 71% across 2020 to 2023.
The last three seasons have seen a sharp drop. Only 62% of favourites won in 2024, almost nine percentage points down on 2023, and the rate stayed at around 62% in 2025 and 2026 (61.5% in 2026).
NRL favourites' win rate by season
| Year | Favourites | Winners | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 200 | 131 | 65.50% |
| 2018 | 201 | 124 | 61.69% |
| 2019 | 201 | 133 | 66.17% |
| 2020 | 169 | 125 | 73.96% |
| 2021 | 201 | 153 | 76.12% |
| 2022 | 201 | 144 | 71.64% |
| 2023 | 212 | 150 | 70.75% |
| 2024 | 213 | 132 | 61.97% |
| 2025 | 213 | 132 | 61.97% |
| 2026 | 213 | 131 | 61.50% |
| Total | 2,024 | 1,355 | 66.95% |
Melbourne Storm top the list of the most reliable favourites over the last ten seasons, winning 75% of their games as favourites (168-8-47). They are followed by the Penrith Panthers (72%), Sydney Roosters (71%) and South Sydney Rabbitohs (70%).
At the other end of the table, Gold Coast Titans are the only team to have won fewer than half of their games as favourites (48%), with Wests Tigers just above on 51%.
NRL top-performing favourites over the last ten seasons
| Team | Games | W-D-L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne Storm | 223 | 168-8-47 | 75% |
| Penrith Panthers | 210 | 151-11-48 | 72% |
| Sydney Roosters | 194 | 138-3-53 | 71% |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | 140 | 98-3-39 | 70% |
| Parramatta Eels | 120 | 80-3-37 | 67% |
| Cronulla Sharks | 157 | 103-8-46 | 66% |
| Dolphins | 44 | 29-2-13 | 66% |
| Newcastle Knights | 78 | 51-3-24 | 65% |
| North Queensland Cowboys | 107 | 66-6-35 | 62% |
| Canberra Raiders | 135 | 82-8-45 | 61% |
| Brisbane Broncos | 136 | 82-5-49 | 60% |
| New Zealand Warriors | 109 | 64-5-40 | 59% |
| Manly Sea Eagles | 120 | 70-6-44 | 58% |
| St. George Illawarra Dragons | 86 | 50-4-32 | 58% |
| Canterbury Bulldogs | 62 | 35-2-25 | 56% |
| Wests Tigers | 55 | 28-0-27 | 51% |
| Gold Coast Titans | 48 | 23-1-24 | 48% |
Team records count games level after 80 minutes as draws, so they differ slightly from the season totals above, which credit the winner after extra time.
NRL Odds Statistics: Win Percentage by Price
The chart below shows how often NRL teams have won at each price band across the last ten seasons (2017 to 2026). Shorter-priced teams should win more often, and the bands show how closely the results have followed the odds.
Each band also shows the implied probability range for its odds. Bars in blue show where teams won at or above the bottom of that range, while bars in orange show where they fell below it. Games level after 80 minutes are credited to the team that won in extra time.
NRL win percentage by odds: key findings
Only six of the fifteen price bands met or beat their implied probability range: 1.30 to 1.39, 1.80 to 1.89, 2.00 to 2.99, 3.00 to 3.99, 5.00 to 5.99 and 6.00+. Every other band fell short, including all of the shortest prices from 1.01 to 1.29. Bookmaker margins explain part of that gap, but it is a reminder that short prices have not always been good value.
NRL Teams 2027: All 18 Clubs, Stadiums & Premierships
These are the eighteen teams competing in the 2027 National Rugby League, with the Perth Bears joining as the league's newest club.
ACT
The Canberra Raiders are the only team from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) in the NRL, and they are three-time premiers.
| Club | Stadium | Titles | Last title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canberra Raiders | GIO Stadium (25,000) | 3 | 1994 |
New South Wales
Ten of the 18 NRL clubs are based in New South Wales, including the two most successful teams, the South Sydney Rabbitohs (21 titles) and the Sydney Roosters (16 titles), who won the 2026 premiership.
| Club | Stadium | Titles | Last title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs | Accor Stadium (82,000) Belmore Sports Ground (17,000) | 8 | 2004 |
| Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks | Ocean Protect Stadium (15,000) | 1 | 2016 |
| Manly Warringah Sea Eagles | 4 Pines Park (18,000) | 8 | 2011 |
| Newcastle Knights | McDonald Jones Stadium (27,500) | 2 | 2001 |
| Parramatta Eels | CommBank Stadium (30,000) | 4 | 1986 |
| Penrith Panthers | Helloworld Stadium (25,000) | 6 | 2024 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | Accor Stadium (82,000) Allianz Stadium (42,500) | 21 | 2014 |
| St. George Illawarra Dragons | St. George Venues Jubilee Stadium (20,500) WIN Stadium (22,000) | 1 | 2010 |
| Sydney Roosters | Allianz Stadium (42,500) | 16 | 2026 |
| Wests Tigers | CommBank Stadium (30,000) Leichhardt Oval (20,000) Campbelltown Sports Stadium (17,500) | 1 | 2005 |
New Zealand
The league includes a single team from New Zealand, the New Zealand Warriors, who have been in the competition since 1995 but are yet to win a title.
| Club | Stadium | Titles | Last title |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand Warriors | Go Media Stadium (25,000) | 0 | — |
Queensland
Four teams are based in Queensland. The Brisbane Broncos are by far the most successful, with seven titles, the latest in 2025. The Dolphins and Gold Coast Titans are yet to win a title, while the North Queensland Cowboys won their only one in 2015.
| Club | Stadium | Titles | Last title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane Broncos | Suncorp Stadium (52,500) | 7 | 2025 |
| Dolphins | Suncorp Stadium (52,500) Kayo Stadium (10,000) | 0 | — |
| Gold Coast Titans | Cbus Super Stadium (27,500) | 0 | — |
| North Queensland Cowboys | Queensland Country Bank Stadium (25,500) | 1 | 2015 |
Victoria
The Melbourne Storm are the only team based in Victoria. They won their fourth title in 2020, although it would have been their sixth had the 2007 and 2009 titles not been stripped for salary cap breaches.
| Club | Stadium | Titles | Last title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne Storm | AAMI Park (30,000) | 4 | 2020 |
Western Australia
The Perth Bears are the NRL's newest club and the first from Western Australia, making their debut in 2027.
| Club | Stadium | Titles | Last title |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perth Bears | HBF Park (20,500) | 0 | — |
NRL Records: Most Appearances, Tries & Points
Most National Rugby League Appearances
Only one player has passed 400 NRL appearances: Cameron Smith, who made 430 for Melbourne Storm between 2002 and 2020.
Daly Cherry-Evans is now second on 379 appearances. He moved from Manly to the Sydney Roosters in 2026 and left the NRL at the end of the 2026 season to join Hull FC. Ben Hunt of the Brisbane Broncos is third on 373, just ahead of Cooper Cronk, who made 372 across his time with Melbourne Storm and the Sydney Roosters.
Most Tries in the National Rugby League
The NRL try-scoring record changed hands in 2026. Alex Johnston equalled and then passed Ken Irvine's long-standing mark of 212, scoring his 212th and 213th career tries for the South Sydney Rabbitohs against the Sydney Roosters in Round 2. He scored 30 tries in 2026 and now has 240 from 265 appearances. Irvine, who scored his tries for North Sydney and Manly between 1958 and 1973, is second.
Johnston has said 2027 will be his final season with the Rabbitohs, so he has one more year to extend the record before he joins the Papua New Guinea Chiefs in 2028.
Most Points in the National Rugby League
Another record held by Cameron Smith. In his 430 games for the Storm, he accumulated 2,786 points.
Adam Reynolds is second on 2,598 points, having played for the Rabbitohs and the Broncos, but he retired at the end of 2026. With none of the next four on the list still playing, Smith's record looks safe for the foreseeable future.
Who Wrote This NRL Preview? Author & Editor
This National Rugby League Preview & Betting Guide is written by Luke Bradshaw-Lee, our main Rugby specialist, and edited by Andy Powell, who also manages the Rugby tipsters and results in the Rugby League Tips section. Luke checks the facts and figures for accuracy, while Andy keeps the data up to date throughout the season. Together, they produce our Rugby League previews and Rugby Union previews.
Read more about Luke, Andy and the rest of our team of experts.
About the author
About the editor
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