The race for the NRL’s top eight appears all but over after a six-point gap emerged between eighth and ninth on the competition ladder.
The Wests Tigers’ 30-12 loss to Gold Coast on Sunday left them stranded in 10th, level on 14 points with Canberra and the Titans but well behind Brisbane, who are on 20.
The Raiders also blew a chance to keep pace with the eight in their loss to the Broncos on Saturday night, losing their fifth game of the year by four points or fewer.
Twelfth-placed Newcastle went down to Canterbury, meaning their chances to make the eight are also all but over despite a favourable run home in the final third of the season.
It marks the first time in the NRL era that such a gap existed with nine rounds to play despite the 2018 season having been one of the most unpredictable in years in the opening months.
The teams in top eight haven’t changed for the past four weeks and if things stay this way it would mark the first time there was no movement in and out of the eight during the second half of the year since the Super League war.
As it stands, only the Canberra team of 2010 and Canterbury of 1998 have made the finals from six points back with nine rounds to play, albeit with the Bulldogs’ effort coming in a year when the top 10 made the playoffs.
But Tigers coach Ivan Cleary insists his team could still feature come September.
“There’s still a third of the year to go and anything can happen,” Cleary said.
“We’ve just got to put on a performance that is capable of winning a game first.”
While the race at the bottom of the eight is all but over, a weekend of upsets and tight finishes left just two points separating third and eighth as the fight for positions heats up.
St George Illawarra are two points clear at the top after coming from behind to beat Parramatta 20-18, while South Sydney are alone in second on 24 after scoring late to topple North Queensland 21-20 in Cairns.
Melbourne are as high as third for the first time since the opening round after beating the Sydney Roosters 9-8 in Adelaide but are equal on 22 points with Penrith and the Warriors, who lost to Manly and Cronulla, respectively.
The Roosters, Sharks and Brisbane round out the eight on 20, with the Broncos the only one of those teams not to have a bye next weekend.