With just over a fortnight to play in the BMD Premiership, the minor premiership battle stands as a three-way fight while four teams remain in contention for the final three spots in the top six.
As September nears, let’s take a look at the chances of each competing team to take out the BMD Premiership on the 26th of September.
Burleigh Bears
After nine rounds the Burleigh Bears remain undefeated despite two close calls against the Cutters and Jets which both ended in draws. Their success has been built on a foundation laid by the strong ball-running capabilities of their outside backs, with the Bears having run for the most metres of any team in the competition by far. Fullback Sienna Laing leads the Bears with total run metres, averaging just shy of 140 metres per game in what’s been a great season replacing former Bears fullback and current NRLW flyer Jasmin Morrissey. Sienna Laing is just one of a plethora of Bears having breakout seasons in 2026 alongside rookie halfback Torah Luadaka and utility turned hooker Memory Paitai. Burleigh will have a test of their premiership calibre this weekend, as they travel to Totally Workwear Stadium to face the third-place Brisbane Tigers. A victory in east Brisbane will secure a top two position and a week off in the finals.
Season prediction: Grand Finalists
Players to watch: Torah Luadaka, Teaghan Hartigan, Sienna Laing
Remaining fixtures: Brisbane Tigers (3rd) away, CQ Capras (11th) home
Norths Devils
What a season it’s been for the Norths Devils. After starting their season with a statement victory over the reigning premiers at Totally Workwear Stadium, the Devils lost to the Burleigh Bears by a mere two points in Round 2 and they haven’t lost since. The women from North Brisbane currently boast the strongest attack in the competition by total points scored and have averaged over 30 points a game since Round 3. Their prolific attack is anchored by star recruit Natalie Wright, who has been the competition’s best player by some distance in 2026. The former Wallaroo has made the fullback position her own at Premiers’ Park, having 13 try involvements in 9 games and being a constant danger with ball in hand. The talent doesn’t stop in the forward pack either, with NRLW veteran Breanna Eales unsurprisingly starring for the club in 2026 while England Lionesses’ representative Izzy Northrop has been a formidable ball runner in the middle. With a strong batch of new recruits and a disciplined playstyle, the Devils have made a strong argument as being the team to beat in 2026.
Season prediction: Premiers
Players to watch: Natalie Wright, Breanna Eales, Tayla Sykes
Remaining fixtures: Ipswich Jets (4th) home, Tweed Seagulls (12th) away
Brisbane Tigers
Despite a Round 1 loss preventing them from repeating the heroics of their undefeated 2025 premiership season, the Brisbane Tigers remain a formidable title threat in 2026. The departures of last year’s Steph Hancock medallist Evelyn Roberts and star centre Namoe Gesa during the off-season were major losses for this squad, but the Tigers have been able to pivot to their other strengths effectively. The orange and black once again boast the strongest forward pack in the competition, headlined by the back-row duo of Narikah Orchard and Lorren Ieli, both of whom are able to break a game open with any given ball carry. India Seeto, fresh off representing Papua New Guinea in the Pacific Championships as a five-eighth, provides effective ball playing at lock for the Tigers, while former Australian Schoolgirl Alice Shannon has added an extra tackle-breaking threat in the front row as she returns this year after missing last season. After winning the title last year with an exceptionally young squad, the Tigers will enter September battle-hardened and experienced, knowing exactly what it takes to take out the premiership.
Season prediction: Preliminary Finals
Players to watch: Courtney Robinson, Lorren Ieli, Narikah Orchard
Remaining fixtures: Burleigh Bears (1st) home, Wynnum Manly Seagulls (9th) away
Ipswich Jets
After getting off to a three-game unbeaten streak to begin the year, the Jets have come back to earth, winning only two of their last six matches. Their last three games have been reflective of their up-and-down season, having drawn with the league-leading Burleigh Bears, defeated the Western Clydesdales by 24 points and suffered a 28-point thumping at the hands of the Souths Logan Magpies. Despite their inconsistent results, the performances of Jets’ five-eighth Moanekah Va’ai have been anything but inconsistent, with the star half delivering great performances week-in week-out. She currently leads the competition in try assists with 11 in only 9 appearances, three assists ahead of second place, and is the engine powering Ipswich’s attack. Va’ai’s short-kicking game and her facilitating are a joy to the Jets’ prolific backs, but it’s the Jets' middles who provide a dynamic attacking threat near the tryline. The likes of Navelzen Taupo and Teresa Leasuasu have been bona fide bulldozers with ball in hand. They've routinely put defences at sixes and sevens near the tryline, as defences must either commit to defending a Taupo or Leasuasu crash play and risk being undermanned for a backline shift, or commit to defending a backline shift and risk a defensive mismatch on the crash balls. Luckily for the Jets, their draw with Burleigh has meant they only need to win one of their next two matches to secure finals footy.
Season prediction: Semi Finals
Players to watch: Moanekah Va’ai, Navelzen Taupo, Tenaya Yorston
Remaining fixtures: Norths Devils (2nd) away, Sunshine Coast Falcons (8th) away
Mackay Cutters
From winning the premiership in 2024, to missing the finals altogether in 2025, the Mackay Cutters have bounced back to winning ways in 2026 and are now only one win away from September footy. The Cutters seem to have entered a strong patch of form at just the right time, winning three and drawing one of their past four matches as they prepare for their most important games of the season. Hooker Casey Manzelmann and edge Shaylee Hazledine have starred for the Cutters in this stretch, while NRLW Cowboys-contracted players such as Jennifer Kimber, Haylee Hifo and Emily Veivers have also proved their worth. But it’s speed demon Bella Thompson who has arguably had the biggest impact on the Cutters this year, with the former Burleigh Bear bringing pace in spades as well as more Grand Final experience to the club. Thompson has scored five tries so far this season and presents as a true danger in open space. If the Cutters are to compete in the finals this year, they’ll likely do so as underdogs. However, with their relatively favourable run home, they’ll be hoping to enter September with plenty of momentum behind them.
Season prediction: Semi Finals
Players to watch: Bella Thompson, Casey Manzelmann, Sienna-Mae Montgomery
Remaining fixtures: Western Clydesdales (10th) home, Northern Pride (7th) away
Souths Logan Magpies
The Magpies’ sixth-placed ladder standing seems incongruent with their prolific attack and star-studded roster. They’ve scored only four fewer points than the Norths Devils, who currently lead the competition in points scored, while boasting a slew of junior state representatives, international representative players and NRLW-contracted players. One of the NRLW-contracted players who have made a real difference for the Magpies this season is halfback Skyla Adams. Adams’ imposing frame in the halves has been an asset for her team, consistently putting defensive lines in two minds on whether to commit to Adams or her devastating back rowers when she takes the line on. These back rowers include Keira Rangi, Ngatokotoru Arakua, Amanii Misa and Harlem Walker, amongst others, who have been a true point of difference in games this season. Alongside breakout centre Kiarah Siauane, the Magpies’ edges show no struggle in creating line breaks and leaving devastation in their wake. Earlier in the season, the Magpies struggled greatly with their defence, having conceded the third most points after six weeks, but their last three weeks have seen them concede a mere 8 points a game. If this newfound defensive resilience carries into the finals, the sky is the limit for this Magpies squad.
Season prediction: Preliminary finals
Players to watch: Kiarah Siauane, Keira Rangi, Amanii Misa
Remaining fixtures: Wynnum Manly Seagulls (9th) home, Western Clydesdales (10th) home
Northern Pride
The last three weeks have proved that the Northern Pride belong in the finals. During their consecutive games against the Burleigh Bears (1st place), Brisbane Tigers (3rd place) and Norths Devils (2nd), the Pride managed to defeat the Tigers while remaining very competitive against the Bears and Devils. Their incredible halves duo of Jairel-Ellen Martin-Savage and Taylor Fenton have been red hot during this stretch while the sibling duo of Tiana and Shaniah Power have been superb all season. In terms of the negatives, however, the Pride have let themselves down defensively in 2026, conceding by far the most points of any team in finals contention. Their attack hasn’t been able to mitigate their defensive lapses either as they currently have a negative points differential. The Pride must win out if they are to have chance of qualifying for the finals. If they’re able to defeat the Central Queensland Capras in Rockhampton this weekend, and if the Mackay Cutters lose against the Western Clydesdales this weekend, they’ll set themselves up for a de-facto finals match against Mackay next weekend in the final round of the season.
Season prediction: Missing finals
Players to watch: Jairel-Ellen Martin-Savage, Shaniah Power, Taylor Fenton
Remaining fixtures: Central Queensland Capras (11th) away, Mackay Cutters (5th) home
Sunshine Coast Falcons
Last week’s defeat to the Wynnum Manly Seagulls unfortunately may have proved to be a death knell for the Sunshine Coast Falcons’ finals aspirations. After a hot start to the season which saw them sitting in fourth place after five rounds, the Falcons have slid down to eighth position after four consecutive defeats, four points behind the sixth place Magpies. While still mathematically alive, the Falcons will need to win their next two games by convincing margins and will require the Magpies to face back-to-back defeats if they’re to qualify for the finals this year.
Season prediction: Missing finals
Players to watch: Ace Pollock, Lila Parr, Shar-Lene Nati
Remaining fixtures: Tweed Seagulls (12th) home, Ipswich Jets (4th) home.
Wynnum Manly Seagulls
It’s been a tale of two seasons for Wynnum. Winless after the first four rounds, the Seagulls have gone on to win three of their last five to remain mathematically alive ahead of Round 10. However, heavy losses in the first month of competition have left them with a grim points differential, which has made qualifying for the finals all but impossible. Despite their unfavourable ladder position, 2026 has still yielded numerous positives for the club, namely the ascension of young phenom Emily Whittaker and the return of forward Jayda Lofipo to the Seagulls.
Season prediction: Missing finals
Players to watch: Emily Whittaker, Tia Molo, Hayley Bush
Remaining fixtures: Souths Logan Magpies (6th) away, Brisbane Tigers (3rd) home
Western Clydesdales
It’s been a tough year for the Clydesdales, but with three wins from their nine games, they’re still mathematically in contention for finals. Their roster was always facing an uphill battle in 2026 after losing key players such as Taylor Fenton, Kayla Jackson and Zoe Cook in the 2025 off-season. On a positive note, those departures have made room for further development of young talents such as Zoe Robson and club newcomer Mersades Lawson. The Clydesdales’ final two matches will come against the Mackay Cutters and Souths Logan Magpies, both of whom will be desperate for two points to secure their spot in the finals.
Season prediction: Missing finals
Players to watch: Georgia Sim, Zoe Robson, Reagan McMillan
Remaining fixtures: Mackay Cutters (5th) away, Souths Logan Magpies (6th) home
