WCBH

Darwin Brothers completed an unbeaten 2026 season with a dominant 42-0 grand final victory over the Palmerston Raiders to claim their third consecutive DABSCO Men’s Premiership in the NRL Northern Territory.

In a brutal preliminary final, the Palmerston Raiders upset the Northern Sharks 14-10 to reach the NRL Northern Territory Grand Final. The game was a defensive arm-wrestle with scores locked at 0-0 at halftime.

Semi Finals: Darwin Brothers booked their spot in the grand final with a commanding win over the Northern Sharks
In the other semi, the Palmerston Raiders upset the Litchfield Bears.
Preliminary Final: Northern Sharks vs Palmerston Raiders for the right to face Darwin Brothers in the grand final.

Preview of the NRL Northern Territory semifinals: the elimination semi between the Litchfield Bears and Palmerston Raiders promises a close, rivalry-packed clash with key halves and a brutal forward battle, while the major semi features undefeated Darwin Brothers — heavy favourites after a dominant season — taking on the resurgent Northern Sharks.

Round 15 saw the Darwin Brothers crush the Northern Sharks 78-10 to finish the regular season unbeaten, with Hayden Riggs grabbing a hat-trick and strong efforts from Dallas Caulton, Josh Johnson and Nicholas Yarren. Litchfield Bears fullback Elijah Pomroy stole the show with seven tries in a 54-6 win over Nightcliff, while Palmerston edged South Darwin 26-22.

Cam from WCBH speaks with Ricky Little, president of the Northern Territory Referees Association, after he received the 2026 NRL Community Awards Match Official of the Year. They discuss his long involvement in rugby league, mentoring young referees, and the vital role of volunteers.

Round 14 of the NRL Northern Territory Indigenous Round saw Darwin Brothers storm back after halftime to beat Palmerston Raiders 60–12, highlighted by Elijah Coombes and a magical Antonio James try. Northern Sharks overwhelmed Nightcliff Dragons 50–20 with 17-year-old Samuel Rasaku scoring four tries, while the Bears were awarded a forfeit.
After the round, the top four are Darwin Brothers (28), Northern Sharks (20), Litchfield Bears (14) and Palmerston Raiders (12). Semi-final matchups are set: Grand Final Qualifier (1 v 2) Darwin Brothers vs Northern Sharks and Elimination Semi-Final (3 v 4) Palmerston Raiders vs Litchfield Bears. One final regular-season round remains before finals weekend.

Round 13 NRL NT action saw the Palmerston Raiders edge Nightcliff 22-16 while the Northern Sharks beat the Litchfield Bears 20-14, securing a finals double chance. The results leave Brothers on top, Sharks second, Raiders third and Bears fourth, with Nightcliff still within touching distance.With two rounds to play, Nightcliff can still make the top four but need wins and favourable upsets — including a possible Bunnies victory over the Bears — making the run-in a potential cliffhanger.