Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston were notable no-shows at the NRL finals' series launch yesterday.

South Sydney's NRL premiership defence is in a tailspin with prop George Burgess facing a two-week ban for throwing a water bottle at an opponent.

Herald league writer David Skipwith takes a look back at the highs and lows of the club's 20th season in the NRL.

New signings of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Isaac Luke may be the best the club has ever made. But they won't solve the club's problems, writes Graham Lowe.

Manly have denied Cronulla a top four finish and dented their NRL premiership aspirations with a win at Remondis Stadium yesterday.

The Bulldogs handed the Warriors an eighth consecutive defeat to cap a miserable end to the season.

Something is deeply wrong at the Warriors at the moment and it is not only bad for the club but also the game in general, Hugh McGahan.

Newcastle finished with the NRL's wooden spoon on Saturday after being shut out in the second half of their 30-12 defeat to Penrith.

The top eight teams have been confirmed but not their finishing order ahead of today's final three games of the regular season.

Vete captained the St Kentigern College 1st XV from No 8 or loose forward - until switching to league four years ago and there are still reminders of his rugby background in the way he plays.

Wests Tigers coach Jason Taylor was full of praise for a couple of the NRL club's departing stalwarts before today's clash with St George Illawarra - Robbie Farah wasn't one of them.

Pigs won't fly and hell won't freeze over but Melbourne Storm will be barracking for bitter NRL rivals Manly to win tomorrow.

Here are all the things that have happened since the Warriors last won a game.

"At the end of the day ... we need to have expectations about anyone who takes the field and how they perform from an effort level."

Simon Mannering accepts his captaincy at the Warriors is coming under question in the wake of their late-season slide.

Warriors coach extremely disappointed some of his players were out on the town two nights before last Sunday's loss to Wests Tigers.

Wayne Bennett's rejuvenated Brisbane are the greatest Broncos team since the 2006 NRL premiers and one of the club's best ever, Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy says.

Departing Warriors fullback Sam Tomkins' two-year stint in the NRL has been judged as a failure by former Parramatta Eels great and commentator Peter Sterling.

Level of professionalism at the club again coming under scrutiny after players posted video after attending a concert just two days before Sunday's embarrassing loss.