Live: Cowboys suffer huge finals blow, Dragons face Eels

So, today we’ll get another match trial of the new kick off rule that the NRL seems determined to push through despite everyone else involved in the game hating it.

What is the rule?

Essentially, the team that concedes a try in this first game today will be given the option to restart by either kicking off or receiving the football.

The current rules have the team that concedes the try kicking the ball off.

Super League has trialled this rule before and tossed the plan out, which should tell us something, but that is not stopping the NRL from pushing through it.

The league tried to implement the rules ahead of this season but the clubs forced them to back down.

Paul Gallen told Channel 9 the plan was “ridiculous” earlier this week.

“We don’t need all these rule changes,” he said.

“The game’s been so good for such a long time, I don’t get this one.”

Cameron Ciraldo was unimpressed about having to trial the rule at short notice last week, and you can check out his comments here.

Damien Cook will play his 263rd NRL match today, and the final one too, as the 35-year-old heads to Castleford and the Super League next year.

As most people probably know by now, Cook used to be a beach sprinter in surf lifesaving.

Cook is unlikely to find much of a beach in Castleford – but as Nick Campton writes in this lovely profile, that won’t matter.

Cook is still looking forward to the things that he’s yet to achieve rather than looking back just now.

Here’s how the teams line up for our first game today.

Dragons

St George Illawarra have only made the one change to the starting side from last week, with Blake Lawrie coming in at prop, Loko Pasifiki Tonga moving to lock and Ryan Couchman heading to the bench.

There are no late changes.

Eels

The Eels have sprung a late change at fullback, with Sean Russell moving into the side and Apa Twidle moving to the bench.

Jordan Samrani will return in the centres after his injury lay off, while Jack de Belin returns on the bench after three games in NSW Cup.

Tyrese Lokeni, an edge forward, is also on the bench and could make his first NRL appearance having made 35 appearances in the NSW Cup across the past two seasons.

Hello everyone and welcome to the ABC Sport coverage of the final two games of the NRL regular season for 2026.

My name is Simon Smale and I shall be with you right up to and beyond the moment where we find out who is going to be minor premiers, at around about 6pm AEST this evening.

Will Penrith beat the Wests Tigers by more than the two points they need to overhaul the Warriors?

Will they win at all?

Before all that, we have St George Illawarra against Parramatta Eels, where the ludicrous new kick off rule will be trialled – which is something to not look forward to.

Anyway, come 6pm we will complete the finals line up in terms of fixturing, so we can all plan our upcoming weekends.

Thanks for being with me.