By NRL NT Admin
•
September 5, 2026
The Northern Territory’s rugby league finals race reaches its penultimate stage on Saturday, with three senior Preliminary Finals to be played at TRL Stadium with Grand Final places on the line. The action beginning at 3pm with the Gatley Shield clash between the Litchfield Bears and Palmerston Raiders. Bears face daunting Raiders challenge The Bears enter the Gatley Shield Preliminary Final with plenty of momentum after eliminating the Northern Sharks 26-14 last weekend. They face a significant challenge, however, against a Palmerston side that finished the regular season as minor premiers. The Raiders suffered a 22-16 defeat to Darwin Brothers in last week’s Major Semi-Final, sending them into Saturday’s do-or-die encounter. History also favours Palmerston. The Raiders have won all three meetings with the Bears this season, including a comprehensive 38-6 victory in Round 12. Litchfield will be hoping their recent form, along with the potential return of several qualified players, can help turn the tables when it matters most. The Bears will need to overcome both the season record and the minor premiers if they are to secure a place in the Gatley Shield decider. Bears and Dragons renew rivalry The Tru-Flow Services Women’s Premiership Preliminary Final at 4.30pm promises another compelling chapter in what has been a remarkably tight season between Litchfield and Nightcliff. The Dragons finished second, just one competition point ahead of the third-placed Bears, setting up a contest between two sides that have been virtually inseparable throughout the season. Nightcliff pushed the dominant Sisters last weekend, trailing just 16-10 at half-time before eventually going down. The Bears, meanwhile, produced one of their strongest finals performances, accounting for the Palmerston Raiders 34-10. Saturday’s encounter will be the fourth meeting between the sides this season. The Bears claimed a narrow 22-20 victory in Round 15, while the Dragons won their Round 5 and Round 10 encounters. With a host of representative-quality players across both line-ups, the battle through the halves could prove decisive. For the winner, there is little time to celebrate. Waiting in next week’s Grand Final is the formidable Darwin Brothers outfit. The match will be broadcast on Kommunity TV. Sharks and Raiders collide in men’s thriller The final game of the day, at 5.50pm, sees second-placed Northern Sharks take on fourth-placed Palmerston Raiders in the DABSCO Men’s Premiership Preliminary Final. The Sharks have been one of the competition’s most consistent teams throughout the season, establishing themselves behind the undefeated Brothers juggernaut. Palmerston, meanwhile, has hit its stride at precisely the right time. The Raiders left their charge until late in the season and built considerable momentum before Brothers halted them. Their run also included a dominant 38-6 victory over the Sharks in Round 11. The battle of the spines could be one of the defining features of Saturday’s contest, with the Sharks expected to rely on Mick, Calkin, Colling and Collie, while Palmerston counters with Houlihan, Walsh, Pott and Hansen. There should also be plenty of attacking flair out wide, with the Shark’s Zaro and Rasaku set to challenge the Raider’s Bulumaca and Sorowale. The forward battle promises to be equally important, with both sides boasting powerful packs capable of dictating the tempo of the contest. The Raiders have already demonstrated their ability to eliminate highly fancied opponents and will enter the match believing they can continue their run as the competition’s giant killers. The game will also be broadcast on Kommunity TV. Brothers await While Saturday’s winners will earn their places in the Grand Finals, one team can sit back and watch the drama unfold. Darwin Brothers have already secured Grand Final berths in the Gatley Shield, Tru-Flow Services Women’s Premiership and DABSCO Men’s Premiership. The Brothers juggernaut now waits patiently for its three opponents to emerge. With everything on the line, TRL Stadium is set for a huge afternoon and evening of Northern Territory rugby league.
