Rugby League

'Don't agree with it': Roosters want fairer NRLW finals

By Darren Walton

Sep 23, 2026

Roosters NRLW coach John Strange — Roosters coach John Strange wants the top two NRLW clubs to be given a second chance in the finals. -AAP Image

Sydney Roosters coach John Strange is calling for an overhaul to the NRLW finals format to offer the top two teams a second chance in case of a mishap.

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The Roosters are unbeaten in 11 matches this season but could bow out of the title race with a loss to Canberra in Saturday night's preliminary final at Allianz Stadium. Â

"Look, it will change when we get more teams, but it's something I've addressed when the NRL's asked (for) my opinion," Strange said on Wednesday.

"I don't agree with it. I like the way the boys are where, if you finish top four, you get a second bite of the cherry.

"I've put a different structure together for them that I feel like is fairer, but they're going with this for now."

Under the current six-team finals structure, the top two teams receive week one of the finals off before playing a sudden-death preliminary final against the two winners from the opening round of play-offs.

But the top two teams are not afforded a second chance should they slip-up, which Strange doesn't like.

"(My top-six proposal) is quite a different structure. It's just about probably being fair to the teams that have been dominant, then getting two bites at the cherry to get into the grand final, to be rewarded," he said.

"And it's not just because we've finished top two. I've also been on the other end as a coach here where we scraped into the finals in '21 on for and against.

"We got a bit lucky. We came up against the Broncos who were undefeated, had a great year, and they were off that day and we we were on - and then that was their season done."

Strange admits going through the regular season unbeaten is both a blessing and a burden.

But if the Roosters do stumble against the Raiders, he is confident it won't be the result of any complacency.

"Look, I have obviously coached for a while and you go through periods of teams being undefeated and then there can be some complacency, definitely," Strange said.

"The good thing for us in our last round game here against the Bulldogs, with 20 minutes to go, we're down 12-10.

"We ended up scoring a few points in the end and it blew the score out, but I feel like that was a (jolt) we needed, just a little bit of a reminder that we've got to keep working hard."