We have arrived at the mid-point of the 2025 NRL season which has already delivered its share of upsets, breakthroughs and controversy.
Injuries, form and luck of the draw can all contribute to the successes or failures of a rugby league team.
With finals looming in the distance, some teams have exceeded expectations, others have faltered out of the gates.
The Sporting News takes a look at the biggest surprises and disappointments of the year so-far.
MORE: NRL injury list | NRL draw, fixtures | NRL ladder, standings
Surprises
Canberra Raiders
Tipped by many to struggle in 2025, the Green Machine is flying at the moment sitting at second place on the premiership ladder.
Ricky Stuart has conjured the perfect mix of youth in the backline and experience in the forward pack.
Jamal Fogarty, who is set to join the Sea Eagles next season, seems to have taken his game to a new level.
His halves partner Ethan Strange is the perfect complement to a game-managing halfback because of his dominant running game and stout defence.
Their ability to score points from any point on the field, as well as a gritty underbelly that allows them to grind out close wins, has made the Raiders a tough team to beat.
A top-four finish, which may have seemed like a fantasy during the preseason, is now firmly within reach.
Can they maintain their form?
The Raiders have positioned themselves nicely to have a smooth run towards finals football.
During the State of Origin period, Hudson Young is the only member of their squad that is a lock to be selected for Games II and III.
Corey Horsburgh is a chance to be picked for Queensland following their disappointing performance in Game I, but there is enough forward depth in the Nation's Capital to cover those losses.
On the injury front, Matty Nicholson is out until at least round 23 with an ankle injury after a strong start to the season.
Albert Hopoate suffered a season ending knee injury, but the emergence of Savelio Tamale has solved that issue.
Other than those two players, the Raiders are a healthy squad heading into round 14.
Their draw for the rest of the year is relatively soft, with the only current top-eight team left on their schedule being the Dragons who they play twice.
New Zealand Warriors
The Warriors were expected to be competitive this year, however the losses of Addin Fonua-Blake and Shaun Johnson were thought by many to be too great of a hurdle to overcome.
Coach Andrew Webster has done a terrific job restoring the 'Wahs' identity from two seasons ago.
Their 2023 run to the finals was built off the back of an imposing defence which was able to put opposing attacks under immense pressure.
The emergence of Luke Metcalf as the number one ball-playing option at the club and a genuine halfback has definitely elevated the ceiling for this team.
Metcalf is currently on-top of the Dally-M leaderboard and has the opportunity to lead a historic run for New Zealand.
The mark of the Warriors strength this year is in the squads depth. They're currently running first in NSW cup and their Jersey Flegg side is in the top-eight.
The NRL team is third on the premiership ladder at the mid-way point of the season, just two points short of the table-topping Bulldogs.
Can they maintain their form?
The Warriors were dealt a brutal injury blow in round 13, with forward leader and Blues representative Mitch Barnett going down with a season-ending knee injury.
He was the only player in their side that was picked in Origin Game I, now leaning heavily on that strong development system to step up and fill the void.
The Warriors have a formidable run home as they play teams like the Sharks, Sea Eagles and Bulldogs.
Despite their successes so-far this season, Webster's men are yet to beat a side currently sitting in the top-four.
So while their story to start the season has been nice, the Auckland based club still has a lot to prove in terms of their legitimacy as a genuine premiership contender.
Disappointments
Penrith Panthers
The post-dynasty hangover has hit the Panthers harder than expected.
After years of dominance, they are now fending off teams near the bottom of the ladder.
The departure of key players like Stephen Crichton, James Fisher-Harris and Jarome Luai has clearly disrupted their cohesion in both attack and defence.
Those concerns, mixed with injury woes to the likes of Nathan Cleary and Brian To'o, have lead to an uninspiring start to 2025.
Penrith's once ironclad defence has looked vulnerable, and the sense of hunger that drove them to four straight premierships may have finally faded.
They have also missed playing at their home fortress at the foot of the mountains.
Temporarily hosting games at CommBank Stadium while their home ground is under renovation has clearly taken the edge off travelling to Western Sydney to play rugby league.
Can they turn it around?
It would be naive to count out Ivan Cleary and the Panthers organisation, especially in such a tightly contested competition.
Despite currently sitting at 15th on the premiership ladder, they're only 3 points off the eighth placed Dragons.
During the Origin period they are significantly hamstrung with the amount of players they have representing their state.
If they can get through the next six-weeks relatively unscathed, they can go on a run towards the finals.
In round 24, 25 and 26 they matchup against the Storm, Raiders and Bulldogs respectively, who all currently sit in the top-four.
If they are to resurrect their season, by that time of the season they will have had to return to the Panthers of old, which will make all three of those encounters must watch rugby league.
Brisbane Broncos
After sacking Kevin Walters and bringing in Michael Maguire as his successor, the Broncos have fallen well short of the mark so-far in 2025.
Despite boasting one of the most talented rosters in the league, the Broncos have won five games and lost seven, leaving them at 12th place on the premiership ladder.
Speculation has swirled around Maguire's training methods and hold of the locker room, with the side plagued by inconsistency and ill-discipline.
Injuries to key players like Reece Walsh and Ben Hunt have not helped their chances, but even when fully fit, the Broncos have failed to recapture the swagger that led them to the Grand Final in 2023.
With expectations sky-high before the first ball was kicked in 2025, Maguire and his team will continue to be under the microscope until they can turn around their fortunes.
Can they turn it around?
Reece Walsh was a timely inclusion in the round 14 team list, with Broncos fans hoping he'll be able to spark the change.
Ben Hunt is out until at least round 15 with a hamstring injury, however, the Broncos are finally getting most of their troops back on the field.
Over the rest of the Origin period, they will definitely miss Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan. There is also a chance Walsh is selected for Queensland which would be another major out.
Things won't get easier after that with the Broncos scheduled to face the Sharks, Warriors, Bulldogs, Storm (twice0 and Cowboys to close out the season.
Maguire has the squad to turn things around and make a run, but until they can prove that they can quiet the noise and play some consistent football, it's hard to see things changing any time soon.