The two strongest teams of the 2026 regular season meet at Webber Reserve as Willagee and South Perth renew one of the Men’s Premiership’s defining rivalries.
Willagee enter as both minor premiers and defending champions. The Bears finished 15–1, while South Perth secured second position at 14–2. Together, the teams won 29 of their 32 regular-season matches.
A rematch carrying recent history The semi-final is also a rematch of the 2025 Grand Final, which Willagee won 22–10.
The teams split their two regular-season meetings in 2026. Willagee produced an impressive 40–18 victory at George Burnett Park in Round 3 before South Perth responded with a 26–16 win at Webber Reserve in Round 12. That result remains Willagee’s only defeat of the season.
South Perth therefore return to a ground where they have already beaten the minor premiers, while Willagee have the opportunity to avenge their only loss and reinforce their championship credentials.
Willagee’s attack has set the benchmark The Bears averaged 49.3 points per game during the regular season while conceding only 13.5. South Perth’s figures—41.1 points for and 14.9 against—were also elite, but Willagee finished with the stronger numbers in both categories. Manfred Kelly leads the competition with 26 tries, 10 clear of the next-best total.
Matthew Lansdown is the leading point-scorer with 222, giving Willagee the competition’s most productive try-scorer and point-scorer in the same team. Willagee have won 13 consecutive matches since their Round 12 defeat and enter the finals with five straight victories recorded in their latest form line.
Lions possess the experience and belief South Perth’s longer-term record against Willagee provides an important counterpoint. The Lions have won eight of the 12 meetings recorded between the clubs since 2018.
They have also demonstrated this season that they can contain the Bears at Webber Reserve.
Kade McDonald leads South Perth with 13 tries and 154 points, ranking among the leading players in both categories. The Lions enter after a 92–0 victory over Kwinana and have won four of their final five matches.
South Perth’s challenge will be controlling Willagee’s speed and scoring depth without becoming overly defensive. The Lions possess enough attacking quality to apply pressure of their own, particularly if they can force the Bears to begin sets from poor field position.
The key numbers
Willagee finished first at 15–1; South Perth finished second at 14–2.
The Bears averaged 49.3 points for and 13.5 against.
The Lions averaged 41.1 points for and 14.9 against.
Willagee won the Round 3 meeting 40–18.
South Perth won 26–16 at Webber Reserve in Round 12.
South Perth’s victory remains Willagee’s only defeat of 2026.
Willagee defeated South Perth 22–10 in the 2025 Grand Final.
South Perth lead the recorded 2018–2026 head-to-head 8–4.
Fremantle finished comfortably ahead of Kalamunda on the Men’s Premiership ladder, but the Roosters enter their semi-final knowing they have not beaten the Bulldogs this season.
The teams produced a 28–28 draw in Round 8 before Kalamunda secured a dramatic 30–28 victory in Round 17.
Those results give the Bulldogs one win and one draw from two meetings and ensure this contest carries considerably more intrigue than the third-versus-fourth ladder positions might suggest.
Fremantle own the stronger season record The Roosters finished third with an 11–4–1 record and a +286 points differential. They averaged 38.5 points per game while conceding 20.6. Kalamunda finished fourth at 7–8–1 with a +4 differential, averaging 29.4 points for and 29.1 against.
Across the full season, Fremantle were more consistent in attack and defence. The Roosters also demonstrated their scoring ceiling with a 100–0 victory over Kwinana in Round 16—their largest win of the recorded 2018–2026 period. Fremantle won four of their final five matches, with their only loss in that sequence coming against Kalamunda.
Bulldogs have the matchup belief Kalamunda’s overall record may be less impressive, but finals are determined by matchups rather than season averages.
The Bulldogs have already played 160 minutes against Fremantle without losing. They matched the Roosters point for point in their first encounter and then found a way to win the return match by two.
That success should give Kalamunda confidence that they can absorb Fremantle’s attacking pressure and remain within striking distance late in the contest.
The Bulldogs’ season has contained significant fluctuations. They recorded an 88–6 victory over Kwinana but also suffered heavy defeats against the leading sides. Their best football is capable of troubling Fremantle; the question is whether they can sustain it across a finals match.
Roosters need to convert their advantages Harry Debique enters the finals as the competition’s third-highest point-scorer with 146. His kicking and attacking influence could be crucial if Kalamunda again force the Roosters into a close finish.
Fremantle’s priority will be turning their statistical advantages into scoreboard separation. In both regular-season meetings, Kalamunda remained close enough to make the final stages uncomfortable.
The Roosters cannot afford to assume that their ladder position or superior differential will eventually decide the game. They must establish control early and prevent the Bulldogs from building belief.
The key numbers
Fremantle finished 11–4–1 with a +286 differential.
Kalamunda finished 7–8–1 with a +4 differential.
The Round 8 meeting finished 28–28.
Kalamunda won the Round 17 rematch 30–28.
Only two points separated the teams across their two matches combined.
Fremantle averaged 9.1 more points per game than Kalamunda.
Willagee enter the finals as Val Murphy Trophy minor premiers, but North Beach arrive at Webber Reserve carrying the most important head-to-head statistic of all: the Sea Eagles have already beaten the Bears twice this season.
The Bears finished first with a 15–3 record, scoring 736 points and conceding only 210. Their averages of 40.9 points for and 11.7 against were the strongest in the competition.
North Beach finished second at 14–4 with a +426 differential, only one victory behind Willagee. Their record would ordinarily make them a dangerous opponent. Their two victories over the minor premiers make them something more significant—a proven threat.
North Beach have found the formula The teams first met at Webber Reserve in Round 9, where North Beach held on for a 14–10 victory. They met again at Blueforce Park in Round 18, with the Sea Eagles prevailing 22–18.
Both matches were decided by four points.
North Beach therefore carry a 2–0 season record against Willagee, with an aggregate advantage of only eight points. The results suggest the Sea Eagles have been able to slow the competition’s strongest attack and force the Bears into a style of match they have not consistently faced against other opponents.
The Round 18 result also gave North Beach five consecutive victories entering the finals while ending Willagee’s winning run.
Bears still own the competition’s strongest profile Despite those defeats, Willagee’s full-season performance cannot be ignored. The Bears won 15 of their 18 matches and finished with a remarkable +526 differential. They recorded an average margin of more than 29 points per game and produced several of the competition’s largest victories.
Te Putu Huriwai-Brown leads the VMT with 168 points, providing Willagee with an elite scoring and goal-kicking option. Archillies Packer and Rashim Pearson both finished the regular season with 13 tries.
The challenge for Willagee is translating that scoring power against the one defence that has repeatedly contained it.
Sea Eagles possess their own scoring threats North Beach are not simply relying on their defensive record. Bailey Hepper finished level with the competition’s leading try-scorers on 13, while Nicholas Prance accumulated 110 points.
That gives North Beach the ability to punish Willagee if the Bears become impatient or turn possession over while chasing points.
The Sea Eagles will also take confidence from returning to Webber Reserve, where they have already won this season. Willagee hold the home-ground advantage, but North Beach possess direct evidence that the Bears can be beaten there.
The key numbers
Willagee finished first at 15–3 with a +526 differential.
North Beach finished second at 14–4 with a +426 differential.
Willagee averaged 40.9 points for and only 11.7 against.
North Beach won both regular-season meetings by four points.
Willagee’s three defeats included two losses to North Beach.
North Beach enter the semi-final on a five-game winning streak.
North Beach have one game remaining to rescue their season—but simply defeating the competition leaders will not be enough.
Kalamunda’s Round 18 bye is worth two competition points, lifting the Bulldogs from 17 to 19 without affecting their plus-four points differential.
North Beach can also finish on 19 points by beating Willagee at Blueforce Park. However, the Sea Eagles begin the final round with a minus-42 differential, leaving them 46 points behind Kalamunda.
The clean equation is monumental: North Beach must defeat Willagee by at least 47 points to finish fourth.
The corrected Round 18 position
Team
Current points
Round 18
Maximum
Differential
Kalamunda Bulldogs
17
Bye
19
+4
North Beach Sea Eagles
17
v Willagee
19
−42
Ellenbrook Rabbitohs
16
v Fremantle
18
−96
Joondalup Giants
15
v Rockingham
17
−36
The current ladder has Kalamunda and North Beach level on 17 points. Once Kalamunda’s bye is credited, the Bulldogs will finish on 19.
A North Beach victory would produce another 19-point finish. The final position would therefore be decided by the ladder tiebreakers.
North Beach’s differential increases by the size of their winning margin:
A 45-point win lifts North Beach from minus-42 to plus-three—still behind Kalamunda.
A 46-point win lifts North Beach to plus-four—level with Kalamunda.
A 47-point win lifts North Beach to plus-five—one point ahead of Kalamunda.
The extraordinary 46-point exception
A 47-point victory is the straightforward route, but there is one extraordinary exception.
If North Beach win by exactly 46 points, the Sea Eagles and Bulldogs would both finish on 19 competition points and plus-four differential. The next comparison would be points scored.
Kalamunda have scored 470 points. North Beach enter Round 18 on 354, meaning they would need to score at least 117 against Willagee to move ahead.
A result such as North Beach 117–71 Willagee would give the Sea Eagles a 46-point victory and lift their points scored to 471—one more than Kalamunda.
A 116–70 victory would leave North Beach and Kalamunda with identical records: 19 points, seven wins, one draw, plus-four differential, 470 points scored and 466 conceded. In that complete statistical tie, the Empire Rugby League ladder predictor keeps Kalamunda above North Beach.
It is mathematically possible, but 47 points remains the realistic number North Beach must target.
Every North Beach scenario
North Beach result
Final points
Final differential
Outcome
Win by 47 or more
19
+5 or better
North Beach finish fourth
Win by 46 and score 117+
19
+4
North Beach finish fourth on points scored
Win by 46 and score 116 or fewer
19
+4
Kalamunda remain fourth
Win by 45 or fewer
19
+3 or worse
Kalamunda remain fourth
Draw
18
−42
Kalamunda remain fourth
Lose
17
Below −42
Kalamunda remain fourth
No other result can help
The equation is isolated from the other three Round 18 matches.
Ellenbrook can reach only 18 points by defeating Fremantle, while Joondalup can reach only 17 by beating Rockingham. Neither can catch Kalamunda once the Bulldogs receive their bye points.
North Beach cannot rely on an upset elsewhere. Their season comes down entirely to the margin they produce against Willagee.
The scale of the assignment
2026 statistic
North Beach
Willagee
Ladder position
5th
1st
Record
6–8–1
14–1–0
Average points scored
23.6
50.8
Average points conceded
26.4
12.8
Points differential
−42
+570
Current winning streak
Three games
Four games
North Beach’s largest victory this season was their 48–12 win over Kwinana—a margin of 36. Their required 47-point result would need to exceed that season-best margin by another 11.
Willagee, meanwhile, have lost only once in 15 matches. That defeat was a 26–16 result against South Perth—a margin of just 10 points.
The Bears have not conceded more than 26 points in any game this season. North Beach therefore need to inflict a defeat at least 37 points heavier than Willagee’s only previous loss.
An 87-point turnaround from Round 9
The first meeting between the teams makes the equation even more daunting.
Willagee defeated North Beach 56–16 at Webber Reserve in Round 9—a 40-point Bears victory.
North Beach now require a margin of at least 47 in the opposite direction. Measured against their first meeting, that represents an 87-point turnaround.
A repeat of the Round 9 score would not merely end North Beach’s season; it would leave the final differential gap between the Sea Eagles and Kalamunda at 86 points.
Form provides belief—but not the required margin
North Beach have at least carried their finals hopes into the last round through their strongest sequence of the season.
Beat Kwinana 48–12
Beat Kalamunda 22–18
Beat Ellenbrook 30–22
The Sea Eagles have scored 100 points and conceded 52 across those three victories, producing a combined differential of plus-48.
That is the extraordinary context of Saturday’s equation: North Beach need almost their entire three-match differential in a single game against the competition leaders.
Willagee have responded to their only loss with four consecutive victories:
Beat Kalamunda 18–16
Beat Ellenbrook 38–6
Beat Rockingham 60–6
Beat Joondalup 20–14
The Bears have outscored those opponents 136–42, giving them a plus-94 differential across their current winning streak.
History offers North Beach a sliver of hope
The longer-term head-to-head record is considerably kinder to the Sea Eagles than the 2026 statistics.
North Beach have won eight of the 11 Men’s Premiership meetings between the clubs since 2018. Across those games, the Sea Eagles have averaged 42.5 points to Willagee’s 17.6.
However, Willagee have won the past two meetings: 12–6 in the 2025 preliminary final and 56–16 earlier this season.
North Beach also hold only a 2–5 record at Blueforce Park this season, while Willagee are unbeaten through seven away matches.
What the season averages suggest
A simple blend of each team’s attacking and defensive averages produces an approximate baseline of Willagee 39, North Beach 18.
That is not a formal prediction, but it illustrates the distance between normal performance and the result North Beach require. Instead of an expected deficit of approximately 21 points, the Sea Eagles need to win by 47—a swing of roughly 68 points from the statistical baseline.
Men’s final-round verdict
The first three finalists are secure. The fourth position belongs to Kalamunda unless North Beach produce one of the most remarkable results of the 2026 season.
North Beach win by 47 or more: Sea Eagles finish fourth.
North Beach win by exactly 46 while scoring at least 117: Sea Eagles finish fourth on points scored.
Any smaller win, draw or loss: Kalamunda finish fourth.
North Beach have form, home-ground advantage and a historically strong record against Willagee. What they do not have is a conventional finals equation.
One game. Forty-seven points. Eighty minutes to attempt the improbable.
