NRL continues as AFL prepares for finals, while rugby league players face challenges in final round.
It's September and the NRL is still grinding on.
The AFL home and away rounds concluded the weekend before last, then teams had a rest before the final series is bounced into action on Thursday night.
We all know when the AFL Grand Final is - the last Saturday in September. While AFL bigwigs have flirted with changing the date and the traditional afternoon starting siren, sentiment and fear of a lynching prevailed.
But with the NRL final eight just about sorted, already battered rugby league players now endure a macabre Russian roulette to survive the last round this weekend.