The 12-team finals competition.

Some may argue 12 teams are too many, it rewards mediocrity. But, imagine what it would be like if team 12 is able to win the premiership. We can call it the wild card spot like the NFL system.

Maybe, it's time the NRL ladder are divided into two. The top 4 of each ladder go into the finals, and the next best 4 from the combined ladder gets the wild card spot based on their win-loss ratio and points scored or points scored against.

The two ladders could be the Metropolitan league (sydney teams) and the National League.
Metropolitan league
rooster, eagles, dragons, bulldogs, rabbits, eels, sharks, tigers
National league
cowboys, broncos, titans, knights, raiders, storm, warriors, panthers

I thought panthers is the furthest outside sydney.

The 12 team finals system,
Week 1
1-4 gets a rest
5v12, 6v11, 7v10, 8v9 (all knock out games)

Week 2,
re-rank remaining teams
(assuming all the lower rank teams won in week 1)
1v12, 2v11, 3v10, 4v9 (again all are knock out games)

Week 3
re-rank remaining teams
(again assume all lower rank teams won in week 2)
9v12, 10v11 (knock out games obviously)

Week 4 (Grand final week)
11v12 (assuming lower rank teams won in week 3)

and continuing the assumption of lower rank team winning, 12 is the Champion.

So in this version, for team 12 to win the championship. It needs to beat team 5, 1, 9 and 11.