2026 NRL Predictions

[Foordy]

Let's hear those 2026 predictions:

Premiers:
Minor Premiers:
Wooden Spoon:
Team/s to drop out of the 8:
Team/s to come into the 8:
Big improvers:
Biggest drop off:
Most tries:
Most points:
Dally M:
Coach/s sacked:

 

[Foordy]

Premiers: Broncos
Minor Premiers: Broncos
Wooden Spoon: Dragons
Team/s to drop out of the 8: Warriors
Team/s to come into the 8: Eels
Big improvers: Eels
Biggest drop off: Raiders
Most tries: Mark Nawaqanitawase
Most points: Jamayne Isaako
Dally M: Reece Walsh
Coach/s sacked: Todd Payten

 

[Broncorob]

Premiers: Broncos
Minor Premiers: Rorters
Wooden Spoon: Titans
Team/s to drop out of the 8: Warriors. Raiders
Team/s to come into the 8: Dolphins Eels
Big improvers: Eels
Biggest drop off: Raiders
Most tries: Mariner
Most points: Isaako
Dally M: DCE
Coach/s sacked: Payten

 

[Xzei]

Premiers : broncos
Minor Premiers : roosters
Wooden Spoon : knights
Team/s to drop out of the 8 : warriors and dogs
Team/s to come into the 8 : eels and tigers
Big improvers : eels
Biggest drop off : dogs
Most tries : Isaiah Iongi
Most points : isaako
Dally M : sam walker
Coach/s sacked : payten

 

[Brocko]

Premiers: Broncos
Minor Premiers: Panthers
Wooden Spoon: Dragons
Team/s to drop out of the 8: Wahs, Raiders, Sharks
Team/s to come into the 8: Tuna, Rabbits, Eels
Big improvers: Eels/Titans
Biggest drop off: Raiders/Cowboys/Manly
Most tries: To'o
Most points: Isaako
Dally M: Mitch Moses
Coach/s sacked: Payten/Pies

 

[Santa]

Premiers: Broncos
Minor Premiers: Broncos
Wooden Spoon: Dragons
Team/s to drop out of the 8: Bulldogs
Team/s to come into the 8: Eels
Big improvers: Eels
Biggest drop off: Bulldogs
Most tries: Mariner
Most points: Isaako
Dally M: Walsh
Coach/s sacked: Peyton & Seibold

 

[Battler]

Premiers: Broncos
Minor Premiers: Broncos
Wooden Spoon: Cowboys
Team/s to drop out of the 8: Dogs, Raiders
Team/s to come into the 8: Eels, Phins
Big improvers: Eels
Biggest drop off: Raiders
Most tries: Mark N
Most points: Isaako
Dally M: Walsh
Coach/s sacked: Payton

 

[Nashy]

Premiers: Panthers
Minor Premiers: Panthers
Wooden Spoon: Cowboys
Team/s to drop out of the 8: Raiders
Team/s to come into the 8: Redcliffe
Big improvers: Titans
Biggest drop off: Raiders
Coach/s sacked: Payton

Dropped a few off that could be anyone.

 

[Berry Barrigan]

Premiers: Broncos
Minor Premiers: Roosters
Wooden Spoon: Titans
Team/s to drop out of the 8: Dogs & Sharks
Team/s to come into the 8: The & Bunnies
Big improvers: Bunnies
Biggest drop off: Dogs
Most tries: Alamoti
Most points: Isaako
Dally M: Haas
Coach/s sacked: None

 

[Santa]

Premiers: Panthers

 

[I bleed Maroon]

Premiers: Broncos
Minor Premiers: Penrith
Wooden Spoon: Dragons
Team/s to drop out of the 8: Melbourne (I think the music is about to stop down there)
Team/s to come into the 8: Dolphins (A bit of a lazy answer but frankly they should have been in the 8 last year)
Big improvers: Souths - Bennett will want to make a statement after a dour few years.
Biggest drop off: Cowboys - They will plummet into the bottom 4 then sack Dracula
Most tries: Karapani
Most points: Daly Cherry-Evans
Dally M: Reece Walsh
Coach/s sacked: Payten, Seibold

 

[Brocko]

Have I missed something with people picking Chooks for minors?

DCE was far from his best in 25 imo, and I think forcing him into the 7 could easily hurt Walker as much as help him.

I think they'll make the 8 as the squad is good, but yeah, just curious I guess

 

[Xzei]

Have I missed something with people picking Chooks for minors?

DCE was far from his best in 25 imo, and I think forcing him into the 7 could easily hurt Walker as much as help him.

I think they'll make the 8 as the squad is good, but yeah, just curious I guess

Think walkers game will go to a higher level with dce, also being available the whole year for the chooks is a plus played 9 games last year inc a finals game

 

[Morkel]

Premiers: Roosters
Minor Premiers: Panthers
Wooden Spoon: Titans
Team/s to drop out of the 8: Raiders, Warriors & Bulldogs
Team/s to come into the 8: Dolphins, Eels & Rabbitohs
Big improvers: Eels
Biggest drop off: Raiders
Most tries: Nawaqanitawase
Most points: Isaako
Dally M: Reece Walsh
Coach/s sacked: Payten, Flanagan

 

[Santa]

Premiers: Roosters
Minor Premiers: Panthers

 

[BroncsFan]

Minor Premiers: Panthers
Wooden Spoon: Titans
Team/s to drop out of the 8: Wahs & Dogs
Team/s to come into the 8: Dolphins & Parra (Moses dependent)
Big improvers: Souths unfortunately
Biggest drop off: Dogs
Most tries: maybe Johnston with that strong left side at souths
Most points: Isaako
Dally M: Cleary (probably but who cares... it's a media medal)
Coach/s sacked: Payten and Seibold

I'm not naming a premier to avoid the mock! , but I'd have panthers as favourites for it.

Last year they had Vegas on top of not having a home ground, whilst also dealing with the ongoing loss of players. This year the team is basically unchanged and no Vegas, they still don't have a home ground, but they'll probably deal with that better being their second season of it.

I think Wahs are a big chance of dropping out, mostly due to injuries they will carry into the year... I've also gone dogs. Their drop off after signing Galvin has the potential to carry through given they haven't really solved their halfback problem.

They also look to have problems at hooker and I think they also want to give Crichton a go at fullback.. so I can see some chopping and changing happening in their team compared to the stability they had for the year and half before Galvin.

Canberra are the other team I can see having a down year, but not sure the loss of Fogarty sees them drop from minor premiers to out of the 8... it would be hilarious if it did happen, mostly just to see the Ricky meltdown and the fans crying about week 1 of last year's finals.

Big improvers are probably Souths, they finished near the bottom last year so they don't have to do much to be a big improver. I can see Fifita being a beast for them, but it's probably all dependent on Latrell's health, as he's barely got through a season since joining Souths. Cody's health also a question with a number of soft tissue injuries last year. When they are all on the park it will be a lethal looking team.

1. Latrell
2. Johnston
3. Wighton
4. Campbell Graham
5. ??
6. Cody
7. Humphries
8. Koloamatangi
9. Mamouzelos
10. Tatola / Arrow?
11. Fifita
12. Arrow / CONEHEAD Duncan
13. Murray

That's a hell of a lineup at full strength... and fans want to complain about broncos salary cap.

 

[Harry Sack]

Minor Premiers: Panthers
Wooden Spoon: Titans
Team/s to drop out of the 8: Wahs & Dogs
Team/s to come into the 8: Dolphins & Parra (Moses dependent)
Big improvers: Souths unfortunately
Biggest drop off: Dogs
Most tries: maybe Johnston with that strong left side at souths
Most points: Isaako
Dally M: Cleary (probably but who cares... it's a media medal)
Coach/s sacked: Payten and Seibold

I'm not naming a premier to avoid the mock! , but I'd have panthers as favourites for it.

Last year they had Vegas on top of not having a home ground, whilst also dealing with the ongoing loss of players. This year the team is basically unchanged and no Vegas, they still don't have a home ground, but they'll probably deal with that better being their second season of it.

I think Wahs are a big chance of dropping out, mostly due to injuries they will carry into the year... I've also gone dogs. Their drop off after signing Galvin has the potential to carry through given they haven't really solved their halfback problem.

They also look to have problems at hooker and I think they also want to give Crichton a go at fullback.. so I can see some chopping and changing happening in their team compared to the stability they had for the year and half before Galvin.

Canberra are the other team I can see having a down year, but not sure the loss of Fogarty sees them drop from minor premiers to out of the 8... it would be hilarious if it did happen, mostly just to see the Ricky meltdown and the fans crying about week 1 of last year's finals.

Big improvers are probably Souths, they finished near the bottom last year so they don't have to do much to be a big improver. I can see Fifita being a beast for them, but it's probably all dependent on Latrell's health, as he's barely got through a season since joining Souths. Cody's health also a question with a number of soft tissue injuries last year. When they are all on the park it will be a lethal looking team.

1. Latrell
2. Johnston
3. Wighton
4. Campbell Graham
5. ??
6. Cody
7. Humphries
8. Koloamatangi
9. Mamouzelos
10. Tatola / Arrow?
11. Fifita
12. Arrow / CONEHEAD Duncan
13. Murray

That's a hell of a lineup at full strength... and fans want to complain about broncos salary cap.

Basically agree with all of this tbh. Souths and Eels the big unknowns for mine. Souths were flogged by injuries and Eels played most of the year without Moses, plus a new rookie coach.

 

[Big Pete]

1. Latrell
2. Johnston
3. Wighton
4. Campbell Graham
5. ??
6. Cody
7. Humphries
8. Koloamatangi
9. Mamouzelos
10. Tatola / Arrow?
11. Fifita
12. Arrow / CONEHEAD Duncan
13. Murray

Supposedly Gray is locked in at fullback, with Latrell shifting to left centre. I'm not sure where that leaves Wighton, whether Wayne will play him on the right-side with Graham going to the wing but it definitely appears to be a surplus to their needs.

They did extremely well to avoid the spoon last year. They had so much going against them, but Wayne was just able to eek out enough wins to get them over the line. I'm not convinced if they'll pull a 180. If they do make the 8, I expect it will be barely just and they'll be horribly inconsistent.

If Latrell and Cody can stay on the field, that left edge is going to win them a lot of games. With Fifita in toe, that's a lot of strike.

In the long term, they still need to sort their 7 and 9 out. Those two can do a job but I'm not convinced they have a higher ceiling.