OFFICIAL 2026 Roster

PLAYER ROSTER FOR 2026 AND BEYOND
Red: yet to be extended.

PLAYER2026202720282029
Adam ReynoldsHalf2026Coach?
Aublix TawhaProp20262027
Ben HuntHalf, hooker2026
Ben TaltySecond Row, Prop, Lock20262027
Ben Te KuraProp2026NFL?
Billy WaltersHooker, half2026
Blake MozerHooker20262027
Brendan PiakuraSecond row20262027
Corey JensenProp20262027
Cory PaixHooker, half202620272028
Deine MarinerCentre, wing20262027
Delouise HoeterCentre, wing2026
Ezra MamHalf2026202720282029
Gehamat ShibisakiCentre, Wing2026
Grant AndersonCentre, wing, fullback2026Warriors
Hayze PerhamFullbackDevelop
Jack GosiewskiSecond Row2026
Jaiyden HuntProp, lock, second Row2026
Jesse ArtharsCentre, wing, fullback2026Titans/Japan
Jonah PezetHalf202720282029
Josh RogersHalf2026
Jordan RikiSecond row20262027
Josiah KarapaniCentre, wing20262027
Kotoni StaggsCentre202620272028
Mitch BarnettProp202720282029
Patrick CarriganProp, lock202620272028
Payne HaasProp2026Souths
Preston RikiSecond Row202620272028
Reece WalshFullback2026202720282029
Tom DuffyHalf2026
Va'a SemuProp202620272028
Xavier WillisonProp20262027


DEVELOPMENT (2026) - One remaining to confirm
Cameron Bukowski: hooker
Ben Talty: forward
Phillip Coates: centre, wing
Jared Horne: lock
Hayze Perham: fullback (unconfirmed)
Braithen Scott: half (unconfirmed)
Tupou Francis: lock (unconfirmed)


STOCKS

Front Row
Carrigan, Haas, Hunt, Willison, Jensen, Te Kura, Semu, Talty, Tawha

Second Row
Piakura, J. Riki, Hunt, Gosiewski, Talty, P. Riki

Lock
Carrigan, Hunt, Talty

Hooker
Hunt, Mozer, Paix, Walters

Half
Duffy, Hunt, Reynolds, Mam, Walters, Paix, Rogers, Black

Fullback
Walsh, Anderson, Perham, Arthars

Centre
Staggs, Shibasaki, Mariner, Arthars, Hoeter, Karapani, Tawha (?)

Wing
Arthars, Shibasaki, Mariner, Hoeter, Karapani


ETHNO MAP

QLD
Ben Hunt, Ben Te Kura, Billy Walters, Blake Mozer, Brendan Piakura, Coby Black, Corey Jensen, Cory Paix, Delouise Hoeter, Ezra Mam, Jack Gosiewski, Jaiyden Hunt, Josh Rogers, Patrick Carrigan, Reece Walsh, Gehemat Shibisaki

NZ
Jesse Arthars, Jordan Riki, Xavier Willison, Josiah Karapani, Preston Riki, Semu

NSW
Adam Reynolds, Kotoni Staggs, Payne Haas

Indigenous
Ezra Mam, Jordan Riki, Kotoni Staggs, Reece Walsh

Tonga
Kotoni Staggs, Delouise Hoeter

Samoa
Payne Haas, Deine Mariner

Cook Islands
Brendan Piakura
 
Click to expand...
Bear in mind, one year ago Deine Mariner asked for a release to the Dolphins.
 
winslow_wong said:
Seems like a few guys didn’t trust the process and jumped the gun early. I feel like Herbie would have stayed if he was more patient.
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Patience would not have delivered Herbie anything other than the position he already had, and he wasn't worth more money than he was on. I'm quietly cocky we'll be better off without him.
 
McHunt said:
Patience would not have delivered Herbie anything other than the position he already had, and he wasn't worth more money than he was on. I'm quietly cocky we'll be better off without him.
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I agree, though perhaps not in the short term. Mariner and Cobbo both offer totally different skillsets to Herbie but if both/either come good, they could POTENTIALLY (dangerous word I know), turn out even better. The reality is, Herbie is a deadset gun as he is so quick, so elusive, so strong and a fantastic defender but he just did not have the greatest ability to put his winger away. I think both Cobbs and especially Aquaman can do that. Aquaman in particular has quite a bit of JYY in him. JYY would have been elite in any backline position and I think Deine will be the same.
 
Sproj said:
I agree, though perhaps not in the short term. Mariner and Cobbo both offer totally different skillsets to Herbie but if both/either come good, they could POTENTIALLY (dangerous word I know), turn out even better. The reality is, Herbie is a deadset gun as he is so quick, so elusive, so strong and a fantastic defender but he just did not have the greatest ability to put his winger away. I think both Cobbs and especially Aquaman can do that. Aquaman in particular has quite a bit of JYY in him. JYY would have been elite in any backline position and I think Deine will be the same.
Click to expand...
It's not just his unwillingness to share the ball; it's the way he kills backline movements by stepping off his left foot and heading back into the sweeping defence. Which only works if/when he can run over the top of them. You will never see a classic crossfield backline movement from half to wing with Herbie at left centre. And, that's one of the most beautiful plays you'll ever see in rugby league. It's like poetry, you want to read over and over.

It will be interesting to see if he changes his pattern if Wayne shifts him to right centre (which I'm skeptical will happen). Will he step off the right, kill the momentum and turn it back inside or will he become a whole new player?
 
Sproj said:
I agree, though perhaps not in the short term. Mariner and Cobbo both offer totally different skillsets to Herbie but if both/either come good, they could POTENTIALLY (dangerous word I know), turn out even better. The reality is, Herbie is a deadset gun as he is so quick, so elusive, so strong and a fantastic defender but he just did not have the greatest ability to put his winger away. I think both Cobbs and especially Aquaman can do that. Aquaman in particular has quite a bit of JYY in him. JYY would have been elite in any backline position and I think Deine will be the same.
Click to expand...

Mariner has elite foot work along with Piakura ,Arthars and Walsh that`s 4 men with the ability to beat their opposition one on one . Going to be fun to watch them weave their magic in the new year .
 
405245674_7180991078599032_2870090440053675443_n.jpg
 
McHunt said:
It's not just his unwillingness to share the ball; it's the way he kills backline movements by stepping off his left foot and heading back into the sweeping defence. Which only works if/when he can run over the top of them. You will never see a classic crossfield backline movement from half to wing with Herbie at left centre. And, that's one of the most beautiful plays you'll ever see in rugby league. It's like poetry, you want to read over and over.

It will be interesting to see if he changes his pattern if Wayne shifts him to right centre (which I'm skeptical will happen). Will he step off the right, kill the momentum and turn it back inside or will he become a whole new player?
Click to expand...
Brenko showed more than once what extra value an old school set up the winger centre can do .
Herbert obviously has the skills but chooses not to use them . 1st world problems LOL .
 
McHunt said:
It's not just his unwillingness to share the ball; it's the way he kills backline movements by stepping off his left foot and heading back into the sweeping defence. Which only works if/when he can run over the top of them. You will never see a classic crossfield backline movement from half to wing with Herbie at left centre. And, that's one of the most beautiful plays you'll ever see in rugby league. It's like poetry, you want to read over and over.

It will be interesting to see if he changes his pattern if Wayne shifts him to right centre (which I'm skeptical will happen). Will he step off the right, kill the momentum and turn it back inside or will he become a whole new player?
Click to expand...
I reckon he'll become a whole new player.

He's a big athletic strong player with a right arm carry and already has the left foot step... if he's on the right that puts him on the outside of his man with the ball in his right hand ready for an offload.

He could be similar to Manu, except Herbie gets through 20 carries when he's in the centres.

I don't think his actual passing will improve, but he's a good chance of causing havoc at right centre with his strength, speed and offloading skills.
 
BroncsFan said:
I reckon he'll become a whole new player.

He's a big athletic strong player with a right arm carry and already has the left foot step... if he's on the right that puts him on the outside of his man with the ball in his right hand ready for an offload.

He could be similar to Manu, except Herbie gets through 20 carries when he's in the centres.

I don't think his actual passing will improve, but he's a good chance of causing havoc at right centre with his strength, speed and offloading skills.
Click to expand...
Let me paint a picture for you...

You're defending. Herbie is opposite you. Haas has just skittled defenders in the middle, not stretching the outside men but making it so there aren't any troops coming from the middle to help. Reynolds or mam or walters or carrigan or Walsh see it, spread the ball quickly to Walsh... he has mam and herbie on his edge... what do you do? You have one of about 5 options....


Now, you're marking herbie. Flegler maybe knocks a couple, not quite to haas' level but enough to get the same effect. You have katoa or JMK or Sullivan seeing it but likely won't get the right option as much as arey or the others or am I wrong here? But let's say they do but not quite as crisp or fast, at the very least. Then you have hammer running at you with herbie on his shoulder. What do you do? You have one of 2 options....

He won't have the space he had this year no matter what side he plays on. He will be great the 1st 10 rounds and the media will be going crazy, like they have the last few years with players who have left.. yet here we are.... we will be right, and my prediction is he will miss us FAR MORE then we miss him by the time finals come around. Same with flegler.
 
Lockysillegitimatechild said:
Let me paint a picture for you...

You're defending. Herbie is opposite you. Haas has just skittled defenders in the middle, not stretching the outside men but making it so there aren't any troops coming from the middle to help. Reynolds or mam or walters or carrigan or Walsh see it, spread the ball quickly to Walsh... he has mam and herbie on his edge... what do you do? You have one of about 5 options....


Now, you're marking herbie. Flegler maybe knocks a couple, not quite to haas' level but enough to get the same effect. You have katoa or JMK or Sullivan seeing it but likely won't get the right option as much as arey or the others or am I wrong here? But let's say they do but not quite as crisp or fast, at the very least. Then you have hammer running at you with herbie on his shoulder. What do you do? You have one of 2 options....

He won't have the space he had this year no matter what side he plays on. He will be great the 1st 10 rounds and the media will be going crazy, like they have the last few years with players who have left.. yet here we are.... we will be right, and my prediction is he will miss us FAR MORE then we miss him by the time finals come around. Same with flegler.
Click to expand...
I didn't say that we would miss him I just think his traits suit the right side better than being on the left.. hence a "whole new player"

Left centres are hard to find, because they're most effective if they also have a left hand carry... I think Herbie found himself in the left centre role primarily because we didn't really have any other legitimate options when he shifted there in 2020/2021.

I think Cobbo should be a serious consideration for left centre next year, because he has a left hand carry and he could have us completely forgetting Herbie was ever here... but they might leave him at wing and put Mariner into left centre and whilst I think Mariner is an elite talent, he does have a right hand carry and if he's on the left he may not be as effective as what he could be on the right side of the field.
 
McHunt said:
It's not just his unwillingness to share the ball; it's the way he kills backline movements by stepping off his left foot and heading back into the sweeping defence. Which only works if/when he can run over the top of them. You will never see a classic crossfield backline movement from half to wing with Herbie at left centre. And, that's one of the most beautiful plays you'll ever see in rugby league. It's like poetry, you want to read over and over.

It will be interesting to see if he changes his pattern if Wayne shifts him to right centre (which I'm skeptical will happen). Will he step off the right, kill the momentum and turn it back inside or will he become a whole new player?
Click to expand...
Literally the only reason to watch Dolphins games in '24. This will be interesting.
 
The more I read opinions on this, the more I want Capewell to see out his contract while the coaches tweak the next generation. Despite universal expectations otherwise, and widespread apathy, Palasia was denied and that surprisingly turned out pretty well for us.

But if he does leave immediately - which at this point seems inevitable (again) - unlike last season, I have faith the coaching staff and administration knows what it's doing. I think 2023 awarded them that benefit of the doubt.

I guess it's down to Moneyball at this point.
 
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