Pre-Season Challenge: Feb 15-22 | Round 1: March 5-8
The season ahead at a glance
The 2026 NRL season might be the wildest in years. Brisbane are defending premiers but the Payne Haas bombshell — he’s heading to South Sydney in 2027 — has cast a shadow over their title defence before a ball’s been kicked. When the best prop in the game announces he’s leaving a premiership-winning side, it’s going to create noise.
Melbourne are in unfamiliar territory. They lost Ryan Papenhuyzen (retirement), Nelson Asofa-Solomona (R360 boxing), and Eliesa Katoa (concussion, out for the season). Meanwhile Newcastle landed Dylan Brown on that massive $13 million deal, and the Dolphins keep building — Tom Flegler’s return after 677 days on the sideline was one of the feel-good moments of the pre-season.
2025 Season Review
Premiers: Brisbane Broncos (defeated Melbourne Storm in Grand Final)
Runners-up: Melbourne Storm
Minor Premiers: Brisbane Broncos
Wooden Spoon: Wests Tigers
The big stories from 2025:
- Reece Walsh came of age, steering Brisbane to the premiership and winning the Clive Churchill Medal
- James Tedesco claimed the Dally M Medal in a career-best season
- Penrith’s four-year reign finally ended — Brisbane beat them in the preliminary final from 16 points down
- South Sydney’s season was a disaster — 14th place, Wayne Bennett’s worst finish ever
Major Player Movements
The Blockbusters
| Player | From | To | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payne Haas | Brisbane Broncos | South Sydney Rabbitohs (2027) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Signing of the century |
| Dylan Brown | Parramatta Eels | Newcastle Knights | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ $13M marquee signing |
| Daly Cherry-Evans | Manly Sea Eagles | Sydney Roosters | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Veteran half with premiership pedigree |
| Reece Robson | North Queensland Cowboys | Sydney Roosters | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Representative hooker |
| Selwyn Cobbo | Brisbane Broncos | Dolphins | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Adds strike to backline |
| Reed Mahoney | Canterbury Bulldogs | North Queensland Cowboys | ⭐⭐⭐ Fresh start for hooker |
| Lachlan Ilias | St George Illawarra Dragons | Gold Coast Titans | ⭐⭐⭐ Halfback opportunity |
| Jonah Pezet | Melbourne Storm | Parramatta Eels | ⭐⭐⭐ Talented playmaker |
| Keaon Koloamatangi | South Sydney Rabbitohs | St George Illawarra Dragons (2027) | ⭐⭐⭐ Big forward signing |
Key Retentions
- Nathan Cleary — Panthers (off-contract end of 2027, rugby union rumours won’t go away)
- Reece Walsh — Broncos (contracted until 2029)
- Craig Bellamy — Storm (extended to 2028)
Notable Departures
- Ryan Papenhuyzen — Retired (concussion concerns)
- Nelson Asofa-Solomona — Left Storm for boxing (R360)
Coaching Changes
| Club | Coach | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Brisbane Broncos | Michael Maguire | ✅ Secure — Won premiership 2025 |
| South Sydney Rabbitohs | Wayne Bennett | ✅ Secure — Payne Haas has a clause tied to him |
| Melbourne Storm | Craig Bellamy | ✅ Extended to 2028 |
| Penrith Panthers | Ivan Cleary | ✅ Secure — Off-contract 2027 |
| Newcastle Knights | Justin Holbrook | ⚠️ Pressure — New recruits need results |
| Dolphins | Kristian Woolf | ✅ Secure — Building well |
| Parramatta Eels | Jason Ryles | ⚠️ Year 2 — Must show improvement |
| Canterbury Bulldogs | Cameron Ciraldo | ✅ Secure — Top 4 finish 2025 |
| Gold Coast Titans | Josh Hannay | 🔴 New — First full season as head coach |
| St George Illawarra Dragons | Shane Flanagan | ✅ Secure — Year 3 |
| North Queensland Cowboys | Todd Payten | ⚠️ Pressure — Underachieving |
| Sydney Roosters | Trent Robinson | ✅ Secure — New recruits add excitement |
| Cronulla Sharks | Craig Fitzgibbon | ⚠️ Pressure — Need finals wins |
| Canberra Raiders | Ricky Stuart | ✅ Secure — Stable but aging |
| Manly Sea Eagles | Anthony Seibold | ⚠️ Pressure — Inconsistent 2025 |
| New Zealand Warriors | Andrew Webster | ⚠️ Pressure — Sliding backwards |
| Wests Tigers | Benji Marshall | 🔴 Huge pressure — Wooden spoon 2025 |
Top 8 Predictions
| Pos | Team | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane Broncos | Best spine in the game. Walsh, Mam, Reynolds, Hunt. The Haas noise is real but Maguire won’t let it derail them. |
| 2 | Canterbury Bulldogs | Ciraldo has built something. They went top 4 last year — this time they go deeper. |
| 3 | Newcastle Knights | Dylan Brown changes everything. If Ponga stays healthy, they’re dangerous. |
| 4 | Melbourne Storm | Bellamy. That’s it. Even with the outs, you don’t bet against him. |
| 5 | Dolphins | Flegler’s back. Farnworth’s elite. First finals series is coming. |
| 6 | Sydney Roosters | DCE and Robson strengthen key positions. Tedesco’s last elite year? Maybe. They’ll be there. |
| 7 | Cronulla Sharks | Nicho Hynes needs to deliver in September. Iro’s a star. They make finals again. |
| 8 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | The Haas news changes the vibe at Redfern. Bennett will have them better than 14th. |
Wooden Spoon Candidates
| Pos | Team | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Wests Tigers | Spoon favourites again. Marshall needs to show something or he’s gone. |
| 15 | New Zealand Warriors | The slide continues. No obvious improvement from 2025. |
| 14 | Gold Coast Titans | Hannay’s unproven as a head coach. Talent’s there, culture isn’t. |
Key Dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| February 15 | All Stars (Indigenous vs Maori) |
| February 15-22 | Pre-Season Challenge |
| February 20 | World Club Challenge: Broncos vs Hull KR |
| March 5-6 | Las Vegas Double Header |
| March 5-8 | Round 1 begins |
| May 28 | State of Origin Game 1 |
| June 18 | State of Origin Game 2 |
| July 9 | State of Origin Game 3 |
| October 4 | NRL Grand Final |
The Big Questions
- Can Brisbane go back-to-back? The Haas situation is unprecedented. Premiers have distractions before, but this is different.
- Is Dylan Brown worth $13 million? Newcastle have bet their premiership hopes on him. If he clicks, they’re scary.
- How do the Storm rebuild? Losing Papenhuyzen, NAS, and Katoa is brutal. But Bellamy’s still there.
- Is this the Dolphins’ year? Three seasons in, Woolf has them trending up. Finals should be the minimum.
- Which Latrell shows up? The Rabbitohs’ season depends on it.
- Is the Penrith dynasty over? All signs say yes. Cleary might leave for rugby. They’re struggling to retain stars.
- Who’s the first coach sacked? Marshall, Webster, and Payten are all under the pump.
Join the Competition
Want to see how you stack up against an AI? Join the competition.
Every round, you can follow along in real time. Check the leaderboard. Compare your tips. See if you can beat the algorithm.
How to Join
Head to iTipFooty.com.au and create an account. Then join any of these competitions:
When prompted for a password, enter: Lilith
That is it. You are in.
See the tips as they happen. Watch the standings shift. Maybe even finish ahead of the machine.
Good luck. You will need it.
Discover more from JRB Consulting
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.