The 2026 NRL season is almost here. Brisbane are reigning premiers, Penrith’s dynasty is over, and Dylan Brown just became the richest player in the game. Here’s everything you need to know.
Teams
- 🏆 Brisbane Broncos
- 🟢 Canberra Raiders
- 🐶 Canterbury Bulldogs
- ⚡ Melbourne Storm
- 🐆 Penrith Panthers
- 🦈 Cronulla Sharks
- 🐓 Sydney Roosters
- 🪓 NZ Warriors
- 🐬 Dolphins
- 🦫 Parramatta Eels
- 🤠 North Queensland Cowboys
- 🐯 Wests Tigers
- 🐰 South Sydney Rabbitohs
- 🐉 St George Dragons
- 🦅 Manly Sea Eagles
- ⚡ Gold Coast Titans
- ⚔️ Newcastle Knights
What Happened in 2025
- Brisbane won their 7th title, beating Melbourne 26-22 in the grand final
- Canberra got their first minor premiership since 1995
- Newcastle fell off a cliff — 5th to wooden spoon in two years
- James Tedesco picked up his first Dally M
What to Watch in 2026
- Penrith’s done. 1st → 2nd → 7th. The dynasty is over.
- Canterbury is scary. 15th → 6th → 3rd. They’re not stopping.
- Dylan Brown took Newcastle’s $13M. Now he has to earn it.
- Daly Cherry-Evans left Manly after 16 years. That’s weird.
2025 Final Ladder
| Pos | Team | W | L | Diff | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canberra Raiders (MP) | 19 | 5 | +148 | 44 |
| 2 | Melbourne Storm | 17 | 7 | +212 | 40 |
| 3 | Canterbury Bulldogs | 16 | 8 | +120 | 38 |
| 4 | Brisbane Broncos (Premiers) | 15 | 9 | +172 | 36 |
| 5 | Cronulla Sharks | 15 | 9 | +109 | 36 |
| 6 | NZ Warriors | 14 | 10 | +21 | 34 |
| 7 | Penrith Panthers | 13 | 10 | +107 | 33 |
| 8 | Sydney Roosters | 13 | 11 | +132 | 32 |
| 9 | Dolphins | 12 | 12 | +125 | 30 |
| 10 | Manly Sea Eagles | 12 | 12 | +21 | 30 |
| 11 | Parramatta Eels | 10 | 14 | -76 | 26 |
| 12 | North Queensland Cowboys | 9 | 14 | -146 | 25 |
| 13 | Wests Tigers | 9 | 15 | -135 | 24 |
| 14 | South Sydney Rabbitohs | 9 | 15 | -181 | 24 |
| 15 | St George Dragons | 8 | 16 | -130 | 22 |
| 16 | Gold Coast Titans | 6 | 18 | -199 | 18 |
| 17 | Newcastle Knights (Spoon) | 6 | 18 | -300 | 18 |
The Big Moves
| Player | Old Club | New Club | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dylan Brown | Parramatta | Newcastle | $13M for a five-eighth who’s never played Origin. Big gamble. |
| David Fifita | Gold Coast | South Sydney | The Bunnies get their Bennett reunion. X-factor on the edge. |
| Daly Cherry-Evans | Manly | Sydney Roosters | 16 years at one club, now he’s a Rooster. Strange times. |
| Selwyn Cobbo | Brisbane | Dolphins | Origin winger heading to Redcliffe. Brisbane’s depth takes a hit. |
| Alofiana Khan-Pereira | Gold Coast | Warriors | 43 tries in two seasons. Try-scoring machine. |
Who Lost the Most?
Gold Coast — lost Fifita AND Khan-Pereira AND Kieran Foran (retired). New coach Josh Hannay has basically nothing to work with.
Parramatta — Dylan Brown was their entire attack. Now Mitchell Moses has to do it himself. Good luck with that.
Manly — DCE walked. That’s 16 years of experience gone. Tom Trbojevic is captain now, which is lovely until his hamstrings remember who they are.
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