Your predictions for the 2026 NRL season.

[Bates]

Grand final teams - Roosters vs Broncos

Premiers - Roosters.

Clive Churchill Medal - Teddy

Wooden Spoon - Tigers.

Will Teddy play SOO? - Yes

1st Coach sacked - Todd Payten

Jack Gibson Medal - DCE

Breakout season - Foketi

[Inflictor]

Most started threads - Bates

FFS

[Bates]

Most started threads - Bates

FFS

Thanks Vic and all the best for the New Year.

[Chook2]

Grand final teams - Roosters vs Panthers

Premiers - Roosters.

Clive Churchill Medal - DCE

Wooden Spoon - dragons

Will Teddy play SOO? - Yes

1st Coach sacked - Flanagan

Jack Gibson Medal - Walker

Breakout season - steep

[Bates]

Grand final teams - Roosters vs Panthers

Premiers - Roosters.

Clive Churchill Medal - DCE

Wooden Spoon - dragons

Will Teddy play SOO? - Yes

1st Coach sacked - Flanagan

Jack Gibson Medal - Walker

Breakout season - steep

Steep and Foketi will feel more comfortable this season after dipping their toes in the water last year.

Both will eventually play rep footy imo.

[Bates]

* 1st coach sacked - Robbo

[Mickie Lane]

Grand final teams - Roosters vs Broncos

Premiers - Roosters.

Clive Churchill Medal - Teddy

Wooden Spoon - Tigers.

Will Teddy play SOO? - Yes

1st Coach sacked - Todd Payten

Jack Gibson Medal - DCE

Breakout season - Foketi

Grand final teams
I think that only the Broncos, Storm, Penrith, Dolphins & the Chooks can win the comp next year, Warriors, Sharks, Manly, Canberra & the Dogs are all top 8 sides. Parra & Souths if they stay fit can also make the 8 & with luck the top 4 but I dont think they can win the comp.


Premiers
Of course I want the Chooks to win the comp & what it will come down to is luck.
My definition of luck is minimal or no injuries to Whyte, Robson, Crighton, Radley, Watson, Walker, DCE, Toups, Marky & Teddy.
Winning the tight games against other top 4 sides because we had luck with a penalty go our way at a vital time or the opposition is disallowed a reviewed try that is 50-50.
The bounce of the ball that favours us equals luck.
Next is form, Whyte, Crighton, Collins, Robson, Wong, Leniu & Radley all have to be in top form all year along with DCE, Walker & Teddy plus Toups, Marky, Billy Smith & Robbie T have to play hard arse football every week.
Can this be achieved?

Clive Churchill Medal
No idea

Wooden Spoon
Dragons

Will Teddy play SOO?
I hope not

1st Coach sacked
I think Todd Payten is the most under pressure. If things go pear shape at the Rabbits I could see ol Wayne walking away.

Jack Gibson Medal
Whyte

Breakout season
Wong

[Bates]

Grand final teams
I think that only the Broncos, Storm, Penrith, Dolphins & the Chooks can win the comp next year, Warriors, Sharks, Manly, Canberra & the Dogs are all top 8 sides. Parra & Souths if they stay fit can also make the 8 & with luck the top 4 but I dont think they can win the comp.


Premiers
Of course I want the Chooks to win the comp & what it will come down to is luck.
My definition of luck is minimal or no injuries to Whyte, Robson, Crighton, Radley, Watson, Walker, DCE, Toups, Marky & Teddy.
Winning the tight games against other top 4 sides because we had luck with a penalty go our way at a vital time or the opposition is disallowed a reviewed try that is 50-50.
The bounce of the ball that favours us equals luck.
Next is form, Whyte, Crighton, Collins, Robson, Wong, Leniu & Radley all have to be in top form all year along with DCE, Walker & Teddy plus Toups, Marky, Billy Smith & Robbie T have to play hard arse football every week.
Can this be achieved?

Clive Churchill Medal
No idea

Wooden Spoon
Dragons

Will Teddy play SOO?
I hope not

1st Coach sacked
I think Todd Payten is the most under pressure. If things go pear shape at the Rabbits I could see ol Wayne walking away.

Jack Gibson Medal
Whyte

Breakout season
Wong

When you strip it back and then break it all down you're left with a playing group that's good enough to win a comp however curtain things need to align.

1. Luck
Bounce of the ball
Injuries

2. The gap between the players best and worse performance needs to be bridged aka consistency. Combinations need to be formed relatively quickly especially with 2 new spine players in the mix and Sammy playing five-eighth.
This is Robbo's job! He has the runs on the board so it's more than achievable albeit before the 6 again rule was introduced. The blueprint shouldn't be too different. Hopefully.

The bench mark will be the Broncos so you know what you're up against to win it. There will be no surprise smoky team imo.

[Carlos Parra]

Too early to say, but I'll give it a go:

Easts to lose all trial matches
Several players will do their ACL and MCL during the trials
Easts to lose their opening round in a bit of an upset against the Warriors
5 players referred to the MRC by round 5
5 players binned by round 5
All penalty counts lost to the opposition by round 5
Easts to have had 5 disallowed tries by round 5
Easts to lose all 'captain's challenges' by round 5
Tedesco WILL NOT play SOO this year

And worst of all...Dan Ginnane and that moron Ennis to be commentators for every Easts match this year.

[Mickie Lane]

Too early to say, but I'll give it a go:

Easts to lose all trial matches
Several players will do their ACL and MCL during the trials
Easts to lose their opening round in a bit of an upset against the Warriors
5 players referred to the MRC by round 5
5 players binned by round 5
All penalty counts lost to the opposition by round 5
Easts to have had 5 disallowed tries by round 5
Easts to lose all 'captain's challenges' by round 5
Tedesco WILL NOT play SOO this year

And worst of all...Dan Ginnane and that moron Ennis to be commentators for every Easts match this year.

Yeah for sure plus the NRL, refs, touch judges & bunker will make sure the Roosters dont win the comp.
They farked up in 2018 & 19 & I just dont know why they let us win the comp those 2 years.
Because we all know that the NRL, refs, touch judges & bunker have a meeting in late January to discuss making sure the Rooster dont win the comp & who is going to win the comp. The WWE write the script for the NRL.

[Chook2]

Grand final teams
I think that only the Broncos, Storm, Penrith, Dolphins & the Chooks can win the comp next year, Warriors, Sharks, Manly, Canberra & the Dogs are all top 8 sides. Parra & Souths if they stay fit can also make the 8 & with luck the top 4 but I dont think they can win the comp.


Premiers
Of course I want the Chooks to win the comp & what it will come down to is luck.
My definition of luck is minimal or no injuries to Whyte, Robson, Crighton, Radley, Watson, Walker, DCE, Toups, Marky & Teddy.
Winning the tight games against other top 4 sides because we had luck with a penalty go our way at a vital time or the opposition is disallowed a reviewed try that is 50-50.
The bounce of the ball that favours us equals luck.
Next is form, Whyte, Crighton, Collins, Robson, Wong, Leniu & Radley all have to be in top form all year along with DCE, Walker & Teddy plus Toups, Marky, Billy Smith & Robbie T have to play hard arse football every week.
Can this be achieved?

Clive Churchill Medal
No idea

Wooden Spoon
Dragons

Will Teddy play SOO?
I hope not

1st Coach sacked
I think Todd Payten is the most under pressure. If things go pear shape at the Rabbits I could see ol Wayne walking away.

Jack Gibson Medal
Whyte

Breakout season
Wong

Very hard to win a premiership with the roster needing to be fit in finals and form at right time of year
certainly have the squad and few squads weakened from last year
I also think dolphins will go close and also bellieve if souths are fit they will be very close - unfortunately

Whyte could be a big chance for Jack Gibson and really hoping Wong comes on as a real top line edge in 2026

[Steggles]

I’ll have a crack.

Grand final teams - Roosters vs Storm

Premiers - Roosters.

Clive Churchill Medal - DCE

Wooden Spoon - Knights

Will Teddy play SOO? - Yes

1st Coach sacked - Todd Payten

Jack Gibson Medal - Teddy

Breakout season - both Foketi & Steep to cement their places in the team.

Other predictions, Robson to play 80 mins each week and Watson makes the lock position his own. Egan Butcher to build on his late season form and locks down a bench middle spot. Unfortunately we’ll only see Hugo if DCE or Sammy are injured, but he’ll hang around and be a starter in 2027 for our B2B year. Radley and N Butcher struggle to make the top 17, with at one or both of them to be released at the end of the year to manage the cap

[Thirteen]

Grand final teams - Roosters vs Broncos.

Premiers - Roosters.

Clive Churchill Medal - Walker.

Wooden Spoon - Knights.

Will Teddy play SOO? - No chance.

1st Coach sacked - Seibold.

Jack Gibson Medal - Teddy no doubt.

Breakout season - Wong. It’s now or never.

Great thread Bates. Thank you.

[Thirteen]

I’ll have a crack.

Grand final teams - Roosters vs Storm

Premiers - Roosters.

Clive Churchill Medal - DCE

Wooden Spoon - Knights

Will Teddy play SOO? - Yes

1st Coach sacked - Todd Payten

Jack Gibson Medal - Teddy

Breakout season - both Foketi & Steep to cement their places in the team.

Other predictions, Robson to play 80 mins each week and Watson makes the lock position his own. Egan Butcher to build on his late season form and locks down a bench middle spot. Unfortunately we’ll only see Hugo if DCE or Sammy are injured, but he’ll hang around and be a starter in 2027 for our B2B year. Radley and N Butcher struggle to make the top 17, with at one or both of them to be released at the end of the year to manage the cap

I think Rodwell will be a starting half in 2027.

[Chook2]

I’ll have a crack.

Grand final teams - Roosters vs Storm

Premiers - Roosters.

Clive Churchill Medal - DCE

Wooden Spoon - Knights

Will Teddy play SOO? - Yes

1st Coach sacked - Todd Payten

Jack Gibson Medal - Teddy

Breakout season - both Foketi & Steep to cement their places in the team.

Other predictions, Robson to play 80 mins each week and Watson makes the lock position his own. Egan Butcher to build on his late season form and locks down a bench middle spot. Unfortunately we’ll only see Hugo if DCE or Sammy are injured, but he’ll hang around and be a starter in 2027 for our B2B year. Radley and N Butcher struggle to make the top 17, with at one or both of them to be released at the end of the year to manage the cap

Certainly a testing year for rads and Nat
rads missing first several games opens his 13 spot up and others on the bench while Nat had an average 24 and missed most of 25! I still have him on the bench as the other utility forward who can cover prop off the bench with Spencer for the moment however there will be pressure on these guys
potentially once all available steep and Foketi out of the 17

I still value Watson as a 14 coming off the bench and breaking the game open but certainly plenty for robbo to think about