Updated: NRL 2026 team-by-team season review

The 2026 NRL season proper has come to an end, so it's time to evaluate every team's year. We take a look back at our preseason prediction, assess the way each team travelled, and work out their grades for 2026.

This will be updated as every team's season finishes.

Brisbane Broncos

Last year's ladder finish: 4th (Premiers)

Predicted 2026 finish: 3rd

Actual finish: 14th

Grade: F

Very rarely does a premiership winning side fall so far, so quickly. Everyone fully expected that the Broncos would mount an impressive title defence on the back of what they achieved in 2025 and the relative stability of their squad. What the pundits and fans could not predict was the behind-the-scenes discourse, the injuries to key players, and the apparent complete lack of commitment from players out in the middle. The coach losing the locker room is an often-used excuse, usually followed by the sacking of the coach, but Michael Maguire was only in his second season at the club after bringing them premiership glory in his first year. The players have to be held accountable for this unsightly collapse.

Where to from here: Adam Reynolds has retired, Payne Haas is off to the Rabbitohs, and the talk is that the players are not happy with coach Maguire. Mitch Barnett is coming to replace Haas, Dane Gagai to shore up the backline, and Jonah Pezet to reset the halves. They have the entire offseason to sort themselves out, a similar season in 2027 would be completely intolerable for the proud club.

Canberra Raiders

Last year's ladder finish: 1st

Predicted 2026 finish: 7th

Actual finish: 11th

Grade: D

The Raiders took out the minor premiership last season, but the way they crashed out of the finals was not encouraging when it came to predicting their 2026 run. They still should have played finals football this year and, as they showed against the Cowboys in the final round, they still have all the weapons to challenge the top sides. Hudson Young's injury certainly didn't help as they battled for a spot in the Top 8, nor did their ability to lose games they had seemingly already won.

Where to from here: They have lost several players ahead of next season, without making any moves on the player market. They will rely on the juniors coming through as well as halfback Coby Black, who lived up to all the hype during his debut performance against the Cowboys in the final round.

Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs

Last year's ladder finish: 3rd

Predicted 2026 finish: 2nd

Actual finish: 12th

Grade: F

The Bulldogs receive an F for their 2026 season, simply because they were expected to build on their 2025 success, not crumble in the opposite direction. Lachlan Galvin proved that he is a star of the near future and probably the club's best player through the year, but he played halfback when the team needed a genuine halfback. Moving Matt Burton to centre saw him improve with new found freedom out wide, but moving Stephen Crichton to five-eighth hamstrung his best assets. The whole team continued to look completely lost in attack and only finished as high as they did through defensive resolve, which also faded at the back end of the season. Such a disappointing effort.

Where to from here: Freddy Lussick arrives to hopefully fix one part of the spine. Either Mitchell Woods or Alex Conti should be ready to pull on the No. 7 jersey, Galvin will rise to star status wider of the ruck in the No. 6 jersey, and Burton and Crichton can form the most expensive and lethal of centre combinations. All the club needs then is an attack coach, a dangerous fullback, a new lock and some more grunt in the front row. Easy!

Cronulla Sharks

Last year's ladder finish: 5th

Predicted 2026 finish: 10th

Actual finish: 5th

Grade: C

The Sharks receive a C because they were expected to take a tumble down the ladder after another disappointing finals series last year, but rallied through the season to finish fifth. There were times when they looked certain to finish in the Top 4, but lost their way near the end when Braydon Trindall was injured. They struggled with consistency, looking like world beaters for chunks of the season, but totally lost at other times. Addin Fonua-Blake once again proved his worth to the team, but could have used a bit of help. Nicho Hynes and Trindall worked really well together in the halves and Blayke Brailey was always sharp out of dummy-half. If anything their outside backs started to look a little tired and in need of a freshen up. They limped into the finals in the middle of a slump from which they never really recovered.

Where to from here: The Sharks are putting a broom through the roster, without making any major recruitment moves. Gone are Sione Katoa, Mawene Hiroti, Cameron McInnes, Jesse Ramien and Siosifa Talakai, with a couple of Super League imports their main gains. They will rely on their pathways to develop the young talent needed to build their 2027 starting team. The glory days of 2016 drift further into the past with each disappointing season.

Dolphins

Last year's ladder finish: 9th

Predicted 2026 finish: 6th

Actual finish: 3rd

Grade: B+

The Dolphins have been threatening to play finals football since entering the NRL, and they finally made the jump in the second year of Kristian Woolf's coaching tenure. It has been what can only be considered an outstanding season for the Dolphins, despite the disappointing finish against the Roosters. Having assembled one of the league's best backlines, the Dolphins were never really out of any game during the year, enabling them to survive a nasty habit of starting games slowly. They appear to be one or two key forwards short of being unstoppable and should return to finals football next season and for many years to come.

Where to from here: Coach Kristian Woolf will have to squeeze a little bit extra out of the current roster, as they have not made any acquisitions as yet. They do say goodbye to some big-name players in Jake Averillo, Jamayne Isaako, Oryn Keeley, Kodi Nikorima, Daniel Saifiti, and Ray Stone. They will look to the youngsters coming through the grades, with their Queensland Cup side showing plenty of promise having just won its Grand Final.

Gold Coast Titans

Last year's ladder finish: 16th

Predicted 2026 finish: 14th

Actual finish: 16th

Grade: D

We predicted the Titans would improve slightly under coach Josh Hannay, but they stayed in exactly the same spot. It must be so frustrating for everyone involved to watch the patches of sensational football this club is capable of playing at times. Jayden Campbell remains an elite attacking weapon, Keano Kini an amazing young talent at fullback, Cooper Bai an explosive forward and Tino Fa'asuamaleaui a stoic leader. But, they just lack a couple of key pieces and the drive to play a full 80 minutes of totally committed football.

Where to from here: Apart from welcoming Sharks centre Mawene Hiroti in 2027 they haven't made too many moves on the player market and will be looking instead to improve their systems and fitness. Hannay has a long road ahead of him, with the Bears joining the fray next season, the Titans will face another rung on that ladder they failed to climb at all in 2026.

Manly Sea Eagles

Last year's ladder finish: 10th

Predicted 2026 finish: 13th

Actual finish: 9th

Grade: C

The Sea Eagles started the season where they left off in 2025, losing and looking like a team headed down the ladder. They sacked Anthony Seibold and hired club legend Kieran Foran as head coach and went on an incredible run, which looked certain to take them into the finals. They lost Tom Trbojevic to injury and managed to keep going, but subsequently losing Luke Brooks brought the winning run to a grinding halt. Overall it was a very mixed year, which ended in a frustrating ninth place finish.

Where to from here: They lose Reuben Garrick to the Roosters next year and have made some minor acquisitions. Foran will have a full offseason with the side and they have some promising talent coming through at the club including halfback Joey Walsh. It will be interesting to see whether Foran can recapture the magic of his early days in the job, as they battle again to play finals football.

Melbourne Storm

Last year's ladder finish: 2nd (Runners-up)

Predicted 2026 finish: 8th

Actual finish: 10th

Grade: D

We tipped the Storm to take a slide down the ladder after losing last year's grand final to the Broncos, but no one ever really expects them to miss the finals. They did have a horror year with injuries, with their superstar spine seldom complete for any number of consecutive games. When they did have Harry Grant, Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster they were capable of beating anyone, but the bit-part players were unable to lift in their absence. Injuries aside, the Storm didn't look like the Storm at times, with defensive lapses and handling errors driving coach Craig Bellamy up the wall.

Where to from here: Bellamy is going around again as coach, which is handy as it would have been an injustice for him to leave the Storm after that season. They are revamping their backline with the addition of Dolphins flyer Jamayne Isaako and Bulldogs centre Bronson Xerri, while adding Eels forward Kelma Tuilagi. They are also losing a raft of players including Tyran Wishart and Nick Meaney, both to the Bears.

Newcastle Knights

Last year's ladder finish: 17th

Predicted 2026 finish: 13th

Actual finish: 7th

Grade: TBD

Where to from here: TBD

New Zealand Warriors

Last year's ladder finish: 6th

Predicted 2025 finish: 9th

Actual finish: 2nd

Grade: B-

Considering we expected the Warriors to miss the finals, for them to be challenging the Panthers for the minor premiership right until the final round makes this a successful season and worthy of a B. The way they crashed out of the finals in straight sets, very nearly drops them back to a C. How disappointing for Warriors fans everywhere to see them fall to the Dolphins and Knights in front of adoring home crowds. Their efforts against the Knights in front of a packed Eden Park will haunt them for many years to come. They had trouble all season keeping a starting pair of halves fit, but managed to finish second on the ladder with Chanel Harris-Tavita and Te Maire Martin working well together. Their pack, led by James Fisher-Harris, was one of the most destructive in the league, but they just weren't able to put it all together in the big games, when it really mattered.

Where to from here: The Warriors lose a raft of players, led by Mitch Barnett, Luke Metcalf and Marata Niukore. They welcome outside backs Will Warbrick and Grant Anderson, with prop Sam McIntyre also joining from the Cowboys. Coach Andrew Webster has done an incredible job with the club, but he has clearly not unlocked the secret to having them perform to their best on the biggest of stages. If anything, their first premiership seems further away after that finish.

North Queensland Cowboys

Last year's ladder finish: 12th

Predicted 2026 finish: 16th

Actual finish: 8th

Grade: C

The fact that the Cowboys somehow snuck into the finals was enough for them to receive a C for their efforts this year. Wildly inconsistent, they could switch on the magic and just about beat anyone, but their defence was appalling at times and ultimately costly. They entered their elimination final needing to tighten up their defence and cut back on their errors, but fell down in both areas. Fullback Scott Drinkwater had a night to both forget and savor in the elimination final against the Sharks, setting up several Cowboys tries while looking completely lost under the high ball.

Overall they got to play in one more game than nine other teams, without ever seriously looking likely to threaten for the title. Their home fans might well remember the season for it's ultimate lowlight: the Round 22 loss to the Roosters which finished in a club record 82-12 flogging.

Where to from here: Scott Drinkwater departs for the Dragons, as the Cowboys go through a minor clean-out. They welcome Joe Chan (Storm), Sione Katoa and Jesse Ramien (both Sharks). Coach Todd Payten will need to spend the entire offseason working on defensive schemes and instilling some commitment to the cause.

Parramatta Eels

Last year's ladder finish: 11th

Predicted 2026 finish: 12th

Actual finish: 13th

Grade: D

The Eels had a frustrating season, often competitive, but rarely consistent. When they were bad, they were very bad, conceding 52 points to the Storm in the opening round, before conceding another 52 to the Titans just five weeks later. They weren't helped by injuries to Mitchell Moses and one-year halves partner Jonah Pezet, but were more often let down by a lack of defensive resolve. Beating the Sharks in Round 26, only to lose to the Dragons in the final round, just about summed up 2026 for the Eels and their long-suffering fans.

Where to from here: They lose a bundle of players for next year, while acquiring Jarome Luai from the Tigers and Jaydn Su'A from the Dragons. It is hard to make any sense of the one-year deal for Luai, even more so with the late-season form of Ronald Volkman, but maybe he will click with Moses and provide more value to the Eels than he did for the Tigers. It is certainly going to be an interesting season for the Eels.

Penrith Panthers

Last year's ladder finish: 7th

Predicted 2026 finish: 1st

Actual finish: 1st (minor premiers)

Grade: B

The Panthers were expected to go very close to winning the premiership this year, after the way they charged home in 2025. They finished the 2026 season atop the ladder and took care of the Roosters first up, before having the week off. Unfortunately, Nathan Cleary broke a bone in his foot against the Roosters and his season was in doubt. He managed to start the preliminary final against the Knights from the bench and entered the game after 25 minutes. Tragically, Cleary was only on the field for 10 minutes before his leg was fractured in a hip drop tackle. From there the Panthers could not manage to overcome the spirited defence of the Knights and bowed out one game short of the big dance for the second year running. What would have been an A-grade season for any other team slips to a B due to the incredibly high standards the Panthers set.

Where to from here: Coach Ivan Cleary enters his last season in charge of the Panthers with no major signings named and just four players; Freddy Lussick, Jack Cole, Scott Sorensen, and Liam Henry leaving. The Panthers talent machine is always churning out future stars, their Jersey Flegg team just smashed the Bulldogs 62-16 in their Grand Final, so no doubt they will once again be the team to beat in 2027.