Other Clubs in 2026

[Morgan]

Look at the team Bennett has at his disposal at Souths!!! This is a coach who can attract big names vs Flanno who only cares about what is good for one player. I don't know anything about their #9, their halfback is average and 5/8 past his best. If Bennett can get the best out of his #12 and has a bit of luck with injuries, they are a red-hot chance of winning the premiership.

RABBITOHS​

1. Jye Gray
2. Alex Johnston
3. Jack Wighton
4. Latrell Mitchell
5. Campbell Graham
6. Cody Walker
7. Jamie Humphreys
8. Jai Arrow
9. Bronson Garlick
10. Keaon Koloamatangi
11. Tallis Duncan
12. David Fifita
13. Cameron Murray
    
    
14. Brandon Smith
15. Lachlan Hubner
16. Euan Aitken
17. Tevita Tatola

 

[Dragons Chris]

Look at the team Bennett has at his disposal at Souths!!! This is a coach who can attract big names vs Flanno who only cares about what is good for one player. I don't know anything about their #9, their halfback is average and 5/8 past his best. If Bennett can get the best out of his #12 and has a bit of luck with injuries, they are a red-hot chance of winning the premiership.

RABBITOHS​

1. Jye Gray
2. Alex Johnston
3. Jack Wighton
4. Latrell Mitchell
5. Campbell Graham
6. Cody Walker
7. Jamie Humphreys
8. Jai Arrow
9. Bronson Garlick
10. Keaon Koloamatangi
11. Tallis Duncan
12. David Fifita
13. Cameron Murray
    
    
14. Brandon Smith
15. Lachlan Hubner
16. Euan Aitken
17. Tevita Tatola

I know the fullback had a blinder against us but along with the other 3 of their spine, he isn't that good. Both their wingers are well past their best. AJ will get dropped as soon as he breaks the try scoring record. Fifita has a good game in him once or twice a season. Arrow has also been around a long time. Might be slipping. Wighton is a shadow of the player he was a few years ago.

If Bennett can get them firing, it's a solid top 8 team but top 4 is doubtful.

 

[redv4life]

Look at the team Bennett has at his disposal at Souths!!! This is a coach who can attract big names vs Flanno who only cares about what is good for one player. I don't know anything about their #9, their halfback is average and 5/8 past his best. If Bennett can get the best out of his #12 and has a bit of luck with injuries, they are a red-hot chance of winning the premiership.

RABBITOHS​

1. Jye Gray
2. Alex Johnston
3. Jack Wighton
4. Latrell Mitchell
5. Campbell Graham
6. Cody Walker
7. Jamie Humphreys
8. Jai Arrow
9. Bronson Garlick
10. Keaon Koloamatangi
11. Tallis Duncan
12. David Fifita
13. Cameron Murray
    
    
14. Brandon Smith
15. Lachlan Hubner
16. Euan Aitken
17. Tevita Tatola

I agree with you big questions need to be asked about flanno’s ability to make marquee signings.

 

[Dragons Chris]

Do you see Wests winning a comp with Bula at fullback? I don't see Bula as the fullback who is going to win Wests or us us comp. I certainly don't see him as a million dollar a season player.
I will add that Wests are overpaying Luai to the max. He is on 1.2 mil a year. I think he is only worth about 800K a year. I don't see Wests winning a comp with Luai on 1.2 mil a year and Bulla on 900K a year. They will be lucky to make the top 8. I think Terrell May is one of the better props in the game and his brother may develop into one of the better centres in the game over the next couple of years.

To anyone who thinks I am taking the conversation of thread topic. I am replying to Dragons Chris and talking football. I will also add that I respect everyone to have their say and express their opinion, even if I don't agree with it.

Sure. Why not? If Benji put together a good team around him. I don't know about the halfback. I read he was always better than Galvin but has been injured a lot. Apart from the halfback Benji has assembled 3/4 of a very good spine with Korosau, Bula, Luai.

 

[Dragon David]

Are these 2026 trial wins by the Eels over the Roosters, Titans over the Storm etc. a pointer as to how well the Eels and Titans etc. will go this year. That is will they be top 8. Trial games to me are misleading. We know that ever since Bellamy has coached the Storm they have never lost their first round game, so even though they were done like a dinner by the Titans tonight, they are destined to beat the Eels in the first round in 2026 going by history.

The Dragons on the other hand, since 1999 have won 9 and lost 17 - not a very good record is it?

 

[Eric]

I'll say Knights new coach talks the talk pretty well. Flanno could take some lessons from him in that respect. Lets see if his team walks the walk.

 

[Dragon David]

Are these 2026 trial wins by the Eels over the Roosters, Titans over the Storm etc. a pointer as to how well the Eels and Titans etc. will go this year. That is will they be top 8. Trial games to me are misleading. We know that ever since Bellamy has coached the Storm they have never lost their first round game, so even though they were done like a dinner by the Titans tonight, they are destined to beat the Eels in the first round in 2026 going by history.

The Dragons on the other hand, since 1999 have won 9 and lost 17 - not a very good record is it?

The record is now won 9, lost 18.

Looks like the Panthers are starting this season on a better note than last year. In 2024, they won the premiership for the 4th time in a row. They did not play Wigan in the Challenge Cup in 2025 as they could not agree to a date as the Panthers had to play in Vegas that year. They beat the Sharks 28-22 in Vegas but when they returned to play in the NRL comp they lost 5 straight games and it looked like they were never going to get any better but they won enough games to finish 7th and played semi final footy. This trip to Vegas can affect a team badly at the start of the comp but generally most teams do pick up and end up in a good position on the ladder. If someone can check all of the records to see if this is a fact - I'm only surmising.

Will our form as well as the other 3 teams that went to Vegas in 2026 be OK for round 2? In the case of the Dogs it will be for round 3 as they have a bye in round 2.

 

[Eric]

The record is now won 9, lost 18.

Looks like the Panthers are starting this season on a better note than last year. In 2024, they won the premiership for the 4th time in a row. They did not play Wigan in the Challenge Cup in 2025 as they could not agree to a date as the Panthers had to play in Vegas that year. They beat the Sharks 28-22 in Vegas but when they returned to play in the NRL comp they lost 5 straight games and it looked like they were never going to get any better but they won enough games to finish 7th and played semi final footy. This trip to Vegas can affect a team badly at the start of the comp but generally most teams do pick up and end up in a good position on the ladder. If someone can check all of the records to see if this is a fact - I'm only surmising.

Will our form as well as the other 3 teams that went to Vegas in 2026 be OK for round 2? In the case of the Dogs it will be for round 3 as they have a bye in round 2.

Mug Fan mentioned in a previous post how last year 3 of the 4 teams who went to Veges won their round 2 games. I think people make too much of the whole travel thing. Even if it's a significantly different time zone, if they have more than a day or two to prep and it's not starting at 1:00~3:00am in the time zone they just came from, should be good to go.

 

[Dragon David]

Mug Fan mentioned in a previous post how last year 3 of the 4 teams who went to Veges won their round 2 games. I think people make too much of the whole travel thing. Even if it's a significantly different time zone, if they have more than a day or two to prep and it's not starting at 1:00~3:00am in the time zone they just came from, should be good to go.

If it is a repeat of last year with 3 of the 4 teams winning round 2 games, that will be good. Will that be Dragons beating the Storm at home, Knights beating the Sea Eagles away and Cowboys beating the Tigers at home? The 4th team, the Bulldogs, has a bye and automatically gets 2 competition points. So insofar as getting the 2 points go, one team has that already meaning that 1 of the other 3 teams will miss out - which one?