NRL Ladder Predictions 2026

[Wrighty]

Kia ora Kotou e hoa

It is time for the annual ladder prediction thread.

Predict a 1-17. Feel free to provide rationales if you wish to or just post your 1-17.
Particular attention will be paid to your top 8 and where you place the Warriors.

Yes you may make multiple predictions if more information comes to light. All predictions due in before round one. But don't wait as most people predict now.

Here is last years' thread so you can see what you said. I got 6 out of the top 8 which is pretty good going. But had the warriors in 17th spot. Be careful what you predict as people reminded me of my prediction throughout the year !!!

NRL Thread 'Ladder Predictions 2025'

Oct 15, 2024

What will be the positions for the end of the regular season 2025 - 1 through 17?

This is an annual thread - time to kick it off this year.

Feel free to make multiple predictions as more information comes to light. All predictions due in before game one.

Wrighty's prediction

1 Penrith
2 Storm
3 Rooster
4 Broncos
5 Rabbitohs (Because of Wayne)
6 Sharks
7 Dogs
8 Titans (Because of Des)
9 Knights (Doomed to be 9th every year)
10 Cowboys
11 Raiders
12 Dolphins
13 Manly (Because of father time)
14 Dragons
15 West Tigers (Improved due to signings)
16 Eels
17 Warriors (First spoon for club -...

• Wrighty
• Replies: 151
• Forum: NRL

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Wrighty's 2026 predictions to kick things off

Top 4
1) Minor Premiers Le Rooster - provided Sam Walker and DCE stay healthy I see them sweeping in. They also have some young forwards coming through.
2) Raiders
3) Bulldogs - I think they will get their spine sorted this year by jettisoning big Sexy and Galvin will step up.
4 Warriors - if we stay injury free
Other top 8
5) Broncos - I think they will coast in the regular season into the top four
6) Sharks
7) Panthers
8) Wests - I think KPP addition does a lot for them

9) Le Eel - If Moses stays healthy they are top 8. Pezet will be decent for them.
10) Dragons - Nearly in the top 8 this year
11) Knights - They lose KPP but gain Dylan Brown and lose Leo Thompson - I don't think their forwards are up to it. But should be a high scoring team.
12) Storm - to miss the top 8
13) Dolphin
Bottom 4
14) Rabbitohs - who are their halves
15) Titans - New Coach new enthusiasm lifts them a few places
16) Manly
17) Cowboys - Spoon. I see them disintegrating. Robson out and Mahoney in is not an upgrade.

How about your predictions?

 

[wizard of Tauranga]

1 - Raiders (repeat of 2025)
2 - Warriors (up the Wahs!)
3 - Bulldogs (building)
4 - Sharks (top 4 since forever)
5 - Panthers (start slow again)
6 - Broncos (hot and cold team)
7 - Storm (on the slide but Bellamy)
8 - Roosters (history)
9 - Eels (settle team could challenge)
10 - Dolphins (always there about)
11 - Knights (change the players but won’t change the result significantly)
12 - Cowboys (exciting attack will keep them interesting)
13 - Manly (on the slide)
14 - South’s (irrelevant)
15 - Dragons (just don’t like them!)
16 - Tigers (fold the club!)
17 - Titans (going from disaster to disaster)

Can’t see anyone outside this years top 8 making massive improvements to be honest.

 

[Christchurch_Warrior]

This is my top 8 for 2026 in alphabetical order. This year it was hard to predict and I suspect next year will be as well.

Broncos
Panthers
Raiders
Roosters
Sharks
Storm
Warriors
West Tigers

Always like to add a smokie so it was a coin toss between the Eels and Tigers. Likely top 4 would be Broncos, Raiders, Sharks and Storm. Fucking hate the Storm but you can never write them off, Not buying into the Roosters hype. A DCE/Walker pairing doesn't seem right and DCE was on the slide this year and will only get worst. They are good enough for the 8 though.

Bulldogs could make the 8 but I think teams will work them out next year. Cowboys should be in the 8 with their roster but I think Payton will have his last year as Cowboys coach.

 

[sup42]

1. Bulldogs
2. Raiders
3. Penrith
4. Warriors
5. Broncos
6. Storm
7. Roosters
8. Knights

Dogs seem to be favored as the next man up mentality for NRL pet team by the organization, they are consistent, I'm going against last year where like everyone else I kept waiting for them to fall over.

Raiders have a fit young side, a bit of a cop out picking last years minors for this year - forgive me.

Panthers needs no explanation coz Panthers.

Warriors in 4th is a bit of a heart pick, but they do have the opportunity to change the script this season. Their attacking options will improve a lot.

Having said that, we are talking a bear cupboard here, improving a lot doesn't mean much compared to the industry standard, but a modest improvement in the year of our Lord 2025 would have been significant.

Round 12
Warriors 10 Raiders 16

Round 22
Warriors 18 Dolphins 20

Round 26
Warriors 22 Eels 26

Round 27
Warriors 26 Manly 27

As always it depends on our injury status. We could do with Nelson to be honest, our propping is woefully shy of depth.

We also have issues to solve around fullback and Center, but I am less concerned now, given CNK and Leka have been used at Center, it shows the club are well aware there is a big problem and are willing to try solutions more adventurous than just Capewell.

I could definitely see Gannon ending up in the Centers to cover for the loss of or lack of players like Rocko and Ali. Of all our forwards Gannon is the guy that would naturally adapt to center best because he is young and reasonably mobile for a big man, he will let in Try's no doubt, but he would be a monster at setting up a player like AKP, so swings and round abouts.

With AKP coming I expect we will see CNK at fullback, simple reality is the kick return issue with AKP.....

Anyway enough about the Warriors, I could invent shit about them all day.

Broncos 5th because I don't like them.

Storm 6th for the same reason.

Roosters 7th coz it seems reasonable.

Knights 8th, more than one go to guy, and both world class....what a change....go the Knights Kiwi bros.

 

[sup42]

Be careful what you predict as people reminded me of my prediction throughout the year !!!

Bugger what the critics say bro,

Part of the fun of these threads I find, is going back and having a laugh at your own predictions, and anyway isn't the idea that it is your top eight? and not some uptight train spotting interwebbers top eight.

What I find most annoying about people using hindsight is that in this competition no one has a clue how any given club is going to go by seasons end, it is all guess work.

Like the metaphor of the monkeys and type writers, the broken clock, any top eight configuration randomly generated could be the right one this year....