With the calendar ticking over to January 1 on Thursday, attention will start to turn to the 2026 NRL season. Teams will soon return to pre-season training, and it won’t be long before trial games are being played ahead of the season-opener on March 1 in Las Vegas.
Despite it being a new year and fresh start, a number of teams will carry injury and suspension concerns into the first round. The Melbourne Storm and South Sydney Rabbitohs won’t have Trent Loiero (Storm) and Jamie Humphreys (Souths) available until Round 3, while Roosters forward Victor Radley is banned until Round 7.
Trent Loiero (L) and Jamie Humphreys (R) both have two-game bans to serve. Image: Getty
Loiero copped a two-game ban for a high tackle on Broncos forward Brendan Piakura in Melbourne’s loss in the NRL grand final, and will miss games against the Eels (Round 1) and Dragons (Round 2). It means his first game back will be the grand final rematch against Brisbane in Round 3 in Melbourne.
As for Humphreys, he also has to serve a two-game ban for a hip-drop tackle on Siua Wong in the Rabbitohs’ clash with the Roosters in Round 27 last year. He’ll miss the rematch with the Roosters in Round 2 after also sitting out the Rabbitohs’ opener against the Dolphins.
Trent Loiero (L) and Jamie Humphreys (R) won’t be playing NRL games until Round 3. Image: Getty
Humphreys will be back in action in Round 3 against the Wests Tigers. Both Loiero and Humphreys will be free to play in pre-season trial games, which don’t count towards suspensions.
None of the other 15 teams have players still to serve NRL-imposed bans. Roosters forward Radley has been allowed to serve five of his club-imposed 10-game suspension in the Ashes Tests (for England) and pre-season comp, and won’t be back until Round 7 due to a bye in Round 5.
Victor Radley has a club-imposed ban from the Roosters and won’t be back until Round 7. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
NRL teams with injury concerns for 2026
The majority of teams have a number of injuries to cover. Players like Billy Walters (Broncos) and Ronaldo Mulitalo (Sharks) will miss significant chunks of the 2026 season.
Walters did his ACL late in the year with Brisbane, and missed his team’s finals charge to a first premiership in 19 years. As for Mulitalo, he did his ACL while playing for New Zealand in the end-of-year Pacific Championships.
The likes of Jack Bostock (Dolphins), Heilum Luki (Cowboys), Tom Chester (Cowboys), Ryan Couchman (Dragons), Dylan Egan (Dragons), Isaiah Tass (Rabbitohs), Cameron McInnes (Sharks) and Luke Metcalf (Warriors) are all in the same boat with ACL injuries, and none are expected to be playing in Round 1. Cowboys forwards Jeremiah Nanai and Griffin Neame are set to miss the Vegas opener against Newcastle with shoulder injuries.
For the Storm, forward Eli Katoa won’t play at all in 2026 after suffering a brain bleed following three head knocks in a game for Tonga in the Pacific Championships.