Isaac IssaMar 2, 2026, 07:00 AM

CloseIsaac joins the ESPN NRL team with a keen eye on the future superstars of the game. He will be scouring the junior ranks, speaking to the scouts, the agents and the players themselves to bring you all the latest news.

Multiple Authors

The NRL‘s third venture to Las Vegas didn’t just deliver highlight finishes and fairytale debuts – it delivered clarity.

Round 1 rarely defines a season, but it often exposes how a team intends to play it. Across two contests at Allegiant Stadium, four clubs showed exactly who they are likely to be in 2026.

Newcastle Knights

Very few wooden spooners enter the following season with hopes of success, but with a stack of NRL stars staggered across Newcastle’s teamsheet, there is little wonder why the Knights sit within that minority.

After acquiring Dylan Brown on a 10-year, $13 million contract, the club’s big-budget roster was always going to be scrutinised, should they not succeed, and rightly so.

Their road to redemption began in Round 1 against the Cowboys, tallying up 28 points to secure their first win since June last year. While the scoresheet alone will likely be enough to send Newcastle natives into work with smiles on their faces on Monday, there’s a deeper layer here.

Kalyn Ponga caused problems for the Cowboys defence all night. Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

The Knights, for the first time in a long time, look coached.

Despite having just secured the wooden spoon, Newcastle’s issue has never been talent; it’s cohesion. Whether it’s due to an out-of-position Fletcher Sharpe, an injured Kalyn Ponga, or a struggling head coach, the Knights have been unable to produce an all-around performance in quite a while.

While still early days, the club seemed to be playing with identity and belief, two factors far more important than the zeroes at the end of their marquee men’s contracts.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

Winners win.

While the phrase has been overused and wildly misinterpreted in the past, it’s a fact that always stays true.

Bulldogs (and most NRL) fans were expecting a blowout in Vegas the moment it was announced they’d be facing the Dragons. St. George’s roster trails in comparison, and both sides have been moving in opposite directions since Canterbury’s return to the finals arena in 2024.

Despite this, they won by just one measly point on Sunday, following a spirited performance from the Dragons. At best, Dogs’ fans will take the win as a “practice round” and move on. At worst, they’ll be calling for Cameron Ciraldo’s head. However, there’s a middle ground here.

Viliame Kikau challenges the Dragons defence. Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

Premiership threats are not made contenders with highlight reels and mammoth scorelines; they’re crafted through structure and discipline. The Dragons came out with far more vigor than the Bulldogs in their clash, but the latter still closed out the match through defensive resolve and repetition.

In games where the attack simply isn’t flowing (like this one), it’s the structure that ultimately decides the winner on the day. The Bulldogs showed a commitment to their system and were rewarded with success on an afternoon that looked set to deliver anything but.

The Bulldogs may not be spectacular, but they look difficult – and difficult teams play finals deep into September.

North Queensland Cowboys

A team that will score points but can rarely execute – the Cowboys are back.

It can be argued that North Queensland boasts one of the most impressive rosters in the NRL on paper, with stars such as Tom Dearden, Scott Drinkwater, and Reed Mahoney all donning the Cowboys’ logo.

You wouldn’t know it if you read the scoresheet, though.

The Cowboys are explosive, but reactive, an unfortunate combination that was evident in their Round 1 loss to Newcastle.

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In a clash that should have served as evidence of an off-season mentality reset, North Queensland simply dished up yet another underwhelming performance.

If this side couldn’t get up for a Round 1 clash in Las Vegas with a mountain of scrutiny sitting on both the players’ and coach’s shoulders, it’s concerning to imagine how the rest of their 2026 campaign could look.

It’s a long flight home from Las Vegas, and the Cowboys will need to use every minute to plan what their next move is.

St. George Illawarra Dragons

They didn’t collapse – which is important.

However, there were very few moments where the Dragons looked like they were going to turn up a gear in their 15-14 loss against the Bulldogs.

St. George Illawarra showed they can compete with the best on their day, but they clearly don’t have a high enough ceiling to pose any real threat in 2026.

Shane Flanagan has tried his best to recruit the best available; however, his roster simply doesn’t have the cavalry to do damage to a top-tier side, even on a good day.

The Dragons were easily the more impressive team in their bout with Canterbury, but with their opponent winning almost every positional match-up across the entire starting lineup, their chances of success simply dwindled as the minutes ticked by.

This will likely be the case for the rest of their 2026 campaign, but if they can continue turning up for each other as they did in Round 1, we could see a major culture shift at the Red V in the next 18 months.

Vegas verdict

The NRL didn’t need a blockbuster to open its season – it needed answers.

After one weekend in Las Vegas, some teams look close-to-ready for September, some look entertaining, and some already look like they’re chasing improvement rather than chasing a premiership.