With 2025 done and dusted, the 2026 season looms as a potential pivot point for several clubs.
Some have the pieces – depth, returning players, momentum – to vault up the ladder. Others, even if still competitive, could slip simply because of attrition, draw difficulty or squad wear-and-tear.
Below are three clubs who look primed for a jump – and three who may find next year a tougher ask than many expect.
Riser: South Sydney Rabbitohs
A fully fit Latrell Mitchell immediately transforms Souths from a bottom-four side into at least a mid-table attack. In 2025 they were forced to cycle through fullbacks, makeshift centres and experimental spine combinations almost weekly, losing any semblance of structure.
Latrell’s presence isn’t just about metres or try involvements – it’s about how he shapes the entire field. When he’s healthy, Souths play with width, tempo, and their yardage sets shorten dramatically. When he isn’t, the Rabbitohs revert to sideways sets, panic kicks and red-zone waste. A durable Latrell is worth 6–10 competition points on his influence alone.
But the far more stabilising return is Cameron Murray. His absence in 2025 was more damaging than Latrell’s because it removed South Sydney’s midfield organiser, defensive thermostat and ball-playing link.
Without Murray, their middle fell apart: line speed died, defensive spacing collapsed and ruck penalties multiplied. Murray’s engine sets effort standards and his “middle distributor” role unlocks the left edge – and that becomes even more potent with David Fifita now parked there.
Bennett loves using one “non-negotiable” edge weapon, and Fifita becomes his 2026 hammer. With Murray tightening the ruck and Latrell straightening yardage, Fifita becomes a matchup problem every single week, no longer forced to create his own momentum in a dysfunctional spine.
Then there’s the coaching arc: Wayne Bennett’s second season historically produces his cleanest team identity. In year one, he removes ego, hierarchy, bad habits and excuse culture. In year two, he installs role clarity, repeatable yardage patterns, and a defensive accountability system. Souths looked like a team still detoxing in 2025.
What flew under the radar last year were the kids who suddenly had to grow up: Jye Gray, Tallis Duncan, Tyrone Munro (once reinstated). In 2025, they were understandably raw; in 2026 they become the plug-and-play depth that stops the collapse when Latrell or Murray miss a fortnight. Bennett’s great teams always have a Tier B that doesn’t crater, and Souths finally have one.
Projected Swing: 14th to 6th–8th