Welcome to the 2026 season. Allow me to briefly introduce myself. I am a retired high school Humanities HOD with a lifelong love of Rugby League. I live on the Gold Coast and have a partner and three sons, all of whom continue to play Rugby League. Last season I was the ghost writer for Prop by the Sea while he was travelling overseas. This year, I will be writing on a weekly basis, covering various issues in the game. I look forward to reading your comments. In the 1970s my teams were Redcliffe in the BRL and St George in the NSWRL. My favourite player was Arthur Beetson and I was fortunate to be able to emulate him in a couple of ways, having developed a lifelong love of meat pies and struggling with my weight. Anyway, enough about me, let’s look at the 2026 season.
Hope springs eternal at all 17 clubs. From the wooden spoon winning Knights to the premiership winning Broncos, there is cause for optimism. Enjoy it while you can, because the harsh realities of the NRL will kick in soon enough. Let me explain the hope side of things first. The Knights have a new coach, Justin Holbrook, they have their new star in Dylan Brown, and the enigmatic Ponga is fit, for now at least. The Titans have trialled well, putting heavyweights Melbourne to the sword last week. Over at Souths, after a completely lost season due to injuries, Wayne has his home for wayward boys in full operation, with Latrell, David, Brandon, and Cody all pictures of fitness and being exemplary model citizens. It would not surprise me if they were serving as altar boys at St Maroun’s Cathedral in Redfern on Sunday mornings! Saints are wooden spoon favourites, but they have young talent coming through and Flanagan is a smart, street-wise coach. The Dolphins have Flegler and Gilbert fit for the first time in living memory. The usual quotes are coming out of Clubland. “Everyone is loving it this season under (insert coach name). Everyone is really buying into what (insert coach name) is bringing to the club. There is a different vibe around the place this year”.
Now for the harsh realities. I read an article yesterday about the prospects and expectations for all 17 clubs. The journalist gave a pass mark for each club. Seven clubs would get a pass mark for finishing top 4. A further seven clubs would get a pass mark for finishing top eight. For the other three clubs, finishing outside the bottom 4 would constitute a pass mark. So that leaves us with fourteen clubs in the top 8 and no one in the bottom 4.
As I said, my area was Humanities, not Mathematics, but even with my rudimentary knowledge, this is obviously not going to happen. In short, many clubs will not meet expectations this year, like every other year. Professional sport does not operate like a primary school Athletics carnival where everyone gets a ribbon, a participation certificate and ice block and goes home happy at the end of the day. It is a brutal, results-driven business where only the successful survive.
I watched the World Club Challenge last Friday morning. I could not have been happier for Hull KR, knocking off the Broncos. This club had not won anything for 40 years and has now won everything on offer, the Quadruple, they call it. What a remarkable story. Willie Peters has worked a minor miracle there and is surely destined for a coaching job in the NRL in the near future. A 7-part series is now airing on FOX. It is worth a watch. It shows that anything is possible in Rugby League. I would love to see something like that happen this year in the NRL. Imagine a Titans v Tigers grand finale. Yes, I know, that is going too far, but a shake-up of the ladder would be nice.
The Pre-season is almost done and dusted, the players are physically and mentally prepared, resilient, and totally invested in their task. They are glad to play footy and not be on an Army camp somewhere, getting yelled at and deprived of sleep, food, water and clothing. Legendary NFL coach and commentator John Madden once said, “The road to Easy St goes through the sewer.” I am sure many players can relate to that. The late, great Shane Warne would certainly agree.
Sit back and enjoy the highs and the lows of another season of NRL. It never fails to surprise. The game evolves; rules change but it is still a high-quality product. I hope your team has a wonderful year and I look forward to bringing you some perspectives on the “greatest game of all”.
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Welcome back, Prospector! Pick your targets and, as Harry S Truman used to say, “Give ’em hell!” Looking forward to your insights.
Welcome bach Prospector and happy 2026 to all. I must agree with you on Hull KR knocking of the Broncos.
The recent World Club Challenge between Hull Kingston Rovers and Brisbane Broncos brought back some great memories.
Living in Hull in the early 1990s, I was living with a Robins tragic at the time, so I had little say and just got on board.
I found my way to Craven Park on many occasions to watch the mighty Robins do battle. Back then, there was always hope—hope of a return to the halcyon days of the 1960s and 70s. & 80’s. and of great players like the wizard Roger Millward, the try scoring machine Anthony Sullivan and the masterly George Fairburn. Sadly, those heights were never quite reached during the 90’s.
To this day, I can still recall stories from the “faithful” — red and white scarves wrapped tight, sipping on a pint sitting around recounting the glory days.
The 1980 Challenge Cup Final will forever live in rugby league folklore. When Hull KR met their city rivals Hull FC at Wembley, it was more than just a final — it was pride, history, and bragging rights rolled into eighty unforgettable minutes.
Led by the greatest robin of all, Roger Millward, 95,000 spectators crammed into Wembley that day. The Robins dug deep, defended like demons, and returned north clutching the Challenge Cup Final, victorious by 10–5.
Coaches rolling through the night. And that famous sign on the outskirts of Hull as they left town:
“The last one out — turn off the lights.”
Hull emptied itself that weekend, but The Red and White Army returned home triumphant — not just with a trophy, but with a story that would be told, embellished, and retold for generations.
I still remember the bitterly cold afternoons standing on the terraces, cheering, singing, and daring to believe a win was just around the corner. Weather-wise, not much has changed in Hull over the past thirty-five years—but everything else has.
Rusted-on Robin supporters will be talking about last season for the next thirty- five years—about where they were, who they were with, and how Hull KR won the Triple Crown and came back this year and conquered the NRL club champions. A story for the ages, etched forever into Red and White folklore
The Mighty, Mighty Robins have come a long way. The club has risen again, rediscovered its identity, and returned to the great days that once defined it. To claim the season treble and then topple the Broncos was nothing short of miraculous……. Here’s to another great season of Footy and more great memories
Good stuff, HH. Maybe you could turn the 1980 Challenge Cup Final into a story in its own right for The Almanac – it’s the type of story the Almanac is all about. You’ve already got the bones of it here – just needs filling out in more detail – team lists, key players, game description, video (?) and/or press coverage, aftermath in Hull, etc. There’s a challenge!
Outstanding stuff, Hammer. You are well qualified to speak on the Robins. I remember travelling on the HKR supporter bus over to York with you to watch them play Ryedale York. Great supporters, great people and a wonderful experience that any true Rugby League fan should experience at least once in their life. The broncos’ fans will get over the loss pretty quickly, but the people of Hull (half anyway) will never forget the day they took down the mighty Broncos.
All 17 teams will believe that they have never been fitter, nor could have done more to prepare, but come September one will be wooden-spooner and in early October another will be Premier. Well done Prospector and Hammer for warming us up for the ups and downs of a new season. The wait is almost over and it’s great to have our game back. Round 1 is an enormous challenge for tipsters and that reflects how close some teams are and how unpredictable the NRL is every week. It will be interesting to see how many perfect tipping rounds are achieved in 2026.
Well done Hammer and great you got on board with your housemate and the Robins! It sounds like you remember it like yesterday. Solid start Prospector. Classic footy theory has 14 teams in top 8 and now in bottom 4 . Hope is not a strategy but does spring eternal at this time of the coaches year