2026 Spines - Zerotackle you are WRONG

[crazycat]

I haven't read an article that I went, man you have gotten this way off.

Ranking every NRL spine for 2026

Who has the best players in the 1, 6, 7 and 9?

www.zerotackle.com

So they have from 17-1
Dragons (fair) Clint Gutherson, Kyle Flanagan, Daniel Atkinson, Damien Cook
Titans (kinda) Keano Kini, AJ Brimson, Jayden Campbell, Sam Verrills
Newcastle (wrong) Kalyn Ponga, Dylan Brown, Fletcher Sharpe, Sandon Smith
Wests Tigers (wrong, but hey I am biased) Jahream Bula, Jarome Luai, Adam Doueihi, Apisai Koroisau
Bulldogs (Wrong, although Galvin is way overrated) Connor Tracey, Matt Burton, Lachlan Galvin, Bailey Hayward
Sea Eagles (Kinda) Tom Trbojevic, Luke Brooks, Jamal Fogarty, Jake Simpkin
Raiders (really wrong) Kaeo Weekes, Ethan Strange, Ethan Sanders, Tom Starling
Souths (really really WRONG) Jye Gray, Cody Walker, Jamie Humphreys, Brandon Smith
Warriors (fair, only because it is a proven unit) Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Luke Metcalf, Wayde Egan
Eels (fair) Isaiah Iongi, Jonah Pezet, Mitchell Moses, Ryley Smith ... Funny how TDS isn't even starting.
Sharks (fair) William Kennedy, Braydon Trindall, Nicho Hynes, Blayke Brailey
Cows (fair) Scott Drinkwater, Tom Dearden, Jake Clifford, Reed Mahoney
Dolphins (fair) Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Kodi Nikorima, Isaiya Katoa, Jeremy Marshall-King
Panthers (fair) Dylan Edwards, Blaize Talagi, Nathan Cleary, Mitchell Kenny
Broncos (fair) Reece Walsh, Ezra Mam, Adam Reynolds, Ben Hunt
Storm (fair) Sua Fa'alogo, Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes, Harry Grant
Chooks (fair) James Tedesco, Sam Walker, Daly Cherry-Evans, Reece Robson

Top of the table is easy. No one is going to knock DCE at the chooks as being a bad spine. ...

But there is NO WAY Souths has the 10th best spine.
No way. Cody Walker should get a wheelchair to get on the field. While Gray can kinda play and Humphries can kinda steer the team, I would rate us better then them.
If not for Wayne Bennett I would see them in the bottom 4.

Raiders, like wise. Yes they did very well with Jamal Fogarty guiding the team, but he is GONE. While Weekes can play, it's a brand new spine and one without a key player. Bottom 4 and they rate the Raiders ahead of the Sea Eagles!

Newcastle should be way higher. With Dylan Brown, Ponga, Fletcher and Smith they actually have something of a decent spine.
Don't get me wrong, the rest of the Knights will suck. They have no forward pack really.

Speaking of which, the Sea eagles only have a 9 problem. We can see how Brooks + Fogarty gel but they will be struggling without DCE.

 

[crazycat]

Here is how I see it:

Dragons Clint Gutherson, Kyle Flanagan, Daniel Atkinson, Damien Cook
Raiders Kaeo Weekes, Ethan Strange, Ethan Sanders, Tom Starling
Souths Jye Gray, Cody Walker, Jamie Humphreys, Brandon Smith
Titans Keano Kini, AJ Brimson, Jayden Campbell, Sam Verrills
Newcastle Kalyn Ponga, Dylan Brown, Fletcher Sharpe, Sandon Smith
Wests Tigers Jahream Bula, Jarome Luai, Adam Doueihi, Apisai Koroisau
Sea Eagles Tom Trbojevic, Luke Brooks, Jamal Fogarty, Jake Simpkin
Bulldogs Connor Tracey, Matt Burton, Lachlan Galvin, Bailey Hayward
Warriors Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Luke Metcalf, Wayde Egan
Eels (fair) Isaiah Iongi, Jonah Pezet, Mitchell Moses, Ryley Smith/TDS
Cows (fair) Scott Drinkwater, Tom Dearden, Jake Clifford, Reed Mahoney
Sharks (fair) William Kennedy, Braydon Trindall, Nicho Hynes, Blayke Brailey
Dolphins (fair) Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Kodi Nikorima, Isaiya Katoa, Jeremy Marshall-King
Panthers (fair) Dylan Edwards, Blaize Talagi, Nathan Cleary, Mitchell Kenny
Broncos (fair) Reece Walsh, Ezra Mam, Adam Reynolds, Ben Hunt
Storm (fair) Sua Fa'alogo, Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes, Harry Grant
Chooks (fair) James Tedesco, Sam Walker, Daly Cherry-Evans, Reece Robson

I could even hear arguments that were better then the Sea Eagles and Dogs in the spine. Perhaps the Warriors except RTS is still around as well and Egan/Metcalf have delivered for them in spades.

 

[Jedi_Tiger]

I haven't read an article that I went, man you have gotten this way off.

Ranking every NRL spine for 2026

Who has the best players in the 1, 6, 7 and 9?

www.zerotackle.com

So they have from 17-1
Dragons (fair) Clint Gutherson, Kyle Flanagan, Daniel Atkinson, Damien Cook
Titans (kinda) Keano Kini, AJ Brimson, Jayden Campbell, Sam Verrills
Newcastle (wrong) Kalyn Ponga, Dylan Brown, Fletcher Sharpe, Sandon Smith
Wests Tigers (wrong, but hey I am biased) Jahream Bula, Jarome Luai, Adam Doueihi, Apisai Koroisau
Bulldogs (Wrong, although Galvin is way overrated) Connor Tracey, Matt Burton, Lachlan Galvin, Bailey Hayward
Sea Eagles (Kinda) Tom Trbojevic, Luke Brooks, Jamal Fogarty, Jake Simpkin
Raiders (really wrong) Kaeo Weekes, Ethan Strange, Ethan Sanders, Tom Starling
Souths (really really WRONG) Jye Gray, Cody Walker, Jamie Humphreys, Brandon Smith
Warriors (fair, only because it is a proven unit) Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Chanel Harris-Tavita, Luke Metcalf, Wayde Egan
Eels (fair) Isaiah Iongi, Jonah Pezet, Mitchell Moses, Ryley Smith ... Funny how TDS isn't even starting.
Sharks (fair) William Kennedy, Braydon Trindall, Nicho Hynes, Blayke Brailey
Cows (fair) Scott Drinkwater, Tom Dearden, Jake Clifford, Reed Mahoney
Dolphins (fair) Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, Kodi Nikorima, Isaiya Katoa, Jeremy Marshall-King
Panthers (fair) Dylan Edwards, Blaize Talagi, Nathan Cleary, Mitchell Kenny
Broncos (fair) Reece Walsh, Ezra Mam, Adam Reynolds, Ben Hunt
Storm (fair) Sua Fa'alogo, Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes, Harry Grant
Chooks (fair) James Tedesco, Sam Walker, Daly Cherry-Evans, Reece Robson

Top of the table is easy. No one is going to knock DCE at the chooks as being a bad spine. ...

But there is NO WAY Souths has the 10th best spine.
No way. Cody Walker should get a wheelchair to get on the field. While Gray can kinda play and Humphries can kinda steer the team, I would rate us better then them.
If not for Wayne Bennett I would see them in the bottom 4.

Raiders, like wise. Yes they did very well with Jamal Fogarty guiding the team, but he is GONE. While Weekes can play, it's a brand new spine and one without a key player. Bottom 4 and they rate the Raiders ahead of the Sea Eagles!

Newcastle should be way higher. With Dylan Brown, Ponga, Fletcher and Smith they actually have something of a decent spine.
Don't get me wrong, the rest of the Knights will suck. They have no forward pack really.

Speaking of which, the Sea eagles only have a 9 problem. We can see how Brooks + Fogarty gel but they will be struggling without DCE.

As for Manly
Walsh to 7
Brooks to 9 and share role with Simpkin

 

[Demps]

Write your own article
Send it to zero tackle
They will post it

 

[innsaneink]

Write your own article
Send it to zero tackle
They will post it

Says a lot about ZT

 

[crazycat]

As for Manly
Walsh to 7
Brooks to 9 and share role with Simpkin

Brooks would actually be really good at 9, if he can hack the high intensity at 9

He was always a high intensity 7. Doing everything everywhere, but not to much effect. Playing 9 is very different, but it would be interesting.

Onitoni Large/Walsh add a different dimension. I can't see them getting much of a run at the start of the season, but maybe further in we could see a totally different spine.


All in all I couldn't get over how big a joke this article was.
I mean we see the Chooks at NR1 because DCE leaves Manly. With Manly pinching Canberra's nr7, who next to weekes was their best spine player and they are rated behind Canberra!
Made no sense.

 

[innsaneink]

Always thought ZT was a sub.par website

Theres a.job going there for a."journo"

 

[Yossarian]

Brooks looked very ineffective in the final trial. Tommy Turbo has looked patchy the last couple of seasons and Simpkin is essentially the same guy who wasn’t quite up to it here. There’s a lot of pressure on Fogarty or they’ll be hoping their kids step up.

 

[TurnStyle]

Love how the writer says simply: here are the rankings.

Lol... Like it's pure fact. Reads like he just got home from the pub and put it together....

When I got to the tigers I thought "fair enough", but then as I read on realised their spine doesn't stack up too badly... on paper.

There are a few I really wouldn't put where he did. Even number 1: I'd rate both the broncos and storm ahead of the Roosters. Possibly the panthers too.

Sure, Tedesco is reigning Dally M, but then he isn't one of three Dally M quality players in his own team's spine. Hughes won in 24, it wouldn't be a stretch of imagination if Munster had won one (if he'd played in a knights or Manly team like Ponga and Turbo) , and Harry Grant is close to the best player in game.

Seriously think the tigers' spine is better than Manly, Souths and Dogs.

Dude has to be A Souths supporter... I reckon they're very weak.

Manly are shot.

I still think Chrichton should be at fullback for the dogs too. Tracy is rubbish.

Can't see how any spine with Ponga and Brown is third worst?

Dolphins are overrated imo. Katoa is all class, but Hammer is just eye catching in attack, Nikorima is workmanlike, and I must've missed JMK becoming a good player.