Thoughts on NRL Season 2026

[TheEnz]

This is probably the first time in the last 5 years where I am not nervous and uncertain about what we see from the team in the trials and game one next season. There has been so much uncertainty about players and positions, especially in the halves in the past few seasons...I think this is the first year we go in with a spine that is pretty much set, just a question mark over which of two players (already playing for us) start at 7 in game one. Is it just me or are others feeling the same way.

 

[TheEnz]

Maybe I should swap uncertain and nervous with "a sense of dread"

 

[tigahhh]

definitely feels the most settled the roster has been for a long time. no contract question marks like galvin etc hanging over our heads. only bula which is still a couple years away.

 

[jadtiger]

As long as nothing major "blows up" during the off season i feel more confident about 2026 than i have for years.Stability at the club is what is required for long term success and that seems to be happening.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

Yeah, when was the last time coming to the end of a season we felt satisfied and thinking I cannot wait for the next one, it's been yonks.

Knowing that Richo will be on the prowl to continue improving the roster during the summer as well sets us up for improving more into the future, all positive stuff.

My thoughts on Bula are if he can see that the team is on the way up there is no reason to leave and as you said jad fingers crossed that we have no destabilizing affect that seems to plague us every season we have had a gutful of those setbacks.

 

[426Tlgerland]

Team gets a pass , Galvin departure didn’t help us and also game 1 Newcastle.
Richo , going along nice, quietly , couple more signing be great.
Benji finally got them going ok but we still need to learn how to score , we get close a lot but no points , replace 1 assistant with outsider / Cronk or similar

 

[Tom Shines]

They say it’s the hope that kills you…

I think Benji has reached the stage of Top 8 or big disappointment for 2026… they still need a couple of pieces though for the squad, to make it easier

 

[TIGERS]

Basically if we can be as good as this season, minus any galvin-esq turbulence or injuries, we'll go well. Especially if Taylan May kicks on.

I don't expect us to be red hot every round, but certainly no more 6+ game losing streaks in a season. Please.

 

[bbobb]

If someone said to me at the start of the season that we would be a live finals chance albeit slim in August, I’d probably taken that as a win.
Galvingate and to lesser extent Talyn’s departure were major disruptions both media wise but more importantly how we functioned as a team and we needed to basically reinvent ourselves mid-season.
Out latter season performances have shown the style we want to play which augurs well for the future. We still need to tweak the roster as I don’t think we are a top four team yet but we are heading in the right direction.

 

[eyewondertoo]

In my opinion, for what its worth;
Best player in 2025- Turuva
Most improved- Dooey
Most disappointing- Pole
Best player to watch- Bula
Special Mention- Benji- for his managing of the media through the galvin thing and after match press conferences all of which he did with style

 

[Halbrowne61]

Better but always plenty of room for improvement.
Nailing red zone plays an area still requiring a lot of work.
Go Tigers in 26 !

 

[Merlot]

we need someone (to do a better job ) if it's not happening already to do live video work to manipulate the ref s challenge to even out inconsistencies in our favour

 

[TheEnz]

We need to be sharper on the field. The skill and potential are there, but the lads just need to wise up and take control of the game. Canberra's match against the Broncs over the weekend showed how tough it is for a young team to manage the game. The Raiders didn't lose to the Broncs because of skill or physicality—they lost it mentally.

 

[twentyforty]

We need to be sharper on the field. The skill and potential are there, but the lads just need to wise up and take control of the game. Canberra's match against the Broncs over the weekend showed how tough it is for a young team to manage the game. The Raiders didn't lose to the Broncs because of skill or physicality—they lost it mentally.

Is it possible that Tigers and Raiders share a similar on field behaviour? It may just be a case of too much youthful exuberance and not enough experience in the positions that matter?

 

[orange&black]

Lots of posters suggesting we have a good enough team to have made finals and that Benji was the main problem. If you want to rate our squad against the other 16 teams, an interesting exercise is to rate each player of our top 17 by position against every other player in the NRL. That is how many of our players would you say are consistently in the top 8 in their respective position in the whole league?? How does our Tigers players rankings as a group then compare to other squads?? Think about it.
Maybe not even the top 8, lets say the top 15 players.
Of our forwards, I suggest May and Api and the rest are way down the list. Highlights how far off we are in this area. Of our backs, Luai, Bula , maybe Turuva.
Point is - we love all our guys and we see them as great Tigers players but realistically as a group they aren’t at the level of the top 8 teams.
Another thing we lack is genuine game breakers or match winners - all the top teams have them. Some have a handful - We don’t. When it comes down to the big tight games it’s those guys that turn matches or change the outcome.

 

[Halbrowne61]

Is it possible that Tigers and Raiders share a similar on field behaviour? It may just be a case of too much youthful exuberance and not enough experience in the positions that matter?

That’s stretching it 20/40. IMO our youthful players are not even close to the Raiders in speed or skill level. Young or old imo we are still a team of plodders !
Our backs could do with 3 months of intensive sprint training.

 

[TheEnz]

Lots of posters suggesting we have a good enough team to have made finals and that Benji was the main problem. If you want to rate our squad against the other 16 teams, an interesting exercise is to rate each player of our top 17 by position against every other player in the NRL. That is how many of our players would you say are consistently in the top 8 in their respective position in the whole league?? How does our Tigers players rankings as a group then compare to other squads?? Think about it.
Maybe not even the top 8, lets say the top 15 players.
Of our forwards, I suggest May and Api and the rest are way down the list. Highlights how far off we are in this area. Of our backs, Luai, Bula , maybe Turuva.
Point is - we love all our guys and we see them as great Tigers players but realistically as a group they aren’t at the level of the top 8 teams.
Another thing we lack is genuine game breakers or match winners - all the top teams have them. Some have a handful - We don’t. When it comes down to the big tight games it’s those guys that turn matches or change the outcome.

One of the publications named an a, b, c, d team and we only had terell may make any one the 4 teams. So he is the only player in the top 8 (2 props in each team) for his position. Think it was zero tackle.

 

[Tucker]

Special Mention- Benji- for his managing of the media through the galvin thing and after match press conferences all of which he did with style

Yes, as critical as I can be of his methods and results, Benji is THE ONLY person who came out of Galvingate with his reputation still in tact - and that’s a big deal considering how the narrative heavily applied itself to him.
He showed dignity and class whilst being under attack and clearly upset.
I thought it may have lit a fire….maybe it still will.

 

[Red88_Tiger]

I was thinking about the Galvin saga. I can’t really give richo a pass mark. It derailed our season. I think he shouldn’t have blown it up in the media.

It would be nice to have a couple of years back to back with no drama.

 

[Rock Hopper Steve]

I was thinking about the Galvin saga. I can’t really give richo a pass mark. It derailed our season. I think he shouldn’t have blown it up in the media.

It would be nice to have a couple of years back to back with no drama.

I don't think it mattered how Richo handled the situation be it quietly or loudly as soon as the media caught a whiff of it as usual, they would have attacked us from everywhere.

For years we have been the biggest whale carcass in the ocean with the media sharks taking chunks out of us at any opportunity.

Thankfully some bigger targets are floating around now with the Knights and Titans providing tastier meals.
But don't think we're safe they will be waiting for us to cause a headline, we have been their punching bags for too long.