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📻 IMPORTANT AUCKLAND UPDATE 📻
What is every NRL club's 2026 New Year's Resolution?
Sam Kosack and Nicholas Quinlan • December 30th, 2025 8:11 pm
With 2026 only a daw away, clubs are now deep in pre-season and preparing for another year of challenging for the premiership.
Every club has their own specific areas to work on if they are to make a run at the title, and while every club's overall resolution should be to win the competition, there are other goals and aspirations to help that process along.
Here is SEN's New Year's Resolution for every NRL club.
Broncos - Drink more toilet water
Reece Walsh's viral toilet water gag was one of the stranger stories of the season, but his form after that video was undeniable.
Walsh put together one of the best finals campaigns of all time to lead the Broncos to a premiership after drinking his toilet water. Broncos' officials need to bottle it to make sure their stars recapture that finals form. If they do, they're a decent chance at going back-to-back.
Raiders - Avoid choking hazards
Is this a bit harsh after the Raiders' incredible minor premiership-winning year? Maybe. But for a season of such promise to end the way it did for the Raiders was heartbreaking, and now they need to ensure they don't slide back to their 2024 habit of letting winnable games slide after halftime.
Backing up could be a big task for a lot of the Raiders' young players after such a highly successful year, but rugby league is better when the Raiders are going well. Please back it up.
Bulldogs - Win a finals game
The past two seasons have been revolutionary at the Bulldogs, making back-to-back finals appearances. However, both those finals campaigns have ended without a win, including crashing out in straight sets last season.
With the additions of Leo Thompson, and a full pre-season of Lachlan Galvin and Matt Burton working together in the halves, 2026 is a year where the Bulldogs must not only return to finals, but prove they can be a legitimate contender in the competition.
Sharks - Make the grand final
Since Craig Fitzgibbon took over at the Sharks, the club have consistently been on the up-and-up, making the last two prelim finals. But 2026 is the year the Sharks have to take that next step and make the grand final.
This could be the last year a large part of the Sharks' roster are together, and with all the pieces in place, now is the time for the Sharks to strike.
Cameron McInnes conceded to SEN that the Sharks know they "only get so many shots" as a group. This could be their last one.
Dolphins - Sign Isaiya Katoa for a very long time
Isaiya Katoa proved in 2025 that he will be an elite player in the NRL for a very long time. Now, the job for The Dolphins is simple. Make sure he's an elite player at their club for a very long time.
SEN's Jimmy Smith called him a "guy you build an NRL franchise around", and you can imagine Dolphins' officials are thinking the same thing, and would be looking to extend and upgrade their halfback beyond the end of his current deal ending in 2028.
Titans - Invest in quality depth signings
The challenge for new coach Josh Hannay in his first year will be guiding a very tight Titans' salary cap. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, AJ Brimson, and Jayden Campbell take up a fair chunk, and while the club absolutely need their three stars, it doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room.
Value signings will need to be the Titans' goal in 2026. Reports say Mawene Hiroti has already agreed to join the club in 2027 which is a great start. More signings like that will help them lift off the bottom of the ladder.
Sea Eagles - Keep club legends happy
2025 was a tumultous year for the Sea Eagles. The unhappy departure of Daly Cherry-Evans brought a year of intense media scrutiny, and it threw off the side's entire year in what should have been a farewell finals campaign for their captain.
With Jason King replacing Tony Mestrov as CEO, Manly fans will be hoping he brings long-term stability to Manly's board issues, and can ensure new captain Tom Trbojevic doesn't follow the same road as Cherry-Evans.
Storm - Find who will replace Bellamy
Craig Bellamy is arguably the greatest coach of all time, but now he's on rolling one-year contracts with the club, any season could be his last, so it is imperative the Storm start planning now.
Jason Ryles was long earmarked as the man to replace Bellamy, but he's now coaching at the Eels, while it's unclear if Billy Slater, who has been long touted as a potential replacement, would even want the job.
There are plenty of talented coaches waiting in the wings, Melbourne just need to find their person and find them quickly.
Warriors - Keep bringing through juniors
The Warriors enjoyed a return to finals footy in 2025, largely off the back of some astute signings including Erin Clark and James Fisher-Harris, but also through a number of juniors that made their debuts.
Leka Halasima was one of the standout debutants of the season, was nominated for Dally M Rookie of the Year, and his match-winner against the Knights was one of the season's biggest moments.
Along with Demetric Vaimauga, Jacob Laban, and Taine Tuaupiki, the Warriors' next crop of stars is beginning to break through, and with the premiership-winning NSW Cup side full of talent, the Warriors must keep bringing through these talented juniors in their hunt of a maiden premiership.
Knights - Score more points
When you average 14 points per game, you are always going to be in strife regardless of what you can do on the defensive side of the ball.
And that proved to be true for Adam O’Brien and the Knights, with the two deciding to part ways after a six-year partnership after they finished dead last on the ladder.
Whilst part of this can be put down to Fletcher Sharpe and Kalyn Ponga being unavailable for parts of the season, these issues were still occurring and should be a priority for Justin Holbrook to address.
The additions of Dylan Brown, who performed incredibly well for New Zealand and Sandon Smith will help give some depth back into the spine.
That might just be the spark to help improve their attack.
Cowboys - Get Dearden more help
2026 is a significant year for the Cowboys and coach Todd Payten, with his contract currently set to expire at the end of the season.
During his tenure, they have shown plenty of promise, having been just one game away from a Grand Final in his second season in charge.
It’s clear that if Payten is to keep his job, they need to ensure that Tom Dearden is supported to allow him to play his best as a halfback following his switch midway through the year.
To assist within the spine, they have brought in Reed Mahoney, who replaces the departing Reece Robson, who will be keen to show the Dogs what they are missing out on.
But will that be enough to get them back into finals and save Payten's job?
Eels - Ensure Pezet's successor is ready
The Eels have managed to fill the hole left by Dylan Brown following his move to the Knights, albeit with a temporary fix, with Jonah Pezet coming on board.
With Pezet likely slotting into the six alongside a healthy Mitch Moses at seven, it should provide plenty of impact for an Eels side that is on the rise under Ryles for 2026.
But with the former Storm halfback off to the Broncos in 2027, the club needs to ensure that they have someone ready for when he departs.
Towards the end of the season, the Eels trialled Joash Papalii and Dean Hawkins in the halves, but Hawkins has since left and Papalii didn't lock down the jersey. They also have Ronald Volkman within their depth who can also play the six or seven jersey and juniors with big potential making their way through.
For Eels fans' sake, hopefully one of these options can emerge throughout 2026.
Panthers - Strong start to the season
For a side that had been so dominant in their four premiership years, their start to this season certainly caught many off guard.
As late as Round 12, the Panthers found themselves at the bottom of the ladder with a record of 3-1-7, with some saying that their dynasty was over.
But like the champions they are, they rallied themselves to miraculously qualify for the finals, which resulted in them making the preliminary final from 7th.
If they can start the season better in 2026, it should give them every chance of getting back into the top four, which will make the push for a fifth premiership in six years a lot more likely.
Rabbitohs - Help Fifita rediscover his best form
Having changed his mind last year after signing for the Roosters, Fifita will now finally leave the Titans to move down south to reunite with his former coach, Wayne Bennett, at the Bunnies.
Having played very little at the NRL level this year with Beau Fermor taking his spot on the left, it’s easy to forget how good he has been, particularly on his favoured left side, as shown by his 2023 Dally M Second Rower of the Year Award.
If he can return to that level of form and Latrell Mitchell moves into the left centre position, that left edge becomes a lot more dangerous for a South Sydney side looking to rebound.
Dragons - Win close games
The Dragons’ season could have turned out a lot better than their 15th-place finish suggests.
Having lost six games by four points or less (three being by a single point), it certainly suggests that if there had been a bit more luck, St George Illawarra could have finished higher.
If they can keep their energy up for a full 80 minutes and avoid letting teams get the final score, it will help them continue to build towards their first finals appearance since 2018.
Roosters - DCE has Cronk like effect
It was a move that sent shockwaves through the NRL world when Daly Cherry-Evans announced his departure from the Manly Sea-Eagles following 14 years of service.
Even nine months later, it seemed inconceivable that the man who has now played 352 games with the club could play in anything else but in maroon and white.
But what is Manly’s loss is now the Roosters’ gain.
Even at the age of 36, DCE still has plenty to offer the Tricolours as they look to push into premiership contention in a not too dissimilar way to what Cooper Cronk had back in 2018 and 2019.
With his knowledge and leadership, it should help a relatively young side that lost a lot of experience during the last off-season.
Wests Tigers - No more off-field drama
2025 was meant to be the year that the Tigers got back on track both on and off the park.
And whilst they made plenty of improvements on the field under the leadership of Benji Marshall and new signing Jarome Luai to avoid a fourth consecutive wooden spoon, the club was still a walking headline for all the wrong reasons.
From talented juniors Lachie Galvin and Tallyn Da Silva leaving mid-season to play elsewhere, the Holman Barnes group trying to remove the four independent board directors who were then subsequently allowed to return, and CEO Shane Richardson departing, it certainly overshadowed those improvements.
If they can let the performance be the main talking point of 2026, then the Tigers might just be able to break what will be a 15-year finals drought.
Bears - Make a marquee signing
Mal Meninga said it himself on SEN WA Breakfast that the Bears had “a big job” when it came to recruiting.
And that is certainly proving to be the case.
So far, they have only managed to sign seven players since November 1, with the most notable signing so far being former Bulldogs’ halfback Toby Sexton.
They have been rumoured with the likes of Gold Coast Titan Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, with the Bears having signed his brother Iszac, which could help entice Tino to follow suit.
But if the Titans captain chooses to stay in Queensland, then there is a genuine worry about who could be the marquee signing they help build the club around for their 2027 start.
