Which of the NRL's finalists are real contenders, and which are pretenders? The Loose Carry NRL Podcast ran through each side sitting in the top eight on this week's episode to make a verdict on 2026's premiership hopefuls.
Rugby League coach Lee Addison and Zero Tackle writers Scott Pryde and Magdalena Murdoch were each quizzed on the top eight and whether their credentials stack up for a premiership tilt.
The top three were each straightforward calls, however the Roosters may face a challenge after successive defeats and injuries to James Tedesco and Sam Walker.
South Sydney, too, will need things to go their way, but the Rabbitohs are seen as a chance to go the full distance, while the remaining top eight clubs are viewed as outsiders.
New Zealand Warriors
Addison: Contenders.
Penrith Panthers
Murdoch: Contenders
The Dolphins
Pryde: Contenders
Sydney Roosters
Addison: Contenders, but they're playing like pretenders at the minute.
Cronulla Sharks
Murdoch: Big, fat pretenders.
South Sydney Rabbitohs
Pryde: A tricky team to judge. If they get it right, they're contenders. But they're so inconsistent. So they're somewhere in the middle. We'll call them contenders, but they'll need to get things right.
Newcastle Knights
Addison: Pretenders, unfortunately. To go from the wooden spoon to the premiership... there would have to be a statue of Justin Holbrook in the middle of Newcastle if that happened. That'd be the magnitude of it.
North Queensland Cowboys
Murdoch: There's no way you can win the competition after conceding 80 (points). I refuse. So, pretenders.
