The engine room is the heart and soul of every rugby league team, and no team has ever won a competition with a poor forward pack.
It's really quite as simple as that.
The spine might get all the credit, and the outside backs provide all the flash, but they might as well all stay in the dressing room
For the purposes of this exercise, and given hookers were included in the spine, we will be looking at the prop, lock and second-row positions to determine which NRL side has the best forward pack.
Here are the rankings for the 2026 campaign.
17. North Queensland Cowboys
Likely first-choice: Coen Hess, Jason Taumalolo, Reuben Cotter, Jeremiah Nanai, Heilum Luki
If Todd Payten had any hair left, he'd be pulling it out coming into the 2026 NRL season.
There are no coaches under more pressure than him, and with what we view as the weakest forward pack in the competition, that's going to be hard pressed to change.
The real issue is the prop positions. Coen Hess and Jason Taumalolo have served a purpose for many, many years, but they enter 2026 with their careers winding down.
Reuben Cotter at lock is an Origin player, but doesn't add a whole lot of style or flash as some of the best locks to.
Jeremiah Nanai, for all his attacking exploits, struggles in defence, and while Heilum Luki is a lot better than his ranking suggests, he has barely played a game over the last two years.
The depth isn't great either for the Cowboys, just quietly.
