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.

SEE ALSO: Every NRL club's spine ranked for 2026

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.

RELATED: Every NRL club's outside backs ranked for 2026

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.

6. South Sydney Rabbitohs

Likely first-choice: Tevita Tatola, Keaon Koloamatangi, Cameron Murray, Tallis Duncan, David Fifita

This is a forward pack who could quickly turn into the best in the game if they get it together through the first half of the year.

The big questions linger around Cameron Murray and Tevita Tatola who are both returning from long-term lay offs through injury.

If they can both get it together early, it's going to make the Rabbitohs very, very difficult to stop.

When you consider the performances of Keaon Koloamatangi during the second half of 2025 which won him an Origin jersey, the potential of the arriving David Fifita, and breakout season for Tallis Duncan, this should be a Rabbitohs pack leading the side into the finals.

Maybe the biggest question, not just for the forwards but the club in general, is whether they can shake their Maroubra injury curse.

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