Every year, NRL teams enter the competition with varying levels of expectations.
Some are aiming for the premiership, some are trying to sneak back into finals footy, others are trying to stop a slide, and some just want to steer clear of the bottom after a handful of disastrous campaigns.
The 2025 campaign saw new premiers crowned, finally dethroning the Penrith Panthers, while some clubs were ahead of expectations, led by the Canterbury Bulldogs and Canberra Raiders, and others fell well short of where they should have been, led by the North Queensland Cowboys and South Sydney Rabbitohs.
With off-season moves done, Zero Tackle have unpacked the realistic expectations for every NRL team heading into 2026, picking the pass mark for each and every team.
Multiple teams share the same pass marks throughout, but that ultimately means some teams are going to be left unhappy.
Wests Tigers
Compete for finals
The Tigers felt as if they were finally heading in the right direction during the 2025 campaign.
It wasn't a full turnaround just yet, but they are certainly moving after a number of key signings, and under the coaching of club hero Benji Marshall.
The biggest question mark hovering over the joint-venture heading into the season though is off the field. The board is under a major microscope, and so too is the ownership group.
Some would argue it shouldn't impact on-field performances, but with Jarome Luai and Jahream Bula not yet locked onto new deals, it's only natural to assume it will.
Still, the Tigers should be in the fight for the finals all the way. Anything less than that won't be an acceptable season.
I think “Push for the Top Four” is ambitious for the Dolphins.
If I were one of their management or their fans, I would think that just making the top eight and playing finals would be a success, this season.