The 2026 NRL season is shaping up to be one of the most entertaining and wide open years yet. 

Last season proved that the NRL is only getting more competitive, and with the player shuffle in full swing, the next level of footy is coming.

Every team, except for the Cronulla Sharks, have new player signings for the 2026 season. 

Now is the perfect time for reinvention and refinement, allowing the bottom-tier clubs to redefine their teams and the top-tier clubs to elevate themselves to the next level. 

Here are Zero Tackle's top five recruits who could change their new clubs for the better in 2026 and beyond.

Reece Robson to the Sydney Roosters

Reece Robson's signing with the tri-colours could be the missing piece in the premiership puzzle that has remained unsolved for more than half a decade.

Coming from the North Queensland Cowboys, the NSW Blues hooker is set to make his mark in the Eastern Suburbs on a four-year deal. 

On paper, the Roosters hold one of the most stacked spines in the competition; all eyes are on whether their star-studded line-up will be able to click. 

However, Robson's tremendous rise through the NRL ranks suggests he is built for that responsibility. 

Round 6 Dally M votes
TOWNSVILLE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 18: Reece Robson of the Cowboys celebrates after scoring a try during the round six NRL match between the North Queensland Cowboys and the Canterbury Bulldogs at QCB Stadium, on April 18, 2021, in Townsville, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

His early days as a ball-running forward have forged his intensity and toughness through the middle, giving the Roosters a new edge in the ruck.

The added depth in the number nine role, with Connor Watson proving he is more than capable, creates a dynamic that very few teams can match. 

If Robson can steer the ruck and inject his trademark energy, his signing may well prove to be the catalyst that reignites the Roosters' premiership campaign this season.