A 27-round season means there is no official halfway point of the 2026 NRL season, but 14 rounds completed seems as good a time as any to call it officially the downhill run.

As the State of Origin period rolls on, and the ladder becomes a distorted mess (just look at the teams who are yet to have a bye), the run to the finals still has plenty of wiggle room, but some times have shone against pre-season expectations, and others have flopped.

When we checked in after seven weeks in our quarter season report, two coaches had already been sacked.

That carnage has come to an end, and with every team now having at least one win, the idea of a team going winsless is over.

Plenty has changed through the middle of the ladder over the last seven weeks, but it's still the Penrith Panthers proving they are the NRL's dominant force.

Here is every team's grade, best players and ladder predictions as we hit half of the 2026 NRL season played.

Manly Sea Eagles

Grade: A
Current record: 8 wins, 5 losses, 1 bye, + 117 F/A, 18 points
Run home: Bye, Bulldogs (a), Storm (h), Eels (a), Cowboys (h), Titans (a), Sharks (h), Bye, Storm (a), Dolphins (h), Knights (a), Dragons (h), Warriors (a)

Manly have been on fire since Kieran Foran took over.

After dropping their first three under Anthony Seibold, this is a team who have hit back with fire, winning eight of their last ten, just dropping games to the Panthers and Sharks.

What has maybe been most impressive is the way they have simplified their game. Jake Trbojevic looks every bit the NRL player again, and Clayton Faulalo has been a breakout star, while their halves and forwards have also stepped up.

Manly certainly don't have the best roster on paper, but with the likes of Tolutau Koula and Haumole Olakau'atu playing on the back of a team with some actual semblance of momentum, they are dangerous game breakers.

Manly don't feel like a team who are going to win the competition, but they have come a long way and will be better for a run into September come that time of year.

Best player: Tolutau Koula
Zero Tackle MVP leader: Haumole Oklakau'atu - equal 4th, 117 votes
Prediction: 6th