There is a feeling in the air that a change is upon us.
The game of rugby league has changed so much in early 2026 and we've seen entire clubs fall behind the ball.
Anthony Seibold was sacked very early in the season for refusing to move with the times.
Former Dragons coach Shane Flanagan was removed from his role, in no small part, due to his reluctance to move on from his tried and tested ways.
The game is crying out for fresh ideas. New coaches!
As easy as it is looking to experienced mentors, sometimes it's time to look toward the future. Today we look at five names we believe will be called upon for NRL gigs.
I have left Kieran Foran off this list as he's (likely) about to be named full time coach of the Sea Eagles.
Stacey Jones, current New Zealand international coach has also been left off. Ben Hornby, having coached 17 games, has also been left off.
Peter Wallace was originally the top entry here but news has since broken that he will coach the Penrith Panthers from 2028. He thus becomes unavailable.
Here are the top five, next man up NRL coaches:
5. Boyd Cordner (Sydney Roosters)
The entire rugby league world let out a collective sigh when Boyd Cordner announced his retirement, many years before it should have come.
Luckily for his fans, and there are many, he was not lost to the game after being announced as the SG Ball coach for the Sydney Roosters.
Cordner, in his first coaching gig, lead the side to the SG Ball Premiership on the back of a season that saw them drop just the one game.
The title winning season saw them concede just 116 points across 11 games. The next closest was Souths on 166 conceded across 11 games.
I spoke with a parent of one of the successful SG squad and she almost ran out of superlatives to describe Cordner's efforts this year.
He'll need to serve time in the NRL set up as an assistant, which is why he is fifth hear and not higher, but Cordner will be a name linked to clubs sooner than later.
Especially given the success of the even less experienced Kieran Foran.
Dan, Why doesn’t this list contain LEE ADDISON ?
He has the coaching experience. He can string together a dozen words in a sentence without including any cliches, (which is more than most NRL coaches can).
Perceptive, sense of humour.
Or is he to be written off just like the Walker Brothers ?
” Didn’t play 200 games of NRL first grade so he can’t be any good “