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:

3. Matt King (Sydney Roosters)

Matt King rates higher here than his fellow Roosters colleague due to his seniority and experience.

King has long been an assistant at the Roosters, starting with the club back in 2017. He's also been an assistant coach in the Blues set up since 2023.

He was also involved with the Rabbitohs back in 2014, when they lifted the NRL Premiership trophy.

The 220 NRL game veteran is a huge figure and very highly respected within the Roosters ranks.

A rep regular in both his playing and coaching days, King seems like an obvious choice to step in to the top job sooner rather than later.

I dare suggest that any club looking for a culture shift need look no further than the charismatic King.

1 COMMENT

  1. 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 “