The 2026 NRL season is just around the corner, and final preparations are well underway around the competition.
The first teams are not all that far away, but for most clubs, the all-important spine is all but locked away.
The fullback, five-eighth, halfback and hooker are the players who ultimately drive the team forward, set up the points and dictate the way footy is going to be played throughout the course of the season.
There are important positions all over the park, but no team have won a competition without a strong spine.
Here are the rankings ahead of the 2026 campaign.
3. Brisbane Broncos
Likely first choice spine: Reece Walsh, Ezra Mam, Adam Reynolds, Ben Hunt
Other options: Hayze Perham, Josh Rogers, Thomas Duffy, Billy Walters (injured), Blake Mozer, Cory Paix
The Broncos have one of the competition's elite spines, and that was on display throughout, and particularly at the end of, 2025.
Reece Walsh is the key, really.
He could well be the game's best player by the end of this year if he can find any level of consistency playing anywhere near his best.
His final eight weeks of 2025 prove that beyond all reasonable doubt.
The halves are a great mix of flare and experience with Ezra Mam and Adam Reynolds lining up, and the versatile Ben Hunt adds plenty at hooker, although not a whole lot will be lost if either Cory Paix or Blake Mozer get the nod.
I would not put the Roosters above the Storm or the Panthers because DCE hasn’t played 6 for years. Maybe the Roosters think two half-backs will work (like it does at Cronulla) but until we have seen how they actually function working together as a pair, I wouldn’t be saying that they are the best in the game.