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.
2. Melbourne Storm
Likely first choice spine: Sua Fa'alogo, Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes, Harry Grant
Other options: Hugo Peel, Tyran Wishart, Gabriel Satrick
The Storm's depth looks skinny heading into 2026, but the talent in the starting group isn't.
Despite Ryan Papenhuyzen departing the club, Sua Fa'alogo will slot straight into the number one jumper.
The rest of the spine remains the same bunch of excellent players it has been in recent years, with Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes and Harry Grant still in purple this year.
Stay fit and the sky is the limit once again.
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.