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.
12. Manly Sea Eagles
Likely first choice spine: Tom Trbojevic, Luke Brooks, Jamal Fogarty, Jake Simpkin
Other options: Lehi Hopoate, Clayton Faulalo, Joey Walsh, Zaidas Muagututia, Zach Dockar-Clay
The Sea Eagles come into 2026 with maybe the biggest question lingering around how exactly to replace Lachlan Croker who has retired after repeated concussions.
Jake Simpkin seems the most likely candidate, although he will be under pressure from Zaidas Muagututia and Zach Dockar-Clay.
The departure of Daly Cherry-Evans was going to present an extraordinary headache for Manly too until they landed the signing of Jamal Fogarty.
Luke Brooks at five-eighth and the injury-prone Tom Trboejvic are more locked into the side, but by no stretch are they leaps and bounds ahead of the competition.
