The South Sydney Rabbitohs arrive in 2026 looking for redemption after a campaign ruined by injury.
At their best, and more importantly, fittest, they should be able to find it as well.
The fact they didn't pick up the wooden spoon in 2025 is actually something of a minor miracle.
Souths broke every record known to the NRL for the number of weeks spent sidelined across their top squad, but breakout seasons for a number of youngsters, as well as questions never answered properly in 2025, mean there is plenty for coach Wayne Bennett to work out heading into the new year.
Here are the key selection questions for the Rabbitohs ahead of 2026.
Does Jye Gray bump Latrell Mitchell from fullback?
This, on the surface, seems a fairly obvious - and emphatic yes - answer.
Jye Gray was one of the key reasons South Sydney were able to stay off the very bottom of the ladder in 2025, with the star of the future announcing his arrival as an NRL weapon.
He might be one of the smallest players in the game, but what he lacks in size, he makes up for in work rate, talent and footwork.
The expectation is he will start in the number one jumper this year, pushing Latrell Mitchell out to the centres.
That in itself is dangerous. Mitchell potentially playing on the outside of Cody Walker and David Fifita, with Alex Johnston on the wing? South Sydney's left edge could break every try-scoring record known to this competition in 2026.
But there is a world where Gray tails off. Second year syndrome is a thing, Gray's size is a worry, and Mitchell is good enough to put pressure on.
If things aren't going well for South Sydney early, don't be surprised if Wayne Bennett flips this back around.
