The St George Illawarra Dragons enter 2026 looking for a dramatic turnaround in fortunes, but it may still be at least a year down the road.
The Red V have one of the better crops of junior players in the competition, but whether 2026 is the time they all break through and become established NRL stars or not remains to be seen.
Off-season shuffles will also raise their fair share of questions for coach Shane Flanagan heading into 2026.
Whether Daniel Atkinson can cement his role or not remains to be seen, while experienced players Clint Gutherson, Damien Cook and Valentine Holmes must lead from the front again, even as they approach the end of their careers.
General fitness and injuries were also a major headache for the Dragons in 2025, and despite beating three of the top four, they finished well down the ladder.
Here are the big selection questions for Flanagan heading into 2026.
What happens if Clint Gutherson cops an injury?
As much as the preference would be to not talk about injuries, there is no doubt it could play a role again for the Dragons in 2026.
Clint Gutherson managed to go through the 2025 campaign unscathed despite the issues around him that saw the Dragons lose the second-highest number of weeks in the competition, only behind South Sydney's record-breaking year.
But Gutherson, who we know is playing on dodgy knees, is so important to the Dragons that an injury this year could ruin their campaign.
The real question appears to be what happens if that does indeed take place?
Cody Ramsey has left the club, and it appears the out-of-favour Tyrell Sloan, who has struggled to adapt to Flanagan's defensive standards despite being the fastest player at the club, could be the best, or even only, option.
Atkinson could play at the back, but that's not something Flanagan will want to upset if he is in the number seven jumper. Valentine Holmes is, of course, another option, but he is also likely to be viewed as too important in the centres.
