Good coaches are becoming more and more valuable by the season.
We've seen what Ivan Cleary has been able to build at Penrith, while the Storm have never had an extended dip.
Benji Marshall seems to finally have the Wests Tigers on the right path, Kieran Foran has transformed the Sea Eagles almost overnight and Michael Maguire came in a won a title with the Broncos in his first season.
Today though, we're looking at some decisions that have either gone wrong or are just outright wrong.
Typically I don't like to focus on the negatives in the game but after the week I had to endure (hello "obstructor" rulings) I believe I've earned it.
With that said, here are five of the top coaching errors of 2026 ... thus far:
3. Jason Ryles signing Jonah Pezet for one season - February
Hand on heart, I have no idea why the Eels agreed to this situation in the first place.
Young gun Jonah Pezet has a monster future ahead of him. That future will be at the Broncos after he signed a long-term, deal from 2027 onward.
The Eels announced that Pezet would join the club for one reason, and no one really seemed to know why.
This wasn't a Daly Cherry-Evans, last piece of the puzzle, type set up. Pezet is still very much a work in progress. 2026 would be a development year.
Why would the Eels want to spend a year developing a player for a rival?
The talk was they needed a stop gap before NSW Cup half Lorenzo Talataina came into his own.
Talataina is 22. If he isn't ready at 22, why would an extra year make a huge difference? He should be the one getting the reps if he is the future. Build the partnership with Mitch Moses.
Ronald Volkman is more than capable of the bridging for one season, if that is absolutely the plan.
