There were several signings this year that proved profitable for players in their new environments, as well as clubs building towards something bigger.
From taking their clubs to finals to making a name for themselves in the competition, here are the recruits of 2026.
1. Selwyn Cobbo (Dolphins)
The number one recruit of the year goes to Dolphins winger Selwyn Cobbo. An Origin representative and top try scorer, he was the biggest pick-up in 2026.
Leaving the Brisbane Broncos in 2025, Cobbo became the Dolphins second highest try-scorer behind fellow winger Jamayne Isaako.
Known for his solid frame and freakish finishing abilities, the Dolphins made no mistake in signing the Queensland representative and extending him until the end of the 2031 season.
It would be a hard pill to swallow for Broncos supporters, considering their failure to make finals the following year after their premiership; however, it can be said that Cobbo was not in the same form last year as he is this year at Redcliffe.
What makes this signing so special is that it seems Cobbo needed the Dolphins just as much as the Dolphins needed him; a mutual symbiotic relationship, both sides benefit.
I would not include Dylan Brown in the list of “10 best signings”. Why? Because Newcastle has signed him for far too long and for far too much money.
He will be 35 when he starts the last year of his contract.
Don’t expect him to be anywhere as near as good then as he is now.
I see him as a second Jason Taumalolo. Signed for ten years on about a million per year. He might have been worth the money in his first few years, but now he nowhere near worth the money.
I think Brown will end up just the same.
Where’s Coby Black…………………………………..