The ten best value signings for NRL 2026

Christmas has come and gone, the Boxing Day sales saw the shops as busy as they are all year, and the New Year is just around the corner. That also means the return of rugby league is closing in. In just six weeks, the first pre-season trials will be underway, and not too long after that, it will be off to Las Vegas to open another campaign. A handful of big names have switched clubs for 2026, and are, of course, hogging most of the pre-season bandwidth, but there are plenty of signings who will add value to their teams without breaking the bank. Here are the top ten. Bronson Garlick (South Sydney Rabbitohs) The Rabbitohs have an intriguing conundrum at dummy half in 2026. Bronson Garlick joins from the Melbourne Storm, Peter Mamouzelos will be sweating on staying fit, and Brandon Smith is also in the system, albeit with an off-field cloud hanging over his head. Garlick could well find a role straight into this South Sydney side. He was blocked from progression in Melbourne by the simple fact that Harry Grant is the best dummy half in the game, but when asked to fill in or play from the bench, Garlick always did a solid job. The jury is still out on Mamouzelos, and with Smith potentially suited to a role off the bench, Garlick could well find himself becoming one of the underrated signings of 2026. Josh Kerr (St George Illawarra Dragons) Josh Kerr is a very different player now from the one who left the Dragons for the Dolphins a couple of years ago. A hard-nosed forward, he was on the fringes at the Dragons, but quickly turned himself into one of the game's most impactful bench and role players during his time at the Dolphins. In particular, he turned games throughout 2025, often reversing momentum with his leg drive, footwork, and a handy bit of ball-playing ability as well. Whether he starts or plays off the bench alongside a predominantly young Dragons' forward pack in 2026 remains to be seen, but he has now proven what he can do, and should take his game to a new level under the coaching of Shane Flanagan. Daine Laurie (Canberra Raiders) We really like the signing of Daine Laurie to the Raiders. A fullback who can play in the halves, or in a pinch in the centres, he will find a role somewhere in this side at points throughout 2026. The chances are he won't play every game, but he is certainly good enough to be the first-choice reserve in multiple positions. He could yet fight for a utility spot on the bench, although Simi Sasagi, who can also play in the second-row, has filled that role beautifully in recent times. Laurie, though, will add spark and versatility to the squad, and if there are injuries, a very suitable option to replace in multiple positions. Davvy Moale (Melbourne Storm) If there is a player on this list yet to recognise his potential at all, it's Davvy Moale, Clearly falling out of favour at the Rabbitohs, he was granted permission to negotiate his future for 2027 early and signed with Manly, before being released to go to the Storm on a one-year loan deal. The move from Melbourne comes at a time when they need reinforcements in the engine room, and Moale could take his game to a new level under the coaching of Craig Bellamy. You only need to look at the improvement of Stefano Utoikamanu in 2025 after his move from the Wests Tigers - and others over the years - to understand what Bellamy can do for players. Moale's year in Victoria could be the best decision of his career, and it would surprise if he doesn't play at a level well above what he is going to be paid. Alofiana Khan-Pereira (New Zealand Warriors) The Warriors have pulled potentially one of the coups of the off-season, with Alofiana Khan-Pereira making the switch across the Tasman. The winger fell out of favour on the Gold Coast in 2025, and while there are still questions around his defence, there are none around his attack. Andrew Webster will need to work through his deficiencies, but at a struggling club, his try-scoring record was outstanding. You can only imagine the level that is going to go to at the Warriors, where he will have the kicking game of Luke Metcalf to work with, and the running of Charnze-Nicoll-Klokstad and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck in the backline to help him go up against back-pedalling defences, rather than lines that are set and on top. Kobe Hetherington (Manly Sea Eagles) Kobe Hetherington has never seen the level of credit he deserves in Brisbane. That is hardly a surprise given the players around him in the forward pack, led by Payne Haas and Patrick Carrigan. Hetherington has improved out of sight in recent times, though, and it's little surprise that he landed on the radar of rival clubs. His hard-nosed attitude, work ethic, and ever-increasing ability, saw Manly offer him a long-term deal where he will become a key part of the forward pack moving forward. The jury is still very much out on Manly in general, but he should become a great value signing for the club heading into his new deal. Jack de Belin (Parramatta Eels) One of the more surprising moves ahead of 2026 was that of formerly one-club player Jack de Belin leaving the St George Illawarra Dragons. The Red V, who have a grossly inexperienced forward pack, deciding not to offer him a new deal could really only be described as baffling. Still, one club's loss is another club's gain, and the Parramatta Eels adding him for a year to their engine room is a tremendous decision. On a basement contract for his experience and talent, de Belin will bring plenty to a Parramatta side who always seemed a forward short in 2025. Whether he plays prop or lock is almost irrelevant. He is consistent at either position and will be a great foil for the aggression of Junior Paulo and co at the head of what the blue and gold are trying to do. Daniel Atkinson (St George Illawarra Dragons) Atkinson breaks out of the shadows in 2026, going from a fringe utility at the Cronulla Sharks, to the halfback at the St George Illawarra Dragons. Of all the players on the list, there may well be no one under more pressure than Atkinson, though. He needs to take a Dragons team who don't know how to win, and struggles to score points, and turn them into a side that can do both of those things. The thing is, he hasn't broken the bank, and good judges have had him as a player of enormous potential for many years, although likely not at halfback. The jury is out, but if he can find his best, this could be an excellent pick up for the Red V as they look to turn their fortunes around. Selwyn Cobbo (The Dolphins) Cobbo fell out of favour at the Broncos throughout the course of 2025, but there is no doubting the talent he brings. Able to play at centre, wing or fullback, he will need to fight for a role in the Dolphins' backline, who were the best attacking outfit in 2025, but a strong pre-season should see him land one. At his best, he is simply too good to leave out. The big question is whether he will get back to his best. His potential, at one stage, had him being talked about as the game's next seven-figure player. That obviously hasn't happened, and it could be an excellent bit of business for the Dolphins in 2026 if he can play at any sort of level. David Fifita (South Sydney Rabbitohs) The signing of Fifita could realistically go either way at the Rabbitohs. The second-rower, at his best, should be the most damaging player in the game. Hitting his best has been something hard to achieve over the last couple of seasons, though, and moving on from the Gold Coast Titans was ultimately in the best interests of all parties involved. The chance for Fifita to link up with master mentor Wayne Bennett could also be a move that salvages his career, too. Bennett has a track record for getting the best out of players, and has resurrected many a career over the years. For Souths to get him at a figure which is reported to be around half of what he was earning at the Titans, who will chip in the rest, is a major play for South Sydney, and takes a lot of the risk involved in the signing.