The age-old adage of rugby league is that it is always the best team each season that wins the competition, but what if I told you, it wasn't as clear cut as it seems.
You see to win a premiership, a team needs to have these three main things.
- A good squad and depth in each position
- Good defence
- A bit of luck
We have seen over the past few seasons that the team that wins the minor premiership is not always the team that goes on to win it all on grand final day.
Here is what each team needs to have happen during 2026 to be a chance of lifting the Provan-Summons trophy.
Canberra Raiders: Better completion rate
Ah, the Raiders, a team that defied expectations in 2025, finishing the regular season as minor premiers.
The 2026 season however has not started the way that many Raiders fanatics would have hoped.
The loss of Jamal Fogarty to Manly sees the rise of Ethan Sanders who has been really good to start the year.
One win and four losses in their first five rounds doesn't present extremely well but the Raiders can turn it around and here's what they need.
For Canberra to win the premiership in 2026, they need to complete better, and yes it sounds cliché, but the amount of dropped balls and ill discipline from the Raiders in the first five rounds is astonishing. If they can hold the footy, the points will come.
