The 2026 NRL season is set to kick-off on Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas, with 16 teams out to chase the Brisbane Broncos in the new campaign.
Every club will see key reasons why they can and can't perform in 2026, and Zero Tackle have pulled the key one on each side of the coin.
Penrith Panthers
Why they can: 2025s left over momentum
After a slow start last year, Penrith came screaming home and proved to everyone that they've still got it, despite running out of steam in the finals. In what is an untouched spine, the young Blaize Talagi now has one more year of experience working with Nathan Cleary, Mitch Kenny and Dylan Edwards.
They recently re-signed the local junior and Kangaroo representative Lindsay Smith, and with a strong nucleus in Liam Martin, Isaiah Yeo and Moses Leota, they will always field a competitive side through the middle.
It'll come down to how they can adjust small things in their attack to keep teams guessing and get back to the electric run they were on for four years. With plenty of competition for outside back selection, it'll make sure all squad members are sharpened and ready to step in at any time.
Why they can't: Burnout
Similar to the Broncos, the Panthers have a target on their head and have a label of being a premiership threat, where teams tend to aim up at these sides to set an example for the year.
There also comes the issue with burnout; it'll be hard for Penrith to go the extra mile on the one percenters after winning four consecutive comps. They'll need coach Ivan Cleary to really instill morale into the side after half a decade of dominance in the NRL.
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Who said that ? Was it Nietzsche ?
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