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.
Canberra Raiders
Why they can: Rising stars
The Canberra Raiders have reasons to be confident heading into the season after securing last year's minor premiership .
The team boasts one of the game's best fullbacks and an exciting group of young players, bringing speed and flair to their attack. Kaeo Weekes showed last year that he can handle heavy involvement and has a high ceiling for performance.
Under Ricky Stuart, Canberra demonstrated resilience by overcoming some challenging losses and delayed stars, proving they can string together momentum when it matters most.
Why they can't: Jamal Fogarty's departure
Despite their talent, the Raiders face notable obstacles.
The departure of Jamal Fogarty leaves a less experienced halfback to guide the team. The long term solution to this is still to be decided, choosing between Ethan Sanders or Coby Black.
Their overall youth and lack of experience in key positions could make consistency difficult in high-pressure situations, limiting their ability to close out tight matches and sustain a premiership run.
Objective: To say in one article what everyone else says, and to say what everyone else does _not_ say.
Who said that ? Was it Nietzsche ?
Well, whoever it was, he’d be proud to have written this one, Scott.