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.
Newcastle Knights
Why they can: Stars in the spine
The addition of 13-million-dollar man Dylan Brown adds plenty of shine in their halves moving forward, and now it's just about finding the best person to complement his game.
Fletcher Sharpe has been named for Round 1, and had a superb 2025 campaign before suffering an injury likened to a car crash.
Kalyn Ponga coming into the season fit after a foot injury will be a massive bonus, and his game is set to improve with Dylan Brown's arrival to the club when they have a chance to gel.
At times last year, Newcastle's attack looked one-dimensional under Adam O'Brien; however, with a new coach at the helm, the Knights could be more polished.
Why they can't: Forward pack problems
They don't have the forward cattle to keep up with the premiership heavyweights. With their best forward Leo Thompson leaving, they will struggle to have mongrel up front.
Depth across the course of the season is also a major issue.
The Knights do have some talent left behind, but it could be a bumpy old road for coach Justin Holbrook to get them back to the top.
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Who said that ? Was it Nietzsche ?
Well, whoever it was, he’d be proud to have written this one, Scott.