The 2026 NRL season is just around the corner, and final preparations are well underway around the competition.
The first teams are not all that far away, but for most clubs, the all-important spine is all but locked away.
The fullback, five-eighth, halfback and hooker are the players who ultimately drive the team forward, set up the points and dictate the way footy is going to be played throughout the course of the season.
There are important positions all over the park, but no team have won a competition without a strong spine.
Here are the rankings ahead of the 2026 campaign.
Canberra Raiders
Likely first choice spine: Kaeo Weekes, Ethan Strange, Ethan Sanders, Tom Starling
Other options: Sebastian Kris, Chevy Stewart, Coby Black, Owen Pattie, Jayden Brailey
The Raiders had one of the NRL’s most efficient spines and, as a result, attacks, in 2025, but the departure of Jamal Fogarty has all the potential to upset the apple cart there.
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