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.
South Sydney Rabbitohs
Likely first choice spine: Jye Gray, Cody Walker, Jamie Humphreys, Brandon Smith
Other options: Latrell Mitchell, Ashton Ward, Jayden Sullivan, Jonah Glover, Peter Mamouzelos, Bronson Garlick
The Rabbitohs have more depth than most in the spine, but also more potential to wind up a lot higher than their ranking when compared to a lot of teams at the bottom.
The only reason they frankly can’t go higher is because of the question marks.
Is Jye Gray up to the task of being the fullback for an entire season? Will he fend off Latrell Mitchel for continuity? Can Cody Walker stay fit? Is Jamie Humphreys going to avoid second-year syndrome? Can Brandon Smith get back to his best?
If the answer to all those questions is in the positive, the Rabbitohs will be well and truly inside the top half, and could possess one of the most dangerous attacks in the competition this year.
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