Brutal run could put Benji in firing line; Ryles’ big Eels boost — NRL Draw Winners and Losers
The Tigers face a brutal run as they bid to end the longest finals drought in the NRL, while the Eels have a huge home advantage as the 2026 draw is revealed.
And the Storm face brutal run home as they bid to avenge their back-to-back grand final defeats.
Watch The Ashes 2025/26 LIVE and ad-break free during play with FOX CRICKET on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
Read on for the winners and losers from the 2026 NRL Draw.
WHAT’S GAMBLING REALLY COSTING YOU? Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
WINNERS
EELS
The Eels have a much softer draw than years gone by, but the start of their season is a tough one with games against the Storm and Broncos kicking off their season.
Those two fixtures, away, are historically incredibly difficult – but Parramatta are expected to be a much-improved side in 2026.
They won in their last outing against Brisbane and it was a tight affair when they faced Melbourne in Round 22.
If they can get through those games, and a Round 4 fixture against the Panthers, and be competitive Jason Ryles’ side has a huge opportunity to kick on.
But it’s equally a double-edged sword — an early-season slump could seriously hurt their finals chances in a sink or swim scenario.
In some positives, they also have 13 games at CommBank Stadium and leave NSW five times, and only once after Magic Round in Round 11.
If the Eels sit in and around the top eight to close out the year, they also have a golden opportunity with a soft run home.
They face the Tigers, Rabbitohs, Cowboys, Dolphins, Sharks and Dragons, with their only travel being a trip to North Queensland in Round 24.
MORE NRL NEWS
NOV 1 LIVE: All the latest NRL player movement as the November 1 deadline passes
SCRAPPED: Big NRL draw issue that had fans fuming gone in 17-year first
ROUND 1 TEAMS: Broncos’ Haas headache deepens; Dragons axing as Dogs sign trio
Jason Ryles would be happy with the Eels’ draw.Source: News Corp Australia
RABBITOHS
There’s a glaring positive in the Rabbitohs draw — they hardly leave NSW.
After a Round 12 trip to QLD Country Bank Stadium, the Rabbitohs have to travel outside of Sydney twice.
They have games scheduled against the Raiders at GIO Stadium and the Titans at Cbus Super Stadium, with the latter being a game they will be expecting to win.
The Rabbitohs do get their travelling out of the way to start the year, with games at Suncorp Stadium, Optus Stadium, AAMI Park and QLD Country Bank Stadium in their first 12 rounds.
But overall, it’s a dream run home for Wayne Bennett, whose team will avoid the fatigue that comes with making trips interstate.
O’Brien joins Bulldogs coaching staff | 00:27
SHARKS
In years gone by, the Sharks have been considered to have been given a ‘rails run’ to the finals with a soft draw.
It’s hard to argue it’s any different this season, when you take a look at the teams they play twice in 2026.
Craig Fitzgibbon’s side double up against the Rabbitohs, Dolphins, Warriors, Roosters, Raiders, Dragons, Titans, Sea Eagles.
That’s only three teams who featured in the 2025 finals series.
Compare that to the six the Storm face and the six the Panthers have drawn — and it’s fair to say it’s a soft draw for the Sharks.
Cronulla also have a reasonably easy run home, facing the Rabbitohs, Dragons, Raiders, Titans, Eels and Storm – giving them a finals-level tune-up to close out the year as well as a host of games they should be considered heavy favourites to win.
BULLDOGS
The Bulldogs are one of four teams to take part in the Las Vegas spectacle this season.
It can be difficult for teams to then re-set for their next fixture after the high of playing at Allegiant Stadium, but Canterbury get a reprieve.
Cameron Ciraldo’s side have been handed a Round 2 bye, giving them almost two weeks to regroup and prepare for the season as if it’s a new campaign.
Regardless of how they go against the Dragons abroad, Ciraldo’s team can start fresh and fix any issues that may arise, while any potential head knocks also won’t see players sit out.
The only negative in their draw is a four-game stretch where the Dogs travel to Brisbane three times, but from there, it’s cruisy.
After Magic Round in Round 11, they have only two games outside of Sydney — one on the Gold Coast, and one in Melbourne.
They also have two of three Origin-affected rounds as a bye, meaning they don’t have to play understaffed with the likes of Stephen Crichton, Jacob Preston and Jacob Kiraz all a chance of featuring for NSW.
Radley suspension reduced to 5 games | 00:30
TITANS
The Titans narrowly avoided the wooden spoon last year, but there is optimism in the air amid Josh Hannay’s arrival at the club and he has a draw that can see them make a finals push in 2026 if they are good enough.
Gold Coast can get off to a fast start with clashes against the Sharks, Dolphins, Cowboys, Dragons and Broncos to start their campaign, with three of those clashes in Queensland.
After David Fifita’s defection to Souths, the Titans won’t have many players in the Origin picture, so they can make up some ground against Manly and the Tigers during this period. However, it is their soft run home that will give Titans fans some hope, with just two of their last eight games against top eight teams from last year in the Warriors and Sharks.
And six of their last eight games are also at home at Cbus Super Stadium, so if they can stay in touch throughout the first half of the season, they can make a run at the finals at the back end of the year.
LOSERS
TIGERS
Benji Marshall is one of rugby league’s most under-pressure coaches, with Tigers faithful crying out for further improvement and a finals berth.
The merger club have a bye to open the season, then face the Cowboys, Rabbitohs, Warriors, Eels and Knights — and there’s a real possibility they could grab several wins from those fixtures.
Coming away with a positive start to the year would help alleviate some of the pressure, considering what’s to come in an absolutely brutal run of fixtures.
From Round 7 onwards, the Tigers face the Broncos, Raiders, Sharks, Storm, Sea Eagles, enjoy a bye before they come up against the Bulldogs and Panthers.
That’s six teams who played finals, with four of those being the 2025 preliminary finalists and it’s hard to imagine a tougher run of games
The Tigers will be desperate to get off to a flyer, because if they don’t there’s a real possibility they won’t be able to secure a win in their ugly stretch.
The only positive that then comes from that is that there’s a mid-season patch of games you could consider a softer run, before they once again hit a bumpy patch to close out the year with the Roosters, Cowboys and Panthers in their final three fixtures.
The Tigers also double up against only four finals teams in the Warriors, Bulldogs, Panthers and Raiders.
Benji Marshall’s Tigers have a tough draw.Source: Getty Images
PANTHERS
The Panthers have a horror start to the year with just two home games in the first eight weeks at CommBank Stadium, which is not even their home ground given the rebuild of Panthers Stadium for the second straight year.
They also play five top eight teams from last year in the first six weeks, with a brutal run of clashes against the Broncos, Sharks, Roosters, Eels, Storm and Bulldogs to start the year. While they have some joy with two byes in the Origin period, they also face the Rabbitohs in an Origin impacted game.
Ivan Cleary’s side also have their last bye in Round 19, so they will have to play eight straight games in the lead-up to finals.
It is a tough run home too with six of their eight clashes against last year’s top eight, including clashes against the Broncos, Raiders, Warriors, Roosters, Storm and Bulldogs.
The Panthers can’t afford to have a slow start to their campaign like last year, which saw them last after 12 rounds and they squeaked into the finals in seventh place.
Is Payne Haas set go to R360? | 05:26
STORM
The Storm have a brutal draw with a tough start to the year seeing them play just twice at home in the first five weeks.
Craig Bellamy’s side face the Eels, Broncos, Panthers, Warriors and Raiders in the first seven weeks of the competition.
While they get some reprieve in the Origin period with two byes, the Storm have a tough run home into finals.
In their last seven games, they face five top eight teams from last year in the Roosters, Bulldogs, Panthers, Broncos and Sharks, while the Rabbitohs and the Sea Eagles in Perth won’t be easy-beats either.
And just two of their final seven games are at home, so the pressure will be on to win away from AAMI Park in the lead-up to finals.
Melbourne will want to bank plenty of wins in the middle of the season if they want to finish in the top four and avenge their back-to-back grand final defeats.
Craig Bellamy’s Storm have a brutal run home.Source: Getty Images
ROOSTERS
The Roosters have a tough start to the year with an away clash against the Warriors at Go Media Stadium, before home clashes against arch rivals the Rabbitohs and the Panthers, which could see them start 0-3.
Trent Robinson’s side are notoriously slow starters and they will have growing pains, as Daly Cherry-Evans is integrated into the team and builds combinations with his new teammates. While they get two byes during the Origin period, which is two more than last year, they have one impacted game against the Dolphins, which will be tough to win without a potential five Origin players and maybe more if James Tedesco and DCE return to the arena.
From Round 11 they have a brutal run of away games against the Cowboys at Suncorp, Storm at AAMI Park, Raiders at GIO Stadium and Dolphins at Suncorp.
They then have one home game against the Eels at Allianz, before facing the Broncos at Suncorp in that brutal stretch.
A tough run home for Trent Robinson’s side will see them face the Eels, Storm, Bulldogs, Panthers and Rabbitohs in a nine-game stretch without a bye leading into finals.
