Fergo and The Freak NRL & Rugby League Podcast · Fergo and The Freak

2026 NRL Season Preview

·2 hr 12 min·5 clips

The Broncos went from falling off the map to an unstoppable finals roll, beating every top team for a legit premiership.

This episode previews the 2026 NRL season, analyzing each team's prospects with hosts Andrew Ferguson and the League Freak. The hosts, known for their detailed rugby league analysis, assess every club's roster changes and chances for the upcoming year. They structure the preview alphabetically, allowing listeners to skip to their favorite team. The Brisbane Broncos are examined first, following their 2025 premiership victory where they beat the minor premiers and defending champions. The hosts note the Broncos have lost few key players, with only Selwyn Cobbo and Kobe Hetherington departing as regular first-graders. They highlight Reece Walsh's exceptional finals series and debate if he can become a consistent, historic great. The potential departure of Payne Haas, Adam Reynolds, and Ben Hunt after 2026 is framed as a looming challenge. For the Canberra Raiders, the hosts discuss their straight-sets finals exit in 2025 despite a minor premiership, noting they have won only eight of their last 25 finals games. Signings like Kobe Black and Jaden Braley are mentioned, but the hosts criticize an "unstable spine" with three hookers and coach Ricky Stuart's methods. The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs' season is described as "two halves," collapsing after signing Lachlan Galvin mid-2025 and creating a logjam at five-eighth with Matt Burton. Their elite defense is noted, but the hosts question a spine featuring Cade Dykes and Sean O'Sullivan. The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are labeled the "most successful, unsuccessful team," with a high regular-season win rate but poor finals record since 2016. Key players like Blayke Brailey and Briton Nikora have exceptional durability, playing over 90 games each in four years. The Dolphins unlocked a potent attack averaging 30 points per game in 2025 but are seen as lacking defensive depth for finals. The Gold Coast Titans underwent a major clean-out under new coach Josh Hannay, losing stars like David Fifita and signing a new spine of AJ Brimson, Jayden Campbell, Lachlan Ilias, and Sam Verrills. The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles face life without Daly Cherry-Evans, replacing him with Jamal Fogarty to partner Luke Brooks. The Melbourne Storm's record of six grand finals for only two wins in a decade is noted, alongside concerns over forward depth following Ryan Papenhuyzen's departure. A surprising claim is that the Broncos' premiership run, beating top teams in the finals, is compared to the Wests Tigers' 2005 unexpected title charge. The hosts argue losing Selwyn Cobbo could be "addition by subtraction" for Brisbane due to his inconsistency. They predict the Raiders could miss the finals entirely due to coaching and spine instability, a stark contrast to their 2025 minor premiership. An interesting insight is that the Sharks' cohesion stems from eight players missing only 77 combined games over four years. The Dolphins' Isaiya Katoa is called the clear third-best halfback behind Jahrome Hughes and Nathan Cleary. For the Titans, a last-place finish is described as a "positive wooden spoon" necessary for a proper rebuild. The hosts humorously suggest a Bulldogs mid-season signing could be Luke Brooks, not Ezra Mam. They also joke that a Manly finals appearance with Brooks and Fogarty might create a "wormhole" or "inverse black hole." The tone is highly conversational, casual, and filled with banter between the two hosts. The style is opinionated and analytical, blending statistical insights with strong personal evaluations of teams and players. This episode uses explicit language and rugby league slang, creating an unfiltered, fan-oriented discussion. Rugby league fans who enjoy detailed, club-by-club analysis and speculative roster discussions will love this episode. Listeners who prefer concise, formal previews or are sensitive to strong language might want to skip it.

As heard by us

A blunt club-by-club season preview with more edge than polish.

Andrew Ferguson and League Freak treat the season preview as a club-by-club case for what each side must prove. Moving through the teams in alphabetical order, they weigh roster balance, forward packs, injuries, and the thin line between a side that looks solid on paper and one…

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If you want a club-by-club season preview of the 2026 NRL race, start here.

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