Souths sweat as ‘rumours’ swirl about decline of $1.2m signing
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What has happened to Payne Haas in 2026?
The game’s most dominant big man by a long way in recent seasons, Haas has come right back to the field in recent months.
Payne Haas. NRL Imagery
Admittedly, he is playing in a Broncos team that is an embarrassment but there have been plenty of times in the past he has carried the side on his back, such is his power and leg speed.
Haas had very little impact in the dreadful 30-6 defeat to the Knights on Saturday night that ended any hope of the premiers sneaking into the finals.
There are rumours the big man is playing with injury and that has slowed him down and the ones who should be really concerned about his drop in form are South Sydney, who paid a huge slice of their salary cap to secure Haas for 2027.
The Broncos continue to let their fans down after their superb premiership season in 2025.
The Knights debacle resulted in the club losing seven straight games in Queensland for the first time, and six in a row at their spiritual home, Suncorp Stadium.
The Knights, missing $1.3 million man Dylan Brown, were all class and had no trouble disposing of their big-name opponents.
Tigers star saves face after controversy
Adam Doueihi didn’t quite get the Tigers a win on Sunday, but the controversial halfback won back his credibility with the fan base after last week’s stunning no-show.
All eyes were on Doueihi in the mistake-riddled clash with the Eels which could have gone either way, but the Tigers just fell short.
Doueihi could have gone two ways, continuing to sulk or giving the Tigers his all.
And after 80 minutes, there his no doubt he has taken the latter path, scoring a fine solo try and booting a field goal that looked like getting the Tigers home before a late Eels try flipped the game on its head.
Adam Doueihi celebrates a try. Getty Images
Doueihi was strong in a dreadful game with few stars.
Hooker Tallyn Da Silva – a former Tiger who left the club in controversial circumstances – scored a vital try against his old team.
And it says a lot about the Eels’ spluttering attack that Da Silva is their leading try scorer this season with seven.
Trend shows Panthers are back on track
Just how much better are Penrith this year than they were in 2025 when their remarkable premiership run ended?
Let’s look at it this way – the Panthers won 15 games all last season and on Saturday night in Mudgee, equalled that tally… with five rounds still to play.
The ruthless 42-18 defeat of the Raiders – no doubt revenge for the Raiders’ memorable “miracle in Mudgee” 12 months ago – showed the Panthers have the hunger back that they lost at times last season.
With Nathan Cleary a man on a mission, winger Tom Jenkins scoring tries at record pace, Liam Martin back to his best, Moses Leota dominating the middle and young guns Casey McLean, Liam Henry and Lindsay Smith all better than 12 months ago, it’s easy to see why everyone rates the Panthers as the team to beat.
They still have plenty of hard work ahead of them, but the Panthers are well primed to make it five titles in six years.
Warriors prove everyone wrong
Rival coaches quietly believe that the Warriors – as big and strong as their pack is – lack the class in the spine to challenge for the title.
But Andrew Webster’s men made them think again in Saturday afternoon’s impressive 42-6 defeat of the Titans on the Gold Coast.
Even without their strike fullback Taine Tuaupiki, the Warriors’ spine was outstanding.
Veteran fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad showed he’s still got what it takes, running for over 250 metres and having a hand in a couple of tries.
Alofiana Khan-Pereira of the Warriors makes a break. Getty Images
Halves Te Maire Martin and Chanel Harris-Tavita scored three between them and Wayde Egan remains one of the craftiest dummy halves in the business.
Throw in their monster pack and dangerous outside backs and the Warriors tick all the boxes for a possible premiership winning season.
The Wahs have made two grand finals but this current team, excellently coached by Webster, appears their best chance of a title.
What’s changed for the Dolphins?
The Dolphins are arguably the most entertaining team to watch in the NRL, capable of playing breathtaking attacking football with their speed and skills.
But they appear to have learned an invaluable rugby league skill in 2026 – the ability to win ugly.
Friday night’s clash with the Dragons was a scrappy, messy affair with both teams playing clunky attacking football.
It’s the type of game the Phins may well have lost in the past three years - but they hung in there and outlasted a determined Dragons outfit 28-22.
The win virtually ensures the Redcliffe boys will play finals football this season… and they have the weapons to hurt the NRL’s big guns.
But, just as importantly, they can now carve out gritty wins and that is more than likely what they will have to do in the tense atmosphere of finals footy.
Big reason behind Cowboys flogging
Where does one even start summing up Thursday night’s stunning 82-12 demolition of the Cowboys by the ruthless Sydney Roosters?
Records tumbled left, right and centre as the Roosters kept the foot on the pedal for the full 80 minutes, even beating the clock.
The Roosters showed they have the class to go deep into the finals – if not all the way.
And one of their trump cards is proving to be young centre Robert Toia, who seems to improve by the game.
Robert Toia runs away from Jason Taumololo. Getty Images
In only his second year of NRL, Toia is already an established Origin player and fast becoming one of the most feared centres in the game.
Big and strong, with a good offload, he terrorised the Cowboys’ outside backs and will be a key figure in the big games ahead.
