Unveiling the NRL's 2026 Pass Mark: A Year of High Expectations and Uncertain Outcomes
The NRL (National Rugby League) is a league of high hopes and varying fortunes. Every year, teams enter the competition with different goals, from aiming for the premiership to avoiding a slide down the rankings. The 2025 season saw new premiers crowned, dethroning the Penrith Panthers, while some clubs exceeded expectations, led by the Canterbury Bulldogs and Canberra Raiders, and others fell short, led by the North Queensland Cowboys and South Sydney Rabbitohs.
With the off-season moves done, Zero Tackle has unpacked the realistic expectations for every NRL team heading into 2026, picking the pass mark for each and every team. Multiple teams share the same pass marks, but that ultimately means some teams are going to be left unhappy.
Brisbane Broncos: Grand Final Aspirations
The Broncos were a surprise package in 2025, making the grand final and winning the premiership in their first season under Michael Maguire. Even more so when you consider they really weren't in the picture mid-season. Now, they enter the competition with an enormous weight of expectation hanging over their head. With a young squad led by experienced fixtures, and plenty of players who will be better for the finals campaign, anything less than another trip to the decider is not going to be good enough. The once impossible back-to-back isn't that either anymore. Whether that's beyond Brisbane remains to be seen, but they should be right in the mix once again, although the fitness of Adam Reynolds and the form of Reece Walsh will have an enormous say over their campaign.
