Round 26 could prove decisive in both the finals race and the battle for the minor premiership, with several contenders facing must-win encounters. The Warriors are the only unanimous selection from our expert panel as they look to strengthen their grip on top spot, while the Sea Eagles, Panthers, Rabbitohs, Cowboys and Sharks all attracted overwhelming support. The biggest points of difference come in Broncos vs Storm and Roosters vs Dolphins, where split opinions among tipsters could have a major impact on both the RLZ leaderboard and the NRL ladder. With just two rounds remaining after this weekend, every result carries extra weight.
Submit Your Round 26 Tips Here → ESPN FootyTips
Round 26 Fixtures & Expert Predictions
All times AEST
| Match | Kick-Off | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Broncos vs Storm | Thursday 7:50pm | Suncorp Stadium |
| Sea Eagles vs Dragons | Friday 6:00pm | 4 Pines Park |
| Panthers vs Bulldogs | Friday 8:00pm | CommBank Stadium |
| Titans vs Rabbitohs | Saturday 3:00pm | Cbus Super Stadium |
| Roosters vs Dolphins | Saturday 5:30pm | Allianz Stadium |
| Cowboys vs Wests Tigers | Saturday 7:35pm | Queensland Country Bank Stadium |
| Warriors vs Knights | Sunday 2:00pm | Go Media Stadium |
| Eels vs Sharks | Sunday 4:05pm | CommBank Stadium |
Read Full Previews
- Broncos vs Storm → Read full preview: broncos-vs-storm-round-26-preview-2026
- Sea Eagles vs Dragons → Read full preview: sea-eagles-vs-dragons-round-26-preview-2026
- Panthers vs Bulldogs → Read full preview: panthers-vs-bulldogs-round-26-preview-2026
- Titans vs Rabbitohs → Read full preview: titans-vs-rabbitohs-round-26-preview-2026
- Roosters vs Dolphins → Read full preview: roosters-vs-dolphins-round-26-preview-2026
- Cowboys vs Wests Tigers → Read full preview: cowboys-vs-wests-tigers-round-26-preview-2026
- Warriors vs Knights → Read full preview: warriors-vs-knights-round-26-preview-2026
- Eels vs Sharks → Read full preview: eels-vs-sharks-round-26-preview-2026
| Game / Writer | Matt Pritchard | Andrew Pelechaty | Brendan Wood | Jem Nash | Lachlan Jeffery | Mathew Williams | Matt Attard | Nathan Smith | Shannon Meyer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 101/169 | 99/169 | 109/169 | 107/169 | 102/169 | 97/169 | 116/169 | 107/169 | 100/169 |
| Broncos vs Storm | Broncos by 10 | Storm by 4 | Storm by 4 | Storm by 4 | Storm by 12 | Storm by 6 | Broncos by 10 | Storm by 8 | Broncos by 6 |
| Sea Eagles vs Dragons | Sea Eagles by 18 | Sea Eagles by 10 | Sea Eagles by 10 | Sea Eagles by 6 | Sea Eagles by 4 | Sea Eagles by 20 | Sea Eagles by 8 | Sea Eagles by 14 | Dragons by 2 |
| Panthers vs Bulldogs | Panthers by 16 | Panthers by 12 | Panthers by 2 | Panthers by 8 | Panthers by 16 | Panthers by 14 | Bulldogs by 8 | Panthers by 2 | Panthers by 16 |
| Titans vs Rabbitohs | Rabbitohs by 14 | Rabbitohs by 14 | Rabbitohs by 18 | Rabbitohs by 12 | Rabbitohs by 24 | Rabbitohs by 8 | Titans by 6 | Rabbitohs by 20 | Rabbitohs by 8 |
| Roosters vs Dolphins | Dolphins by 4 | Roosters by 6 | Roosters by 4 | Roosters by 10 | Roosters by 2 | Roosters by 6 | Roosters by 14 | Dolphins by 10 | Roosters by 12 |
| Cowboys vs Wests Tigers | Cowboys by 22 | Cowboys by 4 | Cowboys by 6 | Cowboys by 6 | Cowboys by 10 | Cowboys by 16 | Tigers by 2 | Cowboys by 2 | Cowboys by 26 |
| Warriors vs Knights | Warriors by 10 | Warriors by 10 | Warriors by 10 | Warriors by 6 | Warriors by 4 | Warriors by 10 | Warriors by 10 | Warriors by 16 | Warriors by 14 |
| Eels vs Sharks | Sharks by 6 | Sharks by 16 | Sharks by 12 | Sharks by 12 | Sharks by 8 | Sharks by 16 | Sharks by 7 | Sharks by 10 | Eels by 4 |
| Round Score | -/8 | -/8 | -/8 | -/8 | -/8 | -/8 | -/8 | -/8 | -/8 |
| Overall Score after Round 26 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Round 26 Consensus Tips
| Match | Panel Pick |
|---|---|
| Broncos vs Storm | Storm (6-3) |
| Sea Eagles vs Dragons | Sea Eagles (8-1) |
| Panthers vs Bulldogs | Panthers (8-1) |
| Titans vs Rabbitohs | Rabbitohs (8-1) |
| Roosters vs Dolphins | Roosters (7-2) |
| Cowboys vs Wests Tigers | Cowboys (8-1) |
| Warriors vs Knights | Warriors (9-0) |
| Eels vs Sharks | Sharks (8-1) |
Round 26 features just one unanimous selection, with every tipster backing the Warriors to defeat the Knights in Auckland. The panel is also highly confident in the Sea Eagles, Panthers, Rabbitohs, Cowboys and Sharks, all receiving eight of the nine votes.
The most intriguing split comes in Broncos vs Storm, where three panellists are backing Brisbane to continue their momentum after upsetting Canberra last week. Competition leader Matt Attard is one of those siding with the Broncos, making that clash a potential leaderboard shifter.
The other game to watch is Roosters vs Dolphins. Despite the Dolphins sitting in the top four, seven tipsters are backing the Roosters at Allianz Stadium, while Matt Pritchard and Nathan Smith are confident the Dolphins can cause an upset.
With most of the panel aligned on six of the eight games, Round 26 may ultimately come down to the Broncos-Storm and Roosters-Dolphins clashes, where the biggest opportunities to gain ground in the standings appear to lie.
Related Articles
- Full Round 26 coverage → /nrl/2026-season/round-26/
- NRL Round 26 Team Lists → /nrl-round-26-team-lists-2026/
- NRL Injury List → /nrl/injuries/
- NRL Round 25 Review → /nrl-round-25-review-2026/
