Tackles and Tinnies with Ryan Firehock

Now Wayne’s back in the mix and the roster’s got teeth again — David Fifita arrives, Brandon Smith becomes a massive swing piece, and the whole conversation shifts from “survive” to “how high can this go if they stay on the park?”

We get into:

• 2025 snapshot + why the attack was streaky and fragile
• Injury apocalypse (and whether it was bad luck or something deeper)
• 2026 ins/outs + what the recruitment signals
• Hardest draw in the comp + the Tigers-style round-by-round danger zones
• Best 17/19 with the new rule + selection pressure points
• Prediction: 6th–8th (ceiling top 5, floor bottom 4)

Cap or Fact: Souths’ biggest 2026 signing isn’t Fifita or Smith… it’s availability.
Rabbitohs fans — where’ve you got them finishing in 2026, and what decides it? 👇

The Tigers were way more watchable in 2025 — the attack had more shape, Leichhardt/Campbelltown actually felt like an advantage again… but the same old story popped up late in games: game management falling apart when it mattered.

In this episode of our 17-part 2026 NRL mini-series, we dig into the on-field growth, the off-field noise, and why 2026 feels like the first real “Benji era” stress test.

We get into:

• 2025 snapshot: 13th, 15th attack / 12th defence, and why it still felt like progress
• The Galvin saga and how it went from contract chat to full-blown drama
• 2026 roster injection: Kai Pearce-Paul, Jock Madden, Mavrik Geyer, Ethan Roberts, Bunty Afoa
• The footy blueprint: Luai + Benji, and that “three-playmaker” idea (Bula/Luai/Latu + Douei link)
• Draw chat: 9th-hardest SOS, and a brutal Round 7–14 stretch that could decide everything

My prediction: Tigers finish 10th — in the mix until late, but still learning how to close tight games consistently.
Cap or Fact: Tigers are a 9th–10th team and still alive for finals in Round 25?

Tigers fans — are we finally building something… or are we doing the same movie again? 👇

They did go on a legit finals crack — beat the Roosters (Week 1) and the minor premiers Raiders (Week 2) before falling to Melbourne in a tight prelim (22–14).

Now 2026 is where it gets spicy: Addin Fonua-Blake walks into the pack as a genuine marquee middle, with Hohepa Puru and Riley Jones added too — while Atkinson and Dykes are the notable exits.

We get into:

• Why the “big games” heat still follows Nicho Hynes
• Mulitalo + McInnes return timelines and what it changes
• The draw: 16th (second-easiest), Round 12 Origin bye, and a soft run home — “take advantage or waste a golden chance”
• Our call: Sharks finish 3rd in 2026

Cap or Fact: with the second-easiest draw and AFB up front, the Sharks are top-3 in 2026.
Sharks fans — where’ve you got them finishing, and are they contenders… or still “best of the non-contenders”? 👇

But 2026 is the real test: can they back it up when the comp tightens and the close games swing the other way? Because the data-led read we’re working off has them as a potential regression / faller — 6th → 9th territory — not because they’re bad, but because the NRL’s margin is filthy thin.

We get into:

• Why 2025 felt like a proper Warriors identity year (tough, emotional, loud)
• The 2026 outlook: what has to improve to stay in the 8
• Contract core chat (who’s locked in long-term and what that signals)
• The squad depth conversation + where the pressure sits
• Explicit ladder range: finals again… or just outside looking in?

Cap or Fact: the Warriors miss finals in 2026 — purely off variance and how tight the comp is. 👇
Warriors fans, talk to us: where do you have them finishing, and what’s the ONE thing that decides it?

We’re back, legends — and we’re starting 2026 the only way we know how: ripping into a full SuperCoach team build with Jake. This one’s a 90-minute monster where we go position-by-position, player-by-player, and actually explain the why behind every pick.

First, we look back at how Jake went last year — the highs, the pain trades, the lessons — then we set the new standard. Because Jake’s not here to just be the king of cash generation anymore…

He wants to go for the whole thing: #1 in Australia.
Even better than Adam, who finished 3rd last season.

We get into:

• Jake’s 2026 strategy shift: cash gen vs overall rank aggression
• Full team breakdown: HOK / MID / EDG / HLF / CTW / FLB
• The logic behind every player: role, minutes, upside, and risk
• Prices + points ceiling — who can be a keeper, who’s a stepping stone
• Captaincy chat, POD swings, and what we’re watching in trials
• Where Jake’s taking the biggest gambles (and where he’s playing it safe)

Cap or Fact: you can’t win SuperCoach overall without taking at least two disgusting risks early. 👇
Drop your biggest 2026 lock in the comments — and tell Jake which pick is cooked.

#NRLSuperCoach #SuperCoach2026 #TacklesAndTinnies #FantasyFiles #CapOrFact #NRL #RugbyLeague

Penrith finished 7th in 2025… and somehow still felt like the team nobody wants to see in September.

In this episode of our 2026 NRL mini-series, Ryan breaks down what actually went wrong (and what still screams “system club”) — because the Panthers don’t do chaos, they do standards.

We get into:

• 2025 recap: how a 7th-place finish still didn’t feel like “the end”
• The Panthers’ identity: why they’re still built to strangle games late
• The 2026 draw: it’s the 3rd-hardest SOS and the first month is pure smoke (Broncos, Sharks, Roosters, Eels, Storm, Bulldogs)
• The double-ups: Broncos, Storm, Roosters, Bulldogs, Raiders, Warriors, Tigers, Eels — no freebies
• Key pillars still holding it together (Cleary/Yeo/Edwards energy)
• Our ladder call: Panthers bounce back into the top 2 conversation

Cap or Fact: the Panthers’ system is still the safest bet in the comp… even with a brutal draw.

Panthers fans — where’ve you got them finishing in 2026? Are they back in the top 4… or are we clinging to the dynasty?

The Roosters were good enough to sneak into September… but 2026 is where the pressure cranks. Because if you add DCE + Reece Robson to a spine that already has Teddy + Sam Walker, you’re not allowed to be “just top eight” anymore.

We get into:

• 2025 snapshot: what 8th (+132) actually says about their ceiling
• The “under-delivered” vibe: contenders one week, flat the next
• Recruitment: DCE, Robson, Ramsey, Talau (and what it signals)
• Is Teddy / Walker / DCE / Robson the best 1-7-6-9 combo on paper?
• The middle rotation sauce + who leveled up in 2025
• 2026 draw: 15th easiest, doubles, Origin/byes, and why the run home screams surge
• Projected best-case 2026 17/19 and where the selection headaches land
• Explicit ladder call: Roosters finish 4th

Cap or Fact: the 2026 Roosters are a top-4 lock… or is this just another “looks scary on paper” year?

Roosters fans — where’ve you got them finishing in 2026? 👇

The Dolphins in 2025 were pure chaos in the best way — the comp’s best attack, huge moments, and that “anyone can get it” confidence… but the defensive lapses and consistency swings kept them 9th and watching September from the couch.

In this episode of our 17-part 2026 mini-series, we break down why 2026 is the real “prove it” year — because the roster’s improved, expectations are up, and the draw is 4th-hardest. No freebies, just footy.

We get into:

    •    2025 snapshot: elite attack, but defence + discipline cost them finals

    •    The Round 23 blow-up that basically ended the push

    •    2026 gains: Cobbo, Schneider, Morgan Knowles — what it unlocks

    •    Hammer/Herbie strike, and the early-season reshuffle with Bostock out

    •    The 2026 draw, key stretches, and why start-fast matters

    •    Our ladder call: Dolphins finish 6th — first finals appearance

Cap or Fact: Dolphins finish 6th even with the draw from hell?

Dolphins fans — where’ve you got them finishing in 2026? 👇

Manly are the ultimate “what version are we getting this week?” side. They finished 10th in 2025 (12 wins) and now the 2026 draw has basically handed them a gift — easiest schedule in the comp. 

But here’s the catch: the roster changes are real, and the whole season still swings on health, combos, and whether they can build a ruthless week-to-week identity.

We get into:

    •    2025 snapshot: why Manly hovered around the finals convo but couldn’t lock it down 

    •    The big 2026 roster shuffle: Fogarty, Kobe Hetherington, Dockar-Clay arriving 

    •    The headline exit: DCE to the Roosters and what that changes for Manly’s steering wheel 

    •    Turbo chat: best footy = when he trusts the body and punches through the line (no    hesitation)

    •    The strike and tone-setters: where the points come from, and who sets the standard when it gets ugly

    •    Explicit ladder call: are they a soft-draw riser… or stuck in that 9–13 chaos?

Cap or Fact: the easiest draw is worth +2 ladder spots minimum… so if Manly don’t make the 8, it’s a failure? 

Sea Eagles fans — where do you have Manly finishing in 2026? 👇

Parramatta are stuck in the hardest spot in footy: not bad enough to blow it up… not good enough to scare anyone in September. They finished 12th in 2025 (10–14, -76) and the vibe was basically “transition year, identity pending.”

In this episode of our 17-part 2026 NRL mini-series, we break down what actually went wrong, what the roster reset means, and why the Eels’ season could get decided before winter. They’ve lost serious leadership and yardage (Gutho/RCG/Sivo) and now they’re asking a new spine to find chemistry fast.

We get into:

• 2025 snapshot + why it felt like no-man’s land
• The roster shift: de Belin + Pezet + Brian Kelly in, big culture change out
• The early-season danger zone: 11 straight games before the first bye, with Storm/Broncos/Panthers early
• Projected Round 1 look: Iongi, Moses + Pezet, and the selection headaches around the pack/bench
• Ryan’s ladder call: 16th (and why the margin between 10th and cooked is tiny)

Cap or Fact: the Eels are “not bad, not good… just Parramatta”?

Eels fans — where have you got Parra finishing in 2026 in the comments below. 👇