The preseason challenge was exactly that for fans of the game, a real challenge. If you decided to watch any of the games hoping to fire up for the 2026 NRL season, you were most likely left frustrated and confused. Spread over three weeks, it was a tough watch for even the staunchest of rugby league fans.
Despite the NRL organising the preseason trial games, finding a sponsor and offering a cash prize to whichever club finished on top of the complicated points system, very few clubs treated the two games seriously. Most clubs ran out their starting sides for barely 40 minutes across the two matches, while some kept their best players wrapped in cotton wool throughout. As a result we were served up games with mismatched opponents, blow-out scores and no real feel for how any of the teams will go once the season gets underway.
The decision on the level of participation was no doubt left in the hands of the head coaches, in consultation with their assistants, fitness gurus and medical staff. Some coaches feel that the NRL season is already long enough without adding an extra two serious clashes.
Many coaches see the preseason just as an opportunity to test the young talent at the club, along with some of the fringe first graders. And to be fair, we were treated to some glimpses of the superstars of the future, like Wests Tigers winger Heamasi Makasini, Sea Eagles halfback Joey Walsh and Dragons half Kade Reed. But even then, there was room to question how they would go against better opposition.
While it is hard to gauge the merits of giving your star players an extra couple of weeks off, one thing is for certain, if you lose a key player to a serious injury in a glorified trial game, the fans will not be happy.
Canberra Raiders coach Ricky Stuart is firmly in the "cotton wool the stars" camp. So, will the Raiders head into their Round 1 clash against the Sea Eagles in two weeks lacking match fitness? And if they are underdone, will Raiders fans be happy with a sluggish start to the season? Or does Ricky Stuart and his team know exactly what they are doing, putting in all the necessary work on the training paddock to make sure they are best prepared for the long road ahead? They were the minor premiers in 2025, so they must be doing something right.
Still, if the NRL wants to call three weeks of trial games the 'Preseason Challenge', they probably need to do something about the quality of the challenge. The very least they could do would be to coordinate if and when each club planned to run out their A-list players and then match them up. That way the fans could be satisfied that they were watching at least one serious half of footy, knowing that the rest would be fringe players and youngsters taking on teams of similar strength and talent. There is surely questionable benefit to having your star players, equally at risk of injury, playing against a reserve grade lineup.
Of course, once the festivities kick off in Las Vegas this weekend, the Challenge will be forgotten. Eels fans can celebrate adding the coveted 2026 Witzer Preseason Challenge to their dusty trophy room, while, apart from Dragons fans, who must be seriously concerned after their best faltered against the Rabbitohs reserves, most fans are left none the wiser about how their team will go this season.
I'm sure the coaches found some benefit in the preseason. But for the fans, bring on the opening round and let's see some real rugby league.
