2026 NRLW Round 1 Tips & Predictions

Newcastle kickstart a new era without star halfback Jesse Southwell but have recruited smartly in her wake. Kirra Dibb and Georgia Roche will form one of the more established halves pairing in the NRLW and I like the Knights to keep this one close; Dibb’s boot will be a feature of Newcastle’s yardage game and can offset the productivity of a powerful Sharks backline here.  

Chantay Kiria-Ratu and Georgia Hannaway are a likely halves combination themselves; both are run and pass threats with the ball in hand and can create space for Jada Taylor in running involvements on the edges.   

This should be a grind. 

• Prediction: Either Team to Win By 6.5 Points or Less
• Anytime Try Scorer: Jada Taylor @ $3.30

Easts are a powerhouse club in the women’s game and few rosters can match the star power in their pack and backline. That being said, the Gold Coast have battled through two injury ravaged seasons but have the quality to go with the better teams in the competition, on their day.  

There will be fireworks early between two of the better starting packs in the NRLW but it’s Easts who profile better in turning field position into points. Star halfback Tarryn Aiken returns but Jocellyn Kelleher is coming off a compelling Origin series and can cause some damage down the right edge here.  

• Prediction: Roosters to Win @ $1.20
• Anytime Try Scorers: Brydie Parker @ $2.05 + Jess Sergis @ $2.00

St George have long invested in their next-gen talent and season 2026 may be the year it finally pays dividends. Raecene McGregor has moved on to give Kasey Reh full control of the Dragons attack from halfback while Teagan Berry plays out one final season in the famous red-and-white No.1 jumper.  

The Dragons have a nice mix of genuine gamebreakers and working toilers through the middle of the field and I like them to open their season with a win.  

Canberra have some new combinations in the spine to figure out here while their edges were a constant spot for opposing teams last year.  

• Prediction: Dragons to Win @ $1.77
• Anytime Try Scorers: Teagan Berry @ $1.96 + Jayme Millard @ $2.30

The defending premiers return with a very different lineup to the one that closed out the 2025 NRLW Grand Final. Jesse Southwell will command the headlines but in Lillian Yarrow and Shannon Mato the Broncos have acquired two top tier middle forwards for a strike backline to play behind.  

Tamika Upton had a quiet Origin series by her standards and it’s ominous to think what she might do to North Queensland’s defensive line here; either straight through the ruck or out on the edges.  

• Prediction: Broncos 13+ @ $1.87
• Anytime Tryscorer: Julia Robinson @ $1.96 + Kerri Johnson @ $1.80

Wests have made big moves over the offseason after a number of disappointing NRLW campaigns. Raecene McGregor, Shaylee Bent and Holli Wheeler are three genuine first-graders with a host of experience who can trigger a change in fortunes for the Tigers this year.  

Parramatta won’t make it easy for them, though. Having narrowly missed the finals in consecutive seasons, 2026 feels like the year the Eels kick on and they can make a fast start to their campaign in this one.  

• Prediction: Eels 1-12 @ $2.70
• Anytime Try Scorer: Rory Owen @ $2.60 + Mahalia Murphy @ $4

Canterbury made a strong start to life in the NRLW last year before running out of steam (and troops) in the back end. The involvements of halfback Tayla Preston were a shining light for the Bulldogs in 2025 and she will be a key figure again this time around, but it’s all about the new-look Warriors side for me.  

New Zealand have recruited strongly to read as a genuine finals contender on paper. How quickly that translates onto the field remains to be seen, but they can make light work of the Bulldogs edges here through halves Patricia Maliepo and Gayle Broughton.  

• Prediction: Warriors 13+ @ $1.85
• Anytime Try Scorer: Gayle Broughton @ $2.80