NRL Round 1 team lists: Vegas squads, NRL Supercoach analysis

The wait is over, Team list Tuesday has arrived for the 2026 NRL season.

The first official NRL fixture TLT that is.

The pre-season is completed, Parramatta are the new premiership favourites because we all know trials are dead accurate forecasts for the season, and now we turn our attention to the bright lights of Las Vegas.

Round one is split across two weekends, the first two fixtures begin on Sunday and the remaining six are the following week.

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The rolling lockout will be active all week after Vegas, meaning we can continue to trade players in and out of our teams without using any of our total trades.

However, the players that feature in the Vegas teams – Cowboys, Knights, Bulldogs and Dragons – will lock into your teams and cannot be moved.

For the full statistical breakdown of each club’s season incuding stats for Supercoach relevant players, check out their club feature articles on site.

For the first time this season, let’s take a look at NRL Supercoach Round 1, with squad lists courtesy of League Unlimited.

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KNIGHTS v COWBOYS

Sunday, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, 1:15pm AEDT.

Knights: 1. Kalyn Ponga 2. Dominic Young 3. Dane Gagai 4. Bradman Best 5. Greg Marzhew 6. Fletcher Sharpe 7. Dylan Brown 8. Jacob Saifiti 9. Phoenix Crossland 10. Trey Mooney 11. Dylan Lucas 12. Jermaine McEwen 13. Tyson Frizell 

Bench: 14. Sandon Smith 15. Mathew Croker 16. Thomas Cant 17. Pasami Saulo 

Reserves: 18. Fletcher Hunt 19. Francis Manuleleua 20. Tyson Gamble 21. Cody Hopwood 22. James Schiller

Analysis: Kalyn Ponga has been named despite failing to feature in the pre-season trials, as has Dane Gagai.

Fletcher Sharpe has won the starting five-eighth spot alongside Dylan Brown at halfback.

With Brown at halfback, he won’t get the dual 5/8-HFB some people were banking on.

Recruit Sandon Smith will make his club debut off the bench.

Despite a slightly disrupted pre-season, 2RF mid-ranger Jermaine McEwen has been named to start on the edge and looks a quality buy.

The concern will be minutes with a niggle that was managed throughout trials, and Thomas Cant on the bench.

Popular mid-range 2RF-FRF Trey Mooney has been named to start despite reports he’d been benched, making him a viable starting option.

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Cowboys: 1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Braidon Burns 3. Jaxon Purdue 4. Tomas Chester 5. Murray Taulagi 6. Jake Clifford 7. Tom Dearden 8. Coen Hess 9. Reed Mahoney 10. Jason Taumalolo 11. Heilum Luki 12. Sam McIntyre 13. Reuben Cotter 

Bench: 14. Soni Luke 15. Thomas Mikaele 16. Harrison Edwards 17. Kai O’Donnell 

Reserves: 18. Griffin Neame 19. John Bateman 20. Liam Sutton 21. Matthew Lodge 22. Robert Derby

Analysis: No major shocks to the Cowboys line-up for Round 1.

With Zac Laybutt suspended, cheapie Tom Chester starts at centre alongside Jaxon Purdue.

This will see Jake Clifford partner Tom Dearden in the halves.

Chester looks a solid buy at near bottom dollar at $216k, with dual CTW-FLB positioning.

With plenty of cheapies available at CTW, and no TLT for six clubs until next week, I’ll fall short of calling him a must-own.

The reason being is that when Laybutt serves his suspension he could easily slot straight back in for Chester.

However, worst case scenario he’d only be one injury (or poor run of form) from returning to the team ahead of his first price rise.

Heilum Luki starts on the edge alongside Sam McIntyre, having beaten out John Bateman for the starting spot.

Luki excelled during the pre-season on return from a lengthy injury lay-off.

He could play 80 minutes, but after a year out of the game with his injury history my tip would be a 60-65 minute role to start the campaign.

Regardless, I like him as a buy.

The appearance of Soni Luke on the extended bench does make Reed Mahoney a nervous pick up, however I feel the former Bulldog should get his 80 minutes.

While the six-man bench is certainly nerve wracking, the reality is that only four players can be used.

You’d imagine Mahoney features in an 80-minute role making him a decent round 1 buy, but anything less than the full allotment of minutes would deter his credentials substantially.

Scott Drinkwater was one of the big losers out of the new stats system, he’s priced at $794k on an 81.1 point average, under the new system he’d be priced at $747k on a 76.4 average.

Not for me, but I do have the Cowboys down as landing the easiest draw to begin the season which is significant.

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BULLDOGS v DRAGONS

Sunday, Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, 3:30pm AEDT.

Bulldogs: 1. Connor Tracey 2. Jacob Kiraz 3. Bronson Xerri 4. Stephen Crichton 5. Marcelo Montoya 6. Matt Burton 7. Lachlan Galvin 8. Max King 9. Bailey Hayward 10. Samuel Hughes 11. Viliame Kikau 12. Jacob Preston 13. Jaeman Salmon 

Bench: 14. Kurt Mann 15. Sitili Tupouniua 16. Harry Hayes 17. Josh Curran

Reserves: 19. Sean O’Sullivan 20. Jake Turpin 21. Enari Tuala 22. Jonathan Sua 23. Alekolasimi Jones

Analysis: No major surprises at the Doggies, with Matt Burton named at five-eighth looking to overcome a pre-season hamstring concern.

Sean O’Sullivan is on the extended bench as cover.

Jacob Kiraz has been named to take his place on the wing despite not featuring in any pre-season trials.

With Leo Thompson out for around two months, Sam Hughes starts in the front-row alongside Max King.

Stephen Crichton played left centre in the Dogs second trial, with Bronson Xerri on the right.

We should hopefully get confirmation of whether this is a permanent switch or not during the week.

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With centres benefitting from the new stats system with more try-assists and line-assists with the last pass rule Crichton interests me either way, but I’d prefer him on the left where the Dogs send plenty of their attack.

I’m unlikely to start him due to strong hooking options elsewhere, but Bailey Hayward is undervalued in my eyes and should make some cash.

Making the fulltime transition as the starting 9 his minutes will inflate this year, as will his stats under the new system with third man in tackles rewarded more often.

I do still think Brandon Smith is a better buy at over $100k cheaper.

After a season surrounded by media, I very much expect Lachlan Galvin to increase his Supercoach output in 2026.

If he was available in the fairly unappealing 5/8 slot I’d start him, I just feel there may be some slightly better value at halfback.

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Dragons: 1. Clinton Gutherson 2. Christian Tuipulotu 3. Moses Suli 4. Valentine Holmes 5. Setu Tu 6. Kyle Flanagan 7. Daniel Atkinson 8. Emre Guler 9. Damien Cook 10. Toby Couchman 11. Luciano Leilua 12. Jaydn Su’A 13. Hamish Stewart 

Bench: 14. Hame Sele 15. Josh Kerr 16. Blake Lawrie 17. Ryan Couchman

Reserves: 18. Lyhkan King-Togia 19. David Fale 20. Jacob Halangahu 21. Mathew Feagai 22. Tyrell Sloan

Analysis: As expected, Setu Tu has won the wing spot with Dave Fale missing the starting side.

While job security isn’t great, a starting winger at $201k in a side that puts wingers into space extremely well looks a near must.

I’d avoid playing him in my starting squad initially, and it might be a rollercoaster ride of scoring early, but as tries start to flow he should make owners some decent cash.

Valentine Holmes has been named to take his place at centre despite a pre-season injury concern.

Reports suggest he’ll shift to right centre, with Moses Suli on the left.

Based on actual value, he’s the fourth biggest winner in Supercoach under the new stats system.

He’s priced at $734k based on a 75.1 point average last season, under the new system he’d be $798k based on an 81.6 average.

He was in my team until the news of the hamstring complaint, but I do worry about starting him under the injury cloud.

Suli is also a genuine option for similar reasons.

Suli is another who benefits from the new stats, he’s priced at $475k on a 49 point average, on the NRL system he averaged 56 points and should be priced at $549k.

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At the price there’s genuine value to start, he gets through a mountain of work and should make good cash.

I like the buy, but the Dragons Charity Shield form has made me a little nervous.

Cheapie Daniel Atkinson ($235k) looks a great buy, every team should probably have either him or Ethan Sanders ($246k) in their reserve halfback position.

Picking which one is almost a coin flip. Atkinson has experience and a running game suited to Supercoach scoring, Sanders is playing behind a gun Raiders pack and could goal-kick. Take your pick!

Toby Couchman ($588k) starts at prop, he would have averaged an extra 4 points under the new system, benefitting from extra tackle stats.

He averaged 60 points in 60 minutes, with an exceptional 53 in base stats.

He appears a decent buy, although I am wary of minutes as he carried the extra load with so many injuries among the pack last season.

Luciano Leilua ($420k) has won the starting edge spot, while Hamish Stewart ($402k) starts at lock. You could make a case for both, but I want to see their minutes play out early on.

Jacob Liddle has not overcome a pre-season injury in time to feature, meaning Damien Cook will play big minutes.