Ugly truth in Cleary call we bombed; stunner few saw coming— 2025 NRL predictions revisited

We can already picture the comment section.

Ahead of the 2025 NRL season we stuck our neck out and made 25 bold predictions.

The point of this excersise wasn’t to be safe, or sit on the fence.

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It was bold.

So naturally we got some horribly wrong.

But among the duds were some big wins, six to be precise.

Read on for foxsports.com.au’s 25 NRL bold predictions for 2025 revisited.

Verdict key: Not even close, Not the worst tip, Almost, Nailed it.

BRONCOS FINISH TOP TWO

Verdict: Nailed it

The Broncos finished the regular season in fourth spot, but technically they did finish in the top two after going on to make the Grand Final and beat the Storm 26-22 to win the premiership. It looked shaky early in the season, but the Broncos stormed home to squeak into the top four and then Reece Walsh took over. The star fullback led the Broncos back from 28-14 down against the Raiders, 14-0 down against the Panthers and then 22-12 down against the Storm as the Comeback Kings clinched a remarkable 19-year drought-breaking title. So technically they finished first, which is in the top two.

EELS COLLECT THE SPOON

Verdict: Not even close

This prediction got off to a good start as the Eels were thumped 56-18 in their first game and lost their first four games and eight of their first 10, including a 50-12 thrashing by the Raiders. However, Jason Ryles inspired his side to a massive turnaround in the second half of the season and with Mitchell Moses returning from injury, they finished 2025 as one of the form sides of the competition. While it wasn’t enough to make the finals, the Eels finished 11th and had Moses been available for most of the year, they could have finished even higher.

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ROOSTERS MISS THE TOP EIGHT

Verdict: Almost

The Roosters started the season slowly as they so often do, with a 50-14 thrashing by the Broncos at home and went on to lose four of their first five games. However, a Dally M Medal winning season from skipper James Tedesco and the emergence of halfback Hugo Savala and centre Robert Toia saw the Roosters storm back into the top eight race. After a late season loss to the Sharks it looked like they had blown their top eight spot and it took a last round victory over arch rivals the Rabbitohs to seal a finals berth. The Roosters squeaked into the top eight two competition points and seven for and against points ahead of the Dolphins, before they were knocked out of the finals in week one by the Sharks.

NO COACHES GET SACKED

Verdict: Almost

Technically no coaches were sacked in the regular season, but the Knights and the Titans agreed to part ways with their coaches after the final round. The Titans narrowly avoided the wooden spoon, with Des Hasler moved on and replaced by Josh Hannay heading into 2026. Adam O’Brien stepped down from his Knights post after the club won the wooden spoon, with Justin Holbrook replacing him in 2026. It has been a long time since we didn’t see interim coaches operating during an NRL regular season, so this tip almost came off, but the fact O’Brien and Hasler left their posts straight after the season means we can’t claim it.

RABBITOHS MAKE TOP FOUR

Verdict: Not even close

The Rabbitohs were one of the biggest disappointments of the 2025 season, even allowing for their horror casualty ward, with Wayne Bennett’s side finishing in the bottom four and narrowly avoiding the wooden spoon. Granted, their season was derailed by the worst injury toll Bennett has seen in his time in the game, with Souths not having enough players one week to field an 18th man against the Broncos. The silver lining for next year is that Souths’ unearthed some young stars and built depth in their squad. However, Bennett came back to the Rabbitohs for an elusive premiership after his defeat by the Panthers in the 2021 decider and any way you spin it, their 2025 campaign was a disaster.

BEN HUNT WINS DALLY M MEDAL

Verdict: Not even close

Hunt had a solid year for the Broncos culminating in a drought-breaking premiership win, but he didn’t finish in the top 10 of the Dally M Medal count. Hunt scored two tries and had nine try assists in 21 games and covered five-eighth, halfback and hooker amid injuries to Adam Reynolds and Ezra Mam, proving one of the best signings of the year. Hunt slotted an extra-time field goal to beat the Raiders in the finals and went on to exorcise his ghosts from the 2015 Grand Final loss to the Cowboys. But he was a fair way off from winning the Dally M Medal.

LEWIS DODD BECOMES A HOUSEHOLD NAME

Verdict: Not even close

Lewis Dodd was in plenty of headlines last season, but for all the wrong reasons as the star recruit failed to make his mark in the NRL. Dodd was brought to the Rabbitohs as their halfback saviour but played just six games all season, as he struggled to get a run under Wayne Bennett. Jamie Humphreys, Ashton Ward, Jayden Sullivan and Jack Wighton were all preferred in the halves, even allowing for multiple injuries to Cody Walker. Ultimately, Souths cut their losses and reached a settlement with Dodd, bringing his three year $1.8 million deal to an end after just one season. Dodd is a talented player and may be a household name in the Super League, but his NRL stint was a failure, whichever way you look at it.

BRONSON XERRI MAKES ORIGIN DEBUT

Verdict: Not the worst tip

The reborn Bulldogs centre put his drug ban firmly in the rear vision mirror with another outstanding season at Belmore, but it wasn’t enough to earn him a spot in the NSW Origin squad, let alone the team. However, with nine tries in 24 games, Xerri helped propel the Bulldogs to a top four finish and the 25-year-old wouldn’t look out of place in a Blues jersey in the future. Xerri has the speed and strength to be a representative star and if it were not for the Blues’ immense depth at the centre position and his time out of the game, he could have already debuted in the Origin arena by now.

ROBERT TOIA TO WIN DALLY M ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Verdict: Nailed it

Robert Toia was one of the stories of the 2025 season, as he put back-to-back ACL injuries behind him to announce himself as an NRL star and win the Dally M rookie of the year as predicted. The 21-year-old scored seven tries in 22 games for the Roosters in his rookie season, with his form earning him a start in all three Origin games as the Maroons won the series 2-1. Toia was a big reason why the Roosters made the finals and he capped his sensational year off with a Test debut for Tonga. Given his age and potential, Toia can go on to be one of the best centres in the game in the coming years.

RONALDO MULITALO MAKES DALLY M TEAM OF THE YEAR

Verdict: Not the worst tip

Were it not for Xavier Coates and Mark Nawaqanitawase, Ronaldo Mulitalo would have been a deserved pick for Dally M winger of the year. The flyer scored 17 tries in 26 games to help lead the Sharks to the preliminary final and he finished fifth on the try-scorers list for wingers in 2025. Mulitalo was also the heartbeat of the Sharks’ finals charge, making some brutal defensive plays and tough carries out of the red zone, while he also scored a double in the victory to knock the Roosters out of the finals. Unfortunately, a knee injury in the Pacific Championships has ruled Mulitalo out for an extended period, but he can be proud of his efforts last season.

BRANDON SMITH SIGNS WITH EELS

Verdict: Not the worst tip

Smith was looking for a new club after the Roosters opted to cut short his stay at the Bondi club after two tries in 41 games over three seasons. Smith missed most of the 2025 season with an ACL injury and didn’t play a game for the Roosters, as they looked to offload him on a rival club. The Eels looked like a good landing spot, given they were in search of a marquee No.9 and Jason Ryles had history with Smith from his time as an assistant at the Storm. However, Smith opted to sign with the Rabbitohs and played five games for them in 2025, but his season was cut short by a betting and drug scandal, that could see him banned by the NRL once his court proceedings are concluded. Smith left the Roosters after a tumultuous time at the club, but he didn’t land at the Eels, who picked up Tigers rake Tallyn Da Silva.

RICKY STUART TO WIN DALLY M COACH OF THE YEAR

Verdict: Nailed it

Ricky Stuart is a great coach, but few could have predicted he would lead the Raiders to a stunning minor premiership in 2025, which clinched the veteran coach a Dally M Medal coach of the year gong. Craig Bellamy and Cameron Ciraldo deserve honourable mentions, while Michael Maguire could have got the award after guiding the Broncos to the Grand Final and later winning it, but Stuart deserved the award after guiding a team not many expected to play finals, to the top of the regular season mountain. Unfortunately, the Broncos broke the Raiders hearts in the qualifying final with an extra-time field goal, while the Sharks ensured they went out of the finals in straight sets. However, after finishing the regular season four points clear, the Raiders coach was a deserved winner of the coach of the year gong.

NICHO HYNES TOP POINT-SCORER

Verdict: Almost

Nicho Hynes had a great year for the Sharks and finished with eight tries and 98 goals in a 228 point haul, which saw him finish second on the NRL point-scorers list. Unfortunately, Dolphins winger Jamayne Isaako outdid him with 11 tries and 117 goals in a whopping 278 point haul to finish 50 points clear in the race to the top point-scorer gong. Given there was only three tries separating them, it was a close race, but the Dolphins’ stunning points blitz ensured Isaako kicked 19 more goals and that proved the difference between the two in the end. Remarkably, the Dolphins didn’t make the finals, while the Sharks went within a game of the Grand Final, but Isaako did enough in the regular season to be crowned top point-scorer in 2025.

CLEARY CONQUERS ORIGIN IN NSW WHITEWASH

Verdict: Not even close

Things were looking good when Cleary had a solid game in the Blues’ 18-6 victory in the Origin series opener, which had them on track for back-to-back shields. However, things went down hill from there, with Cameron Munster inspiring Queensland to a 26-24 victory in game two in Perth, before Tom Dearden orchestrated a 24-12 victory in the decider in Sydney, as Queensland came back to win the series 2-1. Cleary’s unenviable record of having never won an Origin decider continued amid criticism he is yet to dominate the arena like legends Andrew Johns, Johnathan Thurston and Allan Langer before him. Cleary will get more chances to exorcise his Origin demons in the future, but it is fair to say he hasn’t dominated at that level just yet, like he has in the NRL.

DOLPHINS FINISH BOTTOM TWO

Verdict: Not even close

Not only did the Dolphins not finish in the bottom two, but they went within a whisker of a maiden finals appearance in 2025. There were fears the Bennett curse would strike again and the Dolphins would struggle in their first season without the master coach. But Kristian Woolf deserves plenty of credit for guiding the Dolphins to 12 wins and a ninth place finish, as they missed out on the finals to the Roosters by two competition points. Had they not had to contend with one of the worst casualty wards in the NRL, which saw most of their forward pack go down, the Dolphins were a chance to make the top four at one stage. One feels the Dolphins are getting closer to a finals berth every year and they certainly won’t be a bottom two side any time in the near future.

MARK NAWAQANITAWASE TOP TRY-SCORER

Verdict: Nailed it

The dual code star came into the 2025 season with just one try in one game for the Roosters, but went on to score 23 more in 24 games to top the NRL try-scorers list. Nawaqanitawase finished ahead of Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow with 22 tries and three clear of the next best wingers Xavier Coates, Josh Addo-Carr and teammate Daniel Tupou with 19 each. And it wasn’t just the sheer number of tries the former Wallaby scored, it was the way he scored them, producing some brilliant finishes and assists that have been rarely seen on a rugby league field in the past if ever. Nawaqanitawase was rewarded with a Kangaroos jersey for the Ashes series and has his sights set on a Blues debut and a Roosters premiership in 2026, before going back to rugby union for a home World Cup in 2027.

BRONCOS PART WAYS WITH SELWYN COBBO

Verdict: Nailed it

The Broncos dropped Selwyn Cobbo early in the 2025 season, before he made the call to sign with the Dolphins on a one-year deal, amid a salary cap squeeze at the club. The 23-year-old scored six tries in just 15 games for the Broncos in 2025, with Josiah Karapani and Deine Mariner preferred on the wings for the business end of the season, as the Broncos charged to a drought-breaking title. The decision by Adam Reynolds to play on in 2026 ultimately cost Cobbo his chance at an extension and he will line up with Brisbane’s arch rivals next season. However, the short term deal leaves Cobbo the chance to rejoin the Broncos in 2027 or he could be a target for one of the expansion sides the Perth Bears or PNG Chiefs.

DEARDEN REPLACES MUNSTER AS QLD’S FIRST CHOICE NO.6

Verdict: Not the worst tip

Given the way Cameron Munster played in 2025, it was silly to predict he would be replaced in the Queensland and Australian No.6 jerseys. However, Tom Dearden’s form at rep level meant that he was always going to become a first choice half for the Maroons at some point. And that came in 2025 when Billy Slater made the bold call to drop skipper Daly Cherry-Evans after game one and give the No.7 jersey to Dearden. Dearden grabbed the opportunity with both hands and with Munster inspired Queensland to one of their greatest comeback series victory in Origin history. Dearden won the Wally Lewis Medal for his efforts. Munster went on to be player of the series in the Ashes series. so we got the Dearden part of the prediction right, but the Munster part was way off.

NRLW ANNOUNCE EXPANSION PLANS

Verdict: Nailed it

The NRLW increased from 10 to 12 teams in 2025, with the New Zealand Warriors returning to the competition and the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs introduced for their inaugural season. The expansion saw an 11 round regular season, which was the longest in the history of the NRLW, and a three week finals series featuring six teams. There are now just five of the NRL clubs that do not have an NRLW team and Andrew Abdo revealed the eventual goal is to have an NRLW team to match every NRL side, including expansion teams the Perth Bears and the PNG Chiefs in the future. The game will consolidate with a 12 team competition in 2026, but further NRLW teams are set to be introduced in 2027 and beyond as the women’s game continues to grow and the player depth improves every season.

JASON DEMETRIOU TO BE ANNOUNCED AS PNG’S NRL COACH

Verdict: Not the worst tip

Papua New Guinea international coach Jason Demetriou is considered a big chance of taking charge of the NRL team when the PNG Chiefs join the competition in 2028. Demetriou has done a great job with the PNG national side and won the Pacific Championship Bowl tournament in 2025, but the former Souths coach may have to bide his time for an NRL return, with the ARLC reportedly interested in Wayne Bennett spearheading yet another new franchise.

SHARKS TO WIN FIRST NRLW PREMIERSHIP

Verdict: Not the worst tip

The Sharks didn’t win their maiden NRLW title, but they went close after finishing the regular season in fifth place, before beating the Cowboys 24-18 in their first final. They then went within a whisker of knocking off the minor premiers the Roosters in a thrilling 17-16 preliminary final defeat, that saw then just miss out on the NRLW Grand Final. On the back of starring displays from Dally M prop of the year Ellie Johnston and star back Emma Verran, the Sharks had their best season yet in the NRLW, but it wasn’t enough to get them a maiden title, as the Broncos beat the Roosters in the decider to be crowned champions.

TIANA PENITANI-GRAY TO WIN THE DALLY M

Verdict: Not even close

Sharks playmaker Tiana Penitani-Gray had a great season with the Sharks as they went within a whisker of the Grand Final, but it wasn’t enough for her to win the Dally M Medal. In fact Penitani-Gray didn’t even finish in the top 10 for the award with teammate Emma Verran the best Shark finishing eighth in the Dally M race. Broncos star Tamika Upton beat teammate Julia Robinson to the Dally M Medal by three votes, while Knights star Jesse Southwell finished third, before moving to the premiers in 2026.

STORM-DRAGONS-KNIGHTS-EELS PICKED FOR VEGAS 2026

Verdict: Not the worst tip

We got two from four right with the Knights and the Dragons to feature in the 2026 Las Vegas season opening extravaganza, but the Storm and Eels will have to wait for another year at least. The Knights will face the Cowboys in their Las Vegas season opener next season, while the Dragons will take on the Bulldogs. It means 12 teams will have featured in the Las Vegas event over the first three years of the NRL’s initiative, with just five teams still waiting to make their American bow and seven if you include expansion teams Perth Bears and PNG Chiefs. Time will tell who makes the 2027 instalment, with the NRL committed to five years in Las Vegas and talk of a Global Round being introduced in the future, amid plenty of interest in the idea.

CLOSEST NRL LADDER IN YEARS

Verdict: Not the worst tip

The Panthers came back to the pack in 2025 to finish seventh after finding themselves last after 12 rounds. But the Raiders surprised everybody to storm to the minor premiership four points clear of Melbourne in second. For much of the season just six points separated fourth place and 14th, as teams jostled to make the finals. As it finished the fourth placed Broncos were just three wins ahead of the 10th placed Sea Eagles, while the Bulldogs had just one more win than Brisbane to finish third. Unfortunately the Tigers, Rabbitohs, Dragons, Titans and Knights faded badly, but it was still a close competition and race for finals spots for most of the year.

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