The 2026 NRL season is rapidly drawing to a close, but not before Sunday night's Grand Final between the Sydney Roosters and Newcastle Knights.
The Knights are hoping to become the first team from outside the top four to lift the Provan-Summons Trophy and end a 25-year title drought, while the Roosters are looking to win their first premiership since 2019.
Already this week we've had the Dally M Awards, with the top gong taken out by Nathan Cleary, who accepted the honour from home after leg surgery.
The NRL also named its Team of the Year, including a few surprises.
With that in mind, we asked our NRL experts Darren Arthur, Isaac Issa, Matt Bungard and Josh "Grub" Reynolds to name their own teams, including a coach and best player overall.
Check them all out, as well as an explanation on some of their tougher calls, below!
DARREN ARTHUR
It is always a difficult task to name any side, be it a representative lineup or a season's best. Because it is so objective, personal biases will come into it. Nathan Cleary being halfback and season's best is an easy choice, naming Jacob Preston and Reuben Cotter at the back of the scrum may need some clarification.
There have been so many stand out performers in the back row this season, choosing any of them will inevitably leave out someone equally deserving. I tend to lean towards the selfless, heart on the sleeve, consistent 110% contributors when naming my best forwards. So much so, that Cameron McInnes was up there with Cotter in my considerations for best lock. Preston is also one of those players, and anyone who watched the Bulldogs struggle this year will know it was in spite of all that Preston did for the team.
Similarly Reece Robson may not have been the flashiest hooker in 2026, but he was certainly among the most reliable and a key reason the Blues won Origin and the Roosters made the Grand Final. Argue all you like, but I'm very comfortable with those three in particular being in my team of the best performers of 2026.
ISAAC ISSA
The No.14 jersey was arguably the toughest selection of the team, with a number of players mounting strong cases throughout the season. Ultimately, Lachlan Galvin gets the nod after an outstanding first full season at Canterbury.
Galvin quickly established himself as one of the Bulldogs' most influential players, with his consistency and impact recognised when he claimed the club's Dr George Peponis Medal as Player of the Year.
While there were several genuine contenders for the final spot, Galvin's ability to influence games as both a runner and playmaker, coupled with the level he maintained across the season, was enough to narrowly earn him the final place in the side.
MATT BUNGARD
There were some positions -- like centre and halfback -- which required absolutely no thought at all. Others were a bit more nuanced, fullback especially was one I struggled with. It's not always enough to be the best player in an underachieving side to justify a spot in a team like this, but Sua Fa'alogo was a one-man army for the Storm at times.
As for the other contentious picks, part of me feels like we expect so much from Payne Haas at this point that him having a really good year (which he did) isn't enough. It's kind of like Brian To'o where the bar is so high, having really good underlying numbers doesn't impress people anymore.
But speaking of wingers, it was the toughest call of all. Mark Nawaqanitawase has set the world on fire in the finals and is in my opinion the best winger in the world right now, but in terms of the body of work they put together over the course of the season it was down to one of two blokes who scored 30 tries, and one of two Dolphins.
I went with Johnston based on his ball playing (seven try assists) and solid all-around game but you could absolutely go with Tom Jenkins and his aerial prowess, plus superb yardage numbers. I went with Selwyn Cobbo over Jamayne Isaako just because of how impressed I was with Cobbo bouncing back from a slow start to the year.
JOSH REYNOLDS
James Tedesco is aging like a fine wine -- I know he missed some time but one thing you know about Teddy is that he's always going to be there. His support play is second to none and you can't go past him.
In the front row I love Naufahu Whyte, he's the new Jared Waerea-Hargraves of that team, the dominant alpha male. James Fisher-Harris and his leadership, both on and off the field, is quite unbelievable. You just know he doesn't let anyone take shortcuts and these young Warriors forwards coming through, he's making sure they know what it takes to be a first grader.
He played a lot of centre, but Tallis Duncan had that good of a season. He's just a brilliant player, wherever he played - but when he's in the backrow he's such a handful one-on-one. On Anzac Day when he went after Munster? I loved that.
As for the player of the year, Nathan keeps getting better and better, and he's his own harshest critic. He's unbelievable.