NRL

Even before the Roosters’ record-breaking 82-12 demolition of the Cowboys on Thursday night, it’s been a turbulent 2026 NRL season with plenty of shock storylines and results.

Read more Football

Speaking on this week’s Six Tackles with Gus podcast, Phil Gould has warned fans and clubs to be prepared for more of the same in years to come.

Discussing the fact that 2026 could be just the second time in the NRL era that both grand finalists and the minor premiers have missed the finals the following season (it first happened in 2005 but that involved just two teams from 2004 — the Roosters and Bulldogs), Gould predicted the fluctuations in fortunes would almost certainly continue.

“I think that’s going to be the norm for the foreseeable future, the next four or five years anyway,” Gould declared.

MORE: Roosters run riot in 14-try Cowboys flogging, biggest score in 91 years

“The bottom half of the competition is the strongest I’ve seen in decades, and with three new clubs to come in over the next three or four seasons it will further dilute the talent pool,” he added. 

“It’s going to make it very hard for clubs to recruit and maintain talent to stay finals competitive.”

‘It’s an interesting time coming up in our game’ says Phil Gould

Describing the NRL as being at a pivotal moment in its history with new teams and a new broadcast deal on the near horizon, Gould said he believes the next five years will shape the entire trajectory of the competition for decades to come.

“It’s an interesting time coming up in our game, I think the next four or five years is really building for the next 20-25 years in what our competition is going to look like into the future,” he said. 

Read more Acre Transfers Lottery Regulation to State Finance Secretariat

“But it’s going to be a real challenge for every club in this comp… the more you can retain your players and keep your players together is going to be a big factor (to be successful).”

The 68-year-old Bulldogs boss then predicted more changes and surprises at the top of the NRL table, declaring the increasingly difficult player market is likely to ‘wear down’ some of the competition’s elite teams creating the opportunity for others to rise quickly in their place.

“I’ve got really high hopes for the Gold Coast and Parramatta,” he said when asked of teams that could make major strides in 2027.

“The Dragons have also bought well and looking at their roster for next year, that’s not a a wooden spoon roster.”

Gould also warned that some the biggest disappointments of the 2026 NRL season would bounce back, likely hard.

“There are some teams that have probably missed the eight this year like your Storm, Raiders and Broncos — they’ll bounce back very strongly next year I think,” he said.

Read more Konami’s Casino Technology Segment Swings Back To Profit As 1Q Revenue Jumps 65%

“There’ll be a sense of embarrassment that they’ve missed the eight this year.”