Another thrilling season of the Hostplus Cup is in the books and it’s time to debrief on the year that was by grading all fifteen teams on their respective performances.
Each team will be graded on an A-E scale, taking into consideration their pre-season expectations, resources and overall results.
Brisbane Tigers: C+
It was a rollercoaster year for the orange and black, with consistency seemingly escaping the Tigers at every possible chance. The Tigers only managed consecutive wins twice this season, with their longest winning streak of the year being two victories in a row. Despite this, Brisbane improved on last year’s ladder position — finishing 2025 in 9th-place after an 11th-place finish in 2024. Josh Smith proved to be a revelation after making the move from Mackay, ending the year as the competition’s best centre and asserting himself as a true point of difference in attack.
Reason for excitement in 2026: Jim Lenihan has signed on as the Brisbane Tigers’ head coach for 2026. The experienced coach boasts two Hostplus Cup premierships to his name, winning with the Burleigh Bears in 2016 and 2019. Lenihan joins the Tigers after coaching with the Gold Coast Titans in an assistant capacity.
Burleigh Bears: A+
No surprises here. The Burleigh Bears were far and away the best team of 2025, winning the minor premiership and dominating the Norths Devils in the Grand Final. Sam Coster and Guy Hamilton were the best lock and halfback in the competition respectively, with Josh Rogers continuously stepping up in big moments throughout the season. Takitau Mapapalangi and Nicholas O’Meley both experienced breakout seasons, with O'Meley being rewarded with a train-and-trial contract with the Canterbury Bulldogs after his spectacular 2025 season.
Reason for excitement in 2026: The Bears’ Mal Meninga Cup side also won the 2025 premiership, with the likes of Phil Coates, Kilarney Lavender, Jett Bryce and Antonio Verhoeven all poised to push for a Hostplus Cup debut in 2026.
Central Queensland Capras: C-
After losing Anthony Milford, Jack Madden and Kurt Donoghue at the end of the 2024 season, the Capras understandably took a step back in 2025. Falling to 13th position this season after making the semi-finals in 2024, the Capras managed to salvage their year to an extent with an encouraging end to the season, losing only two of their final six games. The Capras proved strong at home, winning half of their games in Rockhampton, though they could only manage a single win on the road this year.
Reason for excitement in 2026: Morea Morea signed from the PNG Hunters halfway through the year, hitting his straps towards the end of the season. Morea has signed on for 2026 and will look to continue his strong form next year with a full pre-season in Rockhampton.
Ipswich Jets: A-
After winning five games across 2023 and 2024, the Ipswich Jets defied all expectations to make the top eight and win their first finals match since 2018. Tye Ingebrigtsen's first season at the helm was encouraging to say the least, as the Jets displayed an entertaining style of play boosted by great recruitment during the 2024 offseason. Oliver Pascoe stands as the epitome of this recruitment drive, leaving the Wynnum Manly Seagulls to become the Jets’ first Petero Civoniceva Medallist since Nathaniel Neale in 2018.
Reason for excitement in 2026: Another year with Ingebrigtsen and Pascoe working together can only be a good thing for the Jets, as the dynamic dummy-half looks to build on a stellar 2025 season and push towards an NRL debut.
Mackay Cutters: C
The Cutters will reflect on their 2025 campaign as one that slipped between their fingers, ending their season with six straight losses after being in 7th position after Round 17. The Cutters were dealt another blow at the end of the season, with exciting front-row prospect John Radel signing with the South Sydney Rabbitohs after a stellar season with Mackay. However, the improved performances of winger Jimmy Ngutlik and front rower Matthew Watts is an encouraging sign for next season.
Reason for excitement in 2026: Ex-Cutter Sean Mullany has signed a deal to return to Mackay in 2026 after debuting for the Gold Coast Titans in 2025. Mullany was the Cutters’ player of the season in 2022 and will no doubt provide punch for Mackay next year.
Northern Pride: C-
It was always going to be an uphill battle for the Northern Pride after suffering mass departures following their minor premiership season in 2024. The likes of Will Partridge, Dantoray Lui, Tom Chester, Kyle Schneider, Ewan Moore and Mason Kira all either left or were unavailable this season for the Pride. The Pride’s NRL-contracted players, Tom Duffy, Braidon Burns and Robert Derby played limited games this season too. Despite this, the Pride were still a competitive team for most of the season, losing eight games by ten points or less. Ultimately though, a 14th placed finish is still disappointing after winning the minor premiership only one year ago.
Reason for excitement in 2026: The Northern Pride have bid farewell to former head coach Russ Aitken, signing former Canberra Raiders halfback Sam Williams as their head coach for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
Norths Devils: A
Though they fell short of a premiership, the Devils had yet another incredible season despite plenty of departures at the end of the 2024 season. The men from North Brisbane spent the entire season in the top four, finishing only one point behind the minor premiers. During the finals, the Devils would cruise past the Blackhawks before securing a last-minute win over the Seagulls in the preliminary finals to secure their fourth Grand Final appearance in five years.
Reason for excitement in 2026: In Rohan Smith’s first year back as head coach he guided the Devils back to a Grand Final despite losing Tesi Niu, Cooper Jenkins and Tuki Simpkins over the 2024 off-season. A second year with Smith back at the helm can only bode well for the Devils in 2026.
Papua New Guinea Hunters: B
Though their final match of the year left fans wanting more, the Hunters’ 2025 season will be remembered as an important stepping stone for the development of key talent moving forward. The emergence of Gairo Voro, Sanny Wabo’s breakout year and impressive debut seasons from Murray Connors and Douglas David should give Hunters fans plenty of optimism moving forward. Ultimately however, the Hunters' inability to maintain standards outside of Port Moresby cost them a chance at a top four berth. PNG held the second-best home record in the competition with eight wins and two losses, though they were the fourth worst team in the Hostplus Cup when they played away from home. Overall, it was a season with more positives than negatives, and another year of development for their key talent should reap benefits in 2026.
Reason for excitement in 2026: Gairo Voro displayed moments of transcendent brilliance this season and despite his shortcomings the 22-year-old has the potential to be a true floor-raiser for not only the Hunters, but the PNG Kumuls as well. Another year of development, and hopefully more consistent time in the halves, will be of great benefit for the Hunters in 2026.
Redcliffe Dolphins: B+
Though they took a step back from last season, the Dolphins still turned a sixth-placed finish into a preliminary finals berth, ultimately falling two points short of a second consecutive Grand Final appearance. After losing the 2024 rookie of the year, Latrell Siegwalt, and with Trai Fuller injured or playing NRL for most of the season, new recruit Zac Miles was given plenty of time at fullback, and the ex-Falcon more than repaid Eric Smith’s faith. In addition to Miles, 2025 also saw breakout years from prop Josh Allen and debutant Jordan Plath at hooker.
Reason for excitement in 2026: The departure of head coach Eric Smith has paved the way for Dave Elliott to hold the reins in 2026. Elliott’s impressive resume includes a premiership with the Norths Devils in 2024, as well as assisting Tahnee Norris with the 2025 Queensland Maroons Origin campaign.
Souths Logan Magpies: C-
Despite boasting one of the most talented rosters in the Hostplus Cup, the Souths Logan Magpies could not find defensive consistency week-to-week, resulting in a disappointing 2025 campaign. The Magpies conceded the third most points of any team in the competition, giving up an average of 27 points each week. However, with ball in hand the Magpies proved themselves to be one of, if not the, most dangerous teams in the competition. The emergence of outside backs such as Phranklyn Mano-Le-Mamea and Floyd Aubrey were a definite bright spot in an otherwise underwhelming season.
Reason for excitement in 2026: The Magpies scored the most points of any team this year. The equation for a successful 2026 campaign is simple, fix the defensive lapses while maintaining their attacking strike.
Sunshine Coast Falcons: B
A heartbreaking end to a season shouldn’t detract from an otherwise positive year for the Falcons. In the club’s final year as a feeder for the Melbourne Storm, the Sunshine Coast faithful were able to catch plenty of gametime from the likes of Lazarus Vaalepu, Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Jonah Pezet, all of whom played big roles in a strong 2025 campaign. Outside of their NRL contracted players, local talents such as Flynn Camilleri and Mason Peut shone brightly, especially during their five-game win streak to finish the season. But arguably their brightest star was winger Zion Johnson. Johnson finished the season as the Hostplus Cup rookie of the year, scoring 17 tries and making 21 line breaks in his 20 appearances.
Reason for excitement in 2026: The Falcons’ new affiliation with the Brisbane Broncos will allow the club to focus more on local talent without external roster influence from NRL clubs. In addition, the Falcons have re-signed a plethora of exciting young talent such as Flynn Camilleri, Josh Billings, Danny Heenan and Cooper Page-Wilson.
Townsville Blackhawks: A-
Though they ran out of steam towards the back end of the season, the Blackhawks will be thrilled with their most successful year since 2019. Sitting in first place after Round 18, the Blackhawks would ultimately finish the season in third place before exiting the finals with back-to-back losses. Despite this, incredible early season performances combined with breakout years from young talent such as Dudley Dotoi, Kaiden Lahrs and Eddie Hampson have given Blackhawks fans plenty to cheer about in 2025.
Reason for excitement in 2026: For many Blackhawks, 2025 was their first taste of top four and finals footy. The Blackhawks are poised to build on a successful 2025, and with plenty of returning talent – there’s no reason the Blackhawks can’t fly higher in 2026.
Tweed Seagulls: C-
It was a year of missed opportunities for the Tweed Seagulls. Despite a star-studded roster filled with NRL talent, the sole team south of the border could only manage seven wins this season, one less than 2024. However, of their 13 losses this season, eight of those were by ten points or fewer. Their season got off to a rough start – losing five of their first six matches, with their average losing margin over this period being just 5.2 points. On a positive note, their young talent played incredibly well when given the chance. Sam Stephenson, Cooper Bai, Zane Harrison, Sunny Kama and Javon Andrews all debuted this season, with Bai and Stephenson, in particular, excelling in their limited game time.
Reason for excitement in 2026: Joe O’Callaghan has signed as the Seagulls’ head coach for 2026. O’Callaghan has previously won the NSW Cup & State Championship with the South Sydney Rabbitohs in 2023, as well as having prior Hostplus Cup coaching experience with the Northern Pride.
Western Clydesdales: C-
Despite another tough year for the Clydesdales, they were able to improve their win total from 2024 while also debuting some exciting young talent. Kaden Buhse improved on his 2024 campaign, locking down the fullback spot as his own and winning the Clydesdales’ player’s player award. On the wing, it was Joseph Litidamu who played at a level far above his age, as the 18-year-old scored 11 tries in 17 appearances, proving himself as one of the most consistent players in the squad. Ultimately, the Clydesdales conceded the most points while also scoring the least points this season, though there is plenty of excitement about the Clydesdales moving forward.
Reason for excitement in 2026: The Walker brothers returning to Toowoomba is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Clydesdales. A new style of play and culture will bring excitement back to this historic club, and regardless of results – the Clydesdales will be must-watch TV in 2026.
Wynnum Manly Seagulls: A-
After just sneaking into the top eight last year, the Wynnum Manly Seagulls excelled in 2025, barely missing the grand final after conceding a last-minute try in the preliminary finals against the Devils. The signing of Liam Sutton midway through the year proved to be a revelation for the Seagulls, with the Novocastrian half scoring 10 tries and assisting 14 tries in only 15 appearances for the club. Elsewhere in the spine, Ben Farr was the premier fullback of the season, while Cameron Bukowski was arguably the form player of the finals series at hooker.
Reason for excitement in 2026: Bukowski’s end of season form was crucial to the Seagulls’ finals success. Another year of development between Bukowski and Sutton will provide a dynamic edge to the Seagulls’ attack, especially with their long-kicking game.
