Welcome to the first Team List Tuesday of the 2026 season from the Such Is Fantasy NRL SuperCoach & Fantasy Podcast. The season starts here. This one's got a heavy draft lens — priority adds based on who's been named and who's been left out — and off the back of TLT we'll call out the top waiver wire picks of the week, prioritising players under 50% ownership.
Storm vs Eels
A lot of talk around Moses Leo heading into TLT — he's grabbed a centre spot (not the left wing where Lomax might have landed). Job security is there. Buy Moses Leo in deeper leagues (12-team, 14-team) off the waiver. Buy Nick Meaney — he shouldn't have been on any waivers in the first place; goal-kicking winger on the Storm, pick him up ASAP if he's sitting out there.
Back row talking point: Joe Chan and Lazarus Vaalepu starting, with Sean Blore back in a couple of weeks. Chan started the trial and the mail is he's locked down the other edge. Buy Joe Chan in 12-team leagues and deeper. Don't stream Vaalepu. Hold Tyran Wishart in 10-team leagues if you've got the space — relevant over Origin period, but you can probably do without him to start the year.
Eels — A Bit There
Sean Russell has nabbed Josh Addo-Carr's wing spot. Jonah Pezzet starts at five-eighth — the 5/8 position is barren in NRL Fantasy this year, so if you have to go deep, good luck, a couple of attacking stats will get him going.
Buy Jermaine Hopgood — starting front row role and forwards are getting an uptick under the new point-scoring system. He'll get dual front-row/second-row eligibility now he's been named at prop — lovely flex. Buy Jack Williams in 12-team leagues and beyond. Buy Jack de Belin — high work rate, 13 jumper, probably 60–65 minutes. Dylan Walker off the bench is a no-go on minutes; Kelma Tuilagi in the 18 jumper is a no-go.
Warriors vs Roosters
Chanel Harris-Tavita at fullback — 14-team and beyond only. Watch Wayde Egan at hooker, I really like him, probably six or seven on the hooker list, could bump to five. Not going to be on your waiver.
Big confirmation: Jacob Laban has locked down a back row spot, so he comes into my classic team. Relevant for 12-team draft leagues and beyond, possibly 10-team. But there's a curly one — Leka Halasima is coming off the bench despite all the preseason hype. Is it a job share? Is it a message from the coach? Too many question marks to draft him fresh, but Hold Leka Halasima if you already drafted him and see what the first month looks like.
Roosters — A Few Curveballs
Siua Wong coming off the bench is the big one. Nat Butcher has won the 12 jumper, although Wong may slot to lock where Blake Steep sits. Connor Watson is also coming off the bench — that wipes him out of classic and draft for me. I dropped Siua Wong today and brought in hooker cover (Reece Robson).
Buy Jake Simpkin as an 80-minute hooker cover at Manly — great streamer option if you're running Reece Robson early. Sam Walker at halfback has gone high in a lot of leagues.
Broncos vs Panthers
Friday night at Suncorp — can't wait. No big Broncos news. Jack Gosiewski has grabbed the back row spot, Xavier Willison is coming off the bench (thought he was a chance to start). No priority adds here.
At the Panthers, Liam Martin is not fit for Round 1 — Luke Garner and Scott Sorensen start in the back row. Nothing SuperCoach-relevant out of this except to say: make sure Casey McLean, Blaize Talagi and Isaah Yeo are not sitting on your waiver wires anymore. Buy Isaiah Tu'ungafasi (from 12-team leagues onwards) — he's a big mover under the new interpretation around assists, would have had an extra seven try assists last season if the new scoring had been in place.
Sharks vs Titans
Biggest TLT news of the week dropped out of the Titans. Jayden Campbell is out — Lachlan Ilias is in. Ilias is not the add for me; Tanah Boyd is the add. If Boyd's already been picked up, you're either flipping a coin on Ilias / Kaeo Weekes-type options or taking your auto-emergency. If you had Campbell in classic, look at moving to Sam Walker, Jahrome Hughes or Nathan Cleary.
The other big one: Josh Patston was meant to lock down the back row all preseason, and he's missed the 19 completely — listed in the reserves at 22. From the clouds, Aramah starts in the back row. Buy Aramah in 12-team leagues and deeper — if he plays 80 minutes on an edge, he's going to score. Never seen a minute of him play, but role is role.
Watch Cooper Bai on the bench — probably 45–50 minutes. Buy David Fifita (Firemani) — named on the wing, champion classic, must-add in 12-team/14-team draft leagues if he's on your waiver. Big news: Tino Fa'asuamaleaui named at front row, currently only available at second row — dual upgrade incoming. Huge for classic.
Sharks — not a lot of draft relevancy. All the big guns (Hynes, Nicho Hynes, Nofoaluma, Blake Brailey, Braden Hamlin-Uele) are gone. Buy Briton Nikora if he's sitting on your waiver in 12-team leagues or deeper — shouldn't be. Watch Jesse Colquhoun at lock — that bench (Toby Rudolf, Kefu, Ule) looks like a forward rotation. If he gets more than 50 minutes he scores well; under 50 and the classic price rises cap out.
Sea Eagles vs Raiders
Manly as expected — no big surprises. Haumole Olakau'atu was always going to play Round 1 despite the injury icon sitting next to his name all draft season. Well done to the draft leaguers who backed it in. Buy Jake Simpkin at hooker — the add this week if you're running Reece Robson, good minutes incoming.
Canberra: Ethan Sanders confirmed at halfback and likely kicking goals — probably the other option at halfback to replace Jayden Campbell in draft leagues. Noah Martin named in the back row. Owen Pattie has been dropped for Jayden Brailey — interesting, Ricky. Interesting. Pattie named in the 22 jersey — message or poor attitude at training? We don't know.
Dolphins vs Rabbitohs
Game of the round for me — two great attacking teams, Saturday footy. Some interesting news out of Souths. Ashton Ward has grabbed the halfback jersey. Keaon Koloamatangi (A-Tung) has been named at front row as expected. And Bronson Garlick, not Peter Mamouzelos, is named at hooker.
Avoid both Rabbitohs hookers — there's going to be a job share. Garlick probably doesn't go the 80, which means Mamouzelos plays 30–35 minutes. Not relevant in classic or draft. Hold Tallis Duncan — don't panic, let's see game day and hear from Wayne, reassess in three weeks. Euan Aitken named in the back row to start. Make sure Cody Walker and Campbell Graham are not sitting on anyone's waiver — please.
Selwyn Cobbo outside Herbie Farnworth is my tip for top centre scorer this year — going to be a lot of fun to watch. Buy Tom Gilbert — named at front row, currently only available at second row, so dual eligibility is coming. 14-team leagues bring him in. Buy Thomas Flegler — starting. Almost two years out of the game, absolute weapon. If he's on your draft waiver, grab him. 12-team leagues, 100% bring him in for classic — no-brainer. Nursing him back but starters will get 50+ minutes. Buy Oryn Keeley (organised) at lock — tick from the coach, huge preseason reports out of the English Super League. 14-team bring him in.
Round 1 Buy / Sell / Hold Summary
That pretty much wraps up the Round 1 TLT draft review. Next week I'll let the round play out, pull the SuperCoach ownership data, and give a proper review on who is genuinely addable based on high versus low ownership. Good luck in your opening round — let's get after it.
This Team List Tuesday recap is from the Such Is Fantasy NRL SuperCoach & Fantasy Podcast. Catch every episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and follow Stephen on TikTok.