Right now, unless you're a fan of the Broncos, Panthers or Storm, you've been waiting a while to see your team experience premiership success.
But for some the drought has been much longer.
With the Warriors and Titans still yet to find glory and clubs like the Eels and Raiders having gone more than 30 years without a title win, the NRL.com team give their pick on which of those long-suffering fanbases has the most hope of winning the big one in 2026.
Who's most likely to end their multi-decade premiership drought?
Brad Walter: The Bulldogs were top of the table for three months in 2025, but coach Cameron Ciraldo believed his side couldn't win the competition with the spine he had and made some key changes. The decision to replace halfback Toby Sexton with Lachlan Galvin and start Bayley Hayward at hooker may not have resulted in immediate success, but Ciraldo now has the players he believes can deliver a premiership. The addition of Kiwi prop Leo Thompson will strengthen a forward pack some considered undersize in 2025, while the Bulldogs have also added exciting young forward Finau Latu from the Dragons. After five years of a rebuilding plan that began with the signing of Matt Burton in 2022, followed by Viliame Kikau in 2023, Stephen Crichton in 2024, Lachlan Galvin in 2025 and now Thompson, 2026 could be the year the Bulldogs finally break through for their first premiership since 2004.
A look back at the 2004 Grand Final
Cameron Mee: Last season ended in heartbreak for the Raiders when they received the dubious honour of becoming the first minor premiers to bow out in straight sets since the 2009 Dragons. The similarities between the two clubs are striking. After years of disappointment, the Dragons returned in 2010 to snap a 31-year title drought with a famous grand final victory. Raiders fans have had to wait an extra year, with their drought stretching out to 32 years in 2026, but all the pieces are there for Canberra to bury the pain of last season and hoist the Provan-Summons Trophy. The Raiders boast one of the best packs in the game and an explosive backline, with the only question mark being how Ricky Stuart replaces departed halfback Jamal Fogarty. If Ethan Sanders can live up to the expectations, Canberra could be turning lime green next October.
Revisiting the 1994 Grand Final
Colleen Edwards: While minor premiers Canberra Raiders are well placed to push further into their finals journey after their straight sets exit this year, the Warriors shape as ones to watch in 2026. New Zealand's team are yet to claim a title, but momentum is building after a promising 2025 season was curtailed by long-term injuries to halfback Luke Metcalf and forward leader Mitch Barnett. After a fairytale rise in 2023, the following season delivered a wake-up call, before Andrew Webster's side again showed they were a force to be reckoned with, unleashing both new and invigorated talents like Leka Halasima and Erin Clark on the competition. Despite their setbacks, they still managed to feature in the finals, but their drop in form during the closing weeks of the regular season cost them dearly, giving up a top-four spot and the double chance in the finals series.
Martin Lenehan: The Warriors enter their 32nd season in the competition with an undeniable chance to deliver a maiden premiership to their passionate fans. Since their last grand final appearance in 2011, the Warriors have played finals just three times, two of those coming in 2023 and 2025. The foundations have been laid, the roster is stacked, the time is now! With James Fisher-Harris, Leka Halasima, Erin Clark, Jackson Ford and Demitric Vaimauga leading the way up front and a star-studded backline ready to capitalise on their work, the Warriors can take down any rival on their day. Star playmaker Luke Metcalf led the Dally M Medal count halfway through 2025 but his season was cut short by an ACL injury in Round 17 and the Warriors won just four of 10 from that point on. If Metcalf and Chanel Harris-Tavita get a full season together and new recruit Alofiana Khan-Pereira finds his feet, the Warriors have the weapons to challenge for that long awaited title.
