NRL Fantasy: Lone Scout's Winners and Losers Round 27

With the final weekend now in the books so ends the regular season and therefore NRL Fantasy comes to a close for 2026.  

It went down to the final game to decide the minor premiership and for many of us Fantasy coaches as well. So for the final time this year, let’s go through those key takeaways for Round 27. 

Lone Scout's Winners and Losers

Winners 

With just bragging rights to play for, the Bulldogs were beaten by the Broncos, perhaps still reeling after being knocked out the week before. The blue and white faithful still got the job done for selectors, in star EDG Jacob Preston (71) with another huge score. Having well and truly claimed the reins to the team, the ever improving Lachlan Galvin (82) got a lot right on the night and was well looked after in the Fantasy stats. Viliame Kikau (60) was the other to hit the heights thanks in no small part to a fine individual try. 

With just bragging rights to play for it was the Broncos ending a disappointing campaign on a high. The clear top captaincy choice has done it again with the phenomenal Souths-bound Payne Haas (86) giving his all in his final game in Broncos colours. His ever-present partner in crime Pat Carrigan (68) wasn’t without his efforts and another strong contributor to the success. While it wasn’t just their big-name forwards to achieve as their backline also showed a strong hand in Ben Hunt (70), Josiah Karapani (65) and Grant Anderson (53). Up front, Jordan Riki (53) and Xavier Willison (48) also showed up for their owners in a good final day for the defending champs.

After jumping to a 14-0 lead the Titans were fairly well handled for the most part by the Dolphins. In their final hurrah, the electric playmaker Jayden Campbell (71) left nothing in the tank even though playing through the tricky to recover turf toe. Luke Sommerton (59) in the absence of Oliver Pascoe helped along with missing only one of 48 tackle attempts. Top enforcer and skipper Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (58) again goes large in in a much fairer spread given after his early sub-50 minutes for the opening portion of 2026. Finally at nearly a point a minute the ever-interchangeable Chris Randall (55) comes through as the final man or merit having the second highest stat line for tackles and hit-ups for the hosting side.  

The Dolphins were a little too determined in this one, continuing their late-season purple patch into the club;s first ever finals series. A bounce back for the speedster Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (67) by nabbing a double on Friday evening. World Cup-bound Herbie Farnworth (56) and Jeremy Marshall-King (57) also finished their regular and Fantasy season strong. A few classy try and line assists showcased by the up-and-coming Isaiya Katoa (65) in his best performance since returning from injury. Topping the lists is Brian Pouniu (72) in just his third game puts together a 54-point average which may see him priced out on contention should he ever earn a regular 1-13 jersey in 2027. 

A memorable and historic night as the Rabbitohs and Roosters put their differences aside for Jai Arrow's 100th game for Souths. Though reported to only having a short part to play, the star CTR Latrell Mitchell (75) ended up on the field throughout and really hit the accelerator in the second half to prove himself as the best trade-in option of the round. David Fifita (70) and Cameron Murray (70) didn’t let the final game of the regular season hold them back with typical high-end performances. Alex Johnston (53) ended his best ever Fantasy season with another half-century score. And special mention for Euan Aitken (45) granted only a 34-minute stint from the pine and achieving a crazy 1.32 points per minute (PPM).  

With only a couple of the Roosters mainstays in their rank and file, it’s no surprise Fantasy was on the lighter end for the youthful Tricolours outfit. The big remaining man, Salesi Foketi (54) was the clear standout for the Roosters. While the young third-string hooker Benaiah Ioelu (48) put on a strong showing in his first ever 80-minute feature. Cody Ramsey (41) ended up with a decent score once again deputising for James Tedesco. 

With the minor premiership battle at hand the Warriors needed a big win to give themselves a shot at the title. With the game going down to the wire however it came to a drop goal as the deciding factor with Fantasy coaches thankful to see Te Maire Martin (54) have to play hard the whole game in his first hit-out back from injury. A late line-up jumble did wonders for young fullback Taine Tuaupiki (83) which was a frustration for those holding onto a trade that may’ve considered Tuaupiki had he been initially named to start. Jacob Laban (48) was solid again in a terrific second half for his season while Morgan Gannon (36) finally got into the positives for the year after a false start due to injury at the beginning of 2026, followed by a couple of non-scoring results when brought on late in recent matches. 

The Sea Eagles were ready to take the upset result having fallen just short of a top-eight spot but it wasn’t to be as the Warriors snuck home. Manly’s trademark star Tom Trbojevic (57) was involved in everything and proved to be a solid trade-in the week Reece Walsh went down. Milestone man Reuben Garrick (56) crossed for two four-pointers and became the fifth Sea Eagle to record 100 career tries in his final outing for the club. Also reaching the in-goal twice was Lehi Hopoate (77) with his family in the stands watching. Caleb Navale (68) had major game time at lock and will be one to watch entering the 2027 season after his amazing recovery from an ACL suffered in the pre-season. 

With the eighth slot locked in last round, the Cowboys weren’t able to send their home fans off as victors, going down to the Raiders in a high-scoring affair in Townsville. As hoped with Tom Dearden (23) back in the ranks for the second week running it has certainly freed up Scott Drinkwater (52) who hit the 50-mark despite the loss. With year nine of his historic 10-year contract set to finish at the end of finals, Jason Taumalolo (56) is the most capped Cowboy of all time and still going strong. 

The Green Machine were keen to end 2026 on a high and send Josh Papali’i (34) out a winner and that's what they did, the big fella grabbing a try to boot. The big mention in this incredible match-up has to be the debutant Cody Black (98) reaching and then blowing past the last top-scoring Fantasy debutant in Chris Randall (72) in 78 minutes back in 2020. It was a sensational first run at the top grade for the young playmaker and will put pressure on his coach to pick him entering into 2027. Furthering the pattern of the round, Canberra’s backline also starred in the 50-point win with Kaeo Weekes (58), Xavier Savage (73) and Ethan Strange (50) all firing. Another garnishing the mentions at the top end of town is the prop Ata Mariota (50) who certainly thrived at lock forward. 

A partially rested Sharks outfit went down in a thrilling finish to Melbourne in the final game at Ocean Protect Stadium for 2026. The young NSW Cup half debutant Riley Pollard (51) was a strong candidate for the watchlists with line breaks and a try assist among his stats in his first run at NRL level. As expected captain and tackle machine Cam McInnes (57) was at the top of the Sharks list, scoring a touch above 1 PPM. 

With the Storm missing finals football for the first time in 15 years, at least they were able to fight back and score at the very death to pinch the win out from underneath the hosting side. Nick Meaney (58) had one of his standout games with a perfect conversion rate off the tee helping him get there. The forward pack came up trumps here with Stefano Utoikamanu (71), Oryn Keeley (50) and Trent Loiero (53) on the top end. Finally it was World Cup-bound Harry Grant (54) scoring well off base efforts and an incredible nine dummy half runs, he also had a hand in a few tries that contributed to the achievement on the night.  

The Dragons played out an entertaining affair against the Eels in Wollongong and came away with a feelgood victory at home thanks to a rare two-point field goal out of nowhere by winger Tyrell Sloan (23) in what could be his final game for the club. Riding high in the fresh new digs at the back, Daniel Atkinson (55) turned it up in the fullback roll with 10 tackle breaks to show for his efforts. Toby Couchman (71) more than made up for his floor game last week allowed simply with nearly a full games worth of field time. Dylan Egan (92) has been a revelation as the club’s new captain despite his tender age and could’ve even cracked the ton had his other try not been disallowed. Loko Pasifiki Tonga (59) looked at home in the lock position while the departing Blake Lawrie (52) scored a try and copped a sin bin in a dramatic farewell in front of his adoring fans. Interestingly Kyle Flanagan (51) gains the final kudos of the side, helped with the kicking tee, he also had a hand in a few line breaks assists and try assists during his final afternoon of the season. 

The Eels opened their account early however the Dragons came away with the match in the end. Josh Addo-Carr (58) was switched to fullback in this one and it worked out for Parramatta, as The Foxx managed 212 run metres, three line breaks, four tackle breaks and a try. Dylan Walker (51) also looked like the Walker of old, despite playing off the interchange he still managed a perfect tackle efficiency and a try to add to the career’s trophy cabinet. Mitch Moses (56) also fired and did everything he could to try and gain the two points but it wasn’t too be for the Eels.

In a poetic fashion it weas the very last game of the very last round that was set to decide the minor premiership with Penrith celebrating club legend John Farragher in style as they beat Wests Tigers to claim top spot. In just his third game back, everything Casey McLean (96) touched turned to gold is he added a hat-trick to his repertoire. Tom Jenkins (71) grabs himself another double to finish equal top tryscorer for 2026 and his fellow winger Brian To’o (59) managed to cross once. The concerns of an early rest went unfounded with Nathan Cleary (53) and Dylan Edwards (50) only handed a four-minute early mark. The two top end back-rowers in Isaiah Papali’i (65) and Liam Martin (62) match each other again in form and function and made the most of every minute on the park.  

Wests Tigers lost their final game of 2026 to the minor premiers. It was the young half Jock Madden (51) who still hit his heights though facing an incredibly tough and impassioned opposition. The top-ranking Wests Tigers player was none other than Terrell May (69), even with just a 62-minute game, he still managed to score best. Alex Seyfarth (50) was the only other visitor to hit the half-century mark as his side misses the finals for the 15th year running. 

Losers 

With only a few points in the game going their way it was a rough night for Bulldogs fans and staff against the Broncos. No less so for those faithful Jacob Kiraz (34) owners who again were left short. The normally zippy dual CTR/WFB was again left right out of much of the round opener while hopes that he gains the nod to take on a fullback role next year and flips the script on his late season Fantasy outputs. Leo Thompson (30) again kept low despite being one of the top three in Fantasy for Canterbury this year. Since his explosion into the starting ranks in Round 25, the dynamic Hayze Perham (37) has been well reserved in results for two weeks running now though even having the goalkicking in support. 

The Titans started well but were run down. Unfortunately for those relying on Keano Kini (15), he was on the back foot early with just his second career trip to the sin bin, and couldn’t find a way back in a very low result. The bump to centre did the interchangeable back-rower Beau Fermor (33) and his holders no favours with a few extra missed tackles and an error resetting his results to match his 50-minute injury interrupted last game two weeks prior. Another odd entry here is the 2026 top pointscorer, Jamayne Isaako (32) who was without his trademark breakaway dashes and could only rely on his goalkicking to bolster his points. Jack Bostock (10) also didn’t have a good day and shows why you need to keep enough trades post-Origin to remove those who are best as cover in the mid part of the year only. 

South Sydney had a nice victory over the Roosters which resulted in extra rest for Keaon Koloamatangi (24) who put up his lowest score of many a match. Fullback Jye Gray (29) was on the quieter end though gaining the recall to the No.1 with Matt Dufty not selected.  

Though the minor premiership was up for grabs for the Warriors in their win over Manly, it appeared their top brass in Erin Clark (42), Mitch Barnett (33) and James Fisher-Harris (32) were kept in reserve with only 48 minutes recorded on average for the three representative MIDs.  

 

Despite the high scores in Townsville it was a quiet night for the outside backs, namely Jaxon Purdue (22) and last weekend’s bounceback man Tom Chester (38). In an almost bizzarro shift for Fantasy results it was the Raiders top-tier players who landed short of par in this one with Joe Tapine (29) and Owen Pattie (34) far below their norm. Another missing the mark was rookie edge Noah Martin (35) who had his lowest 80-minute output.

Cronulla went down to the Storm in a thriller with the most frustration given to those owning KL Iro or Jesse Colquhoun as both remained on the bench not to play. Weirdly, the top tackle breaker for 2026, Sualauvi Fa’alogo (34) left all 40% of Fantasy coaches wanting after missing out in the final round. Troubling signs for the looming Rugby League World cup with yet another of New Zealand’s top halves candidates in Jahrome Hughes (24) being assisted from the field with a hamstring issue. His halves partner Cam Munster (32) had another high organiser low Fantasy shift as he has done the last few weeks. 

 

The Dragons defeated Parramatta at home but unfortunately local hero Hamish Stewart (23) had his day ended early due to a HIA which cost more than a few coaches victory in the final round of head-to-head. Another underwhelming run out for Damien Cook (33) who was subbed for the young Connor Muhleisen (29) and it cost a decent result for those who risked it on the veteran dummy half. Having seemingly taken the foot off the pedal, Jack Williams (32) had been one of if not the most consistent 50-point scorer all season but didn’t get enough of the ball out on the right edge in this one. 

Penrith claimed another trophy for their cabinet in their 28-point win over Wests Tigers at CommBank on Sunday. In a odd decision by the coaching staff it was Liam Henry (27) who lost out in the rotation with the return of their top-class forward Isaah Yeo (40), which allotted minimal minutes and by extension Fantasy points. Still getting decent game time was Linsday Smith (37) however we have known he needs a full 80-minute role to remain in the top picks. Samuela Fainu (31) has had an incredible season in Fantasy but the lower scores in these past two outings means he will now be one to merely keep an eye on entering 2027. 

Round 27 NRL Fantasy Team of the Week 

1. Taine Tuaupiki (WFB) – 83 points 
2. Xavier Savage (WFB) – 73 points 
3. Casey McLean CTR) – 96 points 
4. Latrell Mitchell (CTR/WFB) – 75 points 
5. Lehi Hopoate (WFB) – 77 points 
6. Lachy Galvin (HLF) – 82 points 
7. Coby Black (HLF) – 98 points 
8. Stefano Utoikamanu (MID) – 71 points 
9. Luke Sommerton (HOK) – 59 points 
10. Payne Haas (MID) – 86 points  
11 Dylan Egan (EDG) – 92 points 
12. Brian Pouniu (EDG) – 72 points 
13. Toby Couchman (MID/EDG) – 71 points 
14. Tom Jenkins (WFB) – 72 points 
15. Jayden Campbell (HLF) – 71 points  
16. Jacob Preston (EDG) – 71 points 
17. David Fifita (EDG) – 70 points  

 

That’s a wrap for Fantasy in 2026.

Congratulations to David P for taking out top spot in the rankings.

For those following, I was able to end 640th for the year – so make sure you keep following along heading into next year. Thanks for playing and reading my articles and I will see you bigger and better in 2027!