Seven nations represented in RLWC26 Team of the Year

Players eligible to represent seven nations at the World Cup have been named in the RLWC26 Team of the Year.

Each week during the NRL season, fans have voted for their World Cup Team of the Week and to coincide with the One Month To Go countdown until the opening game between the Kangaroos and Kiwis at Allianz Stadium on October 15, RLWC2026.com is announcing the players who topped the polling in each position.

Knights superstar Kalyn Ponga, who has pledged his allegiance to New Zealand, and Panthers try scoring machine Thomas Jenkins - the joint Ken Irvine Medalist with Alex Johnston - are the only uncapped Test players in the team.

Jenkins, who scored 30 tries for Penrith in 23 regular season matches, is one of six players eligible for the Kangaroos, while there are three Kiwis and one player each from England, Lebanon Samoa and Tonga.

Roosters winger Mark Nawaqanitawase, who won selection on a countback from New Zealand's Jamayne Isaako and Samoa's Alofiana Khan-Pereira, is eligible for Fiji as well as Australia.

England centre Herbie Farnworth and Kangaroos halfback Nathan Cleary were the most prolific selections, with the pair each voted into the RLWC26 Team of the Week on 14 occasions.

Latrell Mitchell is the other centre after being selected in the RLWC26 Team of the Week on seven occasions - despite playing just 11 regular season matches for the Rabbitohs. 

Lebanon playmaker Adam Doueihi featured on five occasions and partners Cleary in the halves, but he was the Wests Tigers player with the most appearances.

Co-captain Api Koroisau topped the polling for hooker in the RLWC26 Team of the Week six times, but the Fiji star's feats were eclipsed by Storm skipper Harry Grant - the 2025 IRL Golden Boot winner featuring on eight occasions.

Samoa prop Payne Haas also made eight appearances in the Team of the Week, despite the Broncos' disappointing season, while Kiwis captain James Fisher-Harris edged out Warriors team-mate Jackson Ford for the other front row berth. 

A countback was also needed to determine the second row partner for Tonga and Manly's Haumole Olakau'atu, who featured nine times in the Team of the Week.

Kangaroos enforcer Liam Martin got the nod over Canterbury's Jacob Preston, who is likely to be his second row partner at the World Cup, Tonga's David Fifita, England's Kai Pearce-Paul and Samoa's Jacob Laban.

The lock position was another close call between New Zealand's Erin Clark and Australia's Cameron Murray, who each topped the vote on six occasions. Clark won the spot on a countback after having received more nominations during the course of the season.