NRL Halfback Power Rankings 2026: Joel’s Top 5 Heading Into the Season

Joel Johnston

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Last updated: Mon 19 Jan 2026 13:42

Joel Johnston 19 Jan 2026

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Nathan Cleary holds the top spot, renowned for his unparalleled control and game management.
Mitch Moses ranks second, with exceptional skills tempered by injury challenges.
Promising talent Isaiya Katoa emerges fourth, indicating a new wave in NRL's halfback scene.

Nathan Cleary of the Panthers. (Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

NRL Halfback Power Rankings 2026: Joel’s Top 5 Heading Into the Season

The halfback position has never been deeper or more demanding than it is right now.

NRL Halfback Power Rankings 2026: Joel’s Top 5 Heading Into the Season
5. Jamal Fogarty (Manly Sea Eagles)
4. Isaiya Katoa (Dolphins)
3. Jahrome Hughes (Melbourne Storm)
2. Mitch Moses (Parramatta Eels)
1. Nathan Cleary (Penrith Panthers)

This is no longer just about kicking long, organising sets, and steering the ship. The modern NRL halfback is expected to control tempo, defend relentlessly, threaten the line, and lift an entire system when things start to wobble. It is the most scrutinised role in rugby league, and the margin between elite and exposed has never been thinner.

After breaking down the halfbacks on the League of Inches podcast, one thing became clear very quickly. The gap between number one and the rest is still there, but the chase pack is strong, experienced, and loaded with game-breaking ability.

These rankings are based on what I believe we are getting in 2026. Form, influence, durability, and the environment each halfback is walking into all matter.

5. Jamal Fogarty (Manly Sea Eagles)

Jamal Fogarty rounds out the top five, and context is everything with this pick.

For long stretches of 2025, Fogarty was one of the best halves in the competition. He controlled games, unlocked Canberra’s attack, and looked every bit like a player ready to own big moments. If this list was written after Round 20 last year, he would have been much higher.

The reason he lands at five is what happened when the pressure peaked. Fogarty struggled in key moments late in the season, and that experience matters when ranking elite halfbacks. Those moments do not erase the quality, but they do shape expectations.

Now he heads to Manly, a very different environment. The upside is obvious. A strong kicking game, composure under fatigue, and the ability to organise a talented backline. The risk is just as clear. A lighter forward pack, injury concerns around key spine players, and a halves partner under pressure.

Fogarty has the tools to succeed. The question is how quickly the combination clicks and whether Manly can give him the platform he enjoyed in Canberra.

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4. Isaiya Katoa (Dolphins)

Isaiya Katoa being fourth at just 21 years old says everything about where the game is heading.

What Katoa has produced in his first three seasons at the Dolphins is extraordinary. He has not been protected by a dominant forward pack. He has not been eased into responsibility. He has been handed the keys and asked to lead, and every year he has answered.

His growth curve is steep. His short kicking game, deception at the line, and ability to read defensive edges already sit at an elite level. The jump in try assists last season was not an accident. It was the natural progression of a halfback growing into control. He is also one of the top Supercoach buys in the Dolphins team this season.

If there is a knock, it is simply the toll of carrying so much so young. Late in the season, fatigue showed at times, which is understandable given the workload he has carried since entering the competition.

Katoa is not far away from the top tier. Another season of development and a bit more support around him, and this ranking will feel conservative very quickly.

3. Jahrome Hughes (Melbourne Storm)

Jahrome Hughes at three reflects both respect and realism.

Coming off a Dally M season in 2024, expectations were sky-high. Injuries limited his rhythm in 2025, and while he was not at his absolute peak every week, the drop-off was minimal. Even a slightly diminished Hughes remains one of the most effective halfbacks in the game.

What often gets overlooked is the journey. Hughes transitioned from fullback to elite game-managing halfback, a shift very few players ever pull off at this level. His kicking game, running threat, and defensive resilience have all become strengths, not liabilities.

Heading into 2026, the challenge changes again. New combinations, key departures, and a Storm side adjusting its identity slightly. That will place more responsibility back on Hughes’ shoulders.

He is still in his prime. The tools are still there. The question is how quickly the next version of Melbourne settles around him.

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2. Mitch Moses (Parramatta Eels)

When Mitch Moses is on the field, he is one of the best players in the competition. It really is that simple.

The reason he is second and not first has nothing to do with ability. It is availability. Injuries have interrupted his seasons too often, and durability matters when ranking the very best.

That said, the impact is undeniable. Moses controls games through his kicking, his voice, and his confidence. He thrives in big moments, whether it is finals football, Origin, or representative arenas. When Parramatta win big games, Moses is almost always at the centre of it.

If he plays a full season in 2026, there is a genuine case he finishes much higher in conversations like this. His ceiling is enormous, and his influence on team success is obvious.

This ranking is cautious, not critical. Fully fit, Moses is right there with anyone.

1. Nathan Cleary (Penrith Panthers)

Nathan Cleary remains the benchmark.

At 28, he sits right in the middle of a halfback’s prime, and his body of work already places him among the greatest the game has seen. What separates Cleary is not just skill, but control. He dictates tempo, manages moments, and adjusts on the fly better than anyone else in the competition.

Criticism of his 2025 season says more about expectations than reality. A year that would be a career highlight for most players was labelled a down season simply because of the standard he has set.

Heading into 2026, Penrith retain continuity, clarity, and confidence. Cleary enters the season with full command of his system, and history suggests that when Penrith are challenged, he finds another level.

Until someone consistently displaces him over a full season, the number one spot remains his.

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This is the strongest era of halfbacks the NRL has seen in a long time.

There is elite talent at the top, genuine depth underneath, and a new generation pushing hard. Rankings like this will move as the season unfolds, but one thing is clear. If your club has a halfback capable of controlling big moments, you are never out of a game.

And heading into 2026, Nathan Cleary is still the standard everyone else is chasing.