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

Joel Johnston

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Last updated: Tue 27 Jan 2026 13:23

Joel Johnston 27 Jan 2026

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Top 5 NRL hookers of 2026 revealed.
Harry Grant leads with unmatched game control.
Hookers evaluated on form, role, and influence.

Harry Grant and Cameron Munster of the Storm. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

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

The hooker position has quietly gone through one of the biggest evolutions in modern rugby league.

NRL Hooker Power Rankings 2026: Joel’s Top 5 Heading Into the Season
5. Wayde Egan (New Zealand Warriors)
4. Tom Starling (Canberra Raiders)
3. Reece Robson (Sydney Roosters)
2. Blayke Brailey (Cronulla Sharks)
1. Harry Grant (Melbourne Storm)

It used to be about service, defence, and durability. Now the very best hookers control tempo, manipulate markers, and decide when a game speeds up or slows down. Some do it through craft, some through power, and some through sheer football IQ.

The rise of dynamic dummy-halves mirrors what we’re seeing across the spine, particularly when you compare this list to our breakdown of the NRL Five-Eighth Power Rankings 2026, where creativity and tempo control are becoming non-negotiable.

After breaking down hookers on the League of Inches podcast, one thing became obvious very quickly. There is a clear benchmark at the top, a genuine challenger closing fast, and then a group of elite specialists whose ranking often comes down to availability and context.

These rankings are based on what I believe we are getting in 2026. Form, role security, durability, and how much influence each hooker has on the shape of their team.

5. Wayde Egan (New Zealand Warriors)

Wayde Egan is one of the most underrated hookers in the competition.

When he is on the field, the Warriors look organised, aggressive through the middle, and confident playing at speed. His service is sharp, his defence is fearless, and he has a knack for being in the right place at the right time when momentum needs to shift.

The issue has never been talent. It is availability.

Egan plays the game the hard way. He puts his body in front, throws himself into contact, and absorbs punishment that would make most players hesitate. That commitment is part of what makes him so effective, but it is also what limits how often we see him across a full season.

If he ever strings together a genuinely injury-free year, this ranking could look conservative. Until then, he sits here, respected for his impact but held back by durability.

4. Tom Starling (Canberra Raiders)

Tom Starling’s 2025 season changed the way he is viewed.

For a long time, he was seen as an impact hooker. A spark off the bench. Someone who could cause damage late when defences tired. Last year, he proved he can control a game from the opening whistle.

What makes Starling dangerous is how quickly he plays the ball. He gets out of dummy half, he challenges markers, and suddenly defensive lines are retreating. That speed suits Canberra perfectly, especially with the strike they carry through the middle and edges.

The most impressive part of his rise is that he earned it under pressure. With competition for the nine jersey pushing hard, Starling responded by owning the role completely. That tells you a lot about his mindset.

He enters 2026 as the Raiders’ clear first-choice hooker, and that security matters.

From a Supercoach perspective, hookers like Egan and Starling highlight why role clarity and durability matter just as much as raw talent, something we explore in more detail in our NRL Supercoach 2026 team previews.

3. Reece Robson (Sydney Roosters)

Reece Robson is the definition of a traditional hooker done right.

He defends relentlessly, passes accurately, and understands exactly what his forwards need from him. Over the past two seasons, he has also added more attacking confidence to his game, picking his moments rather than forcing them.

His move to the Sydney Roosters is a fascinating one.

At North Queensland, Robson often had to do too much. At the Roosters, he will be asked to do less, and that should suit him perfectly. He will be playing behind a stronger pack, with clearer roles around him, and with far less pressure to generate creativity himself.

Robson does not need to dominate to be effective. He needs structure, clarity, and momentum. The Roosters can give him all three.

2. Blayke Brailey (Cronulla Sharks)

Blayke Brailey is the closest thing Harry Grant has had to a genuine challenger in recent years.

For a long time, his reputation was built on defence and reliability. In 2025, he added something else entirely. He started running. And when he did, Cronulla’s attack changed.

Suddenly defenders had to hold. Suddenly halves had time. Suddenly the Sharks looked far more dangerous around the ruck.

Brailey’s evolution into a complete hooker has been one of the most significant developments in the position. He now threatens through the middle, defends at an elite level, and understands when to inject himself rather than forcing involvement.

Brailey’s growth as an attacking hooker has also helped unlock Cronulla’s spine, a theme that shows up repeatedly when comparing him to the elite playmakers in our NRL Halfback Power Rankings 2026.

1. Harry Grant (Melbourne Storm)

Harry Grant remains the standard.

There is no other hooker who controls a game the way he does for the Melbourne Storm. His speed out of dummy half, his ability to read defenders, and his instinctive decision-making make him impossible to prepare for. Defences know what is coming and still struggle to stop it.

What separates Grant is not just skill, but awareness.

He understands when to take over and when to step back. When teammates are on fire, he feeds them. When momentum stalls, he grabs it himself. That balance, combined with leadership and consistency, is what makes him so difficult to match.

He has reshaped expectations for the position, and every hooker coming through now is measured against him. Until someone proves they can do it for a full season at the same level, Grant sits comfortably at number one.