The 2026 NRL season sees Penrith leading, with Wests Tigers and Newcastle surprising in the top four; Dragons remain winless.
Five rounds into the 2026 NRL season and the ladder is already beginning to take shape.
The Penrith Panthers have returned to the top of the pedestal, while the Wests Tigers and Newcastle Knights have shocked everyone by sitting in the top four.
Surprisingly, last year's minor premiers and premiers, the Canberra Raiders and Brisbane Broncos respectively, both find themselves outside of the top eight.
Then languishing at the bottom are the winless St George Illawarra Dragons.