Missed all the hype of the Australian start of the 2026 NRL Season? Forgot to set the alarm for one or all of the matches this weekend? No, of course you didn’t. But if you genuinely did, or you need/want more or less, The Gurgler has you covered for the with our 2026 NRL Round 1 Results & Stats – One Minute Match Reports.
Our popular One Minute Match Reviews offers up just enough facts and figures and opinion to make it through the awkward chats the next morning on public transport, or something to talk about when ringing into the local ABC breakfast show of your choice. Or just enough level of interest so you don’t have to make eye contact with that jerk in the office you really don’t want to have to be nice to.
Regardless of how you spend your time, the One Minute Match Report has you just about covered.
2026 NRL Round 1 Results & Stats
Melbourne Storm 52 Parramatta 4
Match Thoughts
Like Jerry Springer, but for rugby league.
Melbourne are like the various Terminators from the movie, and unrelenting machine designed to eliminate oppositions. Just when they had their most unsettled off season in some time, with star players leaving and others signed up to leave for other clubs in 2027, and some folk think they are more vulnerable than ever, they pull out a 52-4 win in Round 1.
Whilst a win was expected given their incredible record of no losses in Round 1 since 2001, a statement win like this over a team that ended 2025 well wasn’t. Giving Melbourne a little smile after dropping a chunk of change in the court case with the Eels over Zac Lomax. Some questioned why they wanted him that badly. A lot more will question that more after tonight.
They are hard to beat with their stand out 6, 7 and 9, who were excellent again. Looks like they lose nothing with Sualauvi Faalogo at fullback instead of Ryan Papenhuyzen. But as ever it is all the names that the neutrals know less about that, or the new players in the never-ending Melbourne Storm production line that slot in and get the job done.
A few sour notes though. Harry Grant came off injured, and will be a loss if out for any time on tonight’s form. And the sin-binning of J’maine Hopgood looks a little harsh at the time, but didn’t stop the Eels taking the lead with 12 players on the field, giving hope for them that the Round 1 dominance could be broken. It didn’t last long, and the Storm ran away with it in the second half.
One Minute Big Stats Summary
Most of the stats you need, and just a few you want.
The Points of Interest
- Melbourne still haven’t lost a Round 1 clash since 2001 – 24 wins in a row now.
- Melbourne have now won 21 out of 21 home games on a Thursday.
- It was the fifth time since 1998 that a team scored 50 points or more in a Round 1 clash. Although Melbourne and Brisbane did it last season too.
- Parramatta played the Storm in Round 1 last season too, and the combined score from the last two Round 1 clashes between the sides is 108-22.
Warriors 42 Roosters 18
Match Thoughts
Like Jerry Springer, but for rugby league.
Good news for New Zealand rugby league fans and neutral alike as the Wahs open up the season with a win over the Roosters, who continued their below average Round 1 record.
When Captain Plod aka Kurt Capewell is charging through your line at pace to score the third Warriors try of the match, you probably need to improve. The try after made it 20-6 at half time, and the Warriors were really looking like they were enjoying themselves.
If James Tedesco put as much energy into his game as he did complaining to the referee the Roosters might have got a little closer to the Warriors. But that’s a bi unfair, Tedesco was still plenty good.
As for the DCE experiment, jury is still out. Tanah Boyd may not be as high profile or well paid, or as safe in his position as DEC with Luke Metcalf to return soon, but Boyd was the better playmaker of the two on Friday night.
The Roosters threatened a second half comeback with two quick tries to make it 28-18 with 25 minutes to go, but that was as close as they got.
A word for the jerseys used, both teams looked great.
One Minute Big Stats Summary
Most of the stats you need, and just a few you want.
The Points of Interest
- Warriors are now unbeaten in four games in four games v Roosters on a Friday.
- Roosters Round 1 form isn’t great with four wins from their last 14 Round 1 games. And they have lost their last four Round 1 games away.
- Warriors have now won two in a row v Roosters after losing the preceding nine clashes.
Brisbane 0 Penrith 26
Match Thoughts
Like Jerry Springer, but for rugby league.
What a terrible first half, sh!t we’d call it. Which is a shame given it was the premium clash of the weekend. Broncos seemed to be on commission for each dropped bomb, and Penrith felt generous enough to give them ball back just as much. With the Broncos equally as helpful to Penrith in general as well.
Brisbane did well to be only 18-0 down at half time as they had limited ball and even more limited time in their attacking half. Although, the Broncos only conceded their third try right on half time, it was a pretty lame effort to defend, and really wasn’t the most fluent attack from Penrith either that set, which summed up the first half.
Reece Walsh going biblical with the Samson analogy of losing his strength without his hair. His kicking the ball up the arse of Xavier Willison on the fourth tackle in their own half summed up his effort. Dylan Edwards by contrast lacks the headline flair of Walsh, but did the job as he usually does for Penrith.
The game did/didn’t really pick up in the second half, in fact it could be argued it was either just as bad or worse. A game that if you were watching on delay you’d fast forward to the tries and check the final score. I guess if you are a fan of big hits causing many knock-ons it was the game for you, for many it isn’t. Nathan Cleary going for penalty goal in the 60th minute to make it 20-0 was as good an admission that his team weren’t playing well.
One thing for the Broncos looking forward, they are going to seriously miss Payne Haas when he leaves for Souths in 2027, almost as much as they probably won’t miss Adam Reynolds.
MAN OF THE MATCH – DAN GINNANE – for keeping the game upbeat despite itself.
One Minute Big Stats Summary
Most of the stats you need, and just a few you want.
The Points of Interest
- Going back to 2017, only Melbourne in 2018 has won the first game of the season after playing in the World Club Challenge.
- Brisbane become the eighth team since 1998 to score zero points in a first round match. Penrith did it in 2024 and went on to win the title.
- Penrith have won ten of the last 12 games v Brisbane.
- Penrith have won seven of their past eight games v Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium.
- It was the second time the Broncos have been held scoreless at Suncorp Stadium, the last time was in 2021 v Souths.
- Of the top four Run Metres effort in Round 1 of any season since 2021, Dylan Edwards has three entries.
Cronulla 50 Gold Coast 10
Match Thoughts
Just when you thought that the fortunes of these teams may change in 2026, like the Sharks over-achievement in the last few seasons catching up with them, and a new coach on the Gold Coast turning things around, this happens. A 50-10 thrashing by Cronulla over the Gold Coast.
Not many teams would come back from a 34-0 half time deficit, especially one as historically win-shy as the Gold Coast, and of course the Gold didn’t, but at least they held their own in the second half.
The first was a brilliant display from the Sharks for early season rugby league, with Brayden Trindall the stand out, going full ex Prince Andrew with a hand in just about everything. Rugby league’s nicest man Nicho Hynes also contributed well, and will enjoy not being blamed for losing for a while. FRom the back William Kennedy chimed in when needed, and to complete the usefulness of the Cronulla spine, Blayke Brailey topped the tackle count. The Sharks have power elsewhere too with Addin Fonua-Blake topping the run and post contact metres, and try scorers Jesse Ramien Sione Katoa.
You do wonder after this weekend, how long a season it will be for the Gold Coast. We’d say it won’t involved much other than Bali in September.
One Minute Big Stats Summary
Most of the stats you need, and just a few you want.
The Points of Interest
- Cronulla have won 13 of their last 14 games v Gold Coast going back to 2018.
- Sharks have won their last eight games at Shark Park.
- It’s four straight wins v Qld sides at home for Cronulla.
- Since 2022, the Titans are W4 L21 away to Sydney teams.
- Gold Coast have won just one of their last seven Round 1 games. And just two of Round 1 games v Sydney teams.
- At this stage of the weekend, Queensland sides have lost 3/3 by a combined 104-28.
Manly 28 Canberra 29
Match Thoughts
It only took until game five of the second part of Round 1 for the NRL to produce a close, hard fought game of reasonable quality.
On a wet and miserable night in Sydney, conditions which some unfairly said should suit Canberra because it’s a terrible place to live, it looked like a miserable night for Canberra when Manly skipped out to an early lead.
But Canberra came back as they are so capable of doing, scoring five unanswered tries to have sealed the game. Or so they thought. Two quick tries, ensured a draw after 80 minutes, and of course Jamal Fogarty was heavily involved in the Manly fightback, scoring the last try and nailing the penalty goal just before full time.
Then as that narrative was playing out, the Raiders match winning hero was the man who has replaced Fogarty – Ethan Sanders, a player who has been kept on ice by Ricky Stuart since his arrival. And well worth the wait given his contribution to the Raiders win.
Just as people wrote off the Raiders as wooden spoon material in 2025, the same people would probably scoff at Canberra going back to back for Minor Premiers, but there’s no suggestion from Saturday that they can’t.
One Minute Big Stats Summary
Most of the stats you need, and just a few you want.
The Points of Interest
- Saturday night’s win for Canberra was their 10th win away to Manly at various grounds, mainly Brookvale, from 23 games going back to 1998.
- Despite the rain, there were half the errors in this game (16) as there were in the Broncos-Penrith game the night before (32).
Dolphins 30 South Sydney 40
Match Thoughts
Wet weather didn’t stop the points as the Dolphins and Rabbitohs shared 70 at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.
Much has been said about South Sydney before the season about potential, from the recruitment of Daivd Fifita, the shifting of Latrell Mitchell to centres, Jye Gray getting a proper go at fullback, the return of Camrron Murray, and full fitness of their squad. Safe to say after their first game of the season, that signs are good. The Rabbitohs scored 40 points and could have scored more through disallowed tries with little margin.
Both teams had horror injury tolls in common in 2025, and both teams have welcomed back most of their talent, Dolphins still have a few top liners out. But South Sydney’s players hit the ground running to start 2026.
The Dolphins looked reasonably flat for a first game of the season at home, but were keeping pace with Souths in the first half, although one of their tries was a length of the field intercept. But a quick burst to end the first half, including a try for Alex Johnston just seconds before the siren. The Souths winger moved within two tries of the all-time try scoring record, and with some luck, and perhaps a little more help from his team mates when he was at least twice unmarked near the line, he could have sealed the deal at Suncorp Stadium. Perhaps it works better doing it in front of his people in Sydney next weekend. Given the Rabbitohs form this weekend, he’s a chance.
Down 28-10 at the break, the Dolphins eventually woke up, and we did see a little of their exciting rugby league that made so many friends in 2025. But a key turning point was a 40-20 kick from Cody Walker, which set up the field position and led to tries for Lachlan Hubner and Latrell Mitchell.
The Dolphins at least made the ending interesting by spending multiple sets in the Rabbitohs 20 metre zone, but only ended up with a try to Jamayne Isaako to show for it. Their decision to take the two points for a penalty in the dying seconds when down by 12 points was odd. As was the long, long delay getting Trai Fuller on the field. The Dolphins needed a spark before half time, and if you are going to play him off the bench, that was the perfect time. As it was the Dolphins scored two tries between the 35th and 40th minutes, so bringing on Trai Fuller could have meant the Dolphins were scoring and not conceding. There may be games where Trai Fuller isn’t suited to come off the bench, but today wasn’t one of those, and he should have been let loose much earlier.
Hopefully the Dolphins can get a hooker back on the park soon. Brad Schneider is a great half option, but he is no hooker. Brent Woolf must have started the season as sixth string hooker, but he did well in his opportunity on NRL debut.
It’s not the end of the world for the Dolphins after one game, nor is it a premiership for South Sydney, but it certainly was differing quality in performances.
One Minute Big Stats Summary
Most of the stats you need, and just a few you want.
The Points of Interest
- South Sydney’s win broke a run of five straight losses at Suncorp Stadium.
- Dolphins v South Sydney games at Suncorp Stadium average 66 points a game from three games.
- It was the Dolphins first loss at Suncorp Stadium on a Sunday v Sydney teams (3 games).
- Keaon Koloamatangi’s 253 run metres was a big effort in the wet, and was the most of any forward in Round 1.
- There were five fewer errors in this than the Broncos-Penrith clash on Friday at the same ground.
- Dolphins had half of the tackle breaks of the Rabbitohs.
Overall First Round Stats
- Queensland sides lost all four games, by a combined 144-58. This is the third time that all Queensland teams have lost the Round 1 fixtures going back to the Titans joining the NRL. The other times are 2015 and 2021.
- Parramatta and Gold Coast already can’t win the competition, due to the law of conceding 50 points in a game in a season.
- The 370 points scored this season in Round 1 seems a lot, but 2025 saw 376 points scored.
Stay tuned for the other games this weekend. Or read below……
The Rest of 2026 NRL Round 1
NRL ROUND 1 PREDICTIONS & STATS
THE NRL DONKEY’s BOLD PREDICTIONS
NRL ROUND 1 RATINGS
NRL ROUND 1 BEST BETS
