Is This the End of the Big Bopper?

 

Will faster ruck speeds be the death of the Big Bopper? Several pundits have discussed the 2026 Man of Steel, and the choices normally centre around the key spine positions of Hooker, Half-back and Fullback. This year is slightly different in the expectation that the speedsters in the game are going to get more ball time in broken play. The top ten appear to be:

1. Bevan French
2. Mikey Lewis
3. Jai Field
4. Lockie Lam
5. Lockie Miller
6. Jake Connor
7. Jez Litten
8. Jack Welsby
9. Will Pryce
10. David Armstrong

Hull KR, Wigan, Leigh and Leeds have 2 representatives each, with St Helens and Hull FC having just one. This tallies nicely with the table positions from 2025. Field, Miller, Pryce and Armstrong are all full-backs with pace to burn. Jack Welsby appears to be the outlier and is a clever player rather than an all-out speedster. There are four half-backs in Lewis, French, Lam and Connor, three of these have previously won it in the last 3 years, with only Lam missing out. Only one hooker is in the top 10 - Jeremy Litten. I had originally assumed that those acting at dummy-half would attract a lot more attention, especially those with a tendency to dart from the play-the-balls. The sensible money is on those players who will benefit from broken play.

I was watching this week The Rugby League Coach - The White Wall Brisbane Have to Break to be World Champions! Hull KR Defence Analysis. I was struck by how Hull KR adapted the old interpretation of the rules to their benefit. Four men in the tackle, fast advancing defence, and the slowest play-the-balls against them, due to the time to untangle 4 players from the ball-carrier. Four-man tackles will regularly get pinged with the new interpretation, and with faster play-the-balls, the Hull KR defence will get beaten out of shape. On the flip-side Litten and Lewis will love the chaos created by defences that have not had time to get set.

This got me thinking about how the Big Boppers will fare when they cannot manage for more than 15 minutes with a slowed-down game. Hull FC, whom I tipped to finish in the Play-off positions, have compiled a large pack, the diamond being the steal from Leeds of Sam Lisone. Many have suggested he had a good season in 2025 because his contract was up. Lisone was used by Leeds as a wrecking ball in short spells to change the momentum of the game. Will this tactic still work in 2026? The trend in the NRL has been for uniformity in shape and size across most positions, with athleticism being the more valued trait over bulk and strength. 

Last season Tevita Pangai jnr, the Catalans' very own wrecking ball, never managed to get to the required level of fitness to be fully effective last season. Steve McNamara signed him Catalans, but many believe that he was responsible for Warrington terminating his contract. Speaking of Warrington, their very own battering ram, Joe Philbin, appears to have lost a considerable amount of weight in an attempt to play more minutes.

Of the other clubs Wigan still have the 31 year old Patrick Magoo, Saints have 35 year old Alex Walmsley and the 32 year old David Klemmer. My biggest concern is for Castleford's very own Bradley Singleton. Now at the age of 33, Brad has been slowing down for a number of years. To make up for the lack of speed and stamina, he has delved into the dark arts of slowing down the play-the-ball. Many people might suggest he is going to be a penalty machine going into the new season. Holding down, hands on the ball, slow to distangle from the tackle and the push or knee when the attacker is playing the ball. Expect a flurry of 6 agains, penalties and yellow cards for repeat offences.

Adrian Lam, has never utilised a Big Bopper, preferring the forwards to be imbued with leg speed and high levels of stamina for big minutes. This may prove to be the way forward in this new era of the game. Leigh Leopards are still not without their own penalty machines. In particular, I would single out the chaos twins (Jack Hughes and Matt Davis) and top tackler Frankie Halton. All three need to learn quickly how to keep the rucks clean; old habits die hard.