Data Analysis - Player Ratings (RL26)

[bradthelad]

My analysis is all about capturing the unique identity of each player while staying true to the realism of their playstyles and performances. Perfect ratings and attributes are difficult to master, but the closer we get, the better the experience is for everyone. Players should feel like characters/superheroes like for other video games — they should play exactly as you’d expect or close to. If you try to use them outside of their natural roles and skill sets, there should be clear consequences (unless developed over time in modes like Career).

For example, a developing playmaker from the (NRL) Roosters or a veteran playmaker from (EL1) Barrow should still have superior kicking abilities compared to a prop like Payne Haas (Broncos). Similarly, outside backs — regardless of the league — should naturally be quicker than most forwards, aside from rare exceptions. This is a big challenge, but one with massive upside.

Stamina should be measured separately for on-ball (in attack) and off-ball (in defence) efforts. The Fitness/Durability Attribute could be split into Attacking Work Rate and Defensive Work Rate to reflect this. Tackling skill reflects how effective and reliable a player is when making tackles, while driving and diving tackle skills could be influenced by a player’s physical characteristics (such as strength and agility). The Discipline trait affects things like rushing out of the line, making high contact, and how long a player holds on in the play-the-ball. The higher a player’s Discipline rating, the more they can push the boundaries without being penalised.

**Below are defensive skill ratings that highlight the defensive playstyles of players from the Penrith Panthers (NRL) and Wigan Warriors (Super League). This comparison helps showcase the differences between the leagues, providing both realism through data-driven stats and balance between the strength of each competition. The data reflects performances up to this point in the 2025 season.

T = Tackling

W = Work Rate (Defence)

D = Discipline

A player’s pace rating (specifically sprint speed) differs from most other skills, which can typically be measured through multiple data points. Pace, in many cases, is more of an eye-test observation. As mentioned earlier, there should be a noticeable difference between the fastest backs and the slowest forwards in the game.

For example, in a rating system ranging from 50 to 90, we could categorize players as follows:

Backs (Fullback, Winger, Centre): 70–90 range
Halves (Halfback, Five-eighth, Hooker): 60–80 range
Forwards (Prop, Second Rower, Lock): 50–70 range

Players in utility roles would have their limits adjusted accordingly. Take Luke Garner (Panthers)—having started 4 games at both centre and second row (excluding bench starts), his sprint speed rating ceiling would sit around 80, with a lower limit of 60, reflecting his versatility across positions.

Below is a view of how it could possibly look, with player examples. In each category a player above average, average and below average sprint speed.

Please anyone feel free to share your thoughts on player ratings (overalls, attributes, skills, traits, characteristics) and how we can help make it more realistic and unique to each player.

Let’s ‘Make League Great Again’. #MLGA #RL26 Rugby League 26 @RossSymons @bradthelad

[Dufeyz]

With sprint speed, acceleration is a big factor also. There are plenty of forwards who have great leg speed. They can accelerate into the line, but generally aren’t going to be caught by backs.

Also, players usually run slower with the ball in hand. It’s just more difficult to be perfectly balanced. This is why you might see lightning fast players still get caught by a defender.

For the moment, there’s probably more glaring issues to be resolved. Once the fanhub is fixed the community can share their teams to fix most of the trying problems.

[Mudmofo]

There are select back rowers who are notoriously quick though. Dylan Egan is fast as f for a 2nd rower before his injury this year. Similar to prime Tyson Frizell or Dylan Lucas. They could be 75-80 , they do mow people down

[bradthelad]

Some additional analysis on how player attributes and skills could be structured to better replicate their playstyle and form.

Passing (Super League Focus)

I’ve compiled player ratings to demonstrate how passing attributes might be distributed across the starting 1-13 for Wigan, along with five additional elite passers identified from the 2025 season.

Touch: Reflects a player’s ability to generate Try Assists and Line Break Assists. This could translate to a Long Pass rating in-game, representing the player’s ability to deliver sharp, fast passes that create attacking opportunities.

Consistency: Represents the volume and reliability of a player’s passing throughout a match. In-game, this could map to a Basic/Short Pass rating, indicating a player’s accuracy in consistently delivering the ball in front and at the chest of the runner.

Kicking (NRL Focus)

I’ve developed player ratings to illustrate how kicking attributes could be distributed across the starting 1-13 for the Panthers, alongside five additional elite kickers from the 2025 season.

Distance: Measures a player’s ability to gain maximum metres from punt kicks or generate height and hang-time on bombs. Players with higher Distance ratings can help get team on the front foot or create aerial pressure more effectively.

Accuracy: Reflects a player’s precision when kicking, particularly their ability to force goal-line dropouts or create try assists through well-placed kicks. A higher Accuracy rating ensures kicks are targeted, controlled, and difficult for opponents to defuse.

‘Pro Team’ Tackling – Defence (Broncos)

This data captures Tackling (excluding Work Rate and Discipline) based on week-to-week performances, specifically focusing on the Broncos (NRL). I believe this could translate well into RL26’s ‘Pro Team’ mode, where players could collect upgraded cards reflecting standout real-world performances.

Imagine a player delivering a dominant defensive display well above their season average — it’d be great for fans to have the chance to collect a boosted version of that player’s card, capturing their form spike. For this example, I’ve included data from Rounds 1–4 and 16–19 to keep things concise.

[bradthelad]

Defence (In-Depth): Warriors (NRL)

Skills like Durability, Tackling, Drive Tackle, Dive Tackle, and Discipline should feel unique to each player, based on their role, physical traits, and actual output.

To show what I mean, I’ve broken down the Warriors’ starting XVII from their latest match, using data from the 2025 season. This is the kind of depth and balance I’d love to see represented in-game.

Dura. = Durability (Defensive Work Rate)

Durability reflects how consistently a player can perform their defensive duties. If a player operates above their threshold, their skills may decline; stay below it, and their effectiveness increases. Performing around their average threshold results in their typical output.

Tack. = Tackling
Driv. = Drive Tackle
Dive. = Dive Tackle
Disc. = Discipline (Defensive)

Defensive Player Breakdowns:

Egan and Clark are elite across the board, with Egan slightly lower on Drive Tackles due to his role and physical makeup.

Fisher-Harris is outstanding in Durability, Tackling, and Drive Tackles. His Dive Tackle is solid, limited only by his position and body type. Discipline remains an area for improvement this season.

Capewell is built to be a strong all-round defender, but a high missed tackle rate has held him back. One to watch for a potential ‘Pro Team’ card based on future standout performances (Pro Team liked mentioned in above post).

Halasima and Vaimauga, the emerging talents, excel in Tackle and Drive Tackle. As they gain experience watch to see if their Durability and Discipline develop, definitely ones to track.

Feel free to share your thoughts or even test some of these attributes/skills in-game, would love to hear how it performs for you!

[hurricanes]

Do you have a spreadsheet you could share? Would be keen to take a look. Can’t be any worse than the current ratings

[bradthelad]

Always a tricky task when it comes to player ratings (attributes/skills). I do hope they’re basing them on player roles, physical characteristics, and real-world performances — or will in future.

I won’t be able to share the model as it contains my formulas and methods for interpreting the data. But if there’s a specific aspect of attributes/skills that people would like to explore for gameplay purposes.

I’m happy to see what I can provide. Thanks!

[bradthelad]

Here’s a potential kicking game comparison between Daly Cherry-Evans and Nathan Cleary, based purely on performance data and on-field roles.

Including historical seasons in ‘Pro Team’ (with current active players) would add depth, all while staying true to the players identity and on-field impact.

GCK = Goal Kicking (ability to kick goals)
DIS = Distance (ability to kick long)
ACC = Accuracy (ability to hit intended target)

[Crate]

Can you create a spreadsheet with just the players overalls without your formulas and stuff. I feel like the way you’ve broken down is going to give more realistic overalls than what the game is. It would be greatly appreciated

[bradthelad]

Your wish is my command, posting potential overalls for players that played in Game 3 of State of Origin this season. These ratings reflect their performances over the 2025 NRL season, along with their player roles and physical characteristics.

Also adding in for fun potential worth (cost to salary cap) for potential career mode implementation. Will post a breakdown of their stats soon covering Physical, Attack, Passing, Kicking and Defence.

P.S. If anyone could also, please upload current overalls for these players and/or some attributes/skills. So that we could get some comparisons would be of much help thanks!

[bradthelad]

Here are potential player ratings for ‘Rugby League 26’, based on Game 3 of this season’s State of Origin series (including 18th man).

The ratings are broken down into five key categories — Physical, Attack, Passing, Kicking, and Defence — to highlight each player’s strengths and areas for improvement. These assessments are derived from performance data, positional responsibilities, and physical traits.

Please note: overall ratings may differ from previous versions due to formula updates and further refinements to account for positional roles.

Feel free to explore how these attributes and skill sets affect gameplay — while the overall ratings may not directly reflect in-game values, they offer insight into each player’s unique on-field profile.

NSW - Backs

NSW - Forwards

NSW - Bench

QLD - Backs

QLD - Forwards

QLD - Bench

It’s been 8 long years, let’s make league great again!!!

[Rabbit11]

Liam Martin 80? Conor Watson 94? Do you work with BA by any chance? These stats are diabolical

[bradthelad]

Hey, appreciate you taking the time to comment. Just to clarify a lot of thought and effort has gone into these ratings, drawing from performance data, positional roles and physical traits.

That said, I’m always open to feedback. If you believe certain attributes/skills for Liam Martin or Connor Watson are off, feel free to suggest what you think should be upgraded or downgraded.

I’m happy to have a proper discussion. Do you feel the breakdown of their ratings doesn’t reflect their real-world playstyles? Would love to hear more detail. Thanks!

[Rabbit11]

Liam Martin is one of the best second rowers in the NRL, plays 80 minutes on a regular basis, yet you’ve got him down for 71 stamina? One of the heaviest hitters in the game yet you’ve given him 67 for tackling? Most of the stats are way off.

To’o 78 power? Makes 6+ tackle busts a game & averages great post contact metres.

Latrell 64 power?

Luai 63 acceleration? List goes on…

[bradthelad]

Liam Martin:

He consistently plays close to 80 minutes, though his attacking output isn’t at the elite level — averaging around 8 runs per game, compared to 20+ for top-tier players (Edwards, Lomax and Carrigan). Defensively, he works above average with about 33 tackles per game, though elite defenders are hitting around 40.

I agree his Impact Tackle rating should be strong. For reference, this category currently includes Durability (Defensive Work Rate), Tackling, and Discipline. “Tackling” is measured by tackle efficiency (tackles made vs missed), and Martin averages a missed tackle roughly every 8 attempts — similar to players like S. Crichton and Jeremiah Nanai.

P.S. would love them to include an Aggression trait, from memory first Rugby League Game on PS2 had it (but it was a rating instead of trait). Remember Gorden Tallis being a 10 (out of 10) so I would say he would fall under same category.

Brian To’o:

To’o’s tackle busts fall under Evasion, and his elite post-contact metres are driven by both his power and high attacking work rate — reflected in his 97 Stamina (Attacking Workrate).

Power" is influenced not only by PCM but also by a player’s role and physical profile. For example, his Power rating puts him level with Lomax and even ahead of Xavier Coates, despite both having a clear size advantage.

Latrell Mitchell:

Latrell’s Power rating is tricky. You’d expect it to be higher, but his lower PCM this season — coupled with fewer tackle breaks — has affected the rating. He’s currently averaging fewer PCM than Tabuai-Fidow, yet his 64 rating accounts for his physical traits, which bumped him up from Hammer’s 58.

Jarome Luai:

Luai has only recorded 1 line break this season across 192 runs. That’s lower than most players mentioned above — only Yeo, Leniu, and Carrigan have fewer. While this impacts his raw output, his position and physical attributes still push his rating higher.

Final Thoughts:

All of these attribute/skill ratings are based on performance data, player roles, and physical traits. I’m not just guessing or going by vibe — without a data-driven foundation, it’d feel like throwing darts blindfolded.

I don’t want this to be just my interpretation either — I’d genuinely love to hear other perspectives. Feel free to share your own player breakdowns or test some of the ratings in-game to help find the best balance.

[Rabbit11]

The thing that I don’t understand is how you’ve given players like Toia high ratings, when their stats wouldn’t average out to be a mid 90’s players. Basing Toias overall off your stats, he should be around a 73/74 overall

[bradthelad]

I believe there needs to be a rethink around how attributes and skills contribute to a player’s overall rating.

For example, front rowers typically don’t kick and have limited passing responsibilities. But if a player like Payne Haas dominates Physically, Defensively, and has elite Evasion and Offloading, he should still be eligible for one of the highest ratings in the game.

Right now, though, it seems certain attributes — like kicking — are being artificially boosted just to push a player’s overall rating up. In some cases, this leads to unrealistic outcomes, such as Haas having better kicking stats than young playmakers.

Below is a potential Melbourne Storm 2025 roster built using my player model framework.

The ratings are based on performance data from the 2025 NRL season (with exception to sprint speed, which I have based upon positional play and eye test), with adjustments made to reflect positional expectations. This includes applying a positional baseline — meaning players in certain roles begin with higher starting values in key areas, even without current NRL data.

For example, playmakers (such as five-eighths, halfbacks, and hookers) are given a higher base range for passing and kicking compared to backs and forwards, to reflect the demands of their position.

Players such as Pahulu, Seve, Vaalepu, Ieremia, Pezet and Warbrick would all receive higher ratings and salary expectations (in Career mode) once data from previous season is properly factored into the equation.

Below is a breakdown of how each player’s attributes reflect their playstyle and performance — showcasing two of the elite halfbacks in the game:

Key Differences:

Nathan Cleary – Involved heavily across runs, passes, and tackles, complemented by an elite kicking game and stronger defensive output.

Jahrome Hughes – Excels in Evasion and Pace, posing a greater threat with ball in hand and offering a more dynamic attacking presence.

[hurricanes]

I guess there’s no chance of sharing the spreadsheet for the NRL teams with only the ratings (no formulas)? I’m keen to give this a go but with a bigger range of teams

[bradthelad]

Haven’t been able to do every team to this level yet — that’d take a while (unless @bigantstudios wants to bring me in full-time)

P.S. Also, I’ve already shared the Origin teams in previous post for anyone keen to use them for gameplay purposes.

[hurricanes]

Ah right, fair enough. I’ll give those 2 a go and see things play.