Brothers will enter the 2026 Hospital Cup season with unfinished business after falling just short in last year’s grand final.

The Brethren finished the 2025 regular season as minor premiers but were edged 27-25 by Bond in the decider, ending the club’s bid for three straight premierships – a result coach Ben McCormack said took time for the group to process.

With the vast majority of their squad returning and several promising young players pushing for opportunities, Brothers will again start the season among the competition’s leading contenders.

Overview with Ben McCormack:

“Last season was the one that got away,” Brothers’ head coach Ben McCormack told Rugby News. 

“We had the opportunity to put the grand final to bed on multiple separate occasions and didn’t get it done.

“Accuracy in big moments is something we’ve prided ourselves on for a long time, so we were very disappointed and it has taken some time to recover from.

“Credit to Bond though, they rode a massive wave of momentum into the grand final and they never gave up. They were immense and got it done when it mattered most.

“It’s been a slow build into this season. The club had an extended break over Christmas which was needed and we’re just starting to pull things together as we head towards round one against Souths.

“Our style of play and DNA will remain consistent so we’re just focused on incrementally improving across the board.”

2025: Minor premiers (lost to Bond 27-25 in grand final)

Ins: Kaelan Grafton (rugby league), Manu Paea (New Zealand), Finn Prass (Western Force), Jeremiah Sialau (Western Force)

Outs: Nil

What style of rugby will we see from Brothers this year?

“Consistent with previous years, we don’t like to limit our style or tactics,” McCormack said.

“We’ll try to play intelligently and explore and exploit the opportunities we find week-to-week.”

Player(s) to watch:

“I keep thinking some of the talented younger crew will overtake some of the old dogs in our side,” McCormack said.

“But Will Wilson and Brad Hemopo have stood out at every opportunity so far in preseason so maybe they might turn back the clock again.

“Finn Prass and Kaelan Grafton in the backs have been impressive so far as well.”

Which two teams will play in this year’s grand final?

“Brothers vs Bond. Run it back,” he said.