Wests have been one of the standout sides in recent Hospital Cup seasons and, according to rival coaches, will again enter 2026 as one of the favourites.

The Bulldogs finished third in 2025 and were among the competition’s most dangerous attacking sides, but a heavy semi-final loss to Bond ended their premiership hopes early.

After falling just short in recent years – including grand final defeats in 2023 and 2024 – head coach Elwee Prinsloo will be looking to turn consistency into a premiership this season.

Overview with Elwee Prinsloo:

“Last season we played some outstanding footy, probably the best in five years in terms of the amount of tries and points we scored,” Prinsloo told Rugby News.

“Unfortunately, we came undone in that semi-final against Bond. Giving away a red card in the first five minutes is always going to challenge a team, and we need strong leaders to stand up and take control in this situation.

“We were behind 5-0 at the break so the boys did well, but unfortunately Bond was too good on the day, and we lost our handle in the second half.

“A big focus for us in the off-season has been building mental resilience and developing leaders who are comfortable in those situations.

“Preseason has been good. We’ve brought a number of colts into the squad and the group looks a lot younger than previous years.

“It’s great to see those players coming through and the coaches have done a good job integrating them into senior footy.

“Hopefully we can build on our game from last season, but losing guys like Glen Vaihu to Super Rugby means you always lose a bit of X-factor, which means we will have to work a bit harder for points.”

2025: 3rd (lost to Bond 34-0 in minor semi-final)

Ins: Tevita Toloi (Norths), Tali Finau (Tonga), Alesio Bera

Outs: Moses Sorovi (Brumbies), Glen Vaihu (Moana Pasifika), Denzel Samoa (Moana Pasifika), Matthias Douglas (MLR), Sau Vaihu (Hunter Wildfires), Angelo Smith (Fijian Drua), Tima Fainganuuku (Japan)

What sort of rugby will we see from Wests this year?

“We’ll probably look fairly similar to last year,” Prinsloo said.

“Defensively, we’ve been solid in the trial games, and our set piece is also coming along nicely, which are all important building blocks.”

Player(s) to watch:

“Young guys like Tom Doe and Jacob Job should have strong seasons,” Prinsloo said.

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

“We aspire to play finals again and go to the end,” Wests’ head coach said.

“But realistically, Brothers will be very hard to beat with their Reds development and academy players.

“And Bond, with the depth they’ve retained and added, will b