Pool Two isn’t about potential.
It’s about return trips.
United SC and RLPA both left the Gold Coast one game short of the grand final with squads strong enough to win it all. The North Coast Marlins showed they could punch above their weight, then walked away empty-handed. And FTA arrive fresh off a Sydney Qualifier run that proved they belong at this level.
Nobody in this pool is here to find out who they are.
They already know.
United SC have been the slow burn of the Nines. Quarterfinal heartbreak in 2024. Semifinal exhaustion in 2025. Both losses came against the eventual champions. That’s not bad luck. That’s proximity.
Their identity hasn’t changed. Power through the middle. Speed on the edges. No relief for defenders. When the Fifita rotation starts rolling, games don’t open up. They compress. United SC don’t chase momentum. They suffocate it.
The question isn’t whether they’re built for the Nines. That’s settled.
It’s whether this is the year the weekend finally bends their way instead of stopping one step short again.
RLPA live at the other end of the learning curve. Winless in 2024. Rebuilt and ruthless in 2025. Night and day.
They stripped back nostalgia, added legs, and played with structure. The Fossils stopped trying to survive the weekend and started controlling it. Tight wins. Strong defence. Clear roles. They became a team that understood how quickly things can unravel if you lose discipline or shape.
They don’t blow teams away. They don’t need to.
They stay close long enough to take games off you.
The North Coast Marlins are still shaking the “almost” label. They proved they could match it with the biggest squads in the competition, then fell just short when it mattered most. That kind of weekend can break teams or sharpen them.
The signs point to the latter. Feeder teams. Wider pipeline. More reps. More depth. They won’t be shocked by the speed or the contact this time. And they won’t be flattered just to be competitive.
They’ve done the hard part already.
Now they need to finish.
FTA arrive with momentum and a scar. The Sydney Qualifier showed they can handle pressure, survive knockout footy, and stay composed when games tighten. The Gold Coast ticket wasn’t gifted. It was earned.
The grand final loss will sit with them. It should. Missed moments have a way of clarifying standards. FTA know they belong here now. The next step is staying here.
Every team in Pool Two will recruit.
Every team will talk about depth and recovery and execution.
But this pool won’t be decided by who looks strongest on paper.
It will be decided by who’s tired of being close.
Pool Two is where contenders stop knocking.
Teams. Stories. Opinion. 