With five rounds left in the regular season, the spotlight is firmly fixed on the coaches who haven't lived up to their billing so-far this season.
How a coach handles the mounting pressure as their team stumbles toward the finish line could decide whether they're still in charge come 2026.
Here's where these NRL coaches stand heading into the business end of 2025.
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NRL head coach hot seat
Room temperature seats:
Shane Flanagan, St. George Dragons
Flanagan has managed to keep the Dragons competitive despite having a squad still in the middle of a major rebuild.
A talking point of Flanagan's tenure has been the scrutiny of his son Kyle, with critics questioning whether his spot at halfback is only secure because he's coached by his father.
The Dragons coach has firmly rejected that narrative, but questions still remain over the 59-year-old's long-term role as he is set to come off-contract at the end of 2026.
Craig Fitzgibbon, Cronulla Sharks
The Sharks began 2025 as genuine contenders but have failed to live up to their top-four potential, having stabilised in the bottom half of the top-eight.
Since being hired back in 2022 to lead the club to their sophomore premiership, Fitzgibbon hasn't made it past the preliminary final, despite having a squad capable of more.
His 64 per cent win percentage over the last four-seasons will likely be enough to earn the opportunity for one more season, but if a trophy doesn't make it to the Shire soon, Fitzgibbon's leash will start to become very tight.
Warm seats:
Michael Maguire, Brisbane Broncos
2025 has been a season of two halves for the Broncos head man.
Just two months ago, he was at the centre of a media firestorm, with questions being asked of his control over the dressing room.
Since then, Brisbane have found their feet and are now in a position to challenge the Warriors and Panthers for the last spot in the top-four.
However, Maguire's side entered the season with the third shortest odds to win the competition, so anything less than a preliminary finals appearance would likely restart the conversation about Maguire's job security.
Benji Marshall, Wests Tigers
The Tigers have been arguably the most talked about side of the 2025 season.
From the preseason hype on the back of a slew of marquee signings, to the Lachlan Galvin saga, and now their fight to fend off a fourth-consecutive wooden spoon, the Tigers have dominated the headlines.
Marshall has been at the centre of attention given his brutal 32 per cent winning record during his season-and-a-half in charge.
The legendary five-eighth walked into a terrible situation in Concord and will likely be given some grace as a result.
Anthony Seibold, Manly Sea Eagles
It was reported earlier this season that a succession plan for life after Seibold has already been put in place on the Northern Beaches.
The pressure reached a boiling point after the Sea Eagles embarrassing 28-8 loss at the hands of a down-on-their-luck Titans outfit.
Seibold was thought to have been given just two-games to turn the club's fortunes, however, CEO Tony Mestrov later quashed those reports.
Regardless, it's clear the 50-year-old coach isn't on extremely firm footing and will likely need a late run into the top-eight to be sure he still has the reins in 2026.
Scorching hot seats:
Adam O’Brien, Newcastle Knights
The Knights appear to be at a crossroads with their best player Kalyn Ponga, who until very recently, had been reported to be exploring his options elsewhere.
Ponga restated his commitment to the club in a social media post, however, injuries have prevented him from having the impact on the squad that he would've hoped for this season.
Even when the star fullback has been on the field, his side continue to run into an insurmountable ceiling come finals time; and this year they may not even make it that far.
It's O'Brien's job as head coach to navigate this turbulence, and with a 6-win-13-loss record after 22 rounds, the jury is still out on whether he should be brought back to the Hunter.
Todd Payten, North Queensland Cowboys
Unfortunately for Payten, the writing seems to be on the wall with five rounds remaining this season.
The Cowboys coach signed a three-year extension back in 2023, however, given the reality of North Queensland's season in comparison to their expectations, it's hard to make the argument that Payten has done enough to see that deal out.
The team's defensive issues, which Payten has historically had under control, have been a real pain point for the club this season.
The Cowboys have a good crop of young talent, but if they don't show signs of life to finish the season, Payten may not be the one to oversee their development.
Des Hasler, Gold Coast Titans
Nothing has gone right for Hasler during his time at the helm on the Gold Coast.
He was brought to the club in the hopes that his no-nonsense approach would establish a new culture, but his tactics don't seem to have had much of a positive effect on the side's performances.
It was reported earlier in the season that Hasler had a unique clause in his contract which stipulated that if the Titans didn't make the top-eight, then powerbrokers on the Gold Coast would be under no obligation to bring him back in 2026.
Now that their hopes of playing finals footy are well and truly out of the picture, the Frizelle family, who recently assumed sole ownership of the club, may look to hit the reset button and begin the next chapter of Gold Coast rugby league.