Every club has at least one of them. The guy who won’t always appear on the highlight reels and who probably features in the nudie run most Mad Mondays. The NRL boasts an array of superstar talents, but those superstars will always need someone to get through the grunt work in the lead up.
Here are (some of) the unheralded heroes at your club in season 2023. Let us know in the comments who I’ve missed and why!
Herbie Farnworth (Broncos)
Reliable and resilient, Farnworth is a bang-for-buck type player in a backline littered with superstars. An excellent defender and deceptively quick across the ground, Farnworth oozes effort with every carry. Can cover fullback and wing if needed but is slowly becoming one of the better specialist centres in the game. The kind of player Broncos fans mightn’t fully appreciate until he’s gone.
Reuben Garrick (Sea Eagles)
Is there a more reliable outside back in the NRL? Proved himself more than capable of filling in at fullback last season but is one of the more complete wingers in the game. Rarely makes an error, strong in yardage, a gun finisher and an excellent goal-kicker to boot. He’s a set and forget player for Anthony Seibold on the left wing and although he mightn’t have the upside of a Brian To’o or Josh Addo-Carr, he wouldn’t let anybody down in a Sky Blue jersey either.
Mark Nicholls (Dolphins)
With the roster Wayne Bennett has assembled, I could’ve put just about any name on this list. After his back-to-back try saving efforts against the Broncos last week though, Nicholls takes the cake. He’s a sound ball carrier in yardage but it’s in defence where ‘The Goat’ excels. Never stops moving in the line to offer inside pressure, close the gates around the ruck or make clutch cover tackles in the backfield. Even in a list of effort-based players, Nicholls still stands out.
Day 4 of Mark 🐐 Nicholls living rent-free in my head.#NRLDolphinsBroncos #PhinsUp pic.twitter.com/BARFqP6ypL
— Oscar Pannifex (@OscarPannifex) March 27, 2023
Tohu Harris (Warriors)
Breaking my own rules a bit here by picking the Warriors captain and one of their best players. Despite his elite class, Harris is still criminally underrated. If he played in a Sydney-based club, he’d be talked about as one of the best middle forwards in the game but he flies under the radar in New Zealand. Gets through a mountain of work on both sides of the ball and has been distributing through the middle long before Isaah Yeo, Victor Radley and Cameron Murray became household names. One of the best to do it.
Daniel Tupou (Roosters)
Entering his twelfth season with the Chooks and still putting up elite numbers. The definition of longevity and reliability, Tupou has evolved with the times to change his game and remain relevant as a modern day winger. He’s averaged 100+ running metres for more than a decade now while still proving an expert finisher on the edge. The feel-good story of the year is that Tupou looks like staying with the Roosters following Joseph Suaali’i defection to rugby union. Has been a wonderful servant for Easts and deserves to finish his career in the NRL.
William Kennedy (Sharks)
It wasn’t so long ago that Dylan Edwards was a fringe first-grader and an unheralded member of the Panthers squad. Now he’s a Clive Churchill medallist and regarded as one of the best in the game. I’m not ruling out a similar trajectory for Kennedy. He is one of my favourite players in the competition and is slowly getting recognition for his efforts at either end of the field. Few glide across the ground as smoothly as Kennedy. His speed and timing in Cronulla’s backline movements is often the difference between a try saved or a try scored – he swings into position at just the right moment which doesn’t give the defence a chance to number up. The perfect foil for Nicho Hynes in attack. Special mention to obvious candidate Dale Finucane.
Scott Sorensen (Panthers)
The beauty of the Penrith Panthers over the last few years is their ability to plug any hole in the line-up without skipping a beat. Sorensen has been integral to this. Capable on an edge or through the middle, Sorensen rarely plays big minutes but never looks out of place when he does. A strong defender and a smart line runner in attack, Sorensen would be a starting player at more than a few clubs but appears to know his value on Penrith’s bench. When injuries and representative duties hit, a guy like Sorensen is worth his weight in gold.
Isaiah Tass (Rabbitohs)
Made the leap from QLD Cup last season and hasn’t looked back. Dane Gagai left some sizable shoes to fill in Souths backline but Tass has gone from strength to strength since his first-grade debut in 2022. He consistently tops the hit-up count for the Rabbitohs to get busy in exit sets and generate momentum in yardage. In defence, what he lacks in top-line speed or agility he makes up for with perfect positioning in the line. No full-time centre in the NRL had a better tackle efficiency than Tass (86%) last year, and in attack Alex Johnston continues to be the beneficiary of Tass’ smart ballplaying and vision. A great find for the Bunnies.
Christian Welch (Storm)
He’s the captain of his club and a State of Origin representative but even so, Welch rarely ranks among the best front-rowers in the game. Storm fans know his true value, though. He’s the best defensive prop in the comp by a country mile – no one gets through as much clean-up work as Welch does through the middle of the field. Still working his way back from an ACL injury but has been invaluable for the Storm to begin the 2023 season. Won’t bust tackles or tickle ribs like some of the dynamic middles of the game but will always produce an 8/10 or higher. Has Melbourne Storm written all over him.
Jake Averillo (Bulldogs)
Few compete on every play like Averillo does. Whether at five-eighth, fullback, lock or centre, Averillo has consistently been one of the Bulldogs best since his debut in 2020. His eagerness to influence the result sees him pop up in spaces he has no right to be in, whether that’s to clean up a loose ball, make a cover tackle or push up in support of the ball carrier. He’s just four games into a seemingly permanent move to the centres and is taking to the position nicely.
I had him starting at fullback for the @NRL_Bulldogs this year, but Averillo is taking to the centre position very, very nicely.
Ciraldo told us "Jake can be be among the top echelon of players in that position" in the pre-season and we're starting to see why… pic.twitter.com/DetVxQfkRA
— Oscar Pannifex (@OscarPannifex) March 28, 2023
Erin Clark (Titans)
Long-term injuries to Beau Fermor and Jaimin Joliffe have me settling on Clark as Gold Coast’s unheralded hero for season 2023. Enjoyed a breakout period at lock in the back end of last season but can do a job at dummy-half, too. Still a raw talent with an error or two in him, but you can never question Clark’s intent. With big name forwards commanding a large portion of the salary cap, the Titans need high work-rate role players like Clark to fill the gaps.
Brodie Jones (Knights)
Every club needs a guy they can use to plug holes in the roster as they appear, and Jones is that guy for Newcastle. Can play centre, lock, on an edge or through the middle and will always do a job. Gets through a bunch of defensive work and rarely misses his assignment (94.7% career tackle efficiency). He mightn’t win you many games, but Jones won’t lose you many, either. Special mention to Leo Thompson who’s growing nicely into his first-grade career.
Reece Robson (Cowboys)
Has gone from strength to strength since joining the Cowboys to be arguably one of the form hookers of the competition. Robson has an engine that just won’t quit and is underrated as an intelligent, attacking hooker. Brings his forwards onto the ball smartly and will tackle for days. Doesn’t have the upside of an Api Koroisau or Damien Cook, but wouldn’t look out of place in a NSW jersey if needed.
Blake Lawrie (Dragons)
The People’s Champ! Few try scorers demand applause like big Blake Lawrie did when he crashed over in Round 2. He’s an old-school front rower with few tricks in his toolkit, but what he does, he does well. Strong in defence and a metre-eater in yardage, at 26 years of age Lawrie’s best form is ahead of him. Hard not to like the big unit.
Blake Lawrie POWERS through! 😤
📺WATCH #NRLDragonsTitans on Ch. 502 or stream via @kayosports https://t.co/KU6O1WswuO
✍️BLOG https://t.co/GDPbDCb2m4
🔢 MATCH CENTRE https://t.co/yWI27JpiIO pic.twitter.com/5rcC86RYFD— Fox League (@FOXNRL) March 12, 2023
Matt Doorey (Eels)
Parramatta rely on their big names more than most teams in the NRL, leaving less room for fringe players to command the spotlight. With injuries and suspensions disrupting their start to the season though, newcomer Matt Doorey has made the most of his opportunities. He’s running some great lines off Mitch Moses on the right edge and can be a very handy bench player for the Eels in season 2023 if he keeps this up.
Elliott Whitehead (Raiders)
One of my favourite players of the last decade. Entering the twilight of his career and no longer dominating Canberra’s left edge with a pass, kick or run option, but is still a warrior on both sides of the ball. Plays with more smarts than most halves and is tough as they come. There will never be another Whitehead for the Raiders.
Brent Naden (Tigers)
Easily one of the Tigers best to begin the season. He’s still got an error in his game and is prone to a bad read in defence, but Naden is making up for it with his efforts in attack. Carries the ball hard in yardage and is difficult to tackle one-on-one when Wests create positive opportunities for him in good-ball. Special mention to Asu Kepaoa who is transitioning nicely into the backrow.
Oscar Pannifex
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