NRL 2022 free agency: Winners and losers of player movement frenzy
The Eels got what they needed in the pre-season free agency period, but can they fill the gaps next season? We rate every club’s gains and losses.
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It’s the biggest off-field race where teams’ premiership hopes can be enhanced or cruelled without kicking a ball.
In one of the craziest free agency periods in recent history, more than 70 players found new homes ahead of the 2022 NRL season as clubs looked to gain an edge in their rosters.
Penrith’s premiership winner Matt Burton will carry the hopes of Canterbury fans, while wily veteran Adam Reynolds has been charged with reinvigorating the former powerhouse Brisbane Broncos.
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Elsewhere, the Wests Tigers are pinning their success on Jackson Hastings, who returns to the NRL with a point to prove.
We have gone through each club’s roster to analyse the return of some old faces, the rising stars taking on leading roles and the risky signings that could pay off handsomely or turn into a train wreck.
Here is the free agency wrap and rating of all 16 NRL clubs.
BULLDOGS
Canterbury’s roster overhaul has resulted in the club becoming one of the most active in the player market. To make for a number of high-profile signings like Josh Addo-Carr, Matt Burton and Tevita Pangai Jr, no less than 11 players from the 2021 squad have been shown the door, with few of them securing contracts elsewhere.
Picking up players like sacked Dragons star Paul Vaughan on a discounted deal could prove one of the club’s more astute signings, given the forward’s representative pedigree and the very reasonable money spent to secure him.
Despite all the activity, including signing Dragons fullback Matt Dufty and reliable Rabbitohs winger Braidon Burns in finalising their 30-man roster for this season, the Bulldogs have been unable to lock in a marquee No.9. But that problem is solved when Parramatta’s Reed Mahoney arrives at the club for the 2023 campaign.
- Fatima Kdouh
SHARKS
The acquisition of Cameron McInnes and Dale Finucane is the elite level of leadership and experience the Sharks have needed to add to a relatively young forward pack.
Nicho Hynes is the X-factor for Cronulla; a player the club can build their team around if he continues to take his game on an upward trajectory, while Roosters winger Matt Ikuvalu will add much-needed depth out wide.
Nine players off-contract in 2022 including: Andrew Fifita, Wade Graham, Braden Hamlin-Uele, Mawene Hiroti, Royce Hunt, Matt Moylan, Briton Nikora, Franklin Pele and Jack Williams. 2022 is likely to be Fifita’s swan song, while the decision whether to extend their captain Graham and how Moylan performs after taking a large pay cut will be major talking points.
- David Riccio
ROOSTERS
Brought in players they needed without a headline purchase. Connor Watson’s return to the club will be huge with the ex-Knight arguably the best utility in the competition.
Centre Paul Momirovski also finds himself back at the Roosters after premiership success at Penrith to land himself a starting centre spot.
Kevin Naiqama returns to the NRL after a highly successful stint in the UK Super League. The 32-year-old scored two tries in a man-of-the-match performance in the Super League grand final as St Helens completed a historic three-peat. He brings a wealth of experience to the Roosters, while former Bulldog Renouf Atoni could emerge as one of the value purchases of the season, having turned down an offer to remain at Belmore to instead make the shift to Bondi. He is expected to fill the role of Gold Coast-bound Isaac Liu.
- Michael Carayannis
BRONCOS
The Broncos have been active in the recruitment market as coach Kevin Walters looks to put his stamp on the team. The signing of Adam Reynolds from South Sydney is their biggest coup, giving Brisbane the dominant halfback they’ve craved since Ben Hunt’s departure.
Penrith premiership player and Queensland Origin star Kurt Capewell will bring some experience to the forwards. The Broncos have also recruited Ryan James from Canberra to help mentor the club’s young props.
Te Maire Martin on a development deal is an interesting one, making a comeback from a brain bleed that cut short his career two years ago. If he can rediscover some of the talent he showed as a youngster at Penrith and North Queensland, the Broncos could reap the rewards.
The signings of Brenko Lee, Jordan Pereira and Billy Walters are up for debate.
- Travis Meyn
DRAGONS
In landing two Origin forwards (Francis Molo and Jaydn Su’A) and experienced international bookends (George Burgess and Aaron Woods), the Dragons should have a little more muscle up front. Su’A, in particular, produced his best season in first grade last year.
If Burgess can rediscover his form following a serious hip injury, he could prove an astute buy as coach Anthony Griffin enters his second season at the helm.
Woods provides a strong veteran presence and will be good for culture, as will Moses Mbye, although exactly what role the former Tigers skipper plays for his new club remains to be seen.
The addition of the veterans will complement the Dragons’ exciting young juniors.
- Nick Campton
KNIGHTS
Dane Gagai is a great get, obviously. Especially given the Queensland Origin favourite is coming off such an outstanding year with South Sydney.
Adam Clune too, brings depth to the halves and could potentially train his way into that vacant Knights No.7 jersey come March.
However the biggest signing could prove to be Andrew Johns who, has been tasked with reshaping the side’s attack to fit what will be a completely new halves pairing.
Captain Jayden Brailey’s ruptured Achilles in the pre-season will keep him out for around six months, leaving the Knights short at hooker.
Importantly though, the club still has two spaces in its NRL squad and remain on the lookout for a rake, a senior NRL playmaker and a back-rower.
The club has also made other big changes to a backroom staff whose fingerprints will end up all over this side – with NSW High Performance boss Hayden Knowles shifting across from premiers Penrith and Australian UFC great James TeHuna signing on as wrestling coach.
- Nick Walshaw
EELS
While all eyes are on the impending exodus of stars at the end of the 2022 season, the Eels performed relatively well in this transfer window.
They signed Canberra winger Bailey Simonsson, and added veteran Gold Coast hooker Mitch Rein to sure-up their No.9 options after utility Will Smith moved the other way. Simonsson will battle it out with the likes of young star Sean Russell to replace Blake Ferguson on the wing. Ferguson’s bullocking carries and infectious personality will be missed in the NRL.
Rising young centre Will Penisini will continue to impress for Eels fans.
Expect their rating to plummet significantly next year when they watch Reed Mahoney, Isaiah Papali’i, Marata Niukore, Oregon Kaufusi and Ray Stone walk out the door, with only Canberra No.9 Josh Hodgson, at this point, coming the other way.
- Fatima Kdouh
RAIDERS
The Raiders struggled to replace George Williams internally in 2021 — Sam Williams and Matt Frawley are good clubmen, but neither was a long-term option — and the recruitment of Jamal Fogarty is a nice signing. Fogarty is composed, capable of playing to a game plan and able to slot in on the right edge. He’s also got a nice kicking game and should be able to free up Jack Wighton to play some of his best football.
Adam Elliott is on his last chance, but if Canberra can get the best out of him he could prove to be an astute purchase, so long as they play him in the middle. The Raiders have plenty of forward power at their disposal, but they need a passer to free things up and Elliott can do just that.
The return of Nick Cotric to the nation’s capital is a huge boost to the Raiders’ backline, with Bailey Simonsson released to sign with Parramatta.
It is a big year for the Raiders following last season’s disappointing showing.
- Nick Campton
TIGERS
Unknown quantities. The signing of Jackson Hastings looms as the most important. Not just for the club but for Hastings as he tries to resurrect his NRL career after a successful stint in England.
Hastings should be wearing the team’s No.7 jersey as he is a true organiser. He has been earmarked as a potential ball-playing lock. Jury is out on his former Wigan teammate Oliver Gildart while Tyrone Peachey should add some utility value to the roster and Starford To’a more competition in the outside backs.
- Michael Carayannis
WARRIORS
The Warriors have been relatively active in the market, though the side‘s two big-ticket recruits, Marata Niukore and Luke Metcalf, are still 12 months from joining the club. Shaun Johnson returns to place his NRL career started but unlike the twinkle-toed playmaker that dazzled with his natural ability and flare, Nathan Brown needs him to be the anchor in an inexperienced spine.
Ash Taylor’s train-and-trial deal proves that while Brown might see potential in the maligned playmaker, he is still an unknown proposition. Brisbane’s Jesse Arthars has agreed to a one-year loan deal and is primed to score a starting centre spot.
- Fatima Kdouh
TITANS
A year after a free agency period where they secured club-altering stars David Fifita and Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, the Titans were a little more reserved this time around.
They’ve nabbed premiership winner Isaac Liu from the Roosters and Aaron Booth from the Melbourne Storm, which could prove to be two huge signings in the long run. The versatile Will Smith also joins the Titans from the Eels, which adds plenty of coverage for a number of roles – plus a handy No.14 for the 2022 season.
Coach Justin Holbrook continues to mould the team into a premiership contender, adding the experienced signings around a strong base of youth.
- Chris Honnery
STORM
Some good and some bad. Storm has lost three of its best 17 for 2022, following the departure of Josh Addo-Carr, Nicho Hynes and Dale Finucane. That will sting, although the signing of exciting Brisbane winger Xavier Coates – who is already impressing Storm bosses since arriving at the club – should help offset the loss of the Foxx to the Bulldogs.
The Storm has also added outside back Nick Meaney from the Dogs and Knights middle forward Josh King.
The Storm has also been able to hold on to stars Ryan Papenhuyzen, Jahrome Hughes and Christian Welch on multi-year deals. The club suffered a pre-Christmas blow when hooker Brandon Smith – who has been in the news for various reasons these past few months – agreed to join the Roosters at the end of 2022. Captain Jesse Bromwich and back-rower Felise Kaufusi are also off to the Dolphins at the end of this year.
- Nick Smart
PANTHERS
Penrith have hardly set the player market alight just yet. But worry? No. Apart from having a few spots still available in their roster, and having that greatest of junior nurseries, this is also the club that waited until mid year to catapult no less than Tevita Pangai Jr into its playoff charge. Which worked out OK.
Elsewhere, Warriors recruit Sean O’Sullivan shapes as a strong replacement come Origin time — when a host of Panthers will be called upon by NSW Origin coach Brad Fittler — and will also help ease the pain of losing Dally M Centre Matt Burton, who is equally strong at five-eighth or fullback. O’Sullivan is also a local junior, too. And we all know how these stories seem to be going out west. In fact, when last at Penrith in 2016, the playmaker captained a Panthers SG Ball side featuring the likes of Brian To’o and Mitch Kenny to the premiership and national title.
Fellow recruit Chris Smith could also surprise in his homecoming, potentially going straight into an interchange spot.
Former Panther Christian Crichton returns to the club alongside brother Stephen, adding some depth to the flanks.
- Nick Walshaw
SEA EAGLES
Rather quiet. They only added Brisbane’s Ethan Bullemor to provide depth to their forward stocks, which will help cover the departures of Curtis Sironen and Jack Gosiewski.
Manly did re-sign utility Karl Lawton, Morgan Harper, Morgan Boyle, Jorge Taufua and Lachlan Croker, but have not addressed the glaring issue in their roster — hooker. With Manase Fainu sidelined under the no-fault stand-down policy and still dealing with a shoulder injury, Croker remains their only recognised No.9 option.
Releasing Curtis Sironen and Moses Suli affects their depth, but they will rely on their junior pathways to fill in the gaps.
- Adam Mobbs
RABBITOHS
The Rabbitohs have lost far more quality than they have attracted for the 2022 season.
Former Tiger Michael Chee-Kam is a handy utility, while they also signed Isaiah Tass from the Broncos and Canberra’s Siliva Havili as a back-up hooker/back-rower.
But the loss of Adam Reynolds, Dane Gagai, Jadyn Su’A and Benji Marshall is enormous. Reynolds was the brains of the Bunnies’ offence and Su’A provided some hard-hitting mongrel.
Souths had hoped to replace the experience of Reynolds and Marshall with Anthony Milford after he lost his way at the Broncos.
But his future at Redfern hinges on an off-field assault charge hanging over his head, with the NRL refusing to register the one-year deal until court proceedings have played out.
- Peter Badel
COWBOYS
The Cowboys haven’t been able to go on a spending spree because their money is already locked up with a number of their current stars, such as Valentine Holmes and Jason Taumalolo. However, they have been able to pick up a trio of Warriors players – Peta Hiku, Jamayne Taunoa-Brown and Chad Townsend – the latter of whom comes in on a significant wage — and Brendan Elliot.
None of the signings will make the Cowboys premiership contenders, however, and losing the likes of Francis Molo to the Dragons hurts.
- Chris Honnery
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Originally published as NRL 2022 free agency: Winners and losers of player movement frenzy
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