NRL 2024: Every club’s spine rated, Melbourne Storm beat Penrith Panthers for best playmakers
Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai and Dylan Edwards may have piloted the Panthers to a premiership three-peat, but an analysis of all 17 clubs reveals Penrith don’t boast the best spine, writes TRAVIS MEYN.
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The Penrith Panthers have claimed a historic three-peat of premierships but the Melbourne Storm can lay claim to boasting the best playmaking spine in the NRL – with a catch.
An analysis of the top key position players at the 17 NRL clubs has one team narrowly pipping the Panthers – when fully fit.
The spine is regarded as the most important part of building an NRL premiership team and Penrith have clinched the last three titles with the help of a dominant combination led by Dylan Edwards, Jarome Luai and Nathan Cleary.
It’s no coincidence the top three ranked spines were preliminary finalists last season.
Meanwhile, it could be another long year in 2024 for the likes of the Bulldogs, Dragons and Tigers, who have a lot of question marks and uncertainty around their spines.
The loss of Jack Wighton to South Sydney sees the Raiders crash to last place on the spine rater in what is a worrying sign for Canberra.
17. CANBERRA RAIDERS
1. Seb Kris/Xavier Savage, 6. Kaeo Weekes, 7. Jamal Fogarty, 9. Zac Woolford/Tom Starling
The Raiders could be in for a long year on the back of losing Jack Wighton to the Rabbitohs. Ricky Stuart’s squad is looking significantly weaker across the park. The Raiders have some quality forwards but their spine could be up against it and it’s hard to see Canberra making the finals.
RATING: D
16. CANTERBURY BULLDOGS
1 Blake Taaffe/Stephen Crichton, 6 Matt Burton/Drew Hutchison, 7 Toby Sexton, 9 Reed Mahoney
Phil Gould has gone on a spending spree at Belmore but Canterbury’s spine doesn’t look much stronger. Panthers recruit Crichton could add some spark at fullback if that’s where he plays given Taaffe is serviceable without being excellent. There are doubts around who the Bulldogs’ best No. 6 is and where to play Burton. Sexton gets a chance to prove he is an NRL halfback and Mahoney will be hoping for a better second season in the kennel. This spine has a lot of unknowns.
RATING: C-
15. ST GEORGE-ILLAWARRA DRAGONS
1. Tyrell Sloan, 6. Kyle Flanagan, 7. Ben Hunt, 9. Jacob Liddle
The Dragons have a new coach in Shane Flanagan but the same problems in their squad. Sloan enters another season at fullback and needs to eradicate the silly mistakes in his game. Kyle Flanagan could get first crack at the five-eighth duties and if not for the proven Hunt at halfback, the Dragons spine would rate even lower.
RATING: C
14. WESTS TIGERS
1. Jahream Bula, 6. Jayden Sullivan, 7. Aidan Sezer, 9. Api Koroisau
The Tigers have a yin and yang spine. At fullback there is the supremely talented Bula coming off a tremendous rookie season and Koroisau is a NSW Origin hooker. But the halves in new recruits Sullivan and Sezer have plenty of question marks around them. If they don’t fire, it could be another long year for Tigers fans.
RATING: C+
13. GOLD COAST TITANS
1. Jayden Campbell/AJ Brimson, 6. Kieran Foran, 7. Tanah Boyd, 9. Sam Verrills
Des Hasler inherits a Gold Coast spine with more questions than answers. Hasler must first decide whether to play Campbell or Brimson at fullback and that decision could have a flow-on effect for the halves. Foran could be entering his final NRL campaign and Boyd is unproven at halfback. The injury-prone Verrills has never played more than 15 games in an NRL season. Hasler has some talent at his disposal but if he can’t solve this puzzle, the Titans may struggle again.
RATING: C+
12. THE DOLPHINS
1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, 6. Isaiya Katoa, 7. Sean O’Sullivan, 9. Jeremy Marshall-King
The Dolphins boast a spine on the rise – the problem is they spent little time together in their debut season. Tabuai-Fidow is one of the most freakishly talented players in the game and Katoa is a genuine star in the making who will be better for the 2023 experience. O’Sullivan and Marshall-King, who was excellent when fit, struggled with injuries all season. If Wayne Bennett can keep his first-choice playmakers on the field, the Dolphins will have a red-hot crack at the top eight.
RATING: B-
11. NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS
1. Kalyn Ponga, 6. Tyson Gamble, 7. Jackson Hastings, 9. Jayden Brailey
This could be one of the strangest spines in the NRL. At fullback there is Ponga, the reigning Dally M Medal winner following a blistering back end to the 2023 season. Gamble and Hastings are journeymen of sorts that try their hearts out and struck up a solid combination. Brailey is on the comeback from a serious knee injury. Who knows what will happen at Newcastle next year after last season’s fairytale run to the finals.
RATING: B-
10. CRONULLA SHARKS
1. Will Kennedy, 6. Braydon Trindall, 7. Nicho Hynes, 9. Blayke Brailey
The Sharks have a more than serviceable spine with decent NRL experience now. However they have been too reliant on Hynes to do the bulk of the playmaking work. The other three need to take some load off the 2022 Dally M Medal winner and give Cronulla more points of attack.
RATING: B
9. MANLY SEA EAGLES
1. Tom Trbojevic, 6. Luke Brooks, 7. Daly Cherry-Evans, 9. Lachlan Croker
This is a spine that should be in the top eight mix – not wallowing near the bottom of the competition. Trbojevic was the most dominant player in the NRL a few years ago and Cherry-Evans is still one of the premier halfbacks. If Brooks fires in his move to Manly then the Sea Eagles could be back in the finals mix, especially with the improvement Croker showed last season. The Manly spine looks solid on paper.
RATING: B
8. PARRAMATTA EELS
1. Clint Gutherson, 6. Dylan Brown, 7. Mitchell Moses, 9. Joey Lussick
How did it go so wrong for Parramatta last season after the 2022 grand final appearance? Gutherson may not have the attacking spark of Reece Walsh but he is a quality fullback while Brown and Moses are Test and Origin playmakers. Lussick has a bit to prove but this Eels team should bounce back in 2024.
RATING: B
7. WARRIORS
1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 6. Te Maire Martin/Luke Metcalf, 7. Shaun Johnson, 9. Wayde Egan
The Warriors were the surprise packets of the 2023 season and a lot of that had to do with their spine. Johnson was unlucky not to win the Dally M Medal while Egan was the most improved hooker in the game. Nicoll-Klokstad is a consistent performer at the back and looks like he will retain the No. 1 jersey even with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck returning. They have plenty of five-eighth options to partner Johnson.
RATING: B+
6. SYDNEY ROOSTERS
1. James Tedesco, 6. Luke Keary, 7. Sam Walker, 9. Brandon Smith
The Roosters could boast a top four A-grade spine, but it just didn’t come together for them last season. Tedesco found some form late in the year, but the jury is out on whether he has passed his prime. Keary is in a similar position while Walker needs some luck on the injury front to find consistency in his game. Smith has a season at the Tri Colours under his belt and should provide more impact in 2024.
RATING: B+
5. SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS
1. Latrell Mitchell, 6. Cody Walker, 7. Lachlan Ilias, 9. Damien Cook
The Rabbitohs head into 2024 as one of the most under-pressure teams in the NRL. The 2023 season was one to forget for Jason Demetriou’s Bunnies and expectation is high in Redfern. The Rabbitohs have a quality spine that played well below its best last season. Mitchell needs to stand up and deliver his best season for South Sydney. If he does that, it will ease the pressure on Walker and Ilias in the halves while Cook still has plenty of decent footy left in him.
RATING: B+
4. NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
1. Scott Drinkwater, 6. Tom Dearden, 7. Chad Townsend, 9. Reece Robson
For a team that missed the finals in 2023, the Cowboys have the spine to take them deep in next year’s premiership race. Drinkwater had an outstanding season and Dearden continues to improve. Robson made his Origin debut for the Blues and is one of the game’s most underrated hookers. The pressure is on Townsend to deliver in what could be his final season in North Queensland.
RATING: B+
3. BRISBANE BRONCOS
1. Reece Walsh, 6. Ezra Mam, 7. Adam Reynolds, 9. Billy Walters
If they hung on to beat Penrith in the grand final, the Broncos could have laid claim to having the best spine in the NRL. However some forgettable performances in the decider sees Brisbane’s playmakers drop to third in the league. Walters proved this year he was a genuine NRL quality hooker while Walsh and Mam are two of the game’s most exciting young talents. The question mark remains around Reynolds and whether he can produce another quality season in his twilight to take Brisbane to the Promised Land.
RATING: A-
2. PENRITH PANTHERS
1. Dylan Edwards, 6. Jarome Luai, 7. Nathan Cleary, 9. Mitch Kenny
The Panthers playmakers have helped clinch a three-peat of premierships and have claims to being the NRL’s No. 1 spine. Edwards is as good a fullback as there is in the game and Luai is the perfect foil for the NRL’s best halfback in Cleary. There were doubts Kenny could fill the void of Api Koroisau (Tigers) this year, but he helped Penrith get the job done. Coach Ivan Cleary wouldn’t trade them for anyone, but Melbourne’s awesome foursome at their peak just pip the Panthers.
RATING: A
1. MELBOURNE STORM
1. Ryan Papenhuyzen, 6. Cameron Munster, 7. Jahrome Hughes, 9. Harry Grant
On paper, the Storm boast the most dangerous spine in the NRL. They have invested heavily in their playmakers – spending close to $4 million annually on the four superstars – and built a team around them. But for the strategy to deliver, the quartet have to stay on the park and play to their potential, which wasn’t the case last season. Munster, Hughes and Grant are Test players but there are still question marks around whether Papenhuyzen can get back to his best following two serious injuries. If they all fire in 2024 this is an A+ spine and the best in the NRL.
RATING: A
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