Rookie watch: Young guns to watch in NRL trials
Young guns at every club are pushing for starting spots and they have an excellent opportunity to impress this weekend.
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The 2019 season is fast approaching and time is running out for coaches to finalise their teams for Round 1.
Young guns at every club are doing their best to push their claims for starting spots and they’ll have an excellent opportunity this weekend in a host of pre-season clashes.
Read on for our pick of the rookies to keep an eye on in this weekend’s NRL trials.
STORM v WARRIORS
Scott Drinkwater (Storm)
There’s plenty of hype surrounding Drinkwater and he’s worth every bit of it. The dominant player in the Queensland Cup last year, Drinkwater is locked in a battle with Jahrome Hughes to replace Billy Slater at the back. While Hughes has the inside track, Drinkwater is more similar stylistically to Slater — his speed and footwork around the ruck would be a constant and dangerous weapon.
Drinkwater gets a good chance to press his claims in this trial against the Warriors and even if Hughes does get the start for Round 1, expect Drinkwater to see plenty of action around Origin time. If there’s an injury to Melbourne’s outside backs, he’ll be the man to step in.
Adam Keighran, Chanel Harris-Tevita, Hayze Perham (Warriors)
The Warriors are now in a post-Johnson world and, for this season at least, will have to choose between an untested rookie, another untested rookie and a third, even more untested rookie. Keighran made the NSW Cup team of the year in 2017 as a centre and joins the club this year from Penrith.
Harris-Tevita has played for the Junior Kiwis and is best known for the scorpion kick he pulled off against the Junior Kangaroos last year. Perham played a full season in the NSW Cup last year at 18. This trial could go a long way in determining who partners Blake Green.
Other players to watch: Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Billy Walters (Storm), Patrick Herbert (Warriors)
TITANS v COWBOYS
Jesse Arthars (Titans)
A prolific pointscorer in his under-20s career with Melbourne and South Sydney, Arthars has the chance to stake his claim as a fullback option for Garth Brennan. The Keebra Park product is behind Michael Gordon and AJ Brimson at this stage but with Gordon’s retirement looming and Brimson to start the season as a bench utility there’s a chance for him to earn a start.
Other players to watch: Carlin Anderson, Murray Taulagi (Cowboys)
RAIDERS v BULLDOGS
Corey Horsburgh (Raiders)
Canberra’s dearth of experience up front could open the door for the fiery Horsburgh to make his NRL debut sooner rather than later. The former North Queensland Cowboy has impressed ever since he arrived in the capital at the end of 2017 — after finishing last year in NSW Cup he’s been elevated to the club’s top 30 squad this season and impressed in last week’s trial win over Parramatta.
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A former Queensland under-20s rep, Horsburgh played for the Junior Kangaroos at the end of last season and has the mobility and aggression to make it in the big leagues. He’s likely still behind Emre Guler, Ryan Sutton and Dunamis Lui in the competition for a bench spot but things may not stay that way for long.
Jayden Okunbor (Bulldogs)
Nigerian heritage, a junior athletics star, and a Canterbury junior, Jayden Okunbor won’t ever escape Jamal Idris comparisons. The former back-rower turned winger had an attitude adjustment last season and has since earned a call-up to Dean Pay’s 30-man NRL squad. With the departures of the Morris twins, the monster outside back can win an NRL debut with a strong performance against Canberra on Saturday afternoon. With a logjam in the back-row at the Dogs, Okunbor’s shift to the flanks couldn’t have proven any more timely.
Other players to watch: Bailey Simonsson (Raiders), Morgan Harper (Bulldogs)
RABBITOHS v PANTHERS
Corey Allan (Rabbitohs)
Injury setbacks to Greg Inglis and uncertainty around Alex Johnston’s best position have opened the door for Brisbane recruit Corey Allan to make his NRL debut in Round 1. The uncapped Allan hit the public spotlight when named in the Prime Minister’s XIII side to face Papua New Guinea at the end of last season.
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In typical fashion, Wayne Bennett has expressed his desire to ease Allan’s development into the top grade. Despite this, the master coach may have no option but to leapfrog him ahead of Johnston in the fullback pecking order should he turn in a starring trial performance. Also capable on the wing, Allan is a chance at nabbing a wing spot vacated by Tigers-bound Robert Jennings.
Other players to watch: Caleb Aekins (Panthers)
DRAGONS v KNIGHTS
Tristan Sailor (Dragons)
The son of former Dragon Wendell Sailor has played all over the backline in the juniors for the Dragons but he’s one of the prospects the club is very excited about. Sailor could enter the frame for first grade this season given his utility value and St George Illawarra’s lack of depth out wide. He’s been named at fullback for this weekend’s NSW Cup side and will likely feature in the top grade trial to boot.
Quick on his feet with skills that are improving by the week, Sailor is a different sort of player to his old man so don’t expect another bulldozing winger. As one of the Red V’s best prospects going forward, he’s one to keep an eye on.
Brodie Jones (Knights)
The latest in a long line of players to come out of the Cessnock Goannas club, Jones has been on the periphery of first grade for some time. This has been his third pre-season with the NRL squad and he was part of extended squads more than once last year.
A standout for the Knights NSW Cup team last year and a consistent NSW representative in junior football, Jones is a good bet to make his first grade debut sooner rather than later.
Other players to watch: Zac Lomax, Mikaele Ravalawa, Reece Robson, Josh Kerr (Dragons)
BRONCOS v WYNNUM
Tom Flegler, Patrick Carrigan (Broncos)
Payne Haas’s suspension means there is a vacancy on the bench for Brisbane and these two young tyros are in the box seat to claim it (update: Flegler has been promoted to the starting side for the trial). Anthony Seibold may prefer the experience of Shaun Fensom or the more proven qualities of Patrick Mago but Flegler and Carrigan are two of the state’s best forward prospects.
It is a cliche to the extreme to label a young Broncos forward as “the next Webcke” or “the next Civoniceva” but Flegler and Carrigan are both extremely promising. They will play NRL at some stage this season but given what’s happened to Haas it may be sooner rather than later.
Other players to watch: Sean O’Sullivan, Tom Dearden, Cory Paix (Broncos)
SHARKS v SEA EAGLES
Blayke Brailey (Sharks)
Blayke and Jayden Brailey are set to take sibling rivalry to another dimension this season. The uncapped Blayke is nipping at the heels of his more experienced brother for Cronulla’s starting hooker role. In a bittersweet touch of luck for the younger brother, Jayden will miss the trial with Manly due to a hamstring issue. Blayke therefore gets a stellar opportunity to push his case for a berth in the season opener. Blayke has his brother’s toughness in defence, but could possess greater creativity around the ruck that the Sharks will miss in James Segeyaro’s departure.
Other players to watch: Bronson Xerri, Will Kennedy, Briton Nikora (Sharks)
* The Sea Eagles are yet to name their team but keep an eye on the battle for backline spots with youngsters Albert Hopoate and Reuben Garrick well in contention.
Originally published as Rookie watch: Young guns to watch in NRL trials
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