NRL 2017: Nick Campton names the seven young guns set to make the leap to superstardom
AS the NRL’s stars succumb to the ravages of age, young bloods rise up and take their place. Nick Campton has picked seven NRL players set to make that leap from star to superstar in 2017.
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AS players succumb to the ravages of age, young bloods rise up and take their place at the top of the food chain. As they say in the classics, it’s the circle of life.
Nick Campton has picked seven NRL players set to make that leap from star to superstar in 2017.
Ashley Taylor
There was significant hype around Taylor in 2016 after he earned the 2015 under-20s player of the year award and he more than delivered, earning the rookie of the year award in one of the strongest rookie classes in years. By the end of the season, Taylor had taken total control of the Titans and was their most important attacking player — until he went off injured in the finals loss to Brisbane, the Gold Coast still had a puncher’s chance. Now, alongside the returning Kane Elgey, a revamped Jarryd Hayne and a stronger all-round squad than last season, Taylor is well placed to give second-year syndrome the old show and go and transform from one of the best up-and-coming halves into one of the best, full stop.
Valentine Holmes
Holmes was already one of the best wingers in the game. He was a standout for Cronulla all season and had a terrific tour of England in Australia’s victorious Four Nations campaign but he’s set to hit even greater heights in 2017. Ben Barba’s suspension and eventual departure has seen Holmes switch to fullback, which means he’ll get more ball more often and he’ll be more involved in the Sharks attack as a whole. With blistering speed, tremendous footwork and deceptive strength, Holmes has all the skills needed to succeed at his new position and assuming he returns strongly from the injury that will keep him out of the first few weeks he is poised to set the NRL alight.
Nathan Cleary
The ease of Nathan Cleary’s transition to first grade last season and the subsequent Origin hype make it easy to forget that he’s still only 19. Already possessing one of the most composed kicking games in the competition and with the benefits of another off-season under his belt, Cleary seems set to stamp himself as one of the best halfbacks in the competition in 2017. While the pressures on the young halfback are enormous, by all accounts he has the temperament to handle the pressures and ascend to the level of the elite stars of the NRL.
Joey Leilua
Leilua had a breakout season in 2016, earning the Dally M Centre of the Year award and was one of the Raiders’ best during their stirring run to the preliminary final. The challenge now is for Leilua to replicate that form over the long term, which is difficult but by no means impossible. Some of the craziness, like the behind-the-back flick pass to Jordan Rapana against the Tigers, was true, once-in-a-lifetime stuff but Leilua’s work carrying the ball out of his own end and his tackle breaking can be repeated from season to season. Rather than operating solely as strike centre, Leilua does the work of an extra forward in addition to his attacking duties — he broke the 100m gained barrier in 21 of his 25 matches last season. This added dimension makes him almost unique among centres in the NRL and if he even comes close to repeating last season’s form it’ll be tough to deny him the title of best centre in rugby league.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona
Melbourne have a real gift in developing forwards and in Nelson Asofa-Solomona they have a player with the ability to be the best prop in the world. Asofa-Solomona is large enough to demolish Tokyo in his spare time, tough as a leagues club steak but agile enough to prise his way through the defence instead of just bashing through them. Super Rugby sides tried to prise the young giant away from the Storm and he had been identified as a potential All Black but the 20-year-old decided to stay in Victoria. He’s still a young man and Melbourne’s forward depth means there will be no need to rush his progression but the day is coming soon when Nelson Asofa-Solomona will be among the best forwards in the world. If Bellamy pulls the trigger and starts him alongside Jesse Bromwich run for the hills and don’t look back.
Corey Norman
Unlike several other players on this list, Corey Norman’s career has been a slow burn. This season will be his eighth in first grade (his fourth with Parramatta) and after the form he showed in 2016 it could be his best yet. Amid a torrent of on-field injuries and off-field dramas, both for the club and himself, Norman was superb in 2016 and emerged as Parramatta’s main creative force and on-field general. His final match of the season, a 22-18 comeback win against the Roosters, was a virtuoso performance of a player at the peak of his playmaking powers. With Clint Gutherson set to deputise at five-eighth, Norman will again be the man in charge but he showed last season that he’s capable of real greatness as a footballer.
Jordan Kahu
Whenever the Broncos have had a problem in their backline recently, the answer has usually been Jordan Kahu. The New Zealand international has played centre, wing and fullback over the past two seasons and has excelled at all three positions but 2017 shapes as the year he can finally settle on a single spot in the backline. The retirement of Jack Reed has opened a vacancy at left centre and Kahu will no doubt blossom with the stability. A terrific finisher and a strong defender, if Kahu strikes up a combination with Anthony Milford he’ll become one of the most productive outside backs in the competition.
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