NRL’s five most underrated players so far in 2020 | Campo’s Corner
Want an edge on your mates the next time you’re talking footy down the pub? Just mention how good these guys have been going and there will undoubtedly be a murmur or two of approval.
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“He’s so underrated!” — is there any phrase more thrilling to the rugby league soul?
In a world where every game is on television every week and the spotlight on players and clubs is brighter than ever before, nobody should really be underrated or underestimated anymore, but there’s only so much air time and so many column inches to go around and sometimes players can still slip under the radar.
With nine rounds in the books, here’s five players whose efforts have gone a little unnoticed thus far in 2020. We all know how good they are, but sometimes even the best of us can forget. Mention how good they’ve been going the next time you’re down the pub and your mates will undoubtedly murmur in approval — what more could anybody ask for?
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Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
Because Nicoll-Klokstad experienced such a meteoric rise last season it’s easy to overlook just how little top-grade experience he has, especially at fullback. The Kiwi international has only played 41 top-grade games and is still learning the position, especially when it comes to his ballplaying — his try assist against the Dragons was a sign of what he’s capable of.
But in an inconsistent season for the Raiders, Nicoll-Klokstad has stood tall on sheer effort. Only Jason Taumalolo has run for more metres and nobody in the game has run the ball more often. Any time a player is keeping company with the King of Tonga’s numbers they’re doing all right.
Where others might have rested on their laurels after a breakout season, Nicoll-Klokstad has gone even harder.
There are more physically gifted custodians, but none gets more out of their talents and no fullback fights harder.
Nicoll-Klokstad has spoken before about how much it hurt when he went the entire 2018 season without playing in first grade. In the pre-season, even after everything that happened last year, he outlined why he does whatever it takes to stop his career being taken away again.
“I’ve been in a position where I had an opportunity, and I thought I took it with both hands but I didn’t. I played seven games my debut year, but didn’t play a single game the next year,” Nicoll-Klokstad said in March.
“It still doesn’t feel like I’ve cemented my spot in this squad. It’s still surreal for me, I can’t believe I’m in the position I’m in today.
“You can’t be complacent in this job, because as soon as you get things it gets taken away.”
James Fisher-Harris
One of the game’s quiet achievers, Fisher-Harris was a big improver for Penrith last year, but since switching to the middle full-time he’s become a statistical monster and now he’s arguably the Panthers’ most important forward.
The Kiwi international is currently averaging 172-metres per game and has gained the third most metres of any forward in the NRL. He’s the definition of substance over style — Fisher-Harris has one tackle break for the year and no line breaks, but he’s the type of grinding, hardworking forward Penrith have found hard to come by in recent years.
And after all, line breaks and tackle busts are for the fancy boys out wide and there is nothing fancy about the vital work Fisher-Harris does in the middle of the field.
Penrith’s rise to the top four so far this season has come on the back of their toughness, and Fisher-Harris is a big part of that transformation. Like many of Penrith’s former child prodigies, Fisher-Harris is hitting the prime of his career and he’s one of the mountain men’s real success stories.
Daniel Tupou
Is Daniel Tupou the best winger in the world?
Brett Morris has been getting plenty of headlines, and deservedly so, and Maika Sivo has turned Bankwest Stadium into his very own house of pain, but over the past 18 months it’s hard to think of any flanker who’s put together a better run than Tupou.
Always a potent tryscorer, Tupou has become an elite yardage man as well — he’s averaged more than 150-metres per game each of the last three seasons and was putting up a career high 181 per game this season before injury struck him down.
Throw in his excellent defensive efforts — getting a try past him and Josh Morris would be a good premise for a heist film — and he’s just about the complete winger. He’ll be out for the next few weeks with an ankle injury and the Roosters will miss him badly.
Tupou has become a mainstay for Tonga, but a recall to Origin and Kangaroos selection is surely on the table in the future if he wants it.
Elliott Whitehead
Statistics are often the last refuge (or in Campo’s Corner’s case, the first refuge) of scoundrels, but there really are a couple of players whose impact can’t be measured by the numbers and chief among them is Elliott Whitehead.
Whitehead hasn’t made more than 10 runs in a match this year. He hasn’t gained more than 100 metres in a match either. But if you have watched all eight of Canberra’s games this year, you would know that Whitehead has been their best.
The Englishman is always moving, be it to support someone in attack or cover a gap in defence, and Ricky Stuart was right to dub him the most underrated player in the game after last Friday’s win over the Dragons.
There is no way to count winning plays or second efforts or being in the right place at the right time because you’re working harder than the other guy, but if there were ways to count them Whitehead would have plenty.
Whitehead’s uncommon skill and endless efforts have made him Canberra’s shining light in an up and down start to 2020.
Jarome Luai
Nathan Cleary and Apisai Koroisau have gotten plenty of plaudits this year, and rightfully so, but Luai’s improvement from week to week this year has been almost as impressive.
Luai’s spot seemed to be under some threat after Matt Burton impressed when Cleary was serving his suspension, but the Samoan international has steadied in the weeks since and formed a crucial third wheel in Penrith’s attack.
Luai set up Penrith’s first two tries against the Tigers and they showed two of the real strengths to his game. First, both crucial plays (his pass to Stephen Crichton for the first try and his kick for Crichton’s second) came from second receiver after Cleary dug into the line to give him space.
In an era where halfbacks and five-eighths are often interchangeable, the Penrith boys are an old school pairing — Cleary does his best work one off the ruck, while Luai is comfortable wider.
Secondly, his combination with rising centre Crichton is one of Penrith’s best weapons, and they sorely needed another to lessen their reliance on Viliame Kikau. There’s so much to like about Penrith this year, and Luai has been a big part of it.
Golden Hombre
In these troubled times we must take comfort in the things close to our hearts.
For some, it is family and friends, and the feeling of community. For me, it is front rowers taking shots at goal, or putting in ill-advised chip kicks or perhaps throwing totally adventurous, almost foolhardy cut out passes.
The Golden Hombre is the only thing left to believe in anymore, and Campo’s Corner will hand it out each and every week to the big man moment of the round. Big Man Season lives forever in our hearts.
You’ve got love the Tom Eisenhuth story. After playing one NRL game for the Panthers in 2012, he bounced around the lower grades — dropping all the way to Ron Massey Cup for a while — before joining Melbourne in 2018 and clawing his way up the ranks. He came off the bench for the Storm in the season opener last year, copped a horrific throat injury that kept him out for months, before coming back and playing a couple more times towards the end of the season.
Eisenhuth has played six games this year, scoring a try in the Round 1 win over Manly, but he takes home the Hombre this week for his delicious flick pass to Jahrome Hughes in Melbourne’s epic win over the Roosters last Thursday.
It led to a try and it ruled so very, very hard.
That’s a bit of Ron Massey Cup you can take home with you, shout out to my guys at the St Mary’s Saints.