Top 50 NRL stars under 23: Every player’s junior club reveals strongest rugby talent nurseries
From far north Queensland to the NSW Hunter, Merseyside and Whangarei - we reveal every player’s junior club from our top 50 NRL stars under 23 list.
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The junior clubs of New South Wales have produced almost half of the NRL’s best players aged 23 and under but Queensland is still home to the upper echelon of young talent in the game.
Five of the top 10 players on our top 50 under-23s list - Reece Walsh, Tino Fa’asuamaleaui, Jeremiah Nanai, David Fifita and Tom Dearden - hail from the Sunshine State.
NSW isn’t far behind with four players in Payne Haas, Stephen Crichton, Matt Burton and Izack Tago.
Parramatta five-eighth Dylan Brown, who returns from suspension against St George Illawarra on Sunday, is the only Kiwi in the top 10.
South east Queensland is a well known rugby league talent factory, but Sydney’s western suburbs also have the wood on the region.
The rich vein of talent in Sydney’s west has produced 16 players in our top 50, compared to the 14 players from the south east Queensland.
Eels centre Will Penisini, Canterbury’s Jacob Preston and Karl Oloapu boost that number to 19, taking into account greater Sydney.
Seven Sydney-based clubs - Penrith, Sea Eagles, Tigers, Bulldogs, Rabbitohs, Dragons and Roosters - have been the greatest beneficiaries of the nurseries out west.
The south east Queensland catchment, home to the Broncos and Titans, has supplied the bulk of the talent to both clubs.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE EVERY PLAYER FROM THE TOP 50 LIST’S JUNIOR CLUB
Surprisingly, Tom Gilbert is the only Dolphins player to start his journey in south east Queensland - which is also the catchment for the new franchise.
The regions in both states are also an important pipeline for talent across the top 50.
From far north Queensland, the Cairns Kangaroos has produced Maroons stars Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Nanai.
The Newcastle and Hunter was the start for Blues players Bradman Best and Haas.
Brown headlines the five players from across the ditch, all who are now plying their trade for clubs in Australia.
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