NRL market watch: The player your club can’t afford to lose ahead of November 1 deadline

With Ben Hunt secured, the Dragons must ensure they retain this local junior. These are the players your club can’t afford to lose ahead of November 1 deadline.

NRL contracts yarn online art

Clubs are clamouring to re-sign their best players ahead of November 1, when free agents for the 2024 season come onto the open market.

Here are the players your club cannot afford to let go if they have designs on success going forward.

And here is the full list of players coming off contract at the end of this month.

Melbourne Storm: Nelson Asofa-Solomona

With Cameron Munster signing a four-year extension, attention turns to big Nelson. Re-signing Asofa-Solomona is even more important given the losses of Jesse and Kenny Bromwich, Felise Kaufusi and Brandon Smith. However, with a large portion of the salary cap invested in the spine – Ryan Papenhuyzen, Munster, Jahrome Hughes and Harry Grant – the Storm could be at risk of being blown out of the water if a big-money offer comes in for Asofa-Solomona. With Christian Welch as his front-row partner, Asofa-Solomona’s experience will be key for the Storm.

Parramatta Eels: Dylan Brown

Mitchell Moses is their halfback and leader but Dylan Brown is the future. Still just 22, the Kiwi five-eighth has enjoyed a breakout year after having somehow copped criticism for his 2021 season. His 2022 campaign was a belter. Brown ran the ball more, scored 11 tries and his 17 try assists were more than the previous three years combined. With quality halves hard to come by, the Eels need to lock him down.

Dylan Brown is one of a number of high-flying Eels off contract. Picture: Getty

St George Illawarra Dragons: Blake Lawrie

Now that Ben Hunt is locked down, the Dragons’ attention must turn to Lawrie. The 25-year-old played every game this season, averaging more than 100m with his bustling carries. He’s a local junior and they type of player the Red-V should be prioritising to ensure they build their squad around homegrown talent, rather than relying on the free agency market. Talks stalled the last time Lawrie was off contract before the Dragons extended him earlier this year. They can’t let that happen again.

Canterbury Bulldogs: Matt Burton

A no-brainer. Losing Matt Burton would be a disaster for the Cameron Ciraldo/Phil Gould Belmore rebuild. Burton isn’t expected to take up his contract option for 2024, which will allow rival clubs to sign him from November 1. The five-eighth is only 22, has a tremendous kicking game, is a strong ball runner and a big body. With significant money already outlaid on the likes of Josh Addo-Carr, Tevita Pangai Jr and 2023 recruits Viliame Kikau and Reed Mahoney, the Bulldogs will have to cleverly manage their salary cap.

Sydney Roosters: Joseph Suaalii

The Roosters’ lack of depth in their outside backs was badly exposed at the back end of last season. Of the big guns, James Tedesco will be 30 and Luke Keary 31 next season, meaning the Roosters must plan for the future.

At 19, Joseph Suaalii could be a generational player, but the clauses in his contract that allow the schoolboy rugby star to leave at the end of each season for a rival club, or code, is a shaky platform for the Roosters to try and build on.

Expect a move to the centres in 2023, where he will bide his time before eventually succeeding Tedesco at fullback.

The Roosters cannot afford to let a generational talent like Joseph Suaalii slip through their fingers. Picture: Getty

Newcastle Knights: Dominic Young

The 200cm, 107kg giant has emerged as a genuine strike weapon in the Knights’ backline, scoring 14 tries and proving a strong ball runner. With Edrick Lee Dolphins-bound in 2023, Young will be an even more important focal point on attacking kicks. His combination with Dane Gagai and then Enari Tuala matured during the season. With Kalyn Ponga and Bradman Best fit, Young will help make up a formidable back five.

On the surface you could make a case for David Klemmer, who won the club’s players’ player award this season, given they’re losing young props Pasami Saulo (Raiders) and Jirah Momoisea (Eels). But with the Saifiti brothers locked in long-term and Jack Hetherington joining from Canterbury, the Knights could spend the 28-year-old’s $800,000 salary elsewhere.

South Sydney Rabbitohs: Latrell Mitchell

He’s a marquee player who has carried the Rabbitohs since his arrival at Redfern two years ago. Souths live and die by his performances. At 25, he’s about the enter the prime of his career and will ensure the Rabbitohs are a premiership contender however long he’s there. Mitchell has found a home at Redfern alongside close mate Cody Walker, and it seems extremely unlikely he’ll leave anytime soon. The issue for Souths is Mitchell’s injury concerns – hamstring injuries that limited him to just 17 games this year, and whether he can be a long-term fullback in a competition that demands No.1s consistently run for more than 100m.

Latrell Mitchell has lifted the Rabbitohs to great heights since his arrival at Redfern. Picture: Getty

North Queensland Cowboys: Jeremiah Nanai

Nanai could command more than $700,000 a season on the open market, and the Cowboys have kicked off talks to extend the 19-year-old’s contract beyond 2023. Already a Queensland Origin representative, a Kangaroos debut at the World Cup will only further increase his value. He’s on the radar of a host of Sydney clubs, plus the Dolphins, and could field big-money offers. Nanai only signed a one-year deal in April to remain at the Cowboys until the end of 2023, meaning the 19-year-old will become a free agent from November 1. Nanai’s skill, power and aerial tryscoring brilliance – he had 17 tries from 23 appearances this season.

With big money already invested in Jason Taumalolo, Valentine Holmes and Chad Townsend, North Queensland will hope the lure of staying local will ensure the talented Cowboys junior remains loyal.

Canberra Raiders: Jack Wighton

The 2020 Dally M medallist has a player option in his favour for 2024 and, despite turning 30 in February, is the Raiders’ best player and the man to lead them back into premiership contention. He had limited opportunity to build a combination with Jamal Fogarty in the halves. While unlikely to leave, the competition for good halves means the Raiders can’t rest until they lock him up. He’s a big body whose best footy comes with running the ball.

Brisbane Broncos: Herbie Farnworth

Centre Herbie Farnworth agreed to a 12-month extension earlier this year, temporarily warding off the Dolphins’ advances. But his revelation to coach Kevin Walters that “fullback is the position I want to play in the future” complicates matters, given the signing of Reece Walsh, and the fact teammate Selwyn Cobbo also has eyes on the No.1 jersey. Farnworth is an exceptional talent who was enjoying a strong season before rupturing his biceps muscle in June, scoring 10 tries in 12 games. If the Broncos are to rediscover their glory days, they need strike players like Kotoni Staggs and Farnworth out wide.

Herbie Farnworth had an injury-plagued season – and Brisbane need to find a way to keep him happy and on the field, Picture: NRL photos

Gold Coast Titans: David Fifita

Yes, the Titans overpaid for the former Bronco, who hasn’t delivered value for money, but the Gold Coast would hate watching Fifita go somewhere else in 2024 and find the form of which they know he’s capable. In 2022, he was down in most statistical categories – tries, linebreaks, offloads and running metres – which will affect his value. But if the Titans can re-sign him on a reduced rate, Fifita has the ability to be one of the most destructive edge forwards in the game

New Zealand Warriors: Jazz Tevaga

Letting Jazz Tevaga leave would be like watching Isaiah Papali’I’s career revival when he quit the Warriors and joined Parramatta at the start of 2021. At 178cm and 98kg, the 27-year-old lock fits the Cameron Murray/Victor Radley style of smaller, versatile middle forward who thrives in the quicker pace of the NRL. Tevaga will be key to the Warriors’ resurgence under new coach Andrew Webster, but if they’re not careful, he would thrive at a rival club.

Cronulla Sharks: Jesse Ramien

Ramien is coming off the best year of his career. He equalled his season best with 10 tries and almost as many try assists. An explosive centre who has developed a terrific combination with halfback and Dally M medallist Nicho Hynes.

Winger Ronaldo Mulitalo has re-signed, and with fullback Will Kennedy, centre Siosifa Talakai and Sione Katoa all off-contract, the Sharks face challenges keeping them all, but Ramien’s unhappy one-year switch to Newcastle in 2019 proved there’s happiness in the Shire, especially under coach Craig Fitzgibbon’s new regime.

Adam Doueihi has been a rare shining light for the Wests Tigers in recent seasons. Picture: Getty

Wests Tigers: Adam Doueihi

At 24, the Tigers can build their team around Doueihi. Injury and positional uncertainty have hampered his impact, but with Isaiah Papali’I and Apisai Koroisau joining the club, and Tim Sheens and Benji Marshall taking over the coaching, Doueihi has the chance to take his game to the next level with a permanent move to five-eighth, where he spent most of 2022. With Jackson Hastings and Luke Brooks also off-contract at the end of next season, the Tigers have decisions to make, but Doueihi is the obvious priority.

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles: Reuben Garrick

Reuben Garrick is more than just a good winger. He’s a tremendous finisher (55 tries in 91 games), solid goalkicker (76 per cent) and a very reliable back-up for fullback Tom Trbojevic, who has played just 32 games in the past three seasons. In his 14 starts in the No.1 jersey this year, Garrick ran for more than 200m eight times, and failed to make 100m just once. The Gerringong junior could be an attractive target for clubs chasing a fullback option.

Penrith Panthers: Liam Martin

Stephen Crichton and Brian To’o are outstanding backline talents, but Liam Martin’s signature is hugely important. His grand final performance was arguably the best game of his career. A defensive rock, Martin’s attacking display showed what he has to offer with ball in hand. The loss of back-rowers Kurt Capewell and Viliame Kikau in consecutive seasons puts even more importance on keeping the 25-year-old Origin star. He’s already on the radar of teams like the Eels, Bulldogs and Dragons, which should sound alarm bells for the Panthers.

Originally published as NRL market watch: The player your club can’t afford to lose ahead of November 1 deadline