The NRL rookie, and KFC SuperCoach cheapie to watch at every club in 2024
It’s never too early to start planning your KFC SuperCoach NRL season — Rob Sutherland rates the best cheapie prospect at each club for 2024.
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If prior planning prevented p***-poor performance (as one of my school teachers used to thunder when reviewing my homework) then I would be a SuperCoach great, a former champion.
Which I am not.
So take that Mr Porter!
But, I know some former champions and they assure me that greatness takes work. I’ve tried to do a little of the work for you here identifying the player set to step up from the rookie/cheapie ranks in 2024.
All feedback requested via the comments below — just no more detentions please.
BRONCOS
Blake Mozer is, stop me if you’ve heard this, the reincarnation of Cam Smith. That’s a tough tag to drop on a young man, but Mozer is an exciting talent we’re sure to see more of in the NRL in 2024. The Broncos handed him his debut in the final regular season game of 2023 and in 25 minutes he made 16 tackles, missed one and made a short dart. His QCup numbers are more impressive, with 12 starts and six appearances off the bench he scored seven tries, assisted nine more and averaged 49MPG, 25 tackles per game and 40 metres running per game. Fun fact, Mozer’s brother Billy is an international representative – for Hungary! An honourable mention toBen Te Kura (prop) and Israel Leota (wing), two very talented youngsters who will push to play first grade in 2024.
BULLDOGS
The Bulldogs have signed a plethora of utilities and a smattering of second-row forwards but what they really need is big men who can make metres down the middle. NRL rookie Isaac Matalavea-Booth is big. He’s really big. Think Nelson Asofa-Solomona big. He also missed pretty much all of 2023 due to a lower leg injury which is not ideal. Unlikely to be named come round one, IMB is one to stash in your black book though.
COWBOYS
The departure of Peta Hiku opens the door for Zac Laybutt to carve out a regular starting job in the NRL. The raw-boned youngster made his NRL debut in round 13 of 2023, played again in round 16 and then played in the final two rounds scoring a double in round 26 and another try in round 27. Those late season tries did bump Laybutt’s average up to 57PPG – and that means he’ll start the season outside the cheapie range. So let’s talk about young halfback Tom Duffy who arguably has the more exciting game for SuperCoach purposes. Duffy played for the Queensland under-19 Origin team in 2022 and made 20 appearances for the Blackhawks in the QCup in 2023. Duffy scored three tries, set up 10 more and kicked a rather impressive 70 goals at an even more impressive 82% success rate. North Queensland has an established halves pairing in Chad Townsend/Tom Dearden and a super first-choice goalkicker in Val Holmes. But should Duffy get a shot at starting AND kicking we’d have a very tasty prospect on our hands.
DOLPHINS
In Kenny Bromwich and Felise Kaufusi the Dolphins have two very experienced second-rowers. Of course experience comes with age, so you could also say the club has two old second-rowers. Age wearies, trust me I know this form first-hand experience and the Dolphins have exciting edge prospect Jeremiah Simbiken waiting in the wings. He’s not that young (23) – and has 32 QCup games and two Tests for PNG to his name — so not exactly a rugby league rookie. But he’s a rookie for SuperCoach/NRL purposes, he has a very SC friendly game and Wayne Bennett loves a mature ‘rookie’. If he can break through the ranks of the veterans standing in his way then don’t sleep on Simbiken. Honourable mention to young edge forwards Oryn Keeley (signed from the Knights), young prop Ryan Jackson and edge forward/centre James Walsh.
DRAGONS
The Dragons signed Viliami Fifita from Manly in 2023 and he played 15 games in the NSW Cup for the club. A fine player, he’s maybe not the most exciting SuperCoach prospect. I really struggled to find a cheapie to enthuse about at the Dragons and I promise that wasn’t solely to annoy Tom Sangster. There is some SuperCoach value at the club in 2024, but that’s got more to do with player movements and more on that at a later date.
EELS
Uinitoni (Toni) Mataele is a local product who looks ready to step into the NRL in 2024. But will it be with the Eels? Mataele is a backrower and Parra are pretty loaded at edge and lock. Blaize Talagi is another talented junior, though his path to five-eighth looks tough with Dylan Brown ensconced and Daejarn Asi capable of filling in there.
KNIGHTS
Myles Martin captained Newcastle’s SG Ball grand final side this year and was selected to the NSW under-19s Origin team too. The raw-boned youngster is on an NRL development deal until the end of next year and he’ll be pushing hard for his NRL debut in 2024.
PANTHERS
I think Liam Henry and Jesse McLean are the most likely of the next-gen Panthers to make a SC impact. The departure of Spencer Leniu means there are minutes available in the middle and Blayney-born big bopper Henry already has three NRL appearances to his name (one in 2022, two in 2023) as well as 47 NSW Cup games. In 2023 Henry played 21 times in the NSW Cup often playing 60+ minutes in the middle and averaging over 150 metres and 40 tackles per game. Absent an injury crisis he won’t get big minutes in 2024, but he should earn more starts. The other big opportunity is at centre thanks to Stephen Crichton heading to Penrith’s B-team the Bulldogs. McLean is contracted at the club through 2026 so clearly the Panthers see a bright future for the Blacktown and Doonside junior. Arguably more of a fullback than a centre, McLean made his NRL debut in round 26 last year when Dylan Edwards was rested. However, McLean played nine games at centre for the Panthers in the NSW Cup last year and acquitted himself well scoring six tries, assisting four more and busting tackles all over the shop. I still think Taylan May gets first shot at centre but McLean will be thereabouts. Around those you could add the likes of hard-running rookie forward Mavrik Geyer and five-eighth/centre Jack Cole. And an honourable mention to Harrison Hassett — the kid will be a star but Penrith’s depth may mean 2024 is too soon.
RABBITOHS
He’s not really a rookie (having played three games in 2023) and unlikely to be cheap (he scored three tries in those games) but Tyrone Munro is the real deal baby and assuming he nails down the right wing slot in the off-season he’d be very hard to not start with come round one.
RAIDERS
Former Cronulla junior Chevy Stewart will play NRL in 2024, it’s just a matter of when. Remember Xavier Savage the livewire fullback who had a breakout 2022 only to fall foul of Ricky Stuart in 2023? Well, Ricky may dislike Savage but the guy can play. And Stewart is so good that Savage lost his fullback job in NSW Cup to the kid. Stewart played 18 games (16 at fullback, one wing, one interchange) for the Raiders in the NSW Cup scoring nine tries, eight try assists, made a bajillion tackle busts and slotted 31 goals at a 78% conversion rate. Let’s just hope he doesn’t upset Sticky too. An honourable mention goes to whoever replaces Jack Wighton at five-eighth — a race in two it seems between Ethan Strange and new recruit Kaeo Weekes. Strange is a five-eighth who has been playing in the centres, Weekes a fullback who can play five-eighth. Odd times.
ROOSTERS
Joey Manu has the right side locked down, and the arrival of Dom Young leaves Joseph Suaalii and Billy Smith battling it out for the left centre slot. Soooo the Roosters don’t need a centre but they have a very very good one waiting in the wings in Robert Toia. Unfortunately it is on the wings (not the wing) that Toia will wait in 2024 after he suffered his second ACL in a very young career late in 2023. Speaking of wings, UK flyer Lewis Murphy joins the club after playing for Wakefield (Trinity) in 2023, he’s not a monster but he knows how to score a try. One last one (yes I’m a Roosters fan) — hooker Tyler Moriarty is a player I expect to feature in the NRL sooner rather than later. The NSW under-19s player made nine appearances in the NSW Cup last year and has a very attacking SuperCoach friendly style of play.
SEA EAGLES
There might not be a lot of Gordon Chan Kum Tong to look at, but the diminutive rake is all quality. He made 19 appearances in NSW Cup in 2023 (averaging 55MPG), cracked the NRL late in the season making appearances off the bench in round 26 and 27 and made his Test debut for Toa Samoa in the Pacific Championships. The progression is clear. That said, I’m not sure GCKT will crack the starting lineup early in 2024; Manly’s starting hooker of 2023 Lachlan Croker is a fine rake and is contracted through 2024, but I do expect to see more minutes for the cheapie and should injury befall Croker then we’ve a cash cow on our hands.
SHARKS
Samuel Stonestreet is big, fast, agile and scored tries for fun in the NSW Cup in 2023 (13 tries from 16 games with the Newtown Jets). There’s a problem though – the Sharks have plenty of outside backs, so many in fact that Connor Tracey, who would slot into the starting lineup of plenty of NRL clubs, cannot get a look in. Stonestreet may have to wait, as will SuperCoaches.
STORM
Livewire fullback Sua Faalogo caught footy fans’ attention with a two-try effort on debut and then he backed it up in a superb performance for Samoa against Australia running for 157 metres from 14 carries, with 11 tackle busts and a line break. But there’s an issue. And that issue is Ryan Papenhuyzen. Remember him, Paps, the mullet, the guy who averaged 79PPG in 2021 and an amazing 90PPG in 2022 — and then missed almost the entire regular season in 2023. Well he’s back baby, and provided he can stay healthy I expect him to be the starting fullback at the Storm. But it’s not all bad for Faalogo. Firstly, even when Papenhuyzen is starting at fullback there’s a strong chance Faalogo is used as a utility off the bench. And at or near a rookie price I’m confident he’d be value. Secondly Papenhuyzen is electric. He is exciting. He’s also damn unlucky. He missed 10 games in 2021 due to concussion, 11 in 2022 (combination of hamstring and knee) and then almost all of 2023 (still that knee). Long story short, Faalogo is very likely to get a chance to start at fullback in 2024.
TITANS
Tony Francis is one Titan I expect to see in the NRL in 2024. A dynamic runner, Francis starred on the wing in the QCup in 2023 scoring 21 tries from 22 games. There are a few in front of him on the edges at the Gold Coast but the Titans will elevate Francis into their top-30 in 2024 for a reason. Honourable mention goes to Josiah Pahulu. The young prop had no luck in 2023, but many expect him to crack the NRL in 2024 perhaps around Origin when even the Gold Coast’s stacked pack will start to show cracks.
WARRIORS
If the Warriors do find themselves a little thin in the forwards then Jacob Laban or Zyon Maiu’u may find themselves making their NRL debut. Laban was very impressive in the NSW Cup in 2023 making 17 appearances, the majority starts and 80 minutes on an edge. Maiu’u played 26 game in the NSW Cup in 2023 the majority as a starting prop. A big man with a big engine he exceeded 45 minutes and 100m running on plenty of occasions and it would not shock me to see him in first grade in 2024.
WESTS TIGERS
The departure of Tommy Talau (12 games, 10 starts at centre in 2023) creates an opening for young star Josh Feledy and it would not shock to see the NSW under-19 representative start there come round one. Feledy is yet another ex-Manly player and he thrived outside Latu Fainu when the two played SG Ball for the Sea Eagles. Handed his NRL debut in round 27 (against Manly — it’s all rather incestuous between the two clubs of late) Feledy did not look out of place despite his team getting pumped 54-12.
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