The unprecedented player depth fuelling NRL’s boom period

An explosion of young talent has come into the first-grade and while there are plenty of fresh faces in Matty Johns’ rankings of the best players at each position, a few grizzled veterans have more than held their own.

The timing has been perfect.

With NRL expansion upon us, the common fear has been player depth, and rightfully so.

With the NRL enjoying a boom period, the most significant I’ve seen in my life following the sport, expansion risks diluting the talent and the quality of the competition.

However, initial fears have subsided due to the explosion of young talent which has come into the first-grade ranks in the last two years.

I can’t remember a time when so many players in the late teens and early 20s were having such an impact.

The young Canberra Raiders are taking the competition by storm, while the New Zealand Warriors have their best crop of youngsters for well over a decade.

That’s just two examples.

Matty Johns picks his best at each position so far in 2025.

Look at the Dolphins, with players like Isaiya Katoa, Jack Bostock and Max Plath, to name just a few.

Every club contains numerous young footballers who look destined for great careers.

And let’s remind ourselves that some of our superstars are still only young men themselves.

Stephen Crichton is 24, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 23, Reece Walsh and Jeremiah Nanai just 22.

Payne Haas? Only 25!

At the other end of the scale are our veteran footballers.

A footballer was once branded a veteran when he hit the age of 30. But, with sport science, we now have players starring well into their mid 30s.

Adam Reynolds is pulling the strings as well as he ever has, turning 35 on Thursday, while, at 32, James Tedesco is enjoying one of his finest seasons, and Josh Papali’i is still one of the games leading front-rowers, earning an Origin recall at 33.

So, with both the old and the new firing as finals approach, let’s give a gold, silver and bronze medal in each position, based on form and impact in 2025 so far.

Originally published as The unprecedented player depth fuelling NRL’s boom period