The Daily Telegraph’s Michael Carayannis has identified one player from each NRL team who is under the most pressure to perform for their club this season.
Whether it be a youngster, a fringe player or a recruit, these are the players who simply must stand up in 2024.
See his list and read his explanations below:
Brisbane Broncos
Brendan Piakura
“With Kurt Capewell leaving the Broncos, he will start in the back row,” Carayannis said on SEN 1170 Breakfast.
“He has a ridiculous amount of talent but there’s questions over whether he can do it over the season.”
Canberra Raiders
Josh Papali’i
“He was poor last year (and) he’s on marquee money.
“If Canberra are going to have any success again, Papali’i is going to have to find the tackle breaks that he has had over the last few years.”
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Drew Hutchison
“What Canterbury have lacked over a long period of time is a controlling half.
“They need a guy that can steer the ship around, make sure there’s some good kick pressure and has a good passing game.”
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Toby Rudolf
“This is the time for a guy like Rudolf to make the transition from being a decent first grader to becoming an elite player.
“He’s got to find some consistency for a period and assert himself as the leader of that Cronulla forward pack.”
The Dolphins
Thomas Flegler
“At Brisbane, he had the benefit of Payne Haas and Pat Carrigan; two of the best forwards in the game.
“The expectation and pressure is whether he can carry a forward pack.”
Gold Coast Titans
AJ Brimson
“He will start in the centres after having such an impact at fullback.
“If the centre switch doesn’t work, you know that other clubs will be circling and giving him the number one jersey.”
Manly Sea Eagles
Luke Brooks
“At the Wests Tigers, he was their million dollar man and he was the guy entrusted to turn that team.
“He’s unshackled and without the pressure of being the main man, I think he can thrive.
“He could be the buy of the year.”
Melbourne Storm
Christian Welch
“Welch missed more tackles last year than he did the year before and I just have concerns about his ability to get back up and be a force again.”
Newcastle Knights
Kalyn Ponga
“He is the Newcastle Knights.
“He put the team on his back, got them into finals and won a Dally M medal in the process.
“If he can do it again, the Knights can do some serious damage in the competition.”
North Queensland Cowboys
Jason Taumalolo
“His minutes are down, his impact is down and we saw the ramifications of that because they missed out on the eight.
“If I was looking at a way to get that salary cap in shape and keep those young players, then I’d start looking at what Jason Taumalolo is offering because you aren’t getting bang for your buck.”
Parramatta Eels
Dylan Brown
“He never found his groove at the back end of the year like a lot of Eels players.
“They need him to because I don’t think they have a lot of spark.
“Brown can be the one to ignite them and make the Eels a finals contender once again.”
Penrith Panthers
Jarome Luai
“It’s obviously because of what has happened to Jarome in the last few months.
“We have seen so many Panthers players sign for a rival club 12 months out and have success in their final year.
“They produced elite performances and I think Jarome can do the same.”
South Sydney Rabbitohs
Jack Wighton
“Jack had a poor final season at Canberra.
“He will be a real key signing as South Sydney move back to being a top four side.”
St. George Illawarra Dragons
Tyrell Sloan
“He could be a game-changer for the Dragons but where he needs to work is off the ball.
“He has the opportunity to be a decade-long fullback at the club.
“One of Shane Flanagan’s biggest tests is getting the best out of Tyrell Sloan.”
Sydney Roosters
Spencer Leniu
“The Roosters have had so many big recruits over the last few years and there’s always expectation, eyes and commentary around how they will perform.
“If Spencer can show that he’s not a bench (impact) player and set the tempo (he’ll be a good signing).
“The tempo was set for him at Penrith which was the big difference.”
The Warriors
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
“Roger comes into a side that has expectations on them now (and) it’s something that they haven’t done well with in the past.
“He is the face of rugby league in that country so that’s why I think Roger will have a bit of pressure on him.”
Wests Tigers
Jayden Sullivan
“You speak to people from the Dragons who say that he lacked dedication and commitment to his training at times which may have contributed to those injuries.
“The shadow of Jarome Luai looms (and) Sullivan isn’t at the crossroads yet but he’s getting to that point.”
