NRL Trials: A few introductions, Sharpe at five-eighth & Dragons halves

We’re into Week 2 of the NRL Trials¹ . As we saw in Week 1, the footy can be ugly. All the hype and anticipation can quickly subside when the handling errors - and play-the-ball turnovers⁵ - creep into play.

Despite the NRL’s intention to make these games meaningful, they’re ultimately an opportunity for players and clubs to transition from pre-season to in-season mode. It’s a different schedule and a different feel, and it takes some time to adjust.

Still, despite a large chunk of the players running out this week unlikely to feature in the NRL season proper, we can take some things out of the 80 minutes and start to get an idea about what the end goal for a player or team might be.

• Making some introductions

  • Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana (Knights)

  • Jordan Samrani & Joash Papaplii (Bulldogs)

  • Ryan Gray (Rabbitohs)

  • Allan Fitzgibbon (Titans)

  • Tyreece Tait (Roosters)

• Fletcher Sharpe at five-eighth

• Dragons Halves

Making some introductions

Whether it’s a fan looking for the next big thing at their club or a SuperCoach tragic in search of a cheapie, the list of unknowns is always intriguing at this time of the year. As somebody who watches a lot of footy across all the top grades, and although there are a lot of names I’ve not heard, I can make a few introductions to some of the players running out there this week.

Check the NSW Cup stats pages from the 2024 season, and you’ll see Savelio Tamale’s name scattered throughout. He’s a destructive ball-carrier who looks set for a long career in the NRL. Capable of playing on the wing, in the centres or at fullback, the Canberra Raiders have got a good one here² .

Elijah Salesa-Leaumoana has been named on the bench for the Newcastle Knights and is one to watch for the future. The 20-year-old featured 11 times for the reserve grade last season after making his debut at 18 a year earlier. Playing on the right edge, he runs hard at the inside shoulder of the defender in front of him and likes to bounce off his right foot. If the inside defence doesn’t cover the space through the middle, Salesa-Leaumoana is dangerous.

Jordan Samrani fits the mould of a Parramatta Eels player in the fact that he’s a big unit. Playing out in the centres, he’s a metre-eater in yardage. He’s not the quickest or the most fleet-footed of outside backs, but he will cart the ball up for 80 minutes and start their sets well. His teammate, Joash Papalii, is flying under the radar. Isaiah Iongi is said to have the fullback position wrapped up to start the NRL season, but Papalii will apply pressure. He’s played 31 games at fullback for the Bulldogs reserve grade side as a significant part of their attack. The 20-year-old is a tackle breaker and tough to handle at the back while also capable of throwing the final pass on the end of a shift.

Ryan Gray is a name to keep an eye on for the South Sydney Rabbitohs. They’re light at the hooker position and he might yet be a chance at first grade. He’s big for a hooker. Big enough that he often spots up at lock in reserve grade when Peter Mamouzelos drops down.

He’s quick to jump out of dummy half and is dangerous if the markers aren’t set and he gets downhill. Jamie Humphreys more than likely has the utility position locked up for Round 1, but Gray is another option should injuries strike.

Allan Fitzgibbon has found his way from the North Sydney Bears to the Gold Coast Titans this season. Another winger in the system…

Another speedster, too.

I wrote about scrums and what I think their place in the game will be this season. Hopefully, Des Hasler has something drawn up, ultimately for Alofiana Khan-Pereira, that he wants to try through Fitzgibbon over the weekend.

Another speedster, Tyreece Tait.

He might be another couple of years away from regular first-grade football with the Sydney Roosters, but he profiles well for the future. Tait is a big body with speed to burn. If he can take some tips from Daniel Tupou under the high ball and work out how to best use his frame coming out of yardage, he will become a handful by the time he reaches the NRL level.

NRL Trials: Players To Watch

Fletcher Sharpe at five-eighth

So, the rumours around Fletcher Sharpe possibly making a move into five-eighth are true³ . He’s been named there this week after making it incredibly hard for Adam O’Brien to leave him out of the side. The 20-year-old quickly made a name for himself in only 12 NRL appearances last year and has a chance to be a first-grade regular in 2025.

It’s those positions in the clip above where Sharpe looked best: on the second layer of a shift running at a retreating or sliding defensive line, using his tackle-breaking ability to bust through.

It’s going to be interesting to see how he’s used this week. While Kalyn Ponga isn’t playing, the Knights can use Will Pryce in certain scenarios to set things up how they otherwise would at full strength.

Ponga will get the looks most people want on a sweeping shift to the left edge, but his role at first receiver down a shortside is underrated. It’s how the Knights can set things up for Sharpe to earn his cracks at the line should he line up on the right side. It’s not the traditional side for a No.6, but I think it balances the field best for Newcastle with Ponga and Sharpe out there.

By playing to just outside the left post and bringing three into the tackle, the Knights will force the defensive line into a decision.

Do they stack the right side early where Ponga is parked in front of them, or hope the third man out of the tackle is out and back in time to move up with the line?

If the third man isn’t set, this is far too much space to give Ponga with only four defenders - the A defender in front of him is likely to be a backrower or possibly a middle forward if the fullback doesn’t plug himself there.

Either way, if you’ve got Ponga holding the left side in good ball with the halfback playing through the middle, Sharpe can fall into fullback-like shape on the right side.

The Panthers handle Sharpe this time, but you can see the potential in the space and his ability to break the line.

It remains to be seen who O’Brien goes with in the No. 7 jersey. He has plenty of options, all of which carry their own strong argument.

Tyson Gamble has shown a willingness to absorb contact and play deep into the line. Jack Cogger’s greatest strength is his ability to straighten the attack and create space for the game-breakers out wide. Jackson Hastings did a fine job as a high-touch halfback with the Wests Tigers, isolating specific defenders in the line⁴ .

All three can contribute well alongside a run-first five-eighth like Sharpe, or Pryce if he’s in the mix.

It’s anybody’s guess at the moment, though. The Knights halves partnership has been a weekly guessing game for so long that it wouldn’t be a surprise to see three or four different pairs in the first half of the 2025 NRL season.

Dragons Halves

A lot of teams are sending out makeshift halves pairings for the first hitout of the NRL season, but the St George Illawarra Dragons don’t have that luxury.

With a new-look halves pairing in Kyle Flanagan and Lachlan Ilias working their way into a totally new spine alongside Clint Gutherson and Damien Cook, they need as many reps as possible together before Round 1.

While there will be teething issues in this game and in the weeks to come, we can start to paint a picture of how the Dragons want things to look when it all clicks.

Ilias will wear the No.7 jersey, but will he steer the team like a traditional halfback? Flanagan has spent a lot of time down the right edge in his career. Are the Dragons going to adopt a more split-field halves pairing and rely on Cook and Jack de Belin through the middle?

Is there a dominant kicker between the two? Again, Ilias wears the jersey to suggest he will be the first look for Cook, but Flanagan’s kicking game is too good to ignore entirely. It’s another tick for the possibility of the two spending a lot of time down left and right channels.

Whether it looks good or bad on Sunday, it doesn’t matter yet. It is, however, one of the new combinations we can read into with the whole NRL season in mind.

2025 NRL Predictions: Red V Return To Finals Footy

1  I can’t bring myself to call it the Pre-Season Challenge.

2  More on Savelio Tamale here.

3  They’ve been around for a little while now.

4  He recorded 90 touches in a game in Round 6, 2022.

5  They’ll stop being called by Round 1, surely…