So last year i did a similar type of blog predicting how our rookies in 2022 would fare, to very bad results as nobody debuted haha. This year i am taking more of a cautious approach in terms of saying who will debut instead just talking about who is around and what not.
I need to preface however, the NRL description of a rookie and my description are a tad different. For the NRL, you are still classified as a rookie as long you didn't play more than 5 NRL games the previous season. So Haze Dunster played 1 game in 2020, 2021 he was still technically a rookie. However to me, you are no longer a rookie once you debut no matter how much or how little you play. A little nitpick i know but that is how i am doing this list, none of these players have debuted, so Ky Rodwell for example not included. Even though he debuted in 2021 and played 4 games in 2022 so he wouldn't be an NRL anyway just clarifying.
Toni Mataele (Second-Row): Starting off with a player that i am certain will debut this year, Mataele is loved by Eels management. He has signed til 2025, with complete possibility of being placed in the top 30 before season starts, depending how trials go. Mataele is a brooding back-rower, in the vein of Papali'i. He is a hard and hole running edge forward, who's defence may need some work, though coming off the bench could offer some impact. Mataele has been effected by both injuries and COVID. He came through our junior system in Harold Matts and SG Ball, playing some Flegg before signing with Newcastle in 2020. He played one game in 2020 then we know what happened. Then got injured in 2021, returning to play some flegg and 2 games of Cup with Newcastle at 19, averaging 91 metres off the bench before getting hurt and COVID struck again. 20222 we brought him back and he again suffered an injury keeping him out for half the year, before finishing 2022 with 8 games in cup, averaging 117 metres running and 83% tackle effeciency. Mataele is still raw but the stuff love him enough to extend him to our future. With Doorey, Momoisea, Murchie and Hopgood all signed til only 2024, Mataele has a chance to be our future 12 in 2025.
Prediction: Debuts in 2023.
Jayden Yates (Utility): Talk about a goer, he is a tweener however, tweener meaning not knowing where to put him. He can play in the halves, hooker and at Lock. Not much of him also, but he is that tough as nails player that you constantly see giving his all and that is what BA loves. Spent 2022 as that bench and 18th man player getting limited minutes, hopefully in 2023 he can get a bigger role as the 14. Could he make NRL? Perhaps, but he could be more of a worst case scenario, in that if injuries strike we can throw him on the bench and put him anywhere we need assistance with. He is a player that BA will say go and take the first run in the kick-off and he will do it, or make 30 runs in 30 minutes and he will do all he can to do it. I just do not know if he will get there, need to see him actually get a spot in NSW cup.
Prediction: Plays NSW cup for all of 2023.
Blaize Talagi (Five-Eighth): A very surprising name in the development group. Talagi is a live-wire 6, compared to say Shaun Johnson in being a running half and with a similar frame and speed. Talagi is an eye's player, simply a 6. Is Talagi a Moses replacement? Only if Brown plays 7 as Talagi is exactly what Brown is, a player who relies on a 7 to organise and set the team and field up for them to pounce on a defence when not expecting it. Talagi is still only 18 and has plenty of developing to do, could very well see him turn into a fullback in time, in future could maybe see him be a 14 who roams around and strikes tiring defences. I do not know too much on Talagi despite some footage, but being Sanders right hand man in Matts and SG Ball, he will be given time to meet his potential as one to watch.
Prediction: Plays Flegg with a NSW cup debut late in 2023.
Ethan Sanders (Halfback): This is one that has fans excited. He is one of two juniors still training with the top grade who do have a development deal. Sanders is your old fashioned half, tough as nails, organiser and has no real weakness in his game; from kicking, running and defending. Sanders is a hard one as he is no where near ready to come for us in 2023. 2025 is probably the soonest he can come in and start for us but Moses if he is to re-sign will be here til minimum 2026, do we want to lose Sanders to keep Moses then when Moses either retires or moves on we have nobody below him to take over? Sanders i think could play a 14 role as a dummy-half to at least keep him in the fold until Moses moves on. I want Moses to stay and we need Moses to stay but we also have Sanders hanging around. It is also being discussed at JA could, just hearing from grape vine so don't quote me, be turning into a forward the next few years as Sanders is our future 7. Also, depending on what Brown does Sanders could come in as a 6 as he possesses a patient running game also. Sanders is an exciting talent, one that i feel if BA was to rest our squad he could get a run on the bench.
Prediction: Starts in Flegg, finishes the year as a constant NSW Cup starter.
Jock Brazel (Second-Row): It is about time this club starts bringing forward some juniors in the forwards, Brazel is an Australian Schoolboys rep, massive raps, even signing til 2025. Brazel in 2022 though seemed to have disappeared, not being seen in any squads for the year. Then realise he was injured. Brazel is a Lane compared Back-rower. Tall, Lanky and a big hole running forward. Only thing about big players is alot of them have issues when playing against men, they dominate against boys but when they play men double their age the faulter as they are not breaking the line as easy as they used to and confidence drains to them going into NRL pergitory. David Hollis was the same. Brazel must get a starting spot in NSW cup this year to push his development further, he is turning 20 this year i believe so he is still eligable for Flegg in 2024, but he needs NSW cup, now is the time with El-Zakhem moving to Sydney City. Though Brazel has many rep honors to his name, representing City Origin
Prediction: Starting in Flegg, moving into NSW cup starting.
Larry Mauguatutia (Prop): One that played reps last year, had raps in SG ball, played some Flegg, then sort of drift off in terms of hype. Big bodied Prop, body shape in the mould of Paulo. Mauguatutia was seen as a possible bench spot player for late 2022 and 2023 back in 2020. Hasn't happened that way. He is turning 20 this year so there is time; but with Greig, Makatoa, Rodwell, Ogden and Momoisea already contracted ahead of him, it is hard to see anything more than a bench spot for 2023 in Cup, he needs constant cup game time to get close to a debut. He will play NSW cup at some point but will he stay there?
Prediction: Starts in Flegg, debuts in Cup but finishes season in Flegg.
Charlie Guymer (Centre): Here is a future smokey, getting no talk what so ever yet has that tough as nails approach as a centre. From what ive seen he is a defence style Centre, like Opacic but more speed on him, even touted going the Ben Smith route into the back-row in the future. Has a head of a beaten favourite and i love it. He is SG Ball eligable but watch him be fast tracked.
Prediction: Start in SG Ball, will play Cup during the year.
Matthew Arthur (Hooker): He will be our future Hooker from 2025 onwards, let's see how he goes and if he will have the same sort of fast tracking his brother did. He doesn't possess the length his brother does, being shorter in stature. He will start in SG Ball, but i think NSW cup is not out of the rhelm of possibility. He has not been effected by COVID like Jake was in his development and i could see him being fast-tracked to be in line for a debut in 2024.
Prediction: Will make his NSW Cup debut late in 2023.
Matthew Komolafe (Winger): A player that looked great in his limited NSW cup opportunities in 2022. Tall winger, puts his body on the line, knows how to find the line. He is turning 21 and has had hardly any experience in NSW cup, meaning an NRL debut is a long shot at this stage. Though a decent year in NSW cup can mean he gets a look in for 2024. Never to old to debut and never to old to be a decent NRL winger. Komolafe is one player i can see debuting at a later date, like Dunster, then sort of hanging around for a bit of time. I would say Komolafe, whether at Parramatta or elsewhere, will play first grade at some point, it will not be in 2023 however. But he is one i want to see in Cup for 2023, with Sivo and SImonsson both off-contract this year, two spots could open with Russell and Dunster both vying for those spots also there is a spot for a back-up.
Prediction: Komolafe plays in NSW cup for most of the year.
Tevita Taumoepenu (Prop): Here is a bit of smokey for a debut in 2023. There was talk of Taumoepenu being looked at for 2022. He is 22 i believe, a workhorse of a prop forward. From footage and training notes, he is not a barnstorming Prop, not an impact player but he is a Prop that will get through 15 runs and 30 tackles effortlessly. Is this a player that i would want in a squad? Of course, Tim Mannah was that for a long time for this club, we shifted to RCG and Paulo who are a mixture of both workhorse and impact and it works but we need to look for the future and Taumoepenu, though not an impact player, could be a handy bench forward. He has played a fair bit of NSW cup, coming from Souths in 2021 where he played Flegg and some cup. In 2022, he played 20 games, scoring 1 try and only averaging 80 metres as a bench forward, but had 98% tackle effeciency, making 298 tackles missing 6. That is insane and could be a difference in shoring up our middle while say Hopgood, RCG and Paulo take a break mid game, shore up the middle in defence until they get back. He isn't an attractive player in big plays but he is stable as they come and could sneak a debut.
Prediction: Will play NSW cup, make a 21 man squad in 2023.
There are others, though i cannot write about them due to simply not knowing anything at all about them despite the bare minimum. But hope some of these predictions work out or im wrong in the right way of these players debuting and doing well for us.
Replies
Great work, LB. Really enjoyed reading that.
I do wonder if Sanders is one of the sticking points between Eels & Moses (if there is one)? By all reports he is someone we dont want to lose, however, Moses simply is a must for the next 2-3 years at least & although Sanders a talent, we all know there are no guarantees once they hit first grade.
He's not a rookie by any means, but do feel Sean Russell could be in for a big year. I'd be surprised if Dunster starts round 1, and Russell might make that spot his own early.
Thanks for the effort LB, we seem to have some solid talent coming through.
I appreciate that NOS, hopefully some here get enjoyment while we wait for the season.
From what i have seen in different reports on NRL.com, TCT, Roar etc. is that Simonsson and Dunster might not be ready for round 1, Dunster is not being rushed while Simonsson is racing the clock.
This is Russell's chance, he lost it unfortunately last year due to injury but now is his shot. Hopefully he gets a permanant wing spot then in 2026 becomes out new Fullback.
In regard to Sanders it is tricky. You do not want to put all your chips in one basket waiting and hoping for Sanders to work out, had we signed say Reynolds or Hunt in their early to mid 30's then you could say 2-3 more years than Sanders takes over. Moses has at least 3-5 years left, will Sanders wait?
He is only 18 this year or 19 i believe so nowhere near ready for first grade but becoming a 14 in 2024 is not unrealistic. But with Brown's deal making it touch and go every 3 years, perhaps we might be more calm letting either Moses or Brown go in 2025/26 for Sanders to jump into one or the other.
Great blog. I really hope we can wrap up these kids and not let other clubs sneak in
We have to start becoming Penrith, i hope Nathan Brown stayed while James Shepherd assists to in making us keep the talent we need. We have a great 6 & 7 coming through, a few decent backs (no Fullback though), a hooker we hope and one or two edge forwards. We are getting there, it will take another few years but by the end of the decade hopefully we are moving towards what Penrith are.
Hey LB, do you like Seany Russ for a fullback prospect? Or Blaize could convert?
thanks for the great blog
Oh Jed, i wish i was that type of analyst that went to every training session or most of them like TCT do and oversee each player's development, unfortunately i can only go off what i have seen, with Talagi it is not much at all.
Russell is a Fullback by trade, he played there in schoolboys and every level after that, even played a little in his second NRL game off the bench in 2021. He is fitted for Fullback as not much training needed as he has experience there and knows what is expect, he has the height and from reports has put on some weight to last a whole season. I think for now Wing and maybe Centre for Russell then take over from Gutho.
Blaize i think could convert, he has the speed, footwork and ball playing but don't know if he has played any Fullback, if he hasn't he is still young enough to covert and perhaps be the cup Fullback in 2024 or even in Flegg this year, but at this stage i only know he is a 6, a running 6. I am one who finds naming every half that can run to play 1 if they've never been there, like Brown, reason being is it is the most physically demanding position on the field, added with responsibiility of shaping the defence plus practicing under the high ball with pressure coming at you. Being a Fullback is a skill set, any player with ball playing skill can get by at Half or FE with very limited experience by simply distributing, but putting a player with limited experience at 1 and they will be targeted.
But for Blaize he has time on his side to train there, but it is on the club as you do not want to waste a year of development at 1 if Russell is that man. But do not want to waste him at 6 if Brown is the future and so is Sanders where you could utilise Talagi's talent elsewhere.
But overall as a prospect, i am very keen on Russell being a wonderful talent. He has the toughness, build, talent and drive to be great.
Good stuff LB, thanks mate.
I do hope Tony, Tevita and Larry kick on, some home grown Forwards would be great for the Club.
PS: I wish All the abovementioned sincere best wishes, just remember it has taken The Worlds Tallest 5th Grader a bunch of years to show/prove he is in the elite level of consistent NRL players that have an edge week in week out.
Well Sivo debuted at 25, Davey at 29, Manu Ma'u 24. Just because players don't debut young does not mean they cannot be decent to great players.
Taumoepenu being one of them that could be a gem.
No Jayden Yates I'd have thought this guy would in or around this list.
Thank you for reminding me, just updated it. My apologies.
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