They are the 25 best players under the age of 25 in the NRL, but in a scary omen for the rest of the competition they have barely scratched the surface of their potential yet.
From 23-year-old Broncos fullback sensation Reece Walsh to 21-year-old Raiders five-eighth Ethan Strange and 21-year-old Roosters centre Robert Toia, these are the best players in the game that haven’t even reached the halfway mark of their careers.
The above trio are representative players, which was weighted heavily in selection of the list of 25 NRL stars under 25.
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So too were other individual accolades and consistent match-day output, with potential and raw talent also playing a part.
As such, some incredibly exciting players are missing — high among them Storm flyer Sualauvi Fa’alogo, who may rocket to the pointy end of the list with regular game time next season after replacing Ryan Papenhuyzen.
The same can be said for Souths’ gun jye Gray and Panthers rising playmaker Blaize Talagi, while Eels centre Will Penisini was another near-miss as two teammates made the cut. (Check out the honourable mentions at the bottom).
Meanwhile, also keep an eye on low picks like Eels recruit Jonah Pezet to soar as he is tipped to deliver a big season in his first full-time campaign as an NRL playmaker in 2026.
Most clubs are represented in our top 25, but the Sharks, Sea Eagles and Dragons were the three teams that missed out in part because of their veteran squads, or in St George Illawarra’s case a team of youngsters who have not quite proven themselves.
Note: For players to be eligible for this list, they must be under the age of 25 at the start of next season. (For example: an eligible player can be 24 years and 11 months old in Round 1.
25. PAUL ALAMOTI (PANTHERS) — 22 (Age as of Round 1, 2026)
He may have been dropped at one stage last season, but Paul Alamoti returned from that adversity to score 17 tries in 19 games for the Panthers on route to another preliminary final.
Alamoti was tipped for big things after playing 19 games for the Bulldogs in 2023, before switching to the Panthers and winning a premiership in 2024.
Now with 27 tries in 54 NRL games, the 21-year-old is starting to look like a similar player to teammate Brian To’o, who is regarded as one of the best wingers ever.
Alamoti has the perfect mixture of size, speed and brute strength to be one of the best wingers in the game in the coming seasons and his versatility means he can also cover centre, so he will only improve with more seasons under his belt.
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24. JONAH PEZET (EELS) — 23
He may have played just 18 games of first grade for the Storm, but that was because he was behind two of the best halves in the game in Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster.
Jonah Pezet showed in the Storm’s 2025 final against the Bulldogs that he is an elite NRL playmaker of the future and his stocks are set to soar after joining the Eels in 2026.
Pezet will partner Mitchell Moses this season at Parramatta, before joining Ezra Mam in a new look halves pairing at the Broncos from 2027 on a three-year deal.
Turning 23 in January, Pezet has played the patient game in his rise up the ranks, but he has done his apprenticeship and is set to prove himself as one of the best young playmakers in the game in the coming seasons.
23. XAVIER SAVAGE (RAIDERS) — 23
He may have had his 2025 season cut short by injury, but Xavier Savage was a big reason why the Raiders charged to an unlikely minor premiership, and a Maroons debut is considered a matter of when not if for the talented flyer.
Savage was originally earmarked as the club’s next great fullback, scoring seven tries in 19 games in 2022, but has transformed himself into an even better finisher on the wing in the last two seasons.
Now with 36 tries in 67 NRL games, Savage has cemented himself as one of the Raiders’ best and most reliable finishers and his versatility means he can cover fullback if needed as well.
With 12 tries and nine linebreaks in 21 games last season, Savage is set to score plenty more in the coming years, especially with Ethan Strange and Kaeo Weekes inside him.
22. LEKA HALASIMA (WARRIORS) — 20
The Warriors enforcer announced himself as a future superstar with a whopping 13 tries in 25 games in 2025 and doesn’t turn 21 until September this year.
Halasima was a massive point of difference for the Warriors in 2025, not just for his try-scoring, but for his versatility in covering the back row and middle at a pinch.
Now with 29 games under his belt, Halasima looks set for a long career in the back row for the Warriors and could be the man to build their maiden title charge around.
The hulking back-rower has all the physical attributes to be one of the best forwards in the game in the future and his match-winning try to break Newcastle’s hearts last season shows he is a special player to watch in the future.
21. LACHLAN GALVIN (BULLDOGS) — 20
He is already one of the most talked about players in rugby league after his well publicised switch from the Tigers to the Bulldogs in 2025, but soon all we will be talking about Lachlan Galvin will be related to his play on the field.
Galvin announced himself to the NRL world in 2024 as a fresh faced teenager, scoring four tries in 21 games for the Tigers and played another 10 last season before joining the Bulldogs.
Now with 45 games of experience, Galvin is set to form a halves pairing with Matt Burton in 2026 and eventually with Mitchell Woods long-term at the Bulldogs.
When Phil Gould calls you the most gifted teenager he has seen and he coached Brad Fittler to a premiership at the same age, you know Galvin is going to be a special player in the years to come.
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20. CASEY MCLEAN (PANTHERS) — 19
Given what he has achieved already for club and country, it is hard to believe Casey McLean is still a teenager and will be until April this year.
McLean announced himself as a future star with four tries on debut for the Kiwis in the Pacific Championships in 2024 and he now has eight tries in just four games for New Zealand, as he looks a certainty for their 2026 World Cup team.
And not only did McLean establish himself as a starting centre for the Panthers last season, but he also scored 16 tries in 23 games, taking his career tally to 19 from 30 matches.
And with 16 linebreaks and 17 linebreak assists in 2025, McLean has proved himself just as good a facilitator as he is a finisher, and it is scary to think the heights he can reach with another couple more seasons under his belt.
19. JAHREAM BULA (TIGERS) — 24
Jahream Bula burst onto the scene in 2023 and has now scored 23 tries in 57 games, including eight in 18 matches to go with eight linebreaks and seven linebreak assists in 2025.
Bula has also scored five tries in five Tests for Fiji and is reportedly in a tug of war between the Tigers and the Bulldogs over his next contract.
There is no doubt Bula hasn’t quite reached the heights that had him compared to Greg Inglis early in his career, but he still has time on his side to become one of the elite fullbacks in the game.
The fact that he has played most of his career in a struggling team hasn’t helped and if the Tigers improve even more in the next few years or he goes to a contender, the sky is the limit for the exciting speedster.
18. SUNIA TURUVA (TIGERS) — 24
The former Panthers star burst onto the NRL scene with 12 tries in 26 games in 2023 and won back-to-back premierships with the Panthers, before switching to the Tigers in 2025.
Turuva is originally a fullback, but has established himself as one of the best finishers in the game with 41 tries from 76 matches to date, as well as five tries in 10 Tests for his native Fiji.
His energy and exuberance on and off the field has made him a big part of the Tigers’ resurgence from wooden spooners to 13th last season and one feels they can challenge for a finals spot in 2026 and beyond.
Turuva doesn’t turn 24 until September and hopefully he is celebrating a return to the finals with the Tigers and his birthday in the same month, but he will only get even better as he matures in the coming years.
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17. ISAIAH IONGI (EELS) — 22
Arguably the best recruit of the year in 2025, Isaiah Iongi announced himself as a star of the future with eight tries, 10 linebreaks and nine linebreak assists in 21 games last season.
And he would have played plenty more first grade than one game at the Panthers, if he wasn’t stuck behind premiership star and Blues and Kangaroos fullback Dylan Edwards at Penrith.
There was uproar when the Eels let club captain Clint Gutherson go, but Iongi’s emergence has made Jason Ryles look like a genius and after signing a long-term extension he can be Parramatta’s fullback for the next decade.
Iongi has sparkling footwork, excellent playmaking skills and punches above his weight and he is only going to improve with more time in the saddle.
16. SELWYN COBBO (BRONCOS) — 23
It was by no means Selwyn Cobbo’s best season in rugby league in 2025, but at his best he is one of the most dangerous finishers in the game and he doesn’t turn 24 until June.
Cobbo scored 20 tries in 24 games for the Broncos on their charge to the 2023 decider and has scored 49 tries in 83 games for the club since his debut in 2021.
The versatile back, who can cover wing, fullback and centre has also played six Origins and one Test for the Kangaroos to date.
After switching to the Dolphins in 2026, Cobbo is reportedly in the best shape of his career and in a backline featuring Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Isaiya Katoa, this year could be his best season yet.
15. JEREMIAH NANAI (COWBOYS) — 23 (Age as of Round 1, 2026)
It may not have been his best season in rugby league, but given he doesn’t turn 23 until the trials, Jeremiah Nanai still has his best years in rugby league ahead of him.
The gun back-rower burst onto the NRL scene with a whopping 17 tries in 23 games in 2022 and nearly helped lead the Cowboys to a Grand Final that season.
Now with 46 tries in 84 NRL games to go with 11 Origins for the Maroons and six Tests for Australia and Samoa, Nanai has nearly done it all in rugby league before his 23rd birthday.
The only knock on Nanai is his defence sometimes lets him down, but he can do things in attack and in the air contesting kicks that other forwards can only dream of and he will only get better as his career progresses.
14. JACOB PRESTON (BULLDOGS) — 24
He may be a late bloomer, but Jacob Preston has more than made up for lost time after scoring six tries in his rookie season in 2023.
Since then Preston has established himself as a regular starter in the back row for the Bulldogs and is one of the best try-scioring forwards in the game, with 12 in 22 games in 2025.
That takes his career tally to 24 in 60 NRL games and Preston was rewarded with selection in the Kangaroos Ashes squad last season and his Blues debut could come as early as this year.
There is no surprise the Perth Bears have made Preston a priority target for their innaugural season in 2027, but the Bulldogs won’t be giving him up without a fight.
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13. KEANO KINI (TITANS) — 21
He may have played just six games last season due to a career threatening neck injury, but Keano Kini showed in the Pacific Championships he is a future superstar.
Kini burst onto the scene in 2024 with six tries in 16 games for the Titans and he has now played 28 games in the NRL to go with two tires in five Tests for New Zealand.
However, Kini’s freakish display in the Kiwis’ 2025 Pacific Championships win shows how high his ceiling is in the NRL once he gets some luck with injuries and some consistent games under his belt.
Kini has the speed and footwork to produce things that other players just can’t do and with an extended run in first grade at the Titans, he could be one of the most dangerous players in the game.
12. EZRA MAM (BRONCOS) — 22
Ezra Mam only played 12 games last season due to his suspension, but he still played a big part in leading the Broncos to a drought-breaking title and is set to start at five-eighth again in 2026.
Mam was a whisker away from a Clive Churchill Medal in the 2023 decider, before Nathan Cleary took over, but with 38 tries in 69 NRL games he is already one of the best running five-eighths in the game and his best is yet to come.
The Broncos chose not to sack Mam from his $1 million a season deal because they know he can be a big part of the club’s success over the next 10 years.
Mam is an Origin player of the future and his combination with Reece Walsh could make them one of the most devastating duo’s in the game’s history.
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11. JACOB KIRAZ (BULLDOGS) — 24
Jacob Kiraz has become one of the most improved players in the competition, after starring in the Bulldogs’ surge to the top four in 2025.
Kiraz scored 11 tries in 19 games last season taking his career tally to 35 in 78 matches since his debut in 2022, while he has also played three Tests for Lebanon.
The versatile winger can also cover fullback at a pinch and many feel that could be his long-term position for club after filling in with aplomb at times in 2025.
Kiraz was a big part of the Blues squad last season and one feels an Origin debut is only a matter of when not if for the reliable finisher.
10. ROBERT TOIA (ROOSTERS) — 21
The 2025 Dally M rookie of the year burst onto the NRL scene with seven tries in 22 games for the Roosters and he would have played earlier had it not been for two serious knee injuries.
Toia announced himself as a future superstar after a shock call-up to the Maroons in 2025 and went on to play all three games in Queensland’s comeback series victory.
The hulking centre proved he could handle the defensive load of the NRL and rep level, as he was rewarded with a maiden Test for Samoa in the Pacific Championships at the end of last year.
However, one feels Toia has only scratched the surface of his immense potential in attack and his eight try assists and seven tries could sky rocket with another pre-season under his belt heading into 2026.
Robert Toia had a breakout season in 2025.Source: Getty Images
9. BRADMAN BEST (KNIGHTS) — 24
Another player who seems to have been around for ages, Best doesn’t turn 25 until the eve of the 2026 finals series and has already had a career most players could only dream of.
Best made a name for himself in 2019 as a teenager, and has gone on to score 43 tries in 105 games for the Knights.
The versatile centre has also scored three tries in two Origins for the Blues and has never let NSW down and he is unlucky to have not debuted for the Kangaroos after being a part of the last two squads.
Best has struggled with injuries in recent seasons, but at his best he is an Origin and Australian calibre player for the next five years at least and his best footy is still ahead of him, especially with the Knights getting some more firepower inside him in attack in 2026.
8. KAEO WEEKES (RAIDERS) — 24
Kaeo Weekes came of age in 2025 and established himself as one of the best fullbacks in the game and one of the most dangerous players in a stunning campaign.
With nine tries and seven try assists in 23 games, Weekes cemented the Raiders’ fullback jersey for the foreseeable future and was a big reason why they won the minor premiership.
Few could forget his heroics in scoring the match winning try in the Miracle of Bathurst against the Panthers, after finishing off a brilliant run from Ethan Strange.
Now with 20 tries in 54 games since his debut in 2022, Weekes is set for a long NRL career in the nation’s capital after inking an extension and a debut for New Zealand at the World Cup in 2026 is firmly in his sights.
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7. XAVIER COATES (STORM) — 24
It seems like Xavier Coates has been around forever after bursting onto the scene with the Broncos in 2019, before blossoming into the best winger in the game at the Storm.
Coates scored 20 tries in 22 games for Melbourne last year on route to a second straight grand final appearance and took his career tally to 79 tries in just 108 games.
However, it is not just his freakish finishing and aerial acrobatics, but Coates’ ability to do the tough carries and work hard in defence, which sets him apart from other wingers.
Craig Bellamy labelled him the best winger he has ever seen, which is high praise and with already 13 Origins and four Tests to his name, the best is still yet to come from the brilliant flyer.
6. SAM WALKER (ROOSTERS) — 23
Given he doesn’t turn 25 until halfway through the 2027 season, it is remarkable that Sam Walker already has 25 tries and 629 points in 86 games for the Roosters.
And he could have played 100 had he not missed the bulk of the 2025 season with a long-term knee injury, which saw him play just nine games, but he still produced a remarkable 15 try assists last year.
It was no coincidence the Roosters improved when their star halfback returned and he will only benefit from working with Daly Cherry-Evans at the Roosters in 2026.
Walker is a gifted playmaker who does things other players just can’t do and one feels it is only a matter of time before he debuts for the Maroons in the Origin arena and eventually for the Kangaroos.
5. ETHAN STRANGE (RAIDERS) — 21
The talented five-eighth was a massive reason why the Raiders shook up the NRL world order in 2025 to claim a drought-breaking first minor premiership since 1990.
Strange scored 14 tries and set up 12 in 24 games in 2025, taking his career tally to 16 tries in 46 matches and he looks set for a long career as Canberra’s main playmaker.
The gun half was rewarded for his stunning season by being named Dally M five-eighth of the year and capped it off by touring with the Kangaroos in their Ashes series sweep of England.
It was no coincidence the Raiders struggled without him when he succumbed to illness in the finals and he will play an even bigger role in 2026 after the departure of halfback Jamal Fogarty to the Sea Eagles.
Ethan Strange toured with the Kangaroos Ashes squad.Source: Getty Images
4. HAMISO TABUAI-FIDOW (DOLPHINS) — 24
The man they call the Hammer doesn’t turn 25 until the 2026 finals series, but given his performances last season he could lead the Dolphins to a maiden top eight appearance this year.
Tabuai-Fidow scored 22 tries in 21 games last season, taking his career tally to 73 in 107 games and he will only get better with more time to work on combinations at the Dolphins.
The 24-year-old has already scored 11 tries in 10 Origins for the Maroons and four tries in seven Tests for Samoa and Australia.
Equally adept at fullback and centre, Tabuai-Fidow has the potential to be the best fullback in the game and at his best he is already the most dangerous back in the competition on his day.
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3. ISAIYA KATOA (DOLPHINS) — 22
It is hard to believe Isaiya Katoa doesn’t turn 22 until the 2026 trials and has already played 68 NRL games and was arguably one of the best halfbacks in the competition last season.
Matty Johns led a chorus of praise for Katoa’s performances for the Dolphins in 2025, as he announced himself as a bona fide superstar of not just the future, but the here and now.
Katoa plays with a maturity beyond his years and was mentioned as a potential NSW Origin bolter last season amid injury concerns to Mitchell Moses and Nathan Cleary.
Katoa has the potential to be the best halfback in the game in the coming seasons and if he continues on his current trajectory, he could go down as one off the game’s greatest playmakers.
2. TOM DEARDEN (COWBOYS) — 24
The star of the 2025 Origin series is arguably in the top three playmakers in the game and doesn’t turn 25 until the first month of the 2026 season.
Dearden replaced Daly Cherry-Evans as Maroons halfback in 2025 and went on to win the Wally Lewis Medal, with a starring display in the decider and backed it up with some strong performances for Australia in their Ashes sweep of England.
Dearden also made the switch to halfback at club level and while a move back to five-eighth has been flagged by Todd Payten in 2026, Dearden will be the focal point of the Cowboys’ attack.
Dearden’s final frontier is to dominate at club level and lead the Cowboys to a drought-braking first title since 2015, but he will be a star of the rep scene for the next five years at least.
1. REECE WALSH (BRONCOS) — 23
It’s crazy to think Reece Walsh doesn’t turn 25 until halfway through the 2027 season and he is coming off his best year yet, with still so much potential left in the tank.
Walsh was the star of the 2025 season, as he led the Broncos to three finals comebacks and a drought-breaking title on the back of arguably the greatest grand final performance ever.
Walsh missed the 2025 Origin series after carrying a knee injury through the season, but his return to that arena in 2026 barring injury looks a formality.
That comes after he backed up his NRL heroics with a starring display in his debut Kangaroos series, as Australia romped to a 3-0 sweep and one feels he is only going to get better and better with a Dally M Medal in his sights in 2026.
Reece Walsh still has so much more improvement to come.Source: Getty Images
HONOURABLE MENTIONS (UNRANKED)
Jack Howarth, Tolutau Koula, Will Penisini, Max Plath, Savelio Tamale, Fletcher Sharpe, Lehi Hopoate, Izack Tago, Fonua Pole, Xavier Willison, Jaxon Purdue, Tallis Duncan, Naufahu Whyte, Jye Gray, Alofiana Khan-Pereira, Sualauvi Fa’alogo, Jack Bostock, Blaize Talagi, Heilum Luki, Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, Liam Henry, Brendan Piakura, Samuela Fainu, Siua Wong, Blake Steep, Dylan Egan, Sam Tuivaiti, Tyrell Sloan, Toby Couchman, Dominic Young, Owen Pattie, Ryley Smith