SG Ball grand final thriller<\/a> last year was impressive.<\/p>\n![\"Toby](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/ef1bbef516fef7ccb916a00af511bf217d7e3fb9ad0c71b5d8a4ba369249fb22.jpeg\")
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Toby Rodwell in action for the Roosters.Credit: NRL Imagery<\/p>\n
Despite the arrival of Daly Cherry-Evans, and the presence of Sam Walker and Hugo Savala, Rodwell is right in the frame to get a taste of the big time this year. Many at the club have been impressed by his unflappable nature, on and off the field, while he was taken further into the club\u2019s inner sanctum when completing the Kokoda Track before Christmas.<\/p>\n
Penrith Panthers<\/p>\n
Billy Phillips was another youngster to be handed his NRL debut during the mass restings against Canterbury, but will become a regular this season.<\/p>\n
The Lithgow forward keeps getting compared to club co-captain Isaah Yeo, not only because of his bush roots and stature, but his ability to get through a mountain of work.<\/p>\n
![\"Young](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/0b5007eb73ae9acc1f50ffcc1efa1e1a14c65f8f4abc3efd3dcaa53f4dd97a18.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Young Penrith lock Billy Phillips.Credit: NRL Photos<\/p>\n
Kalani Going, one of four players recruited from the Warriors\u2019 premiership-winning reserve grade team, has also stood out over the summer. The Warriors quartet have brought a new energy to the Panthers. Like Phillips, Going is a lock forward who will add to the one NRL game he played against the Dolphins in 2023.<\/p>\n
South Sydney Rabbitohs<\/p>\n
Salesi Ataata made his mark in the NSW Cup and is already proving a handful during opposed sessions at Heffron Park this summer. He carries the ball well, and will benefit from another full pre-season with the first-grade squad. Keaon Koloamatangi and Jai Arrow are workhorses, but at almost 120kg, Ataata is the kind of impact prop the Bunnies have craved since Tom Burgess\u2019 departure at the end of 2024.<\/p>\n
Dayne Jennings is also a player to watch, but at only 18, the rangy centre is one to get more excited about in 2027.<\/p>\n
Cronulla Sharks<\/p>\n
Liam Ison ruptured his ACL in the opening minutes of the first round of the NSW Cup last year, which robbed him of the chance to apply a bit of pressure on Will Kennedy for Cronulla\u2019s No.1 jersey.<\/p>\n
This season will be different. The 21-year-old will put pressure on Kennedy, and hopefully remind the Sharks why they got it right by nailing him down to a long-term deal.<\/p>\n
![\"Liam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3ae327a33f91d7677d5ccf8d0c56674f75f52bd0.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Liam Ison could make his mark for the Sharks after starring for the Newtown Jets.Credit: Icon Sportswire via Getty Images<\/p>\n
Parramatta Eels<\/p>\n
Jezaiah Funa-Iuta is a NSW under-19s Origin back-rower who has not put a foot wrong this summer. He was a standout for the club\u2019s SG Ball team last year, is comfortable on the left and right, and is capable in the middle.<\/p>\n
Teancum Brown, a front-rower who made his debut off the bench against the Knights last season, has plenty of physicality and is another Eel ready to regularly wear the blue and gold.<\/p>\n
Wests Tigers<\/p>\n
Loading<\/p>\n
The Roosters rarely lose players they want to keep, which is why the Tigers were celebrating the signature of back-rower Ethan Roberts.<\/p>\n
A Paddington junior, and already an Indigenous All Stars player, Roberts is an excellent mover with good ball skills, and his addition alongside Samuela Fainu and recruit Kai Pearce-Paul suddenly has the club\u2019s back-row stocks in good shape. One-game centre Heamasi Makasini is also in for a big 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"St George Illawarra Dragons Coach Flanagan made a point of praising wing recruits David Fale and Setu Tu,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":416208,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":["post-416207","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nrl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-national-rugby-league","tag-nationalrugbyleague","tag-nrl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416207","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=416207"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/416207\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/416208"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=416207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=416207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=416207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"David](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/575286abe756910cc3f978de6c068166bad2c963.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Manly\u2019s](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/e7415c8e4f398a44b36916417ab9f9767399be71.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n