2018 NRL Redraft
From Lachlan Lewis to Adam Doueihi and AJ Brimson, how do the 2018 NRL Rookies rank five years on?
Five years is an age in Sport. In 2018, a brave Cooper Cronk led the Sydney Roosters to the first of their back-to-back premierships, Covid was still two years away and Donal Trump was only a year into his presidency.
Some rookies of five years ago are now 100-game veterans or out of the league.
It’s hard to look back in time and see clearly and everything seems far more recent than it was. But it’s easy to judge things knowing how they’ve played out. So let’s take a quick trip back to 2018 and see how the rookies rank five years on from their rookie season.
15. Jack Hetherington
A rookie with as much promise as he had size, Hetherington’s discipline on-field has been the main factor in his inability to push on in his career. As of August 2021, he had missed 17 weeks through suspensions; as of march 2023, he has only played 46 games total.
14. Lachlan Lewis
Always be wary of a grown man who goes by ‘Lachie’. Or any ‘ie’ or ‘y’.
In this case, he might steal an NRL-provided soundbar and try to sell it on eBay. Strange cat.
In a different world, he could have been an NRL half, but his inconsistent and lacking play and the strange situation above saw him fall out of the NRL ranks.
13. Jack Murchie
Debuting for the Canberra Raiders in 2018, it was for the New Zealand Warriors in 2022 that Murchie proved himself as an NRL player.A new signing for the Eels in 2023, he’ll be crucial to their (struggling) forward rotation going forward.
12. Wayde Egan
Coming into the competition through the Penrith system, Egan had plenty of high praise around him as a youngster. Unfortunately, he just failed to click at the Panthers and began his third season in New Zealand.
Despite the Warriors struggles, Egan has steadily improved and proven himself to be one of the Warriors best players each game. Improving his running game each year since his inception, he has proven himself as an NRL hooker.
11. Kyle Flanagan
Flanagan started with the sharks in their post-premiership era under the tutelage of his father, before his suspension at the end of the season. Possessing all the skills you want in a halfback, Flanagan has failed to develop the leadership, consistency and cool head that is required from a number 7.
With the Dogs sticking by him and a team with high hopes for 2023, this could be a make-or-break season for him.
10. Nick Meaney
Debuting for the Knights before spending three years at the Bulldogs and eventually ending up at the Storm, Meaney is a dependable player in many positions.
He wouldn’t be the first player to struggle for form at the Dogs. In Melbourne, he has proven capable of covering five-eighth, fullback and wing when needed. His effort and utility will see him have no problems staying in the NRL.
9. Marata Niukore
One of the most important pieces to the Parramatta Eels Grand Final season in 2022, Niukore is extremely versatile, able to perform at centre, back row or front row. Reliable no matter where you put him and aggressive in defence, Niukore is the kind of player every team would be happy to have.
Another Cronulla Shark, Katoa has just begun his sixth season with the club. One of the best wingers in the NRL, scoring 14 tries in just 16 games in the Sharks superb 2022 season, the 25-year-old is key to the Sharks current premiership hopes.
A damaging yet silky runner of the ball, he’s one of the most challenging defensive matchups in the NRL. As talented as he is, he has a tendency to float in and out of games, which has held him back from reaching his full potential.
The Dally M Rookie of the Year in 2018, Isaako came into the NRL like a house on fire. Though if this was last year, he’d be significantly higher up the page.
However, with his resurrection at the Dolphins and his fantastic first years at the Broncos, we can ignore the last two or three years he failed to excel. An incredible finisher, a great ball runner and an 80-ish% goal-kicker, there’s not much he can’t do.
Unlike most on this list, Tatola didn’t dip a toe into the NRL waters before diving in a year later. Playing 24 games in his debut season, Tatola proved himself as a career NRL player instantly. It wasn’t until 2020, and especially towards the end of the 2021 season that saw the Rabbitohs reach the Grand Final, that he proved himself as one of the game's best front-rowers.
I don’t know what position he should play. Neither do the Tigers.
Nevertheless, there is no doubting Doueihi’s talent. Big and strong while still retaining his speed and ball-playing, Doueihi has proven himself capable at fullback, centre and five-eighth. At the centre of the rebuild the Tigers are trying to make, let’s hope his best years aren’t wasted.
There is a legitimate argument for Jarome Luai to sit at the top of this list. Origin success and back-to-back premierships capped off by leading Samoa to the World Cup Final, there’s not much that Luai hasn’t done.
Capable of flashes of brilliance that not many players could pull off, he’s one of the most important pieces in this Penrith dynasty.
While the Titans have held him back from the spotlight, Brimson has shown himself to belong on the biggest stage. Playing three games for the Queensland Maroons, Brimson didn’t look one bit out of place in State of Origin. Back at fullback in 2023, he’ll need to be back to his best if the Titans have any hope of a top-eight push.
Despite being enemy number one for not scoring three tries per game and being on a massive contract, Fifita is one of the most damaging forwards in the game.
Struggling to insert himself at times, mostly due to a lack of playmakers around him, Fifita has been great in 2023. Like everyone else, he can’t do everything himself and requires his halves to get him the ball in space. Imagine him at Penrith.
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