Clubs will be lining up to sign Dolphins utility Kodi Nikorima after his stunning display against the Cowboys on Saturday night.
In a see-sawing game, Nikorima came up with the clutch plays, creating four tries to keep the Dolphins on track for the finals.
Plenty of teams are searching for playmakers off contract for 2025 – and Nikorima seems to have slipped under the radar.
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But he’s jumped to the near the front of the queue after his classy display and the fact he can play just about anywhere in the backline, as well as hooker, only adds to his market value.
SERIAL PEST BECOMES SECRET WEAPON
Reed Mahoney has become the best niggler in the NRL – and it’s winning the Bulldogs games.
The Dogs were in trouble against the Tigers in the first half last Saturday, until Mahoney got under the Tigers’ skin.
The cheeky hooker knows just how far to push the referee – and how to get penalties out of his opponents.
A couple of smart moves saw him force the Tigers to lose their cool as they finished a tough game with 11 men, having two sent to the sin bin.
But Mahoney can play too – he has created more tries than any dummy half this season and he led the Bulldogs’ tackle count against the hapless Tigers.
The Dogs are a much-improved team in 2024 – and if Mahoney continues to put opposition players off their game, a finals berth isn’t out of the question.
STORM’S ‘SUPER SUB’ EMERGES
Sualauvi Faalogo is shaping as the most dynamic ‘super sub’ in the NRL.
The brilliant young speedster lit up the Gold Coast with a dazzling solo try that ultimately proved the difference between the Storm and a stubborn Titans outfit on Saturday night.
Faalogo is the perfect player to bring onto the field when the opposition starts to get tired – his quick feet are up there with Reece Walsh and he can score from anywhere on the field.
Ironically, Faalogo got a rare start on the wing on the Goldy and is likely to stay in the Storm 13 in coming weeks following the ankle injury to luckless fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen.
But come finals time when the team is at full strength, he will be lethal at number 14.
WARRIORS MAIN MAN FOUND OUT
The Warriors have hit the wall with three straight losses – and rival teams appear to have found a way to blunt the brilliance of Shaun Johnson.
Johnson has produced just three try assists in those three games – all in the 27-24 loss to the Titans.
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In slippery conditions not suited to creative halfbacks on Sunday, Johnson could do little to get his side up as the Knights scored an upset 14-8 win.
The Warriors rely too heavily on Johnson’s playmaking skills – and need more players to step up and take the heat off their star number seven or it will be four losses on the trot when they meet the in-form Roosters next weekend.
ENGLISHMAN MIRRORING HIS COACH
Elliott Whitehead is developing into one of the most inspirational captains in the NRL.
The Englishman was the driving force behind the Raiders’ 28-26 win at Manly in one of the season’s most bizarre games.
The Sea Eagles were cruising at 20-0 midway through the first half and the Raiders had their heads down.
It looked like getting ugly – until Whitehead led an amazing Canberra recovery.
The bearded back-rower set up his team’s first try with a brilliant flick pass to Kaeo Weekes and then scored the second and third himself as the Raiders stunned both Manly and the Brookvale crowd.
Whitehead plays with passion – something Ricky Stuart prided himself for in his playing career 30-odd years ago.
MADGE FACING HEADACHE OVER PENRITH STAR
Dylan Edwards is one determined man.
Chances are, Blues coach Michael Maguire will keep incumbent fullback and skipper James Tedesco in the number one jersey for the State of Origin series.
But Edwards is keeping the heat on the new Blues boss, putting in stellar performances week after week.
In a dull, scrappy Panthers – Rabbitohs game on Friday night, Edwards was a shining light.
The consistent fullback ran for 200 run metres, set up a try and made two line breaks as Penrith came from 12-0 down to win 42-12.
If he keeps going like this, he might just force Maguire’s hand, if not for game one then at some stage of the series.
TEDDY’S RISE HELPS AVOID ‘GRAVE ERROR’
For the first couple of months of the season, I thought the Blues would be making a grave error by picking Tedesco yet again.
But the veteran fullback produced one of the finest fullback games of the year in out-pointing the teeny-boppers’ favourite, Reece Walsh, at Suncorp on Friday night.
Tedesco was instrumental in the Roosters’ impressive 40-18 win over the Broncos, showing his old energy in both attack and defence.
‘Teddy’ ran for nearly 250 metres, produced two try assists and two line break assists and seemed like he was everywhere on the pitch as the Roosters racked up the points.
It’s given Maguire plenty to think about and his decision may well come down to the last two games before selection.