Workhorse Watch Round 9
NRLCEO Workhorse Watch Round 9 – Pat Carrigan warms up for Origin with a massive performance against the Panthers.
- Tino is carrying the Titans, it is time for others to stand up!
- the Storm are sharing the load and we cant rely on Josh King any longer!
- another young gun puts his hand up at the Dragons!
- Api looking to play his way into an Origin jersey!
- is it time to add Liam Martin to the undraftable club?
In Round 9 there were 78 players who scored a WH, with three players scoring a DWH. Magic round gave us the highest amount of WH’s in a single round so far. Will we see a let down next week as players come down from the hype of Magic round as well as recover from the extra travel. There also seems to be a trend developing, with some high profile props playing 65-75 minutes a game, tis the season of the DWH Prop!
WORKING HARD
Patrick Carrigan (Broncos)
48 tackles, 19 runs for 175m in 72 minutes – DWH (0.93 stats per minute)
It was Carrigan’s turn this week, playing 72 minutes in their match against the Panthers. Despite Carrigan and Haas dominating early in the match, the Broncos struggled in attack and were unable to overcome a Panthers resurgence. Pat scored his second DWH of the season and his sixth ME. Origin is fast approaching and the Broncos play in the rounds immediately following all three Origin matches this season. It is likely we will see Carrigan on reduced minutes in those matches which may affect his WH scoring.
Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (Titans)
44 tackles, 22 runs for 168m in 67 minutes – DWH (0.99 spm)
Big Tino scored his first DWH of the season after the Titans lost their halfback to a HIA within the first 10 minutes. Tino plays like he is carrying a huge weight on his shoulders, often looking busted and tired. I don’t know if Tino is their best option for captain on the field. He would be their forward leader with or without the captaincy, I just feel he could do with some help, even if it means appointing him as club captain and then sharing the captaincy on the field with someone else. The Titans have one of the best packs in the comp but they still can’t seem to dominate other teams. Tino remains a fantasy gun and he loves a sneaky try close to the line.
Erin Clark (Warriors)
42 tackles, 18 runs for 162m in 69 minutes – DWH (0.87 spm)
Clark has been an enormous part of the Warriors success in 2025. He has now equalled his career best of seven WH’s in a season, scoring his first ever DWH against the Cowboys. He always runs the ball with energy and tries to lift his team, whether it be coming out of yardage or attacking the line. His average metres run has climbed to 134 metres a match, compared to 91 metres in 2024. Clark was a great late round draft pick and has rewarded CEO’s that picked him up, who now have another DWH threat.
Eliesa Katoa (Storm)
50 tackles, 10 runs for 85m in 85 minutes – WH (0.71 spm)
It seems someone has had a word in Katoa’s ear as he produced a dramatic increase in involvements compared to the previous 5 weeks. It is a sign that perhaps he has broken free of any injury constraints (knee) and went looking for more work. It is a good sign for CEO’s who can now confidently use him as a starter again.
HARDLY WORKING
John Bateman (Cowboys)
24 tackles, 10 runs for 73m in 64 minutes – (0.53 spm)
Bateman has struggled with an ear injury over the last few weeks which has caused him to miss a WH in his last three matches, after starting the season with four consecutive WH’s. Hopefully for CEO’s he is able to overcome his injury concern and get back to playing 80 minutes and being a guaranteed WH each week. Hold onto him for now and look for his stats to improve over the coming weeks.
Josh King (Storm)
27 tackles, 10 runs for 77m in 56 minutes (0.66 spm)
It has been a very patchy season from King, scoring just three WH’s from his eight matches so far this season. Stefano has arrived at the Storm and is playing more minutes than either Kamikamica or Asofa-Solomona would if they were starting. As a result it appears neither King or Stefano can be counted on to score a WH in that current setup. I would be looking to trade King or at worst play him from your bench, he is currently not good enough to be a starter in your team.
Liam Martin (Panthers)
32 tackles, 5 runs for 45m in 62 minutes (0.60 spm)
It seems to be quality over quantity for Martin, who has scored only three WH’s this season so far. He is averaging 37 involvements a game, but doesnt always play the full 80 minutes, which he needs in order to score a WH. He has not scored a ME all season either, averaging just 65 metres a match. I cannot make a case for drafting Liam Martin or having him in your squad at all this season. He is a solid drop!
Fonua Pole (Tigers)
20 tackles, 14 runs for 132m in 58 minutes (0.59 spm)
When your front row partner is Terrell May, your going to be fighting for involvements. Pole has had some solid performances this season, currently averaging 41 involvements and 129 metres a game. While this is a big improvement on last season, it has only amounted to three WH’s and and three ME’s in his nine matches so far and for that we cannot give him a pass mark. I would be cutting him at this stage if there is a better option available in the spud pool.
SPUD POOL LOOKOUT
Dylan Walker (Eels)
28 tackles, 12 runs for 109m in 46 minutes – WH (0.69 spm)
For whatever reason, coach Ryles likes what he sees from Walker and it has led to his minutes eating into Hopgood’s at the moment. If this trend continues, we can expect to see Walker score a few WH’s this season. For mine, I think the whole Eels pack will be a mystery for the time being as Ryles tries to find a formula that gives the Eels the best chance for success and with that in mind, I would be waiting a few more weeks to see how they take shape.
Viliame Kikau (Bulldogs)
27 tackles, 14 runs for 126m in 80 minutes – WH (0.51 spm)
Kikau has a history of being a non WH scoring back rower, but he has stepped it up the last two weeks, scoring back to back WH’s. Kikau has always been good for his attacking stats, which has limited his role to a bench spot at best in your squad. If Kikau can continue to add more WH’s to his resume then he will quickly become a high priority for CEO’s. He is currently in the spud pool in a few Legends of League comps and could be a handy pick up given that he is playing in the team at the top of the NRL ladder.
Hamish Stewart (Dragons)
39 tackles, 7 runs for 69m in 48 minutes – WH (0.96 spm)
Stewart earned himself a starting spot last week, yet he only played 48 minutes. This was still more than enough to score a WH, given his high work rate of 0.96 spm and he also crossed for his first try in the NRL. If he keeps his starting spot for the next few weeks then he is a quality pick up but with the Dragons losing yet again, coach Flanagan may look for some more changes.
Brendan Piakura (Broncos)
41 tackles, 13 runs for 104m in 80 minutes – WH (0.68 spm)
Piakura was thrust into the starting lineup against the Panthers in a late change and he produced his highest ever involvements in a match (54) in his career to date. It would seem that he has been given a chance to produce such a performance under specific instructions from Madge. Whether or not you believe he can become a regular WH scorer is another matter. He will be battling Jordan Riki for a starting spot as it seems Willison has a mortgage on one edge spot for now (although Willison picked up an injury against the Panthers and may be in doubt this week). I would wait one more week to see how he goes before looking at picking him up.
WORTH MENTIONING…
Ryley Smith (Eels)
55 tackles, 2 runs for 10m in 72 minutes – (0.79 spm)
It would seem Smith has a lock on the hooker spot at the Eels, although he may not play the full 80 minutes just yet. He has scored a WH in his last two matches and this looks like the start to a promising NRLCEO career. He may still be available in some spud pools if you need some back up at hooker.
Jacob Saifiti (Knights)
29 tackles, 18 runs for 180m in 47 minutes – (1.00 spm)
Saifiti returned from injury with a bang, smashing out a WH and a ME in just 47 minutes. As a result the Knights were able to control the middle and dominate the ruck (albeit against a depleted Rabbitohs side). It was just his second WH for the season and if he can remain injury free, he could be a handy addition to your squad if he is available.
Apisai Koroisau (Tigers)
37 tackles, 6 runs for 45m in 70 minutes – WH (0.61 spm)
Api has lifted his game over the last two weeks, scoring back to back WH’s in a sign that Benji needs his captain on the field for longer periods. The option to add Api to your squad is going to be limited to those who currently have kickers that are not taking up too many kicker points. Perhaps Api is trying to make a case for NSW selection which could be the reason for his extended minutes which may lessen his appeal. I think he is worth picking up if you can squeeze him into your cap however I wouldn’t recommend trading out players to help fit him in as I do not trust that he will be a consistent WH scorer, especially with Da Sylva sitting on the bench.
Tallis Duncan (Rabbitohs)
43 tackles, 13 runs for 116m in 80 minutes – (0.70 spm)
Duncan certainly has what it takes to be a quality WH scorer, he just needs to lock down a starting spot in the Bunnies pack. He is still young and will be learning under one of the greatest coaches in the NRL era, so Duncan is a player you want to lock down long term. Personally I see Duncan as an edge player, given they have Murray, Hubner and now Arrow capable of playing lock. He will be battling Euan Aitken for a starting spot and you would think that Aitken has the inside running there given his experience. Over the next few seasons, Duncan will become a starter and he will be a WH gun, for those in contract/keeper leagues I would be locking him up long term if you can.
BACKS IMPERSONATING FORWARDS….
It is time we paid some attention to those skinny little bludgers who think they can play in the forwards. There may be some comps out there that reward backs for scoring a WH, so lets call them out, if only to shame the forwards in their pack for not doing the work themselves. Take note that in some public comps you can name backs in bench position 1 and 2 where they are eligible to score a WH.
Nicho Hynes (Sharks)
30 tackles, 12 runs for 78m in 80 minutes – WH (0.53 spm)
Why on earth is Nicho making 30 tackles in a match? I get that opposition teams would run players at him in attack in an effort to tire him out but surely the Sharks can find a way to protect him in the defensive line. Nicho runs the ball a lot already but imagine what he could do if he wasnt doing so much work in defence.
Fletcher Sharpe (Knights)
33 tackles, 8 runs for 93m in 80 minutes – WH (0.51 spm)
Sharpe just loves his footy and loves being involved. He scored a hat trick on the weekend, triggering a big form reversal for the Knights. That is Sharpe’s third WH for the season, putting a few forwards to shame.
Dane Gagai (Knights)
18 tackles, 22 runs for 220m in 80 minutes – WH (0.50 spm)
Gagai also bounced back into form, scoring a LB, two LBA’s and running for 220m in a solid performance. That is his second WH this season.
WORKHORSE PACK OF THE WEEK (most involvements by eligible position)
| POSITION | PLAYER | TEAM | INVOLVEMENTS | PACK OF THE WEEK |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front Row | Jaimin Jolliffe | Titans | 60 | 1 |
| Hooker | Jayden Brailey | Knights | 70 | 1 |
| Front Row | J'maine Hopgood | Eels | 64 | 2 |
| Back Row | Jai Arrow | Rabbitohs | 59 | 3 |
| Back Row | John Bateman | Cowboys | 56 | 2 |
| Lock | Reuben Cotter | Cowboys | 67 | 1 |
WH – Workhorse
DWH – Double Workhorse
ME – Metre Eater
DME – Double Metre Eater
SPM – Stats per minute played
Adam Brownlee
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