Workhorse Watch Round 5

Patrick Carrigan sinks the Titans in the QLD derby! The Panthers don’t look like losing and the Dragons don’t look like winning. An Easter Monday classic saw the Tigers kick past the Eels as the Top 8 is looking like the reverse of last year at the same time. Plenty of players missing a WH on 39 actions this week, prompting calls for the return of Club 39!

• Carrigan takes over as NRLCEO’s premium lock
• Williams has to shoulder the burden for the Eels
• What’s wrong with AFB and Tino? Has the pace of the game left them behind?
• Walker is on! The Eels need Dylan to help spark their attack
• Its now TSS making three names for himself at the Warriors
• Can Paix become a WH gun at the Broncos?

There were 62 WH’s in Round 5, again trending down, with two players scoring a DWH.

WORKHORSE OF THE WEEK

Patrick Carrigan (Broncos)

50 tackls, 18 runs for 179m in 80 minutes – DWH (0.85 spm)

Carrigan makes it two DWH’s on the trot as he continues to play the full 80 minutes for the Broncos. The only down side this season is the lack of dual position status for CEO’s but you would have to be happy if you drafted Carrigan. Move over Isaah Yeo, Carrigan is now NRLCEO’s premium lock!

WORKING HARD

Jack Williams (Eels)

47 tackles, 14 runs for 156m in 76 minutes – DWH (0.80 spm)

Williams is the Eels top forward now after Hopgood was ruled out for the season, scoring his first ever DWH today. As a dual position player he has become very valuable this season with the likelihood of him playing big minutes set to continue. His running metres are slightly down on last year but with a permanent move to the front row this should improve.

Noah Martin (Raiders)

66 tackles, 7 runs for 83m in 80 minutes – WH (0.91 spm)

Martin just makes tackles for fun as he racked up 66 against the Knights, leading the NRL in tackles per game with an average of 49.8 per match after 5 rounds. As he is new to the NRL he is not a focal point in the Raiders attack, but he has proved that he can be an effective ball runner with 4 LB’s for the season. Has he done enough to remain a starter for the Raiders as they may look to change things up after a 1-4 start to the season. Simi Sasagi could find his way into the back row and Martin may come off the bench.

Isaah Yeo (Panthers)

54 tackles, 14 runs for 126m in 80 minutes – WH (0.85 spm)

The Panthers were almost perfect against the Storm and Yeo was at his ball playing best. He fell short of a DWH in running metres as he tries to keep pace with Pat Carrigan. Yeo will give mixed results for the rest of the season as the Panthers dominate teams most weeks, so be prepared to cop a few missed WH’s as he gets rested now and then (likely against some of the weaker teams).

HARDLY WORKING

Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (Titans)

19 tackles, 17 runs for 153m in 49 minutes – (0.73 spm)

You would think that a Saturday night QLD derby against the Broncos would fire Tino up? He did manage to run a few more metres this week but his 36 involvements made it his 3rd missed WH for the season. If this is coach Hannay’s way of getting other players involved more then it is not helping the Titans in the short term and it most certainly isn’t helping CEO’s who invested early in Tino. Put him on the trade block!

Corey Horsburgh (Raiders)

29 tackles, 8 runs for 69m in 42 minutes – (0.88 spm)

Horsburgh missed a WH for the second time in three matches and it is no coincidence that it comes at a time when the Raiders are struggling with their go forward. Is it time to put Horsburgh back at prop and light a match under him? He just seems to take on the alpha role more when he starts at prop and it may also give the Raiders pack better balance with Papali’i coming off the bench.

David Fifita (Rabbitohs)

24 tackles, 15 runs for 82m in 66 minutes – (0.59 spm)

This is starting to get embarrassing for Fifita and maybe even Wayne Bennett. In 4 matches this season he now has 0 WH’s, 0 Tries, 1 LB and 1 TA. He does have three ME’s but this is not enough to have him in your starting side. I for one believed the pre season hype and took him in a number of drafts but my patience is wearing very thin. He was interviewed after the game on the weekend and said he was exhausted…….from doing what??? Hold for now but only because you wont get much for him on the trade block.

SPUD POOL LOOKOUT

Dylan Walker (Eels)

29 tackles, 14 runs for 142m in 62 minutes – WH (0.69 spm)

With the Eels losing Hopgood and Doorey for the season, Walker looks set to take the lock role permanently. He has scored two WH’s in his last three matches and added a ME in their match today. I don’t think he can be a consistent WH scorer but he will likely get you 10-12 for the season. If he can add some more attacking stats (which is the main reason he is in the side) then his value will increase further, but for now he is good for your bench.

Thomas Mikaele (Cowboys)

28 tackles, 14 runs for 128m in 44 minutes – WH (0.95 spm)

Are we seeing Mikaele over take Neame in the pecking order at the Cowboys? I don’t think Neame was injured on the weekend so it was a choice to play Mikaele more minutes. There is plenty to like about the way Mikaele plays, high work rate, good ball runner and a heavy defender. This is worth monitoring over the next few weeks as the Cows look for a permanent option to partner Lolo up front.

Tanner Stowers-Smith (Warriors)

24 tackles, 16 runs for 133m in 42 minutes – WH (0.95 spm)

That is back to back WH’s for TSS, with two ME’s to go with it for the season. He is a high energy player that provides strong impact off the bench for the Warriors and he has a high work rate as well. He will likely only offer some value whilst Barnett is out so if you need a left field option to cover Front Row then he could be the one.

WORTH MENTIONING

Corey Paix (Broncos)

51 tackles, 4 runs for 21m in 80 minutes – WH (0.69 spm)

With key injuries hitting the Broncos this week, Paix will be one to benefit with the loss of Ben Hunt for 6-8 weeks. He has scored a WH in each of his last three matches and managed to play the full 80 minutes against the Titans. Even if Mozer come on to the bench for them, I still feel like Paix will be able to score a WH most weeks. His job security looks good as well with a new 2 year extension meaning he is seen as their starting hooker for the immediate future.

Lindsay Smith (Panthers)

25 tackles, 13 runs for 114m in 51 minutes – (0.75 spm)

Smith has had an underwhelming start to 2026, off the back of a breakout 2025 season in which he scored 21 WH’s. He has missed a WH in his last two matches, only scoring two WH’s for the season so far. The Panthers have lots of workers in their pack and they also have Liam Henry to come back from injury so Smith may continue to be inconsistent for the time being. I would consider trading him if you can find a buyer.

Addin Fonua-Blake (Sharks)

26 tackles, 9 runs for 85m in 49 minutes – (0.71 spm)

AFB owners it is pretty much panic stations time as he continues to fall well short of a WH. He has only scored two WH’s this season in his five matches, which is just not good enough for a supposed premium prop forward. Similar to Tino, AFB had every reason to front up against a powerful opposition pack but he failed to deliver, registering his second donut of the season. Whether the game is too fast for him or he just doesnt think he needs to work that hard, he is a problem that you can offload to someone else.

WORKHORSE PACK OF THE WEEK

• Jack Williams – 61
• Apisai Koroisau – 56
• Jackson Ford – 59
• Noah Martin – 73
• Heilum Luki – 65
• Patrick Carrigan – 68