Workhorse Watch Round 6

Jackson Ford doubles up again in a powerhouse performance against the Storm, ending a run of 17 consecutive losses against them. The Bulldogs showed how to beat the Panthers by bashing them around the park for the full 80 minutes. The Dragons are still winless and spineless in what was another loose display of rugby league. It was another high scoring round of matches but despite all the points being scored, we saw a small rise in the number of overall Workhorses.

• Alex Twal 2.0 is the absolute real deal!
• Whyte has lost his mojo, time for Robbo to help him find it
• Mikaele looks hot on the ranch, can he be the leader of the Cowboys pack?
• Fifita finally produces, frantically pressing the ‘cancel sell’ button
• The Storm have themselves a real Cooper Trooper
• Is it time to Bai at the Titans?

There were 67 WH’s in Round 6, a slight increase on the previous week, with 2 players scoring a DWH

WORKHORSE OF THE WEEK

Jackson Ford (Warriors)

40 tackles, 23 runs for 196m in 80 minutes – DWH (0.79 spm)

Ford scores his second DWH of the season, once again playing 80 minutes in the middle. Ford has gone to another level this season, helping to make the Warriors pack the most feared in the NRL. Its crazy that a question mark still hovers over his future in the team with the return of Mitchell Barnett in a few weeks. It was the same issue that lingered during draft time which caused him to be taken so late in drafts. As a starter, he is now one of the elite prop forwards in NRLCEO!

WORKING HARD

Alex Twal (Tigers)

45 tackles, 18 runs for 177m in 77 minutes – DWH (0.82 spm)

Twal is another player that has taken his game to another level, even to the point where he is producing more than Terrell May! Twal is the type of player that everyone wants to see succeed and he is proving to be a valuable player to have in NRLCEO this season. It his running metres that have improved the most, averaging 51 more metres a game than in 2025. Can he sustain it for the full season though?

Jack Williams (Eels)

52 tackles, 14 runs for 119m in 80 minutes – WH (0.83 spm)

It is almost a case of Williams being the last man standing in the Eels engine room, with so many of their players struck down with injury. The man once named as the next Paul Gallen is producing consistently high numbers in 2026 and as a dual position player (BR/FR), he is extremely valuable. He is well on the way to producing a career best season in NRLCEO!

Patrick Carrigan (Broncos)

48 tackles, 15 runs for 134m in 70 minutes – WH (0.90 spm)

A sin bin for a high shot cost him a DWH against the Cowboys as he almost got there anyway. If Carrigan is going to continue to play 80 minutes each week then you should feel very safe putting the Captain on him as he will likely score a DWH quite often. Unfortunately he copped a Grade 2 charge at the judiciary, ruling him out for 2 weeks due to loading from a previous incident. He will rest up and come back hard in the lead up to Origin.

Phoenix Crossland (Knights)

60 tackles, 0 runs for 0m in 80 minutes – WH (0.75 spm)

How can you not find a single running metre in 80 minutes of footy. Crossland racked up the most tackles of any player on the weekend as the Knights struggled against a red hot Tigers side. He has developed into a real tough player, evidenced by his badly broken nose a couple of weeks ago that mutated him into an Orc from Mordor. He has developed into a consistent WH scorer but you cannot help but wonder how long he can hold back Harrison Graham?

HARDLY WORKING

Naufahu Whyte (Roosters)

25 tackles, 14 runs for 123m in 45 minutes – (0.87 spm)

What has happened to Whyte in 2026? It seems he is another of the high work rate players that is seeing reduced minutes this season as the game evolves back in favour of the smaller, more agile forwards. He has only scored one WH this season (in round 1) and is becoming a liability for CEO’s. His work rate is still decent, its his minutes that are the issue, sitting around 40-45 minutes a game. C’mon Robbo, unleash the big man!

Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (Titans)

19 tackles, 14 runs for 164m in 48 minutes – (0.69 spm)

Tino is the most frustrating forward to own in NRLCEO, every week he seems like he is improving but he just doesn’t seem to want to tackle. Just the two WH’s in 6 matches, however he has scored a ME in his last two matches which is a positive sign (yes I am clinging to hope as an owner). Realistically if someone comes knocking with a trade offer you should take it very seriously and cut your losses now. Keep in mind that over the Origin period, he is likely to be playing even less minutes.

Erin Clark (Warriors)

31 tackles, 7 runs for 76m in 39 minutes – (0.97 spm)

Clark has only scored one WH this season from his six matches, although he has scored two tries to help supplement his short comings. Clark was one of the surprise packets of 2025 in what was a breakout NRLCEO season for him, scoring 23 WH’s. He is a shadow of that player this season and must be considered for the chopping block!

Matthew Croker (Knights)

27 tackles, 7 runs for 65m in 47 minutes – (0.72)

Croker’s solid start to 2026 is starting to unravel, missing a WH in his last two matches. His minutes are down which is a sign that he does not offer the Knights anything more than a tackle bot, with barely any attacking stats this season. The Knights have plenty of forwards waiting for a chance and Croker’s time in the starting side could be coming to an end.

SPUD POOL LOOKOUT

Thomas Mikaele (Cowboys)

28 tackles, 15 runs for 191m in 51 minutes – WH (0.84 spm)

Mikaele might be on the cusp of a announcing himself as a regular WH threat. He scored his 2nd WH in a row, this time with a slightly lower spm, but still a massive effort off the bench for the Cowboys. He also scored his 2nd ME in a row and now is the time to take a chance on him. If he continues this kind of from he may well be thrust into the starting lineup ahead of Coen Hess, as he seems to have moved ahead of Griffin Neame. Give him a few weeks to show if he can be consistent and see if it works out.

Cooper Clarke (Storm)

35 tackles, 10 runs for 83m in 67 minutes – WH (0.67 spm)

He is young and raw but he looks set for a big future in the NRL and NRLCEO. He has now a dual position player (FR/BR) and if he can find his way into the starting side on a more permanent basis then he is a must have. Given the way Bellamy sprayed Joe Chan on the weekend, Clarke may have already moved up the pecking order and with Blore and Lisati still out for a few weeks, Clarke could see some big minutes.

Charlie Guymer (Eels)

34 tackles, 13 runs for 99m in 56 minutes – WH (0.84 spm)

One thing we do now about Guymer is that he has a tremendous work rate. He has scored a WH in his last two matches and with the Eels in the midst of an injury crisis, Guymer will see some increased playing time whether he starts or comes off the bench. The Eels also have HIA concerns for Tuilagi and Tuivaiti which could see Guymer start next week against the Dogs.

Corey Waddell (Sea Eagles)

35 tackles, 13 runs for 103m in 57 minutes – WH (0.84 spm)

Waddell has been huge for Manly over the last three weeks, scoring two WH’s, a Try and a ME. He has to be content with coming off the bench for now as both Ben Trbojevic and Haumole have the starting edge roles locked up. We are seeing Waddell spend time as a middle, replacing the often injured Jake Trbojevic, which is likely to continue. Keep an eye on his stats the next few weeks and also the health of Jurbo.

WORTH MENTIONING

David Fifita (Rabbitohs)

29 tackles, 20 runs for 183m in 80 minutes – WH (0.61 spm)

We have waited 6 weeks but do we finally have lift off? It seems premature to start getting excited but we finally saw Fifita produce some of what he is capable of against the Raiders. Perhaps it is just a case of him being able to play consistent minutes to build up his match fitness and also be injury free, I guess we will see next week as he comes up against a struggling Dragons side. I for one and am still a believer and will be holding him for now.

Soni Luke (Cowboys)

42 tackles, 10 runs for 104m in 70 minutes – WH (0.74 spm)

Is Reed Mahoney’s position safe on the ranch? Luke delivered a stand out performance after Mahoney was forced off and failed a HIA. He did what Reed seems incapable of doing, he ran the ball out of dummy half. The Cowboys got plenty of joy from that as they were on the front foot and it got them rolling forward, and they have plenty of attacking talent to take advantage. I think this performance by Luke could spell the end for Mahoney being an 80 minute hooker.

Tom Starling (Raiders)

47 tackles, 5 runs for 47m in 80 minutes – WH (0.65 spm)

Starling scored his first WH in four matches and hopefully this ends the debate about him needing to play 80 minutes each week. At his best, Starling is streets ahead of Jayden Brailey and perhaps he has been given a wake up call that will help give him some confidence to push ahead. Also I left him out of my squad this week so of course he delivers a WH and a TA, right on cue.

Cooper Bai (Titans)

27 tackles, 12 runs for 95m in 37 minutes – (1.05 spm)

It looks like it is only a matter of time before Bai replaces Chris Randall in the lock jumper at the Titans. Bai was enormous for the Titans in a shortish stint, falling just 1 involvement short of a maiden WH. He did score his first career try against the Eels and ran the ball with purpose (as most of the Titans did against the busted Eels). I would get in early as he looks primed to be elevated into the starting side sooner rather than later.

WORKHORSE PACK OF THE WEEK

• Jackson Ford – 63
• Phoenix Crossland – 60
• Jack Williams – 66
• Luciano Leilua – 56
• Teig Wilton – 55
• Alex Twal – 63