Workhorse Watch Round 13

The Workhorse Watcher has decided to take a break in the bye rounds as there isn’t enough to report on with only 5 games being played and most comps also on a bye. We are here this week though as Terrell May goes back to back, scoring his 3rd DWH of the season. Its good to see some different players saluting for a DWH in Willison and Luki. There were some closer contests in the NRL on the weekend with some games having lots of ball in play and seeing some high stats as a result.

Big Burning Questions

• Just how impressive has Heilum Luki been this season and how high is his ceiling?
• Has anyone seen the keys to my KPP? How do the Tigers unlock their edge weapon?
• Did Radley get a NSW jersey purely on reputation?
• Should Bailey Hayward be the Dogs starting lock?
• Should Jacob Laban replace Leka Halasima as a starter for the Warriors?
• What has happened to Griffin Neame?

Workhorse Flow

In Round 13 there were 67 players who scored a WH, with three players scoring a DWH. The last three rounds we have seen more WH’s scored in 2026 compared to 2025 which is a turn around from rounds 9 and 10. If there are more players scoring a WH in each round then there is more opportunity for CEO’s to cover players that are injured or suspended (and that list is growing by the round).

WORKHORSE OF THE WEEK

Terrell May (Tigers)

53 tackles, 18 runs for 160m in 64 minutes – DWH (1.11 spm)

May has started to look like his 2025 self in the last few weeks, taking his DWH tally to 3 for the season. With Alex Twal suffering a knee injury on the weekend, expect May’s minutes to increase (he will likely play 80 now) which means he is even more likely to score a DWH, making him a great option for Captain. In Round 11-16 last season he scored a DWH in each round so we may see a similar scoring pattern this season.

WORKING HARD

Heilum Luki (Cowboys)

46 tackles, 16 runs for 159m in 80 minutes – DWH (0.78 spm)

Luki has had a spectacular season to date, on the back of a full season off due to a knee injury. He has scored a WH in every match he has played and also has 7 tries and 9 line breaks to go with that. I am amazed he did not get selected in the Qld side for game 1 as his form has certainly warranted it. The only issue for CEO’s having Luki is that the Cowboys have a bye in Round 25, which is GF week for most 10 team comps.

Xavier Willison (Broncos)

43 tackles, 17 runs for 158m in 80 minutes – DWH (0.75 spm)

Willison has been enormous this season and what a pickup he has been for those CEO’s that took a punt on him early on. Its already a career best NRLCEO season for Willison, who will be primed to continue his upward trajectory next season on the back of Payne Haas departing to the Rabbitohs. CEO’s also have the luxury of Willison being a triple position player, giving great flexibility in naming a pack each week. It will be interesting to see where he falls in drafts next season, specifically how early he is drafted.

Jackson Ford (Warriors)

57 tackles, 17 runs for 136m in 80 minutes – WH (0.93 spm)

Ford left CEO’s frustrated on the weekend as he was moved on to an edge late against the Panthers, reducing his metres which would have almost certainly led to a DWH if he remained in the middle. Ford still leads the way this season as the premium forward in NRLCEO with a whopping 19 WH’s in 12 matches.

Alex Twal (Tigers)

57 tackles, 13 runs for 105m in 72 minutes – WH (0.97 spm)

The biggest improver in NRLCEO this season, Twal was on track for a DWH until he picked up a knee injury late against the Bulldogs. It does not appear that he will miss many matches but coach Benji has stated that they will have to manage his minutes moving forward which means CEO’s can likely kiss the DWH’s goodbye for the next few weeks.

HARDLY WORKING

Victor Radley (Roosters)

31 tackles, 8 runs for 69m in 48 minutes – (0.81 spm)

Radley’s work rate has been solid enough, he is simply not playing enough minutes each week to score a WH on a regular basis. There is clearly a plan to restrict his playing time in an effort to manage his HIA issues and it is having a direct impact on his CEO scoring. I am shocked that he was picked for NSW in Origin given that his club form has been average, surely he was just picked on reputation.

Bailey Hayward (Bulldogs)

35 tackles, 3 runs for 14m in 55 minutes – (0.69 spm)

Few players have been a let down in 2026 but Hayward is one of them. He has scored 6 WH’s this season from his 12 matches so far at a 50% WH efficiency rate. What is his best position though? Is it Hooker or Lock? I think he could make a fist of starting at 13 over Salmon, especially in attack. It looks like he has now lost his starting spot which will make it more difficult for him to score a WH. If he is in your starting side then you need to replace him now as I don’t see him being CEO relevant again this season.

Ben Talty (Broncos)

30 tackles, 7 runs for 63m in 38 minutes – (0.97 spm)

Talty has missed a WH in his last 3 matches but his work rate has still been decent. Given that Carrigan is set to miss a few weeks, we will likely see Willison move to lock and Talty back into the starting side. Talty is another player that will benefit from the loss of Payne Haas as he was recently extended until the end of 2027. He could be handy for a few weeks before dropping back to the bench when Carrigan returns. If he is in your squad now, hold him until you see the teams tomorrow in case that scenario plays out.

Kobe Hetherington (Sea Eagles)

28 tackles, 8 runs for 68m in 43 minutes – (0.84 spm)

Hetherington has been frustrating to watch in 2026 as he clearly has a high work rate but it just never seems to manifest into WH scoring. Even after earning a starting spot in the front row you would have thought he could punch out 40 involvements in 50 minutes but it just isn’t happening. He did manage to score a WH in rounds 11 and 12 but he only has 5 WH’s for the season and I feel this frustrating trend will continue for the rest of the year. Cut him loose and don’t look back!

SPUD POOL LOOKOUT

Jacob Laban (Warriors)

40 tackles, 12 runs for 101m in 67 minutes – WH (0.78 spm)

When Laban was given the start in the back row at the beginning of the season there was a bit of uncertainty from CEO’s about whether he could produce. That uncertainty would prove to be on the money as Laban failed to find any WH form, having scored just the single WH up to round 11. In the last 2 weeks though that has turned on its head, scoring a WH in back to back games and his involvements have lifted considerably. It looks like he has found some confidence and we may see Laban displace Halasima from the starting side, or at the very least be used ahead of Capewell during the Origin series.

Fonua Pole (Tigers)

34 tackles, 16 runs for 122m in 59 minutes – WH (0.85 spm)

Pole has scored 3 WH’s in his last 4 matches as he appears to be following in the foot steps of May and Twal. Pole is turning 26 this week and will be entering his prime for a front row forward. If Twal’s minutes are being managed then Pole might benefit from that and be able to score a WH with more regularity. He has hovered around the 5-6 WH’s a season mark in the last 3 years, can he take his game to another level and get into double digits for WH scoring?

Harry Hayes (Bulldogs)

38 tackles, 8 runs for 64m in 56 minutes – WH (0.82 spm)

It has been a difficult season for Hayes but he is finding some consistency with his WH scoring, managing a WH in each of his last 3 matches. With Thompson and King playing big minutes up front, Hayes has struggled for minutes compared to last season. Surely Hayes is a better option on an edge than Salmon as he is a bigger body and can run a great line. If he lines up at Lock again this week then he will earn dual position which will make him more valuable as there are not a lot of options for lock in the spud pools.

Jesse Colquhoun (Sharks)

27 tackles, 14 runs for 99m in 40 minutes – WH (1.03 spm)

With confirmation that McInnes will leave the Sharks at the end of the season, all eyes will be on Colquhoun next season as he shows glimpses of being able to provide DWH quality stats. Even with McInnes starting he managed to score a WH in just 40 minutes of playing time. This could mean we see Colquhoun playing up front as he is a bigger body than McInnes and could make a similar impact as he would from lock. I think he is a great option for contract/keeper leagues to get him locked up long term before he elevates himself into that next tier of quality forwards.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT……..

Jackson Shereb (Sea Eagles)

47 tackles, 4 runs for 26m in 59 minutes – WH (0.86 spm)

Shereb has made a solid start to his NRL career, scoring a WH in his first 2 matches as a starter in the back row. He looks like he is more of a defensive player then he is a ball runner, racking up the tackles with ease. With Olakau’atu locked into Origin this season, expect to see Shereb play a few more games over that period and he can be a set and forget WH for you. It is good to know that when he does get a chance as a permanent starter that he can produce WH quality numbers.

Kai Pearce-Paul (Tigers)

39 tackles, 8 runs for 61m in 80 minutes – WH (0.59 spm)

After starting the season on fire in the first 4 rounds, KPP has struggled since, especially with his running metres. He has averaging 78m a game in 2026, down from 97m a game in 2025. The Tigers need to find a way to get him more ball as we know he can produce a quality offload which helps the Tigers get on the front foot in attack. They seem to prefer to shift the ball to their left and with KPP playing on the right, he doesn’t get the love he deserves. You would think the loss of Samuela Fainu would mean they focus their attack using KPP but so far that has not been the case.

Griffin Neame (Cowboys)

22 tackles, 8 runs for 80m in 38 minutes – (0.79 spm)

What has happened to Neame? Towards the end of last season, Neame was pushing DWH numbers but he has fallen off a cliff in 2026. I think most CEO’s thought he would progress into a starting prop role and become a regular WH scorer but he looks a shadow of that at the moment. It doesn’t look like he is carrying an injury of any kind so perhaps its the faster game speed that has had a negative impact on him. He may need an off season to shed a few kilos and try and become more mobile, particularly in defence.

Loko Pasifiki-Tonga (Dragons)

17 tackles, 14 runs for 136m in 40 minutes – (0.78 spm)

Despite missing a WH on the weekend, LPT is in good form and is developing well since his threat to leave unless he got some meaningful minutes. He scored a WH in his previous 2 matches but in a pack with 2 Couchman’s, Egan and Stewart, it is going to be difficult for him to get enough minutes to score a regular WH. He is worth monitoring though and even though he is contracted until the end of 2027, we could see him make a move if an opportunity came at a different club.

WORKHORSE PACK OF THE WEEK

• Terrell May – 71 (involvements)
• Wayde Egan – 63
• Jackson Ford – 74
• Heilum Luki – 62
• Xavier Willison – 60
• Alex Twal – 70