Workhorse Watch Round 19

Keaon fired up the Bunnies pack as they celebrated Jai Arrow’s birthday in style, hanging on to beat the fast finishing Knights in a cracking game. Dylan Lucas has been on fire for the Knights and he scored his first ever DWH in the same game. With NRLCEO finals just around the corner, it is time for CEO’s to make the tough calls in their forward pack to ensure you are a chance in the big games to come.

Round 18 Review

A look back at Round 18 and a couple of Panthers stood above the rest with both Liam Henry and Lindsay Smith scoring a DWH. Keaon Koloamatangi scored his 2nd DWH of the season in a timely return to form for CEO’s. Terrell May finished a few involvements short of another DWH, whilst Kulikefu Finefeuiaki continued his breakout season, also falling just shy of a DWH. Some fringe players stepped up to replace missing stars, with Cody Hopwood at the Knights and Billy Phillips at the Panthers giving us a glimpse of the WH talent coming through.

Big Burning Questions

• Have we seen the end of Brandon Smith as a WH forward?
• Will Jaeman Salmon ever score a DWH?
• Can Dylan Lucas surpass Hudson Young as the top back rower?
• Are we seeing the end of Wayde Egan in NRLCEO?
• Is Jacob Laban the next WH gun?
• Can Kobe Hetherington become a consistent WH scorer?

Workhorse Flow

Less WH’s are being score this season compared to last season, in recent rounds, which means there are less players available to fill your WH pack. In Round 19, 56 players scored a WH with 2 players scoring a DWH. It is becomingly increasingly important to ensure you have drafted at least 1 or 2 players that are capable of scoring a DWH at some stage during the season.

WORKHORSE OF THE WEEK

Keaon Koloamatangi (Rabbitohs)

42 tackles, 21 runs for 198m in 80 minutes – DWH (0.79 spm)

Keaon scored his 2nd DWH in a row and 3rd for the season. He looks to moving a bit more freely after carrying a knee injury for most of the season, which is a great sign for CEO’s. If he can play all of the remaining matches he can potentially end the season with a career best NRLCEO score. He is well of the pace in terms of MVP though.

WORKING HARD

Dylan Lucas (Knights)

44 tackles, 17 runs for 157m in 80 minutes – DWH (0.76 spm)

Lucas scored his first ever DWH which coincided with his first taste of State of Origin. I think Lucas is about to enter his prime over the next few seasons and should be one of the first back rowers picked in drafts. He has scored 9 tries this season, to go with his 14 WH’s and 11 ME’s.

Jaeman Salmon (Bulldogs)

Weak, Gutted, Dog no more! Salmon was just 4m short of a maiden DWH. It is now a career best NRLCEO year for him, having to cover for the injured Preston and Kikau. To be fair he has been solid this season, mostly in defence, but he just offers nothing in attack that will worry the opposition. I would say he will return to lock with Preston back and Kikau returning over the next few weeks. I think we can agree that is as close as Salmon will ever get to a DWH.

Heilum Luki (Cowboys)

49 tackles, 12 runs for 120m in 82 minutes – WH (0.74 spm)

Luki has been outstanding all season for the Cowboys, elevating himself into the top echelon of back rowers in NRLCEO. He is having a career best NRLCEO season, with 18 WH’s, 7 Tries and 10 LB’s so far in 2026. He is on track to finish in the Dream Team, with those CEO’s who took him for value now being rewarded and then some!

Oliver Pascoe (Titans)

54 tackles, 6 runs for 31m in 80 minutes – WH (0.75 spm)

What a hidden gem this guy is turning out to be! Pascoe made his starting debut in style with a DWH in round 10 and has only missed a WH once since then. He is always around the ball in attack and defence and looks like a natural footy player. At 26 years of age he is a late bloomer and is contracted to the Titans until the end of 2027, giving them a solid looking spine moving forward.

HARDLY WORKING

Wayde Egan (Warriors)

34 tackles, 4 runs for 42m in 61 minutes – (0.62 spm)

If Egan is your starting hooker then you have a problem going into NRLCEO finals. Egan has missed a WH in his last 3 matches, with the Warriors using Sam Healey off the bench given his attacking prowess. Egan has now only scored 3 WH’s for the entire season in a stunning fall from his 16 WH’s in 2025. I wonder if Egan will make the move over to the UK Super League after next season?

Brandon Smith (Rabbitohs)

30 tackles, 7 runs for 50m in 66 minutes – (0.56 spm)

Smith’s NRLCEO career appears to be dead as he fails to improve on his single WH so far this season. Whether it is due to his fitness or ongoing injury niggles, he seems unable to play with the work rate he was once renowned. He will certainly make an impact for the Bunnies when he is on the field but for NRLCEO he now resides in the spud pool!

Connor Watson (Roosters)

26 tackles, 11 runs for 87m in 54 minutes – (0.69 spm)

The enigma that is now Connor Watson, a player that can play big minutes but rarely does, continues to test the patience of CEO’s. At full strength he is limited to a bench role at the Roosters but where does he fit in at the Dragons in 2027? What will his draft value be for next season and even 2028 when he joins the PNG chiefs. I feel like he is handy enough to have in your squad still in case of injury or HIA but his stocks are falling fast.

Jeremiah Nanai (Cowboys)

22 tackles, 11 runs for 96m in 82 minutes – (0.40 spm)

A back rower that cannot score a WH in 82 minutes, no thanks! Yes he can score tries but he just does not score WH’s regularly enough to be a starter in your pack. If you must have him then play him off your bench, otherwise you risk getting a donut!

SPUD POOL LOOKOUT

Thomas Cant (Knights)

43 tackles, 12 runs for 75m in 80 minutes – WH (0.69 spm)

With Jermaine McEwen ruled out with a hamstring injury, we may see some more of Cant in the Knights starting lineup. The McEwen injury is apparently not long term but you never can tell with hammies so Cant could be a sneaky good pickup. He was marked for big things in NRLCEO when he first came into the NRL but he has failed to nail down a starting spot. He certainly has the ability and the work rate, he just needs to be starting.

Kobe Hetherington (Sea Eagles)

38 tackles, 12 runs for 84m in 52 minutes – WH (0.96 spm)

Hetherington definitely has a high work rate but he is too inconsistent in terms of WH scoring. He has scored 5 WH’s for the season and it is a performance like the one on the weekend which gets CEO’s excited that he might finally be about to turn a corner. History will tell you that he is a trap but he is at least worth monitoring the next few weeks.

Fonua Pole (Tigers)

28 tackles, 17 runs for 169m in 56 minutes – WH (0.80 spm)

Speaking of inconsistent, Pole is scoring a WH every second week over the last few months, making him a very frustrating player to own. He seems as though he could develop into a regular WH scorer and perhaps that time will come, but not just yet. Time is running out for him though, off contract at the Tigers next season and at 24 years of age he has plenty of footy still in him.

Noah Martin (Raiders)

32 tackles, 9 runs for 76m in 80 minutes – WH (0.51 spm)

It is unlikely that he is still available in many leagues given his very high work rate, Martin made a successful return from injury on the weekend. He will likely pair with Hudson Young in the back row, allowing Zac Hosking to move to lock where he has locked very good the last few weeks (cya Jayden Brailey). He only just scraped home for the WH but he will be better for the run.

WORKHORSE LEGEND

Sam Burgess (Rabbitohs)

‘Slammin’ Sam Burgess was an integral part of the Rabbitohs rise to power in season 2014. They were a young team that needed a leader and Burgess was the one they would follow. A powerful and courageous player, Burgess set the tone for aggression on the field, leading the Bunnies to premiership glory and closing the book one one of the clubs darkest periods after their omission and subsequent return to the NRL. If you owned Burgess back in those days you were putting the Captain on him and he very rarely let you down. In 2014, he scored 29 WH’s and 7 DWH’s to go with 18 ME’s and 10 tries. He is honoured as an NRLCEO God and also has one of our Legends of League comps named after him. These days Burgess is the coach of the Warrington Wolves in the UK Super League and could perhaps find himself coaching in the NRL in the near future.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT……

Jacob Laban (Warriors)

39 tackles, 11 runs for 155m in 80 minutes – WH (0.63 spm)

Laban is developing nicely and has had a solid 6 weeks after a mixed start to the season. He has scored a WH in 5 of his last 6 matches, as well as running for over 100m on 3 occasions. He was earmarked as the next big thing for the Warriors last season and is finally starting to produce. I think he will occupy an edge spot at the Warriors for many years to come.

Cooper Clarke (Storm)

29 tackles, 13 runs for 128m in 73 minutes – WH (0.58 spm)

Clarke is starting to find his feet in the NRL and CEO’s will be liking what they are seeing. He has now scored 5 WH’s this season and seems to have found a home on an edge at the Storm. He reminds me of a young Corey Horsburgh, a player with tonnes of heart that will just keep going. I think he will end up playing in the middle once his body develops some more and he is one to watch for the future. Those CEO’s in contract/keeper leagues should have an eye on him long term.

Teancum Brown (Eels)

28 tackles, 12 runs for 103m in 47 minutes – WH (0.85 spm)

Teancum is another name for the future, scoring his first career WH on the weekend. There has not been a lot of fanfare about him, he is 22 years of age and looks a solid player. Give him time to get used to the weekly grind of NRL and I think there is a WH player of the future in him.

WORKHORSE PACK OF THE WEEK

• Keaon Koloamatangi – 63 involvements
• Oliver Pascoe – 60
• Jack Williams – 60
• Dylan Lucas – 61
• Heilum Luki – 61
• Jeaman Salmon – 61