Workhorse Watch Round 19

The big guns are looking tired of late so it was left to the diminutive Blayke Brailey to produce the round’s only DWH!

In Round 19 there were 63 players who scored a WH, with 1 player scoring a DWH. Its a long season and fatigue and injury have caught up with a few WH guns. CEO’s need to find some hidden gems to help get them through to the CEO finals.

• Is Brailey leading a Sharks revival?
• Radley creating a few headaches for CEO’s
• Ford is the best kind of machine
• Is it finally Neame time at the Cowboys?

THE DWH TREND

2023 – 17

2024 – 32

2025 – 37 so far…..

WORKING HARD

Blayke Brailey (Sharks)

50 tackles, 11 runs for 101m in 80 minutes – DWH (0.76 stats per minute)

Brailey has been in career best form for the Sharks, highlighted by his increased willingness to run the ball. He has scored 2 ME in his last 4 matches, breaking the 100m barrier twice. Brailey has never scored more than 3 ME so if he can continue to run the ball like he is currently, his CEO value will no doubt increase.

Jeremy Marshall-King (Dolphins)

67 tackles, 4 runs for 54m in 80 minutes – WH (0.89 spm)

JMK has shaken off his mid season injury concerns and is starting to find his best form. The Dolphins have the second best attacking record this season so you would expect him to have a few more attacking stats. His running game has been solid but he is yet to register a ME this year. JMK turns 30 at the end of the year and is contracted to the Dolphins until the end of 2028. He is not a tier 1 hooker in CEO but if you miss out on getting a hooker early in your draft, he is a good mid round draft pick up.

Charlie Guymer (Eels)

53 tackles, 13 runs for 99m in 80 minutes – WH (0.83 spm)

Guymer is CEO relevant once again, being one of the most popular squad additions after round 19. The Eels will lose Kautoga for a number of weeks and Guymer should have great job security for the rest of the CEO season. He has a tremendous work rate and is a guaranteed WH when he starts. He is also a triple position player, covering Hooker, Lock and Back Row so check your spud pool now!

Jackson Ford (Warriors)

47 tackles, 17 runs for 149m in 65 minutes – WH (0.98 spm)

Ford was agonisingly 1 metre short of a DWH, possibly costing a few CEO’s a crucial win in the process. He has stepped up in the absence of Mitch Barnett and could be a chance at a DWH over the next 6 weeks. A player that was largely ignored in most CEO drafts because he looked destined to play off the bench, Ford has rewarded CEO’s who kept faith in him early in the year and is now a valuable dual position player to have in your squad. I picked him up in multiple drafts in the late rounds as he has such a great work rate and there are always injuries during a CEO season.

HARDLY WORKING

Victor Radley (Roosters)

27 tackles, 10 runs for 80m in 51 minutes – (0.73 spm)

Radley will most certainly be on reduced minutes for the next few weeks which could impact your team’s finals chances. As long as he doesn’t suffer another concussion, his minutes will increase week to week but his WH scoring could be erratic regardless. He did cross for a try to cover for his WH loss which was handy for CEO’s. If you have the depth in your squad I would play him off your bench for the time being.

Alex Seyfarth (Tigers)

26 tackles, 10 runs for 72m in 36 minutes – (1.00 spm)

Seyfarth has been demoted to the bench of late for the Tigers and it has affected his WH scoring, missing a WH in his last 4 matches. Prior to that he had scored 6 WH’s in a row, seemingly becoming a staple on one edge, but Benji has preferred to start Tony Sukkar. It would appear that Seyfarth could return to the starting side this week as Samuela Fainu picked up a leg injury that could see him miss some time.

Fonua Pole (Tigers)

23 tackles, 13 runs for 107m in 44 minutes – (0.82 spm)

Pole has failed to become a regular WH scorer, despite starting most of his matches this season at Prop. He is averaging 38 involvements and 121 metres a game in 2025, which is an improvement on last season but just enough to be a tease in your CEO team. Perhaps if Terrell May wasn’t playing such big minutes then Pole would become a regular WH scorer. He is only young and given his high work rate, he may yet be a WH contributor in the future years.

Jayden Brailey (Knights)

33 tackles, 5 runs for 40m in 49 minutes – (0.78 spm)

The Knights have had a few forwards return from injury and Brailey is back on the bench, with Crossland preferred as a starter. It was a nice 3 week cameo for those CEO’s that picked him up, but unless he starts he will fail to score a WH.

SPUD POOL LOOKOUT

Tony Sukkar (Tigers)

36 tackles, 4 runs for 38m in 80 minutes – WH (0.50 spm)

Sukkar was preferred over Seyfarth as a starter in recent weeks and he has scored a WH in his 2 matches. He seems to be nothing more than a plodder, preferring to tackle rather than run the ball. Still if he scores you a WH then that is the most important thing, especially for CEO’s needing to find cover for injured back row stars like Lucas. Sukkar looks set to remain as a starter for now with Samuela Fainu potentially missing a few weeks with a knee injury.

Griffin Neame (Cowboys)

44 tackles, 16 runs for 125m in 70 minutes – WH (0.86 spm)

Now this is more like it from Neame, a player who has always had the potential to be a WH scorer but so often failed to develop any consistency with his limited starts. He has scored 3 WH’s in his last 4 matches, missing a DWH on the weekend by 25 metres. With injuries to McIntyre, Taumalolo and also now McLean, Neame seems ripe for the picking.

Coen Hess (Cowboys)

34 tackles, 13 runs for 100m in 44 minutes – WH (1.07 spm)

Hess is another Cowboy that has been full of effort in recent times. He has scored 3 WH’s in his last 4 matches, most of them off the bench. His work rate has also been impressive, with a spm of 1.07 against the Dogs, who really make you work. Whoever gets the start out of Hess/Neame would be the preferred option to add to your squad if you need cover at Prop.

Dylan Walker (Eels)

32 tackles, 8 runs for 68m in 46 minutes – WH (0.87 spm)

Walker got the start at lock against the Panthers and managed to score a WH, his 4th of the season. It is frustrating watching what has happened to Hopgood under Ryles but can he just settle on a lineup so they can start to develop some consistency. Walker at least can create with the ball and may score some attacking stats, albeit limited in a team that has struggled in 2025.

WORTH MENTIONING….

Leka Halasima (Warriors)

41 tackles, 10 runs for 105m in 80 minutes – WH (0.64 spm)

Halasima returned to the starting lineup after what appeared to be a little reality check about life as a player in the NRL. He is very early on in his career but coach Webster obviously didn’t want him taking his spot for granted. The Warriors also have a number of young forwards they can call on to show what they can do. Halasima is certainly a player of the future in NRLCEO and should develop into a try scoring back rower he will WH most of the time. He has scored a WH in 7 of his last 9 matches, scoring 4 tries in that same time period. Those CEO’s in contract/keeper leagues should be jumping on this bloke.

Jaimin Jolliffe (Titans)

42 tackles, 15 runs for 130m in 60 minutes – WH (0.95 spm)

Jolliffe has been in solid form, scoring 5 WH’s in his last 6 matches. I think he should be preferred as a starter over RCG, who always struggles during the middle of a season. Whilst the Mad Scientist is at the helm though, we are unsure what the team will look like moving forward. If Jolliffe is a starter then he will almost certainly score a WH.

Josh King (Storm)

30 tackles, 9 runs for 72m in 59 minutes – (0.66 spm)

King has become inconsistent with his WH scoring, he has scored 7 WH’s from his 16 matches this season, for an efficiency rate of 44%. If he is a starter in your CEO team then this is cause for concern coming into CEO finals. The Storm have a habit of blowing teams out which limits the opportunity for players to add to their stats as it takes time out of the game when they score tries. They also have a rotation now that includes Nelson, Stefano and Kamikamica so they are all sharing minutes.

Oryn Keeley (Dolphins)

25 tackles, 8 runs for 78m in 51 minutes – (0.65 spm)

There was plenty of appeal for Keeley when he was named as a starter on an edge for the Dolphins. He had the look of a player who could develop into a WH scorer, alas he is more Jamie Feeney than David Stagg. He is not playing 80 minutes either which makes it harder for him. With Finefeuiaki out for a few weeks we could seem him play 80 but more likely Lemuelu steps into that spot.

BACKS IMPERSONATING FORWARDS

Thomas Dearden (Cowboys)

31 tackles, 12 runs for 93m in 80 minutes – WH (0.54 spm)

It was a huge week for Dearden after leading QLD to an Origin series win, he then backed up and did everything he could to get the Cowboys over the line against the Dogs, ultimately falling short. He is a player on the rise and will become one of the game’s most dominant halves in the years to come.

Isaiya Katoa (Dolphins)

28 tackles, 12 runs for 87m in 80 minutes – WH (0.50 spm)

Katoa has been very impressive in 2025, leading the Dolphins to the second best attack in the NRL. Whilst it is TA’s he is known for, he clearly doesn’t mind doing the tough stuff, as the Sharks ran plenty of traffic at him.

WORKHORSE PACK OF THE WEEK (most involvements by 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