Workhorse Watch Round 22

It is NRLCEO finals time for most comps now, have you got a squad deep enough to make a finals run?

In Round 22 there were 78 players who scored a WH, with 2 players scoring a DWH. Siosiua Taukeiaho turns back the clock with a huge performance against his old club. Five players in the WH pack of the week are making it for the first time this season.

• ‘Plodder’ – a person who walks slowly with heavy steps (see also Harrison Edwards)
• Kurt is the new Mr Fixit at the Dolphins
• the Panthers are getting a Leota more out of Moses in 2025
• do not put your Mahoney on Reed playing 80 minutes at the Dogs

THE DWH TREND

2023 – 17

2024 – 32

2025 – 41 so far…

WORKING HARD

Siosiua Taukeiaho (Sea Eagles)

45 tackles, 21 runs for 167m in 65 minutes – DWH (1.02 stats per minute)

Taukeiaho wound back the clock, scoring his first DWH since 2020, against his former club as well. I think overall his season has been above expectation, scoring 12 WH’s in his 16 matches so far. No news on whether or not he will go around another season, currently only signed until the end of this season at Manly.

Moeaki Fotuaika (Titans)

44 tackles, 18 runs for 187m in 65 minutes – DWH (0.95 spm)

It has been another disapppointing season for Mofo, scoring just 11 WH’s for the season. On a bright note he scored his first DWH of the season and his first since 2023, almost helping the Titans to an upset win over the Panthers. We know he is capable of being a weekly WH scorer but there are simply too many hard working forwards at the Titans and the workload is often shared around. I expect Mofo to continue to be a mid to late round draft pick, in the hope that the Titans get a few injuries in the forwards or even a change of coach which may bring a change in the forward rotation.

Kurt Donoghoe (Dolphins)

55 tackles, 14 runs for 91m in 80 minutes – WH (0.86 spm)

Donoghoe instantly became CEO relevant once he was named as a starter back in round 10. With so many forwards suffering long term injuries, Donoghoe was the perfect fit at lock as a worker with the ability to ball play. He has scored 9 WH’s this season but importantly 8 WH’s in his last 9 matches to solidify his status as a mid season bargain in NRLCEO. Its hard to see him in the starting side next season when all the big guns return, but he is only an injury away from being a regular starter again.

Harrison Edwards (Cowboys)

54 tackles, 13 runs for 105m in 80 minutes – WH (0.84 spm)

If you look up ‘Plodder’ in the dictionary, you will see a picture of Harrison Edwards. This guy just works the house down, mostly in defence, but with zero attacking stats or ME’s. His value comes from being a dual position player (now a triple position player), covering everywhere in the pack other than Hooker. At 25 years of age, I can see Edwards developing into a decent front rower in the future and if he does become a regular starter, be sure to pick him up as he will be a guaranteed WH each week.

HARDLY WORKING

Reed Mahoney (Bulldogs)

32 tackles, 2 runs for 15m in 46 minutes – (0.74 spm)

Mahoney let his ill-discipline get the better of him again, robbing the Bulldogs of momentum at a crucial stage of the game against the Tigers. They were soundly beaten in the end but with Mahoney being hooked after 46 minutes, we may be seeing how the Dogs will setup over the finals weeks of the regular season. It could be costly for CEO’s who have Mahoney as their main Hooker if he is playing reduced minutes.

Morgan Smithies (Raiders)

23 tackles, 9 runs for 77m in 31 minutes – (0.97 spm)

Smithies has had his minutes reduced significantly which has impacted his ability to score a WH. With big Papa preferred as a starter and Horsburgh playing lock, Smithies has had to settle for a bench role. Some of the younger Raiders forwards are playing more minutes of late, with Ricky Stuart looking to keep his big guns fresh as they reach the finals.

Connor Watson (Roosters)

32 tackles, 6 runs for 52m in 57 minutes – (0.67 spm)

CEO’s will be hoping that Watson being benched to start against the Sea Eagles doesn’t become a trend over the next few weeks. Whether or not it had an impact on the result, Watson was limited to just 57 minutes with Ioelu preferred to start. I would say it has more to do with giving Watson a spell from the early grind, keeping him fresh for the 2nd half, than a strategy decision by coach Robinson.

Euan Aitken (Rabbitohs)

23 tackles, 10 runs for 75m in 80 minutes – (0.41 spm)

Hard to imagine how Aitken didn’t score a WH given all the defence that the Bunnies were forced to do. The sheer amount of points being scored by the Broncos takes time out of the game but you would still expect Aitken to get 40 involvements playing 80 minutes. Perhaps Aitken and Duncan are sharing time at centre/back row, but even starting at centre Aitken has scored a WH most of the time.

SPUD POOL LOOKOUT

Stefano Utoikamanu (Storm)

30 tackles, 17 runs for 160m in 54 minutes – WH (0.87 spm)

It has been a solid few weeks for Stefano, scoring a WH in 3 of his last 4 matches, bringing his season total to 4 WH’s. It could be a great time to get him given the Storm face the Broncos, Panthers & Bulldogs over the next 3 rounds, so he will have plenty of work to do. It seems to be a project of Craig Bellamy to bring out the best in Stefano (as he has done with countless other players), which probably explains why he was in the NSW side this season. A boost of confidence by playing Origin can be just the thing to transform a young man’s game.

Moses Leota (Panthers)

33 tackles, 14 runs for 146m in 48 minutes – WH (0.98 spm)

Moses scored his 9th WH of the season, making 2025 a career best year for him. He has also scored a WH in 8 of his last 10 matches which is surprisingly consistent for a player that has never really been able to score WH’s at a decent rate. He is likely available in most spud pools and can help you with bye cover (Terrell May) this week.

Michael Molo (Dragons)

36 tackles, 10 runs for 88m in 80 minutes – WH (0.87 spm)

Molo looks to be a solid option over the next couple of weeks, with Jayden Su’a out for some time. Add to that the loss of Toby Couchman and Dylan Egan and there is not many options left available at the Dragons. Molo is more than capable of scoring a WH as a starter, scoring 3 WH’s in his last 5 matches. If he is on the team sheet as a starter again this week then he will do a job for you.

Corey Jensen (Broncos)

33 tackles, 10 runs for 67m in 43 minutes – WH (1.00 spm)

Is it finally time for Jensen to re-emerge in 2025? With Xavier Willison out with a broken arm, Jensen is the likely replacement at prop. Madge has dashed our hopes a few times this season by holding Jensen back but I suspect we will see him play bigger minutes over the next few weeks. Jensen is easily the biggest disappointment for CEOs this season after scoring 22 WH’s in 2024, he has just 3 WH’s so far this year.

WORTH MENTIONING….

Samuel Healey (Warriors)

40 tackles, 11 runs for 91m in 61 minutes – WH (0.84 spm)

The Warriors have themselves a quality dummy half in Healey, looking dangerous in attack and solid in defence. He had 91 running metres which is a great sign for a young hooker but he also has a bit of size about him. A player to watch in future seasons, although with Wayde Egan signed until the end of 2027, Healey may have to wait a few seasons to get his chance. He would be a good option at 14, as he could cover halves and back row as well given his size.

Samuela Fainu (Tigers)

33 tackles, 7 runs for 56m in 80 minutes – WH (0.50 spm)

While he only just got the 40 involvements last week, Fainu has returned to WH form, scoring 5 consecutive WH’s. He has also scored a try in 2 of those matches which has seen his value rise dramatically. Overall though he has suffered a bit of 2nd year syndrome, not quite able to rise to the same level he played at in 2024. I see a very bright future for him though and he should develop into a quality edge back rower that will score a WH most of the time.

Erin Clark (Warriors)

35 tackles, 18 runs for 181m in 64 minutes – WH (0.83 spm)

Clark has emerged as one of the top draft options at lock in 2026, surprising many CEO’s with his consistent form this season. He has scored 18 WH’s (1 DWH) in a Warriors pack full of WH guns, a far cry from his 4 WH’s at the Titans in 2024. He is the type of player that every team needs, always plays with energy and determination and just loves doing the tough stuff.

Kobe Hetherington (Broncos)

29 tackles, 11 runs for 85m in 51 minutes – WH (0.78 spm)

Hetherington is another who has benefitted from injury at the Broncos, scoring 3 WH’s in his last 4 matches. With Payne Haas suffering back issues and now Willison out for an extended period, there are minutes to be shared around. He has now scored 7 WH’s for the season but that has been quite disappointing given the hype surrounding him being a permanent starter at the beginning of the season. Let this be a lesson to CEO’s (including me) that pre season noise does not always translate into WH gold.

BACKS IMPERSONATING FORWARDS

Cameron Munster (Storm)

32 tackles, 13 runs for 81m in 80 minutes – WH (0.56 spm)

Munster can do it all, scoring his 3rd consecutive WH and 5th for the season. He just loves his footy and its a great sign for the Storm’s chances this season that Munster is running the ball and looking to get involved in everything.

Ashton Ward (Rabbitohs)

31 tackles, 10 runs for 54m in 80 minutes – WH (0.51 spm)

The Bunnies next man up attitude has gone to a new level, picking the ball boy to make his NRL debut (seriously Ward looks like a 15 year old kid). But he has shown tremendous heart in his limited time in the NRL and he now has the honour of scoring a WH in just his 2nd game in the top grade.

Kodi Nikorima (Dolphins)

24 tackles, 16 runs for 89m in 80 minutes – WH (0.50 spm)

Nikorima surprised with his first ever career WH. He is still an under rated player who is a great draft pick option in the late rounds.

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