'Overpriced duds, bargain buys, wannabees and future prospects': Each team’s best signing for the 2024 season
Getting player recruitment right is critical to a club’s success, but sometimes it seems more like a dark art than an exact science.
A number of recruitment strategies have been tried in recent years, with varying levels of success.
Who can forget Anthony Griffin’s failed ‘pick any old ex-Brisbane Broncos player’ master plan at the Dragons in recent years, or Canberra’s somewhat more successful “ten-pound Pom” Super League player emigration system under Ricky Stuart?
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Then there’s the Doggies’ “shotgun” approach where they sign as many new players as possible every year, preferably from Penrith, in the hope that some of them will prove to be up to first-grade standard.
Of course, the most successful recruitment effort in recent years belongs to the Dolphins’ Wayne Bennett, who managed to build a very successful roster from ground zero.
Regardless of the style of recruitment being used there, it seems that failures usually outweigh the success stories, but let’s focus on the positives, and here’s my take on each club’s best signing for the 2024 season.
Penrith Panthers – The Panthers have lost a lot of players to the opposition in recent times, but they’ve been very astute in augmenting their junior production line in order to fill in the gaps.
In 2024, it has been no exception, with signings Paul Alamoti, Daine Laurie and Brad Schneider all making their mark when given the opportunity.
Laurie has played a handy role off the bench and filled in when Dylan Edwards has been absent, 20-year-old Alamoti has seemingly locked down a permanent first-grade berth in place of Taylan May.
While Schneider has been the best of them, filling in admirably for both Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai.
St George-Illawarra Dragons – There’s no shortage of recruits to choose from at the Dragons, and coach Shane Flanagan has got most of them playing as well as can be expected.
Raymond Faitala-Mariner has been a strong presence now that he’s injury-free for the first time in years, Kyle Flanagan has plenty of skill and is a tenacious competitor.
Luciano Leilua will be a big threat once he loses about 10kgs, but the pick of the recruits for me has been the unheralded Tom Eisenhuth.
Eisenhuth is a non-stop worker in defence, cleans up a lot of situations all over the field, is never off the ball in attack, and is always looking to offload.
Kyle Flanagan celebrates with teammates after scoring. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
NZ Warriors – The Warriors over-achieved in 2023 and must have been happy with their roster, as their only signing for 2024 was the experienced Kurt Capewell from Brisbane.
Capewell’s form this year could be best described as “steady”, but still good enough to see him return to the Maroons team in Origin II.
Wests Tigers – Jayden Sullivan, Declan Casey, and Aidan Sezer all joined the NRL cellar dwellers this year, as did young giant Samuela Fainu who debuted for Manly in 2023.
The 20-year-old Fainu is one of those players who has the size, skill and athleticism to be anything in the game, but the jury’s still out on whether he’ll reach his potential at the Tigers.
South Sydney Rabbitohs – With all due respect to Sean Keppie who joined the Bunnies from Manly, Jack Wighton is the club’s biggest headline recruit since they snared Latrell Mitchell back in 2020.
Souths have struggled through the first half of the season, however Wighton has been one of their best performers, and looks an even better signing now that he’s moved from centre to five-eighth.
Melbourne Storm – The Storm isn’t known for big-name recruitment raids, preferring to look through the bargain basement bins for players with untapped potential, and 2024 is no exception, where their only signing is Tigers’ discard Shawn Blore.
Like many under-the-radar recruits before him, Blore has hit the ground running under coach Craig Bellamy, has locked down his place in the Storm pack, and is beginning to deliver on his early promise.
Cronulla Sharks – The Sharks have been pretty quiet on the recruitment front since their big shopping spree in 2022, with the underwhelming Billy Burns their only signing for 2024.
Thank God they already had a very strong roster.
The Dolphins – The Dolphins went for quality with this year’s recruitment, picking up the underrated Jake Averillo, Queensland Origin forward Tom Flegler, and arguably the best centre in the game in Englishman Herbie Farnworth.
Injury has curtailed Flegler’s season, Averillo has looked good at times, while Farnworth has been one of their best players, and really stiffened up their outside backs.
Brisbane Broncos – The Broncos are another club that was quiet on the recruitment front, losing far more quality than they have gained.
They picked up Jaiyden Hunt from the Dragons, a depth player at best, but have higher hopes for Fletcher Baker who joined them from the Roosters.
Big and mobile, and with some solid experience behind him, Baker should be an important part of the Broncos’ middle forward rotation over the coming years.
Dominic Young is tackled. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Sydney Roosters – The Roosters reached deep into the sombrero to sign two marquee players this year Spencer Leniu and Dominic Young.
Both have made a strong impression, with Leniu now in the NSW side after serving a long suspension at the beginning of the year, and Young showing his quality in attack and regularly crossing for tries.
The freakish Young looks the better of the two buys at this stage, and with his height, size and speed, will be a difficult proposition for any opposition to contain.
Parramatta Eels – The Eels limited their off-season purchases to outside back Morgan Harper, hooker Joey Lussick and second rower Kelma Tuilagi.
While Lussick has been more than handy, and Harper has been Morgan Harper, Tuilagi has added some much-needed grunt to the Parramatta pack.
The big Samoan isn’t afraid to use his size and power when needed, and he’ll be missed over the coming weeks after his recent suspension.
Canterbury Bulldogs – If you were a player off contract last year and didn’t get approached by the Bulldogs then it’s time to hang up your boots.
Once again, the Dogs were very active in the market signing the likes of Josh Curran, Drew Hutchison, Liam Knight, Kurt Mann, Blake Taaffe, Jaeman Salmon and Connor Tracey, all of whom have made contributions to the Dogs’ climb up the premiership ladder.
But none can compare to their best signing of recent years in Stephen Crichton.
He has shown the Bulldogs how to win, has led them from round 1, and maintains his position as one of the best players in the game.
Stephen Crichton of the Bulldogs celebrates with teammates after scoring a try (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
North QLD Cowboys – It must be hard for Cowboys’ supporters to get too excited about any of their 2024 buys as the likes of Braidon Burns, Jake Clifford and Harry Edwards look more like depth signings than players who’ll play a lot of first-grade.
Then there’s Viliami Vailea from the Warriors who has played a handful of first-grade games without being outstanding.
Perhaps the most valuable signing will prove to be giant front-rower Thomas Mikaele who’s been showing glimpses of his undoubted potential in recent weeks.
Gold Coast Titans – The Titans’ recruitment was limited to big Broncos’ forward Keenan Palasia and speedy Canberra outside back Harley Smith-Shields.
Neither of whom have made an impact to date, so perhaps new coach Des Hasler can lay claim to being the Titans’ best signing this year?
Manly Sea Eagles – Manly certainly went shopping for 2024, coming home with depth players like Aaron Schoupp and Corey Waddell, as well as quality recruits in Tommy Talau, Nathan Brown and the enigmatic Luke Brooks.
Talau has proved to be very effective on the left wing, Brown has established himself as the much-needed enforcer in the Sea Eagles’ pack, while Brooks looks to be the best of them, unlocking Manly’s left edge attack for the first time in a number of years.
Canberra Raiders – The Raiders’ 2024 recruits don’t look like world-beaters, but they’ve managed to come up with some reasonable prospects.
Young English international Morgan Smithies has settled in well as lock and back-rower Zac Hosking is bound to make an impression when he is injury-free.
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Utility back Kaeo Weekes has used his speed to good effect since being selected as halfback in round 8, and just might establish himself as Canberra’s number-one threat in attack over the rest of the season.
Newcastle Knights – The Knights not only went for depth in the likes of Jed Cartwright, Jack Cogger and Thomas Jenkins, but also looked overseas with young English duo Will Pryce and Kai Pearce-Paul.
While Pryce has had to wait for his opportunity, the big and athletic Pearce-Paul has looked the goods from day one.
Who do you think has been your club’s best recruit this year?
New Zealand Warriors v Brisbane Broncos
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NRL : Head To Head Sat, 29 Jun 2024, 15:00 Newcastle Knights v Parramatta Eels
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NRL : Head To Head Sat, 29 Jun 2024, 19:35 St. George Illawarra Dragons v Dolphins
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NRL : Head To Head Sun, 30 Jun 2024, 14:00 Penrith Panthers v North Queensland Cowboys
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