Workhorse Watch Round 2

NRLCEO Workhorse Watch Round 2 – Terrell May leads a Tigers ambush!

• Keppie is the new GOAT at the bunnies!
• A young Knight is knocking on the Origin door
• A much maligned Dragon is ready for the chop
• Did someone spike the water in the Panthers sheds pre game?

In Round 2 there were 58 players who scored a WH, with two players scoring a DWH. Upsets galore in Round 2 as some teams struggled to repeat their round one success.

WORKING HARD

Terrell May (Tigers)

46 tackles, 19 runs for 156m in 64 minutes – DWH (1.02 stats per minute)

May played the first 64 minutes of the match before taking a breather when the result was in the bag. Tigers fans will be ecstatic that Robbo told him there was no future at the Roosters. May is an NRLCEO weapon and will look to add to his DWH tally a few more times this season.

Toby Couchman (Dragons)

48 tackles, 16 runs for 158m in 62 minutes – DWH (1.03 spm)

Give the kid a wrap and he elevates his game even further. Despite starting from the bench last week, he came on after 18 minutes and played the rest of the way, notching up his first ever DWH. Some concern of course with Klemmer signing with the Dragons as well as some strapping on his knee, however Couchman has been one of the shining lights for the Dragons in the first two rounds and looks to be the goods. Unfortunately after starting from the bench, CEOs will have to wait a few more rounds for him to get his dual back row/front row status, as the Dragons have the bye in Round 3.

James Fisher-Harris (Warriors)

48 tackles, 18 runs for 115m in 58 minutes – WH (1.14 spm)

JFH has lifted his performance since arriving at the Warriors, notching an impressive 1.14 spm against the Sea Eagles on the weekend. His stats should be consistently higher than in previous years at the Panthers, given he has taken on even more of a leadership role across the ditch. If he can get his run metres up he may be able to deliver a couple of DWH’s this season.

Dylan Lucas (Knights)

43 tackles, 16 runs for 124m in 80 minutes – WH (0.91 spm)

Lucas is another one of the young brigade making his mark in NRLCEO. He has the potential to be in CEO Dream Team at seasons end, he is that good! He is already striking a combination with new five eighth Fletcher Sharpe and Lucas knows his way to the try line. I would not be shocked to see his name mentioned for State of Origin, this year or next.

HARDLY WORKING

Isaah Yeo (Panthers) 

25 tackles, 12 runs for 102m in 80 minutes (0.46 spm)

Someone must have spiked the Panthers water last week, how does Yeo play the full 80 and miss a WH? Its a rare dip that will likely not be repeated this season. The entire Panthers team looked fatigued during the early stages against the Roosters, both physically and mentally #vegasafterparty

Luciano Leilua (Dragons)

26 tackles, 9 runs for 67m in 80 minutes (0.44 spm)

I think the gig is up for Leilua, he is simply not performing anywhere hear his best and the Dragons need to make a change. He has been a liability in defence for the first 2 rounds and offered very little in attack. It is time to unleash Jacob Halangahu and send Leilua to the NSW Cup.

Kobe Hetherington (Broncos)

24 tackles, 10 runs for 88m in 48 minutes (0.71 spm)

I was expecting big things from Hetherington after he threatened to look elsewhere if he wasn’t getting a start at the Broncos. He has looked well off the pace playing behind two of the best middle forwards in our game. Don’t hold out any longer, just dump him now.

Addin Fonua-Blake (Sharks)

19 tackles, 14 runs for 132m in 49 minutes (0.67 spm)

I think there is some concern here for AFB owners. He only just scored a WH at the death in round one and by his own admission, AFB expects to play less minutes at the Sharks in an effort to have more of an impact on the game. The Sharks will likely dominate a lot of lesser teams in the NRL which does not suit his game. Monitor his output in the coming weeks, but I would be tempted to offer him up for trade early in the season and see what you can get.

SPUD POOL LOOKOUT

Blake Steep (Roosters)

34 tackles, 8 runs for 66m in 46 minutes – WH (0.91 spm)

Steep scored his first career WH on the weekend and could be in line for some decent minutes given the Roosters current roster predicament. He could be a handy pickup for a few weeks until the Roosters get some troops back.

Ethan Bullemor (Sea Eagles)

32 tackles, 10 runs for 77m in 44 minutes – WH (0.95 spm)

Bullemor is one of those effort players that just has a dig while he is on the field. Last season he was within a few involvements of a WH on several occasions and he narrowly missed a WH in round one as well. It seems Ben Trbojevic would have a decent lock on an edge spot given his brothers are there to back him, so Bullemor will have to be content with a bench spot for the time being. Definitely keep an eye on his stats for the coming weeks as he would be a cautious pick up.

Fonua Pole (Tigers)

31 tackles, 12 runs for 105m in 57 minutes – WH (0.75 spm)

Pole has stepped into the ‘not so big’ shoes over Stefano and scored a WH in his 2nd start at prop. He scored six WH’s in both 2023 and 2024 but given who his front row partner is, he may be an inconsistent WH scorer. I think he is certainly worth having in your squad as there are not a lot of options available in the front row. Hold for now but make sure your scissors are sharpened just in case.

Harrison Edwards (Cowboys)

37 tackles, 8 runs for 62m in 45 minutes – WH (1.00 spm)

Things are looking grim at the Ranch, with the only certainty being lots of changes. Edwards is a whole hearted player who tries hard but clearly isn’t the most talented player. He does have a decent work rate, evidenced by his twelve WH’s in ten matches in 2023 at the Bulldogs. I don’t see him locking down a starting spot unless there are some injuries so he will have to try and score a WH off the bench for now.

WORTH MENTIONING…

Sean Keppie (Rabbitohs)

40 tackles, 14 runs for 126m in 64 minutes – WH (0.84 spm)

All hail the new GOAT! Keppie produced an out of his world performance against the Dragons, scoring his first WH since round 11 last season (he only scored 2 for all of last season). There were extenuating circumstances with both Arrow and Duncan off the field for extended periods due to HIA and injury. If you truly believe that Keppie has found the power then go get him. I will refer to Admiral Ackbar on this one though, “its a trap”!

Jack Williams (Eels)

35 tackles, 15 runs for 122m in 75 minutes – WH (0.67 spm)

Williams was one of the few Eels who put his hand up on Sunday. After a disappointing round one effort, he bounced back with a WH in round two, finishing 3m shy of a ME as well. I don’t think it will be hard for Williams to lock down an edge spot but he will need time to develop combinations at his new club, he is a big hold for me.

Damien Cook (Dragons)

31 tackles, 6 runs for 59m in 67 minutes – (0.55 spm)

Its a pressure cooker at the Dragons after losing both their opening matches at home. Jacob Liddle had a career year in 2024 and Flanno must be considering switching him in at this stage. Against the Dogs in round one, Liddle came on and changed the momentum of the game for a period where the Dragons came back into the match. I think Cook is on the decline and given that he can cover multiple positions, it might suit the Dragons more to have Cook come off the bench and start with Liddle.

Matthew Nicholson (Raiders)

29 tackles, 8 runs for 70m in 65 minutes – (0.88 spm)

Nicholson marked his Raiders debut with a couple of tries but importantly, he did not score a WH after starting the match. It will likely take some time for him to get used to the Aussie conditions as well as the pace of the NRL. With Zac Hosking suffering yet another injury, Nicholson should be the one to take the vacant edge spot. Don’t be surprised if he doesn’t play the full 80 just yet though.

WORKHORSE PACK OF THE WEEK (most involvements by eligible position)

POSITION	PLAYER	TEAM	INVOLVEMENTS	PACK OF THE WEEK
Front Row	Payne Haas	Broncos	62	1
Hooker	Peter Mamouzelos	Rabbitohs	60	1
Front Row	Terrell May	Tigers	61	2
Back Row	Thomas Cant	Knights	70	1
Back Row	Siua Wong	Roosters	63	1
Lock	J'maine Hopgood	Eels	61	1

WH – Workhorse

DWH – Double Workhorse

ME – Metre Eater

DME – Double Metre Eater

SPM – Stats per minute played