Workhorse Watch Round 6

2024 NRLCEO Workhorse Watch Round 6 – Weekend at Barnett’s

Mitchell Barnett was epic in Round 6 against the Sea Eagles, scoring his first DWH since Round 15, 2020. The entire Warriors front row scored a DWH in a golden point thriller! A number of halves are getting in on the WH action, whilst a couple of experienced forwards appear to be riding off into the NRLCEO sunset.

In Round 6 there were a whopping 79 players who scored a WH, with four players scoring a DWH and two players just missed a DWH on 59 involvements.

WORKING HARD

Mitchell Barnett (Warriors)

57 tackles, 17 runs for 163m in 64 minutes – DWH (1.16 stats per minute)

A mammoth performance from Barnett in round 6, scoring his first DWH in almost 4 years. He celebrated his 30th birthday on Monday and he certainly earned a few quiet ones. He still carries some risk of suspension given his history but he also remains extremely valuable in CEO.

Wayde Egan (Warriors)

63 tackles, 7 runs for 88m in 90 minutes – DWH (0.78 spm)

Egan is a very under rated player in NRLCEO. He always seems to be carrying a niggling injury of some kind or getting his head in the wrong place and going off for HIA’s but he has still managed to be relatively consistent over the last 3 years, averaging approx 100 pts each season. He is not the first hooker chosen in drafts but he is a handy pick up if you have a low draft position and cannot get a gun hooker. It is worth noting that his running metres are up by 20+ metres a game in 2024 from his three previous seasons.

Patrick Carrigan (Broncos)

47 tackles, 20 runs for 200m in 80 minutes – DWH (0.84 spm)

Carrigan is in beast mode, carrying the Broncos forward pack whilst Payne Haas is out injured. A DWH and a DME against the Dolphins has him looking a great captain option in the short term. It will be hard for him to maintain these numbers so be wary of him being rested when the Broncos get some troops back.

Addin Fonua-Blake (Warriors)

45 tackles, 20 runs for 210m in 74 minutes – DWH (0.88 spm)

Has AFB turned a corner? His stats were inflated by the extra 10 minutes of golden point, as well as a couple of injuries in their forwards. It was a huge performance no doubt, but be wary of him slipping back after scoring only his 2nd WH of the year. I think it is a great time to trade him if you have cover in the front row, giving you a chance to boost your squad elsewhere.

HARDLY WORKING

Kenny Bromwich (Dolphins) 

25 tackles, 10 runs for 113m in 80 minutes (0.44 spm)

At 32 years of age we appear to be seeing the decline of Kenny Bromwich. After a very strong 2022, his numbers dipped in 2023 and even though he has started slow this season due to injury, his best years are clearly behind him. I would not want him a starter in my squad, perhaps as a back up only.

Josh Papalii (Raiders)

17 tackles, 13 runs for 141m in 49 minutes (0.61 spm)

Speaking of decline, Papalii has not scored a point in NRLCEO this season. He still has a role to play at the Raiders but his days of scoring a regular WH are over. He is clearly not good enough to be a starter in your squad so don’t be sentimental and just cut him.

Christian Welch (Storm)

21 tackles, 12 runs for 116m in 33 minutes (1.00 spm)

Welch has been relegated to a bench role in 2024. His spm has been decent so far this year but his minutes are way down on previous seasons. It’s hard to tell if he is carrying an injury of some kind that is limiting his minutes or whether Bellamy just doesn’t see him as a starter anymore. He has 1 more point than Papalii which is nothing to celebrate. An injury to Tui Kamikamica may open up an opportunity for Welch to play more minutes so you could hold him for another week and see what happens there.

Fletcher Baker (Broncos)

26 tackles, 8 runs for 87m in 34 minutes (1.00 spm)

Baker has been a bit disappointing to start 2024, with just the single WH so far. It’s tough to get big minutes in a pack dominated by Carrigan but with Haas out I thought Baker might step up. The Broncos have a few young guns chomping at the bit to get some minutes in Te Kura and Willison so I don’t see Baker becoming a WH scorer any time soon.

SPUD POOL LOOKOUT

Corey Waddell (Sea Eagles)

43 tackles, 13 runs for 115m in 90 minutes – WH (0.62 spm)

Waddell gets the start whilst Ben Trbojevic is out injured. Waddell has always had a great work rate and he is also good for a sneaky try now and then. He is not a guaranteed WH but he will very close and will play 80 minutes on an edge.

Shawn Blore (Storm)

37 tackles, 11 runs for 104m in 80 minutes – WH (0.60 spm)

Can Craig Bellamy turn a rock into a diamond yet again. It’s only early days at the Storm but Blore looks to have won a starting edge spot. Similar to Eliesa Katoa at the start of last season, he arrives at the Storm with a lot of potential but is by far the finished product. If you are picking him up then you need to hold him for a while to give him a chance to produce points, give it 4 to 6 weeks and see how he is going then.

Raymond Faitala-Mariner (Dragons)

39 tackles, 8 runs for 70m in 80 minutes – WH (0.67 spm)

RFM starts this week with Leilua out injured again. He played the full 80 minutes last week and scored his 2nd WH of the season. The problem is that Flanno will keep shuffling their forward pack until he gets some consistent performances, which means job security is not that great. Only worth picking up if you are desperate or need bye cover for a round or two.

Mark Nicholls (Dolphins)

29 tackles, 17 runs for 161m in 41 minutes – (1.12 spm)

Nicholls has always had a good engine and he either scores a WH or gets very close each week. He starts this week with Flegler out but it appears to be a short term injury so he could be back to the bench quickly. He is still a handy back up front rower to have in your squad as he can score a WH from the bench thanks to his strong spm. The big man also loves a try!

WORTH MENTIONING….

Viliame Kikau (Bulldogs)

26 tackles, 9 runs for 104m in 80 minutes – (0.44 spm)

Kikau has been on fire in 2024 but it is not because he has been scoring a WH every week. He has been a destructive ball runner on the Bulldogs left edge, leading to some strong attacking stats (3 TA’s, 3 LB’s & 6 LBA’s) He has never been a great WH back rower and probably never will be given his history. He is a worth having in your squad but is only a bench option for mine.

Kulikefu Finefeuiaki (Cowboys)

30 tackles, 10 runs for 88m in 80 minutes – WH (0.50 spm)

I can see Finefeuiaki becoming a solid 80 minute back rower, I just don’t know if it will happen this season. He will likely only be starting until Heilum Luki returns in a few weeks. If he canb manage a few WH’s in that time then he may be a player to look at in contract/keeper leagues. It takes time to develop into an 80 minute NRL player but he certainly seems to have the potential to do that in a few years.

Ata Mariota (Raiders)

32 tackles, 10 runs for 83m in 58 minutes – WH (0.72 spm)

A left field option for the moment is Mariota, given the start at the expense of Zac Hosking who could be out long term. Elliott Whitehead is also due back from injury soon but calf injuries at his age can be difficult to get right. Mariota scored a WH in 58 minutes last week so its fair to say he should be getting close to a WH each week while he is a starter.

Shaun Lane (Eels)

30 tackles, 13 runs for 123m in 80 minutes – WH (0.54 spm)

Signs of life from Lane? He has scored a WH in 2 of his last 3 matches and his running metres have improved as well. CEO’s who have stuck solid will be hoping that his numbers continue to improve and we see his form return to what it was in 2022. Hold him now if you still have him!

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

8. Mitchell Barnett (1) (Warriors) – 74

9. Wayde Egan (1) (Warriors) – 70

10. Addin Fonua-Blake (1) (Warriors) – 67

11. Beau Fermor (1) (Titans) – 68

12. Nat Butcher (2) (Roosters) – 62

13. Patrick Carrigan (1) (Broncos) – 67

(1) – number of times featured in the Workhorse Pack of the Week

WH – Workhorse

DWH – Double Workhorse

ME – Metre Eater

DME – Double Metre Eater

SPM – Stats per minute played