Workhorse Watch Round 8

2024 NRLCEO Workhorse Watch Round 8 – Connor Watson I Presume!

Connor Watson stepped in for the injured Victor Radley and he produced his first DWH since Round 6 2021. Are we seeing the beginning of the end for a former NRLCEO MVP? Do the Raiders need to scrap their 2 Hooker system? A former CEO gun is showing signs of life but is it a false dawn?

In Round 8 there were 65 players who scored a WH, with only 1 player scoring a DWH.

WORKING HARD

Connor Watson (Roosters)

47 tackles, 15 runs for 152m in 80 minutes – DWH (0.78 stats per minute)

It has been great to see Connor Watson find some form given his injury woes over the last few seasons. He will likely find himself back on the bench with Radley returning so I am not sure he holds much value for a CEO squad moving forward. If he starts at lock the he is a guaranteed WH but that would mean Radley moving to an edge where he is less effective. You could also make a case for starting Watson at hooker and moving Brandon Smith to the bench to play a middle forward role, if that happens then Watson is a must have!

John Bateman (Tigers)

50 tackles, 15 runs for 108m in 80 minutes – WH (0.81 spm)

I like the move of Bateman to lock, he is more effective playing in the middle than on an edge. He is a tackling machine which is exactly what you want in your number 13. He still struggles to provide anything in attack which is disappointing from a CEO point of view. Interestingly he is signed at the Tigers until the end of 2026, will he finish that contract or is he a chance of heading back to the UK early?

Reuben Cotter (Cowboys)

49 tackles, 15 runs for 105m in 66 minutes – WH (0.97 spm)

The captaincy has given Cotter some stability with his playing minutes. In the second half of last season he was struggling to score a WH due to a combination of form and rest from Origin. Given he is now an on field leader he will likely spend more time on the field each week which guarantees him scoring a WH. Cotter is another player who could look to develop a pass or an offload at the line, his attacking stats are a single LBA for the season so far.

Blayke Brailey (Sharks)

57 tackles, 5 runs for 61m in 80 minutes – WH (0.78 spm)

Brailey is still an under rated player but he is not far off the best scoring hookers in NRLCEO. He should look to take a leaf out of Harry Grant’s book and develop his running game which in turn gives the Sharks another dimension in their attack. He is a very consistent WH scorer who has managed to remain injury free which adds to his overall value.

HARDLY WORKING

Reagan Campbell-Gillard (Eels) 

26 tackles, 10 runs for 73m in 52 minutes (0.69 spm)

It has been a poor couple of weeks for RCG, missing a WH in his last 2 matches and only running for 75 metres. The Eels need his experience at the moment and they should expect a lot more of him. I don’t think he is good enough to be a starting CEO front rower any more, he will likely score 10 to 12 WH’s this season and it will continue to drop in his final few seasons in the NRL given he is 31 years old now.

Francis Molo (Dragons)

23 tackles, 10 runs for 85m in 45 minutes (0.73 spm)

I expected Molo to provide more than he has given he was elected to start over both Blake Lawrie and Jack De Belin. He started the season well enough with a WH in 3 of his first 4 matches. Since then he has not scored a WH in his last 3 games which is a huge concern given the tackling the Dragons have been doing. He is a cut for mine!

Damien Cook (Rabbitohs)

26 tackles, 6 runs for 42m in 47 minutes (0.68 spm)

Is this really the end of Captain Cook? The former three time NRLCEO MVP looks like being the victim of the coaches preferred 2 Hooker system with Peter Mamouzelos coming off the bench in the second half. He is most certainly a hold, you just don’t drop Cook. Personally I would be looking to trade him for an 80 min hooker if you can (surely there is someone in your comp that will trade him in just on his name alone). He may also turn it around depending on what happens with the coach and his own form.

Daniel Levi (Raiders)

29 tackles, 2 runs for 24m in 40 minutes (0.78 spm)

Surely it is time for Ricky Stuart to give Starling another chance as a starting hooker. If it wasn’t for Levi scoring 4 tries this season, he would have a single WH to show for his efforts. He has the ability to be a decent CEO scoring hooker but he just won’t get the minutes with Starling on the bench.

SPUD POOL LOOKOUT

Simi Sasagi (Raiders)

46 tackles, 6 runs for 54m in 80 minutes – WH (0.65 spm)

Sasagi managed a WH with his second start in the back row but his job security is a major issue. It remains to be seen how long Elliott Whitehead will be out, however if Sasagi is a starter he is likely to WH given the Raiders look like they will struggle for a while as they are missing a lot of experienced players from their line up. Sasagi is a short term back up option for the moment.

Ray Stone (Dolphins)

34 tackles, 13 runs for 128m in 39 minutes – WH (1.21 spm)

These are crazy numbers from Ray Stone, with a spm of 1.21 in just 39 minutes of action. The Dolphins will welcome back a few forwards from injury this week but they will also see Jesse Bromwich out for a few weeks. Stone may still be effective even if he has lost the start to Max Plath, coming on in the middle he will only need 40-45 minutes to score a WH.

Dylan Walker (Warriors)

35 tackles, 11 runs for 96m in 54 minutes – WH (0.85 spm)

A bit of a smokey for a regular WH but Walker will benefit from the long term loss of Jazz Tevaga. Walker also has the ability to create in attack which makes him even more appealing. He could be handy for bye cover and a bench forward spot if you are short.

Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys)

30 tackles, 13 runs for 131m in 45 minutes – WH (0.96 spm)

Has the beast been woken? Taumalolo scored his first WH since Round 16 last season and he looked to be moving better as well. I know he has an ongoing injury that needs weekly treatment but if he can play 45 minutes each week he will go close to a WH and potentially even a ME, plus there is the sentimental value of former CEO gun coming good again.

WORTH MENTIONING….

Joey Lussick (Eels)

32 tackles, 1 runs for 12m in 53 minutes – (0.62 spm)

Brendan Hands has reappeared on the Eels bench which is a concern for CEOs who own Lussick. It seems to be an attempt by Brad Arthur to provide some spark out of dummy half late in a match. If Hands is on the bench there is a fair chance that Lussick does not get his WH.

Liam Henry (Panthers)

34 tackles, 8 runs for 76m in 38 minutes – WH (1.10 spm)

If you are in a contract/keeper league then grab this kid now. He scored his 3rd WH of the season in 7 matches played off the bench. He will be patchy this season but with the departure of JFH to the Warriors, there will be minutes available next season and you will see a long term benefit if you sign him up now.

Stefano Utoikamanu (Tigers)

26 tackles, 9 runs for 70m in 46 minutes – (0.76 spm)

Stefano’s form has dipped in the last 3 weeks, managing only 1 WH in that time (and only just). He had a big opportunity on the weekend, going up against Haas and Carrigan, to put his best foot forward. Unfortunately we got a lacklustre display from a player who might have a contract clause on his mind. He is a still a hold though as he has huge potential moving forward.

Jordan Riki (Broncos)

32 tackles, 9 runs for 92m in 80 minutes – WH (0.51 spm)

That’s 4 consecutive WH’s for Riki which he has not achieved since 2022. The Broncos do get Piakura and Haas back now so that might see Riki’s involvements drop again. Let’s face it, this guy should be scoring a WH every week playing 80 minutes on an edge and he he should be good for 6-8 tries a season in a team that is gunning for a premiership. He is under achieving in terms of NRLCEO but he certainly has the potential for more.

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

8. Reuben Cotter (3) (Cowboys) – 64

9. Blayke Brailey (1) (Sharks) – 62

10. Jaimin Jolliffe (1) (Titans) – 59

11. John Bateman (1) (Tigers) – 65

12. Dylan Lucas (2) (Knights) – 59

13. Connor Watson (1) (Roosters) – 62

(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