NRL Rookie Watch: Which Bulldogs are worth keeping an eye on in 2023?

With the 2023 NRL season nearing, we list the crop of rookies from each club worth keeping tabs on as they aim to join the elite list of budding stars with a Rookie of the Year award to their name.

As per the NRL, “players are eligible for the Rookie of the Year in their debut season and the subsequent two NRL seasons. Once a player plays five (5) NRL Premiership matches (or English Super League matches), he becomes ineligible for the Rookie of the Year in any subsequent seasons”.

Paul Alamoti

Few rookies will enter the season with as much hype as Alamoti who is a chance of starting the season at left centre for the Dogs alongside Josh Addo-Carr, Viliame Kikau, and Matt Burton. The 19-year-old made 15 NSW Cup appearances last season scoring four tries, assisting on four others, and breaking 37 tackles. He ran for 100-plus metres in 14 of his 15 outings in 2022 and cracked the 180-metre mark in six of them including a 194-metre, seven-tackle break effort against North Sydney in Round 21. His power and speed combined with his willingness to work has him primed to make the leap into first grade. Following the exit of Aaron Schoupp, Canterbury are down a left centre with Alamoti among those eyeing the vacancy. Bulldogs fans will be itching to see Alamoti run out for his first taste of NRL action.

Jeral Skelton

Another vying for the vacancy at left centre, Skelton turned plenty of eyeballs last season when he linked up with Canterbury’s NSW Cup side midyear. A rugby union convert, Skelton put together some insane stat-lines in NSW Cup running for a combined 408 metres, breaking 24 tackles, and scoring three tries in his first two starts. He only played a total of six games but the Dogs were quick to promote the 23-year-old to their top 30. Having already represented Australia in Rugby 7s as well as the Melbourne Rebels, Skelton is no stranger to the limelight and, with Schoupp no longer a Dog, will aim to push for a Round 1 start inside Addo-Carr.

Khaled Rajab

Rajab made a name for himself at last year’s World Cup when he appeared in a trio of clashes for quarterfinalists Lebanon as a teenager. After beginning the year in Jersey Flegg, he played four NSW Cup games for the Bulldogs last season in three different positions – fullback, five-eighth, and lock – where he showed off his skills as a playmaker and ball-runner. Rajab was named Canterbury’s S.G. Ball Player of the Year in 2021 and has his sights set on an NRL debut in 2023. Matt Burton and Kyle Flanagan will start the year in the halves for Canterbury with Jake Averillo likely to retain his spot at the back, however, should any injuries arise, Rajab may be leant upon by first-year head coach Cameron Ciraldo. His versatility mixed with his infectious energy should serve him well across the upcoming season whether it be in the NRL or NSW Cup.

Franklin Pele

Man mountain Franklin Pele made just the one NRL appearance with the Sharks but possesses a lower grades highlight reel that has done the rounds on social media a number of times and heads to Canterbury this season hoping to earn consistent first-grade minutes. At 6-foot-3 and 121 kg, Pele’s combination of size and agility is rare and caught the eye of the Dogs’ decision-makers as they rounded out their 2023 squad. The 22-year-old played a total of 740 minutes in NSW Cup last season for Newtown scoring an incredible 11 tries – roughly one every 67 minutes – an astounding mark for a front-rower. He finished the year with 70 tackle breaks and 19 offloads to go along with 100 metres per game with his best outing coming in Newtown’s Round 17 win over Mounties where he bagged a hat-trick, broke six tackles, and ran for 184 metres. With Josh Jackson, Paul Vaughan, Jack Hetherington and Ava Seumanufagai all elsewhere, Pele will hope to push for a regular spot in Canterbury’s middle rotation after labouring away in the lower grades for several years.

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