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”.
Kaeo Weekes
Kaeo Weekes made his NRL debut off the bench on a wet Round 19 night last year against the Dragons at Kogarah before coming off the bench again versus Canberra in Round 24 and earning the starting fullback jersey in Manly’s loss to the Bulldogs in the final game of the season. In their loss to Canterbury, the 20-year-old ran for a game-high 220 metres from 19 carries and broke four tackles. A capable fullback and five-eighth, Weekes has made 12 NSW Cup appearances over the past two seasons and will look to nail down a spot either there or in first grade this upcoming season. With Dylan Walker now a Warrior, Weekes will be in the running for the vacant 14 jumper under incoming head coach Anthony Seibold.
Viliami Fifita
Standing at 194 cm and weighing in at 112 kg, Viliami Fifita will look to join the list of damaging big men to debut for Manly in recent seasons. Capable of doing a job in the middle or on an edge, the 22-year-old will push for an NRL debut last season after making the leap up to NSW Cup for a short stint midway through last season. In his NSW Cup debut last season, Fifita ran for 92 metres and made 21 tackles in just 39 minutes off the bench to help guide Blacktown Workers to a 22-16 win over North Sydney. The departure of veterans Dylan Walker and Marty Taupa’u leaves minutes to be fought for among Manly’s middle with Fifita eager to snatch an opportunity and prove himself as a first grader.
Zac Fulton
The grandson of Manly legend Bob, Zac Fulton was rewarded with an NRL debut in Manly’s infamous Round 20 loss to the Roosters last year. In his 28 minutes, he earnt many an admirer going toe-to-toe with some Roosters big guns and leaving his mark defensively. He also started a pair of NSW Cup games for Blacktown Workers at lock and was awarded the club’s Jake Trbojevic Rising Star Award. A hard-hitting middle forward, Fulton will be eager to add to his tally of one NRL game this season under Seibold and follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather and craft his own Manly legacy. Along with Fifita and host of others, Fulton will hope to fill the void left by the departures of Walker and Taupa’u and cement his position in Manly’s 17 as the season goes on.
Latu Fainu
One of the sport’s most highly-touted prospects, Latu Fainu – the youngest of four impressive brothers – was inked to a four-year deal by Manly shortly after his 16th birthday and looks to be a major part of the club’s future in coming years. Fainu – who will not turn 18 until late-May – is a silky five-eighth whose combination of power and poise makes him a nightmarish cover for defenders. In 2021, he was named the Harold Matthews Player of the Series despite being just 15 and received the Grand Final Player of the Match award the same season. NRL debuts are usually reserved for only the most-talented 18-year-olds, however, the departure of Kieran Foran meshed with the uncertainty surrounding Josh Schuster’s ability to transition into a long-term six could pave the way for Fainu to make the leap to the top grade later in the year.
