Drafting the NRL: Who would be the first 68 picks?

The NRL have long toyed with the idea of having a player draft.

It's not something that has ever, or, given the way the competition is currently set up, likely will ever, become a thing.

But where the NRL goes quiet in mid-November, the other major football code in this country, Aussie Rules and its AFL, step up a notch with the trade period followed by the draft.

Draft picks are a major part of the trade period, and then, come two nights in November, the best young talent from around the country will be selected.

If you're looking for draft coverage, then we absolutely suggest Zero Hanger and Craft of the Draft who have been putting in the hours to stay on top of everything draft-related.

Zero Hanger's AFL draft hub

Meanwhile, at Zero Tackle, we thought, if you were to redraft the entire NRL across four teams, what would that look like?

To complete the task, I was joined by our founder Matt Clements, as well as journalists Isaac Issa and Ethan Lee Chalk. We were then tasked with picking 17 players in a snake order format, with a random generator spitting out the order - Matt first, then me, then Isaac, then Ethan.

Here is how the draft played out.

Round 1

Pick 1, Matt: Payne Haas (Brisbane Broncos)
Pick 2, Scott: Harry Grant (Melbourne Storm)
Pick 3, Isaac: Nathan Cleary (Penrith Panthers)
Pick 4, Ethan: Reece Walsh (Penrith Panthers)

Round 2

Pick 5, Ethan: Cameron Munster (Melbourne Storm)
Pick 6, Isaac: James Tedesco (Sydney Roosters)
Pick 7, Scott: Isaiya Katoa (The Dolphins)
Pick 8, Matt: Tom Dearden (North Queensland Cowboys)

Round 3

Pick 9, Matt: Scott Drinkwater (North Queensland Cowboys)
Pick 10, Scott: Herbie Farnworth (The Dolphins)
Pick 11, Isaac: Stephen Crichton (Canterbury Bulldogs)
Pick 12, Ethan: Mitchell Moses (Parramatta Eels)

Round 4

Pick 13, Ethan: Viliame Kikau (Canterbury Bulldogs)
Pick 14, Isaac: Tino Fa'asuamaleaui (Gold Coast Titans)
Pick 15, Scott: Keaon Koloamatangi (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Pick 16, Matt: Reece Robson (North Queensland Cowboys)

Round 5

Pick 17, Matt: Patrick Carrigan (Brisbane Broncos)
Pick 18, Scott: Xavier Coates (Melbourne Storm)
Pick 19, Isaac: Sam Walker (Sydney Roosters)
Pick 20, Ethan: Addin Fonua-Blake (Cronulla Sharks)

Round 6

Pick 21, Ethan: James Fisher-Harris (New Zealand Warriors)
Pick 22, Isaac: Apisai Koroisau (Wests Tigers)
Pick 23, Scott: Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (The Dolphins)
Pick 24, Matt: Mark Nawaqanitawase (Sydney Roosters)

Round 7

Pick 25, Matt: Haumole Olakau'atu (Manly Sea Eagles)
Pick 26, Scott: Jacob Preston (Canterbury Bulldogs)
Pick 27, Isaac: Angus Crichton (Sydney Roosters)
Pick 28, Ethan: Brian To'o (Penrith Panthers)

Round 8

Pick 29, Ethan: Latrell Mitchell (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Pick 30, Isaac: Terrell May (Wests Tigers)
Pick 31, Scott: Cameron Murray (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Pick 32, Matt: Hudson Young (Canberra Raiders)

Round 9

Pick 33, Matt: Kotoni Staggs (Brisbane Broncos)
Pick 34, Scott: Joseph Tapine (Canberra Raiders)
Pick 35, Isaac: Tom Trbojevic (Manly Sea Eagles)
Pick 36, Ethan: Naufahu Whyte (Sydney Roosters)

Round 10

Pick 37, Ethan: Moses Leota (Penrith Panthers)
Pick 38, Isaac: Eliesa Katoa (Melbourne Storm)
Pick 39, Scott: Daniel Tupou (Sydney Roosters)
Pick 40, Matt: Zac Lomax (Parramatta Eels)

Round 11

Pick 41, Matt: Lindsay Collins (Sydney Roosters)
Pick 42, Scott: Reuben Garrick (Manly Sea Eagles)
Pick 42, Isaac: Connor Watson (Sydney Roosters)
Pick 44, Ethan: Liam Martin (Penrith Panthers)

Round 12

Pick 45, Ethan: Isaah Yeo (Penrith Panthers)
Pick 46, Isaac: Erin Clark (New Zealand Warriors)
Pick 47, Scott: Beau Fermor (Gold Coast Titans)
Pick 48, Matt: David Fifita (Gold Coast Titans)

Round 13

Pick 49, Matt: Kalyn Ponga (Newcastle Knights)
Pick 50, Scott: Braydon Trindall (Cronulla Sharks)
Pick 51, Isaac: Jacob Kiraz (Canterbury Bulldogs)
Pick 52, Ethan: Matt Burton (Canterbury Bulldogs)

Round 14

Pick 53, Ethan: Ezra Mam (Brisbane Broncos)
Pick 54, Isaac: Taylan May (Wests Tigers)
Pick 55, Scott: Tyran Wishart (Melbourne Storm)
Pick 56, Matt: Moeaki Fotuaika (Gold Coast Titans)

Round 15

Pick 57, Matt: Spencer Leniu (Sydney Roosters)
Pick 58, Scott: Mitch Barnett (New Zealand Warriors)
Pick 59, Isaac: Stefano Utoikamanu (Melbourne Storm)
Pick 60, Ethan: Blayke Brailey (Cronulla Sharks)

Round 16

Pick 61, Ethan: Ronaldo Mulitalo (Cronulla Sharks)
Pick 62, Isaac: Reuben Cotter (North Queensland Cowboys)
Pick 63, Scott: Jaydn Su'A (St George Illawarra Dragons)
Pick 64, Matt: Bradman Best (Newcastle Knights)

Round 17

Pick 65, Matt: Jahrome Hughes (Melbourne Storm)
Pick 66, Scott: Corey Horsburgh (Canberra Raiders)
Pick 67, Isaac: Max King (Canterbury Bulldogs)
Pick 68, Ethan: Tom Gilbert (The Dolphins)

And here is how the teams looked by the time it was all said and done.

Matt Clements

1. Scott Drinkwater
2. Mark Nawaqanitawase
3. Kotoni Staggs
4. Bradman Best
5. Zac Lomax
6. Tom Dearden
7. Jahrome Hughes
8. Payne Haas
9. Reece Robson
10. Lindsay Collins
11. Haumole Olakau'atu
12. Hudson Young
13. Patrick Carrigan
14. Kalyn Ponga
15. David Fifita
16. Moeaki Fotuaika
17. Spencer Leniu

Scott Pryde

1. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
2. Xavier Coates
3. Herbie Farnworth
4. Reuben Garrick
5. Daniel Tupou
6. Braydon Trindall
7. Isaiya Katoa
8. Keaon Koloamatangi
9. Harry Grant
10. Joseph Tapine
11. Jacob Preston
12. Beau Fermor
13. Cameron Murray
14. Tyran Wishart
15. Mitch Barnett
16. Jaydn Su'A
17. Corey Horsburgh

Isaac Issa

1. James Tedesco
2. Taylan May
3. Stephen Crichton
4. Tom Trbojevic
5. Jacob Kiraz
6. Sam Walker
7. Nathan Cleary
8. Terrell May
9. Apisai Koroisau
10. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui
11. Angus Crichton
12. Eliesa Katoa
13. Erin Clark
14. Connor Watson
15. Stefano Utoikamanu
16. Reuben Cotter
17. Max King

Ethan Lee Chalk

1. Reece Walsh
2. Brian To'o
3. Latrell Mitchell
4. Matt Burton
5. Ronaldo Mulitalo
6. Cameron Munster
7. Mitchell Moses
8. Addin Fonua-Blake
9. Blayke Brailey
10. James Fisher-Harris
11. Viliame Kikau
12. Liam Martin
13. Isaah Yeo
14. Ezra Mam
15. Naufahu Whyte
16. Moses Leota
17. Tom Gilbert

When we ran those teams through an AI tool, it claimed Matt had the best team, but let us know what you think.