Over the next fortnight, Zero Tackle will unveil the next crop of young players coming through the ranks who have yet to play NRL first-grade.

Every NRL star was once just a name on a team sheet, a promising kid waiting for the right moment to shine.

As players age and legends retire, the next generation of the competition's future superstars are slowly making a name for themselves in the lower grades.

In the past 18 months, Blaize Talagi, Lachlan Galvin and Isaiah Iongi are just three players who have earned their debuts and taken the rugby league world by storm... so who's next?

After hours of watching matches from the Harold Matthews Cup to the Mal Meninga Cup to the NSW Cup and QLD Cup competitions, Zero Tackle has compiled a list of the 'Top 100 young players yet to play in the NRL'.

This list will be updated every three months - four times a year - as players continue to progress through the ranks and make their NRL debuts while others continue to impress at their respective clubs and for their schools.

490-81

2025 NRL Pre-Season Challenge - Sharks v Warriors
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 07: Jett Cleary of the Warriors looks on during the NRL pre-season match between Cronulla Sharks and New Zealand Warriors at Sharks Stadium on February 07, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

The following ten players include Nathan Cleary's younger brother Jett, two young Dolphins forwards and a member of last year's U19s QLD Maroons team.

90. Jett Cleary (New Zealand Warriors)

Age: 20
Team: New Zealand Warriors
Position: Five-Eighth / Halfback
Contract Status: 2027

COMPARISON: Nathan Cleary

89. Mikey Nassar (Sydney Roosters)

Age: 17
Team: Sydney Roosters
Position: Fullback / Wing
Contract Status: N/A

COMPARISON: Darius Boyd

88. Stanley Huen (Melbourne Storm)

Age: 20
Team: Melbourne Storm
Position: Five-Eighth / Lock
Contract Status: 2026

COMPARISON: Josh Schuster

87. Cameron Bamblett (Parramatta Eels)

Age: 17
Team: Parramatta Eels
Position: Five-Eighth / Fullback
Contract Status: N/A

COMPARISON: Ryan Papenhuyzen

86. Vena Patuki-Case (Canberra Raiders)

Age: 20
Team: Canberra Raiders
Position: Prop
Contract Status: 2027

COMPARISON: James Fisher-Harris

85. Brian Poniou (The Dolphins)

Age: 17
Team: The Dolphins
Position: Second-Row
Contract Status: 2028

COMPARISON: Viliame Kikau

84. Motu Pasikala (New Zealand Warriors)

Age: 19
Team: New Zealand Warriors
Position: Wing
Contract Status: 2027

COMPARISON: Josh Mansour

83. Archie Duncombe (Wests Tigers)

Age: 18
Team: Wests Tigers
Position: Lock / Prop
Contract Status:

COMPARISON: James Tamou

82. Oliver Lester (Cronulla Sharks)

Age: 18
Team: Cronulla Sharks
Position: Fullback
Contract Status: 2027

COMPARISON: Kalyn Ponga

81. Elijah Rasmussen (The Dolphins) 

Age: 19
Team: The Dolphins
Position: Prop
Contract Status: 2027

COMPARISON: Josh Papalii

1 COMMENT

  1. Ethan, this is a pretty ambitious project !
    Tell me, please, about the rankings.

    Do they represent Zero Tackle’s assessment of how good these kids may _eventually_ be, or how good they _currently_ are, or which are the closest to getting picked for a game in first grade ?