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.
While some players are more known to fans than others, the list includes quotes from several individuals and players associated with rugby league, as well as which former or current player is the individual's best comparison.
RANKINGS LIST
335-31
35. Jaxen Edgar (Penrith Panthers)
The 2023 Harold Matthews Cup Player of the Year, Jaxen Edgar has already achieved so much in his career to date and has cemented the fullback spot in the NSW Cup after playing in the NRL Pre-Season Challenge to begin the year.
Earmarked as Dylan Edwards' successor, Edgar has made six appearances in reserve-grade this season (only missing the rest of the game due to injury) with the 2023 Australian Schoolboy scoring two tries, making 15 tackle busts and averaging 84 running metres per game.
RELATED: Penrith's future No.1?: Jaxen Edgar opens up on NRL dream
"It's unreal. There's no better feeling than putting on that Penrith jersey and I love it," Edgar told Zero Tackle.
"It's pretty crazy! A few years ago I was watching the TV and looking up to all of these people that I'm training with now and it's just special. It's a dream come true to be honest.
"My whole life I've always wanted (to play in the NRL). It was always a dream to put on the Penrith jersey and run it out there playing NRL.
"If the opportunity comes I'll just put my best foot forward and play some good footy."
Age: 19
Team: Penrith Panthers
Position: Fullback
Contract Status: 2026
COMPARISON: Dylan Edwards
34. Joseph O'Neill (Canterbury Bulldogs)
Close to making his NRL debut at the beginning of the season after being promoted to the club's development list, Joseph O'Neill has spent the last three years in the NSW Cup and helped lead their attack from the halfback position.
A former captain of the Bulldogs' Jersey Flegg Cup side, which saw them make the Grand Final in 2023, O'Neill has shown that he possesses all the abilities of a seasoned first-grader and is bound to be granted his opportunity sooner rather than later.
Age: 22
Team: Canterbury Bulldogs
Position: Halfback / Five-Eighth
Contract Status: 2025
COMPARISON: Luke Brooks
33. Simione Laiafi (Manly Sea Eagles)
A member of Manly Sea Eagles' development list, Simione Laiafi has been with the club since 2022 and successfully progressed through the ranks after starting his career with the side in the Harold Matthews Cup competition.
A talented front-rower who was in the 2024 Australian Schoolboys squad, Laiafi made his NSW Cup debut this year in Round 4 against the Eels, in which he made seven tackles and 28 running metres in 11 minutes on the field.
“Simi is an Australian Schoolboys front-rower who played against France and Papua New Guinea," head coach Anthony Seibold said at the start of 2025.
"He is a really big powerful prop who has played in our Manly Pathways system the last couple of years.
"We feel he has got great potential if he is willing to work hard and build reliability in regards to what he does on the field.”
Age: 19
Team: Manly Sea Eagles
Position: Prop
Contract Status: 2026
COMPARISON: Payne Haas
32. Lincoln Fletcher (Parramatta Eels)
Extremely skilled like his teammate Lorenzo Talataina, Lincoln Fletcher has arguably been better over the last 12 months after being the second-highest point scorer in the 2024 Harold Matthews Cup and making the 2024 Australian Schoolboys side.
A star in the making, Fletcher also has an amazing kicking game and has the highest potential out of nearly every player coming through the club's pathways system. He is expected to take over from Mitchell Moses in the No.7 jersey in the future.
Age: 18
Team: Parramatta Eels
Position: Halfback
Contract Status: 2027
COMPARISON: Nathan Cleary
31. Sam Stephenson (Gold Coast Titans)
The son of former Cronulla Sharks and Manly Sea Eagles player Paul Stephenson, Sam Stephenson, is set to follow in his father's footsteps and has taken his game to another level over the past 12 months with his incredible versatility in the back-line.
Aiming to base his game around Jojo Fifita, Stephenson is a two-time U19s QLD Maroons representative and was also named in the 2024 Australian Schoolboys squad, where he excelled in matches against France and Papua New Guinea.
"He's a strong player. He's got the skills, he's got the speed (and) I know he can really do great in the game," Titans teammate Jojo Fifita told Zero Tackle.
"He's been training with us during the pre-season and he's one of the young boys who feel like he's been there for a while."
Age: 19
Team: Gold Coast Titans
Position: Centre / Wing
Contract Status: 2025
COMPARISON: Jojo Fifita
