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
230-26
30. Tobias Crosby
A highly touted rugby union prospect out of St Patrick's College, Tobias Crosby, has only been with the Warriors since 2023 but has already impressed club officials and is regarded as one of the best young forwards out of New Zealand.
A mainstay of the club's NSW Cup line-up this season, Crosby has impressed in limited minutes off the interchange bench as he furthers his development. In 15 matches, he has scored two tries, made 26 tackle busts and 230 tackles as well as averaging 78 running metres per game.
“Everything was there in Wellington for me, like family, friends, I had a job and footy was going alright there,” Crosby told Warriors Media.
“It was a risk, and it's paid off for me, so it's going to pay off for anyone else as well.”
Age: 21
Team: New Zealand Warriors
Position: Prop
Contract Status: N/A
29. Jake Clydesdale
The younger brother of former NRL hooker Adam Clydsdale, Jake Clydsdale is one of the best forwards coming out of the nation's capital. Named the club's SG Ball Players' Player in 2022, he also represented the U19s NSW Blues team in 2023.
One of the biggest and tallest players in rugby league, he has spent the past few seasons in the NSW Cup competition, where he has been a force in attack with the ball in his hands and is also an incredible defender.
Age: 20
Team: Canberra Raiders
Position: Prop
Contract Status: 2026
28. Cameron Bukowski
Earmarked as the future No.9 at the Brisbane Broncos, Cameron Bukowski is the latest promising dummy-half to come out of Red Hill and is currently on the club's development list, having trained with the first-grade squad in the last two pre-seasons.
Unlikely to be rushed into the NRL, Bukowski will continue to develop in the lower grades over the next few seasons as he continues to learn off the likes of Ben Hunt, but he has already caught the attention of club officials and could very well be in the State of Origin conversation in the next decade.
Age: 19
Team: Brisbane Broncos
Position: Hooker
Contract Status: N/A
27. Billy Phillips
One of the many talented forwards coming through the Penrith Panthers' system, lock Billy Phillips is highly underrated and does all the little things on the field. Continuing to learn from one of the game's best, Isaah Yeo, he is a former SG Ball Cup MVP Award winner.
Training with the first-grade squad on a full-time basis at the moment, Phillips will be elevated to the Top 30 roster in 2027. In 15 NSW Cup appearances this season, he has managed to score one try and average an impressive 102 running metres per match.
Age: 21
Team: Penrith Panthers
Position: Lock
Contract Status: 2027
26. Cooper Clarke
Currently playing in the Jersey Flegg Cup and guiding the Storm to the SG Ball Cup finals, Cooper Clarke is one of the best young forwards in rugby league and has been described as someone who could easily play 300 or more matches in the NRL.
Taking his game to another level in both attack and defence since moving from the Wests Tigers to the Storm, Clarke is coming off representing the U19s NSW Blues team and had at least five teams chasing his signature last season.
RELATED: Melbourne's next machine: Cooper Clarke speaks on NRL ambitions, decision to join the club
"When the Storm come knocking at the door, you don't really turn it down," Clarke told Zero Tackle.
"It's a privilege every time you get to wear (the jersey), no matter if you play in juniors or A-grade or if you're with the feeder clubs. There's a lot of culture around the club.
"We're a real tight group. We're always together and spend weekends together even after the games.
"(The move) was pretty good. I have a lot of support from my family, especially my mum and my dad and a lot of support from my friends.
"My parents mean the world to me and they gave me everything and support me every day."
Age: 19
Team: Melbourne Storm
Position: Prop
Contract Status: 2028
