To say I am excited for the 2024 season is a massive understatement.
Vegas? Eh. Origin? Pass. Week to week club Rugby League from Thursday until Sunday? Yes please!
One of the aspects of the game I enjoy the most across each season is seeing young talent to emerge to become superstars.
It seems like just yesterday that a young Nathan Cleary was debuting to huge promise. Or a hulking Payne Haas was quickly becoming an elite prop in his early days.
Who will it be in 2024 you ask? Well, let me tell you.
Below are ten players who I expect to become household names in 2024.
That's not to say they're complete unknowns now. Naming them suggests I know each player, something I'm sure many readers will have in common.
To the average punter though, if I asked them to name 100 NRL players, they probably wouldn't name any of the below.
These are more players I expect everyone to sit back this time next year and remark around what a star they became in 2024.
Please note: if you're here looking for either Jahream Bula or Jacob Preston, they both won their club's Player of the Year award and thus graduate from this list.
9. Toby Couchman (St George Illawarra Dragons)
The Dragons have endured a pretty dire few seasons but the future is bright, at least in the form of two brothers.
Toby Couchman made 15 appearances for the Red V in 2023 and showed more than enough to suggest he'll be a big part of the Dragons engine room moving forward.
A 20 year-old prop with junior rep experience is the kind of player Shane Flanagan will need to build around in 2024.
His stats in his four NSW Cup games prove he is capable of much more than we've seen thus far. He played a full 80 minutes twice, including once at prop.
Expect to see a lot more of Toby in 2024.
