The role of the five-eighth is fun!
They play a hybrid attacking game of a fullback mixed with the halfback. Throw in the movement of a centre and often the defensive work of a second rower.
2025 produced some magnificent efforts in the number six. We are here today to try and rank those.
This was the most difficult position to rank. Fletcher Sharpe was on track until his injury. Huge Savala was dropped more than once. Luke Brooks had some great heights and some horror lows.
Again, this is a list of the best ten performers for 2025 only. This isn't a list of the top five-eighths outright.
With that said, below are the top 10 five-eighths for the 2025 season:
8. Jarome Luai
Many worried that Jarome Luai wouldn't be able to replicate his form outside of the Penrith system. Although he didn't reach the heights of recent years, he was very good.
Much was made of the fact that he only scored one try, which I can understand, but moving from five-eight to halfback and back often really hurt his role and momentum.
21 games for his new side also yielded 12 try assists, 10 line-break assists, 11 forced dropouts, 270 kick metres per game and 86 run metres per game. He tackled at just under 83%.
Much was asked of Luai for the Tigers and I think in the main he delivered. A full off-season beside his preferred halfback will work wonders for next year.
I share your uncertainty as to how to classify Ben Hunt. To me, he’s simply the ultimate utility player. If his team needs him to play 6, he’ll play 6 – or 7 or 9, and he probably has the skill to play 1 if he ever ended up at club that needed a replacement full-back for the weekend.
Trindall at 3 ? Hmmm. No. I see him as a 7 rather than a 6 but whilst Nicho is on the big money and is the face of the club, Nicho gets to wear the 7 if that’s what he wants, even though I think 6 is his natural spot.