The top ten fullbacks of 2025

Every single year the role of the NRL fullback grows to be more important. I'd argue that the biggest star in the game right now is a fullback, while three of the past five Dally M medals have been won by fullbacks. The other two were halves who started their career in the fullback role. In 2025 we were blessed with all time brilliant fullback play. When you see the names who don't make this list, you'll really appreciate the quality across the competition in the custodial role. Please note that this is not just a list of the top ten fullbacks in the game. This is purely based on 2025 performance only. Here are the Top 10 fullbacks from the 2025 season. Jye Gray If there was a list for exceeding expectations, Jye Gray would be number one. His efforts for an otherwise awful Rabbitohs side in 2025 is hard to describe. In his 19 games he crossed for six five tries, had six try assist, made eight line breaks and averaged almost 175 run metres per game. He was forced to made 129 tackles this year, many of them one-on-one try savers. To put this into context, Reece Walsh made 96 tackles, having played two more games! Gray was a rare light in a horror 2025 year for the Bunnies. His re-signing surely signals the fullback role is his moving forward with Latrell moving into the centres. AJ Brimson The Titans fullback is the most underrated number one in the competition. Without him, the Titans finish last. I have no doubt in the world. Across his 23 appearances, 13 came at fullback. It's clear that, despite his brilliant utility value, he's the Titans best number one. It's his best position. 12 tries, 13 try assists, 13 line-breaks and 142 run metres per hame are skewed by his having played five-eighth and at centre but his best games were at the back. Brimson was a rare standout this year for the Titans and will be a huge part of the Josh Hannay era moving forward. It should be in his preferred number one spot. Dylan Edwards When I reached out for opinions for 2025 fullback performances, the Penrith and NSW star split opinion. I'm willing to concede it was probably a down year for a player of his quality but even a "down" year for Dylan Edwards is still magnificent. His 20 games saw him score six tries, assist 10 tries, make 10 line-breaks and break 98 tackles. He ran for almost 220 metres per game and started each Panthers set on the front foot. I think Edwards is a victim of his own lofty heights that we can look at a year like this and still consider is a bit of a let down. Isaiah Iongi I was shocked when Jason Ryles allowed the heart of the Eels, Clint Gutherson, to leave at the end of 2024. Turns out he knew what he had in Isaiah Iongi. There will be people arguing that King Gutho should have made this list, I'll hear it, but for mine Iongi (and others on the list) were just a little better. IN his rookie season, having played one game for Penrith in 2024, he played 21 games for eight tries, 12 try assists, broke 84 tackles and averaged over 170 run metres per game. Parramatta looked set for a rebuild after losing Gutherson and then Dylan Brown, but Iongi's progess is such that they look well ahead of schedule. William Kennedy Somewhere, somehow this be will still be a fan who declares Will Kennedy shouldn't be on this list despite an incredible 2025 season. If you're that person ... I give up! Kennedy suffered a mid-season slump, the entire club did, but his start to the year was blistering and saw him lead the Dally M cound for a while. His end of season was also very good. Across 27 games he scored 11 tries, assisted eight, had seven line-breaks, broke 63 tackles and averaged just under 150 run metres per game. All while being the best fullback in the competition under the high ball. You don't get the tearaway speed of the younger fullbacks but Kennedy more than earned his one year deal for 2026. I await that one person in the comments. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow I swear Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow just keeps getting better and better. Considering his 2025 output, that is frightening! The Hammer played 17 of his 21 games for the Phins at fullback. Across the season he scored 22 tries, made 11 line-breaks, broke 100 tackles, had five try assists and ran for 162 metres per game. There we games in 2025 where Tabuai-Fidow was close to unstoppable. In Round 17 against the Bunnies, he was literally unstoppable! That four try effort was one of the best individual performances of the year. An injury robbed him of a spot in the Samoan side for the Pacific Championship but his efforts at club level came oh so close to delivering the Dolphins a first ever Finals spot. Scott Drinkwater Scott Drinkwater deserved to play Finals football. He carried the Cowboys all season long, with help from Tom Dearden. I joke that Drinkwater is fine costing you two tries a game if he's setting up three. That's very tongue in cheek but the good way outweighs the negative. His 24 games saw him cross for 11 tries, assist 24, break 87 tackles, make 16 line-breaks and run for 147 metres per game. Todd Payten has a host of questions to answer in 2025 but those questions won't revolve around his star number one. A blistering season despite his teammates lack of output. Kaeo Weekes To say the Raiders fullback "kicked on" in 2025 would be one of the understatements of the season. He was breathtaking at times. 25 games saw him produce 11 tries, nearly all them highlight reel efforts, assist seven, run for over 155 metres per game and make 16 line-breaks. He also broke a lazy 117 tackles. Weekes scored the try of the season, for mine, in Golden Point against the Panthers at Bathurst. If you haven't yet seen it, go and find it immediately. He has a huge part to play in the Green Machine's run to the Minor Premiership. He was brilliant in the first final against the Broncos too and almost saw his side through to a Prelim. James Tedesco If this was just a regular season list, Tedesco would have wrapped it up. He won the Dally M medal by a huge margin and was utterly fantastic for the Roosters. Without their skipper, the Roosters don't play Finals. They probably don't even get close. His 25 games saw him cross for 11 tries, assist 22, break an eye watering 164 tackles and make 21 line-breaks, all while average 294 run metres per game. Tedesco could have not have done more to inspire his side. He was a deserving Dally M medalist and was sure to be in the Ashes squad before withdrawing. Reece Walsh I fully understand some fans will want Tedesco here at one due to his Dally M winning season, but Reece Walsh was 11/10 in the Finals series. He literally saved the Grand Final on two occasions late on and was downright ridiculous in attack. He had spiders on him in that second half. He was the easiest choice to award the Clive Churchill Medal as there will ever be. In his 21 appearances for the Broncos in 2025 he scored 12 tries, set up a ridiculous 26 tries, had 113 tackle breaks, made 10 line-breaks and ran for just under 150 metres per game. Walsh literally timed his run to perfection. He was the best player in the competition in the biggest games of the season. He earned that Kangaroos jersey and was best on ground in his international debut.

		P	W	PTS	+/-
1	CAN	1	1	4	1
2	MEL	1	1	2	48
3	CRO	1	1	2	40
4	PEN	1	1	2	26
5	NZW	1	1	2	24
6	NEW	1	1	2	10
7	SOU	1	1	2	10
8	CBR	1	1	2	1

The top ten fullbacks of 2025

A tricky call at number one, and a pair of breakout seasons.

4. Scott Drinkwater

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