Ahh, the life of an NRL number nine.
Make your 50 tackles. Better not miss any. Tired marker? You better be running the ball!
Today we round out the end-of-year positional rankings by looking at the numbers nines.
As always, this is a list of based purely on 2025 performances and isn't just a blanket top ten list in the position.
Below are the top 10 hookers from the 2025 season:
Honourable Mention: Reece Robson
2. Blayke Brailey
The Dally M Hooker of the Year had a career-best year in 2025. There were plenty of times in the know that were ready to crown him as the best in the game.
Brailey's run game had teams on the back foot all season. He also saw a huge leap in his game when he was awarded the club captaincy.
He played all 27 games for the Sharks in 2025 where he crossed for three tries, assisted a ridiculous 14 tries, ran for just under 50 metres per game and tackled at almost 95%.
Unfortunately, he didn't feature in the Ashes campaign, but he should be the first player picked for the Blues in 2026.
I’d drop Starling below Api and Walters; in fact I think I’d have Api at #3 in the rankings. It’s hard to look good in a team that isn’t going well, but he managed it.
Nah, I think Starling has been better than Walters.