@Bundy Shark several of these guys have their own threads in the
Pathways Players section but I'll give you a blurb on each of them.
Note that for the comparisons here I mean style rather than ability.
Nikora Williams (Turning 20 this year) has been highly rated for a long time. He played his first Harold Matthews game at 14, made the Australian Schoolboys at 16 and was a starting player in Flegg at 18. His
best position is right centre but he has played both wings at various times and a little bit of left centre when needed as cover. Quick, strong and really good at finding his winger when he is attacking on the right. More likely to beat someone with footwork, timing and a fend than going over the top of them or with raw speed.
One thing you are going to notice about him is that he is a pest and he gets under the opposition's skin. Every second week he is involved in some niggle or other. Nothing to the point where he gets suspended, but just like Ronnie you know that when something starts he won't be far from it. The kid is just a competitor.
He's only played two NSW Cup games so far, which is a little behind where I thought he might have been. Very much a top player at Flegg level now though. Will be a Cup starter by round 1 next year at the latest.
NRL Comparison: Jack Bird
Prestyn Laine-Sietu (20) was the Sharks junior rep player of the year last year (ages 19 and under). He's a Queenslander, went to Nudgee (same as Atko) and I think was previously in the Bulldogs system. He had a rusty start to SG Ball last year but by a few rounds in he started to stand out, and then went up and played Flegg as a 19 year old. He is really effective on yardage, so much so that my son was watching him and said he was an Iro clone. He is better at setting up winger than KL is though.
He's played a little bit of winger but mostly left centre. Really strong, but quick and athletic too. He missed the start of the year with an (unknown) injury, but I think he would have gotten a run in the first trial if he was available. Really good player. Slightly behind Williams I feel, but likely to push up to NSW Cup in place of Gabrael when MG makes the step to the NRL.
NRL Comparison: Aaron Moule
Liam Ison (22) is obviously easing his way back in after the injury. He's not far off where he was beforehand though. Just an excitement machine who is always hovering around the ball and makes players miss with strength, speed and footwork.
He has some work to do rounding out the rest of his fullback game (kick defusal, defence, passing game) but for a player who just missed 18 months of footy he looks really confident and is not far off in those areas either. He has started to play more out the back of shape recently and has laid on some nice passes.
I said in another thread that he gets called "small" a lot but I wouldn't really say that. He's not big but he's taller than guys like Grey, Kini and Fuller - and has filled out his frame a lot since his debut in 2024. A strong finish to this season for the Jets and another off-season getting bigger and stronger will see him pushing hard for a look next year.
NRL Comparison: Taine Tuaupiki
Jaxon Lavender (22) was the Raiders jersey Flegg captain last year, and split time between Flegg and NSW Cup. He is a Jets-contracted player, but did appear in the Sharks trial.
The feature of Lavender's game are his physical tools. He is strong, really broad, quick, and has a great work ethic. He gets through a mountain of work on both sides of the ball and is a dangerous line runner. He has generally been great for the Jets this season, but has had 1-2 poor games. He has played on the right edge this season, but I believe he has spent time on either side in the past. I think he has potential and wouldn't be a bad player to put on a train and trial deal next season. Could probably be a handy bench middle too.
NRL Comparison: Ethan Bullemor / Kai O'Donnell
Riley Pollard (21) is coming along nicely, but still a while off NRL in my opinion. Calls for him to come in to a bench spot in the NRL or get picked ahead of Niwhai Puru are too early. I believe he's a bit over-hyped based on the Aussie Schoolboys selection. Making a school rep team will get a player into an NRL system, but it's what they do after leaving school and playing against adults that matters.
Pollard got a taste of NSW Cup last season whenever there were injuries, and has been a full time Jets player since round 1 his year. Last season was a mixed bag with some nice highlights but also some howlers. This season he is fitting in a lot better and playing more controlled.
His strengths are is kicking game and his short passing. He can also play out the back of shape but can be forced into some errors when he is playing with the defence in his face. Physically I wouldn't say he stands out anywhere but also doesn't get left behind anywhere either (average height, weight, speed for a half). He attacked around the ruck well in Flegg but we haven't seen that yet in NSW Cup.
Defensively he has his issues - much like any half. He usually reads the play well and is a competitor but can get beaten one on one fairly frequently. He is improving though. He's also spent a bit of time at hooker lately, which some fans hate but I think will be good for him to develop his defensive game. I'd say that unless you have unrealistic expectations of him being the next DCE or something he is about where I would expect a 21 year old halfback to be - which is almost identical to where Nicho, Tricky and Niwhai all were at the same age.
NRL Comparison: Mathew Head
Sam McCulloch (22) was a strong Sharks junior pathways player at every level and also with Endeavour for school footy, He captained Flegg last year and was a key player for them. He has been a victim of the numbers game this season though. The Sharks and Jets haven't had many injuries, so Sam being down the list has sometimes sat out games as 18th man or has played with the Pirates.
Talent-wise Sam has the skills and the work ethic. He just seems down the list right now compared to some other players. He plays big minutes with the Pirates but only gets a short stint when he does come up to Cup. He does a lot of work on tip-ons and support lines for his teammates, and features heavily on Fa'atili's highlight reel with those things. I'm not sure I'd necessarily call him a "ballplaying lock", but rather someone who is quite good at running tip on plays to get the ball two passes wide. That's a skill any good forward needs.
He's also a strong ball runner, has an offload in his game and gets through a lot of work in defence. He just needs to play his way past someone. Things could change though with some NRL talent moving on in 2027.
NRL Comparison: Nathan Brown
Felix Fa'atili (22) is probably the prospect who gets most over-hyped by Sharks fans. He's good, but raw. Felix came to the Sharks at 18 via the Wynnum Seagulls junior reps. He's a tremendous athlete for a man his size. He draws in 3-4 defenders with every carry, is deadly running the ball close to the line, and can win a tackle with an offload or a quick play the ball. He's an exciting prospect and his highlights are fun viewing.
He is a young forward building a motor though, and especially in this PVL-ball situation that has become very important. Felix right now is a lot like Royce Hunt 5-6 years ago. He is playing short stints with high involvement in attack and looking great, but if possession goes the other way and he is asked to defend for long stretches he can really struggle. That's OK. At this age there is a balance going on with forwards where they are trying to get bigger/stronger but also fitter, and those two things can conflict. He is developing nicely but like Pollard the calls for him to be picked in the NRL are very premature. Give him time.
He's played every game for the Jets except one (suspended I think) but could possibly drop out of the 17 in a week where everyone else was healthy. That probably won't happen for the foreseeable future though, given the injurie to Brailey and Uele.
NRL Comparison: Sam Kasiano
Cruiz Devine (22) aged out of Flegg at the end of 2025. To my knowledge isn't part of the Sharks system anymore.
Tom Dellow (19) is an animal. He's made every rep team he has been eligible for in the last 5 years, captained most of them and started Flegg games at 18. He's in the top 30 and of anyone on this list would be the shortest odds to become an NRL player within the next 2 years.
I've written plenty about him already
in his own thread so won't repeat everything I've said there. He's a beast. If he's not playing for the Jets by round 3 next year I'll be shocked.
NRL Comparison: Max Plath.
Jontay Junior Bethan Misa (24) isn't Sharks contracted that I know of, but is the best of the Jets-contracted forwards in my opinion. He's moved around a bit looking for opportunities (including a season in Q Cup) but has been a fairly regular player at Cup level since he was 20. Is a no-nonsense middle who runs hard and tackles hard.
Like others, he has been a bit of a victim of the Sharks unusually healthy forward stocks. He has played some games in third-grade but would be one of the best players at that level. It appears to me that he is behind Fa'atili in the pecking order for a jersey but when they play in the same game Jontay usually gets more minutes. Definitely ahead of Taateo and McCulloch at the moment.
NRL Comparison: Francis Molo
Understand you totally now.
