I know, long bloody post, look three team lists doesn't help alright!
Fair enough , was just hoping there was one ripping it apart .
BUT , get the gist that some make it from nowhere and others like Pele , might NEVER make it
Even if they are chopping up at those younger ages it is super hard to tell for most how they will progress
1. Nick Meaney Newcastle Knights
2. Isaac Lumelume Cronulla Sharks
3. Jesse Ramien Cronulla Sharks
4. Curtis Scott Melbourne Storm
5. Reuben Garrick St George Illawarra Dragons
6. Jai Field St George Illawarra Dragons
7. Troy Dargan Parramatta Eels
8. Emre Guler Canberra Raiders
9. Reece Robson St George Illawarra Dragons
10. Blake Lawrie St George Illawarra Dragons
11. Cameron Murray South Sydney Rabbitohs
12. Jack Murchie Canberra Raiders
13. Nat Butcher Sydney Roosters
14. Victor Radley Sydney Roosters
15. Ray Stone Parramatta Eels
16. Stefano Hala Penrith Panthers
17. Billy Magoulias Cronulla Sharks
18. Jai Whitbread Brisbane Broncos
2017 NSW U20 side, all played at least 1 game NRL besides I think Hala. How many are rep stars? Murray and Radley? Then probably Robson, Garrick and Ramien the next tier, with Field thrown in for his ESL exploits. A few others had pretty good 2023s.
Bar the superstars who crack NRL before 20 these are the best NSW players at that age and many are hardly huge stars now. Not easy to talent ID which current SG Ball players are future senior rep stars when the best blokes at 20 aren't guaranteed to be.
Here's the 20 man squad from 2020
1 Tex Hoy (Newcastle Knights)
2 Tuipolota Katoa (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
3 Stephen Crichton (Penrith Panthers)
4 Ethan Parry (Parramatta Eels)
5 Jason Saab (St George Illawarra Dragons)
6 Cooper Johns (Melbourne Storm)
7 Brandon Wakeham (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
8 Spencer Leniu (Penrith Panthers)
9 Sam Verrills (Sydney Roosters)
10 Oregon Kaufusi (Parramatta Eels)
11 Teig Wilton (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks)
12 Matthew Doorey (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
13 Darby Medlyn (Canberra Raiders)
14 Luke Huth (Newcastle Knights)
15 Stefano Utoikamanu (Parramatta Eels)
16 Matt Croker (Newcastle Knights)
17 Ky Rodwell (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
18 Tommy Talau (Wests Tigers)
19 Alex Seyfarth (Wests Tigers)
20 Phoenix Crossland (Newcastle Knights)
Crichton probably only one here you could call a guaranteed rep standard player. Leniu and Stefano are around that level. Like above a few others had good 2023 and still plenty of ceiling to hit.
It was U19s this year and I think only one has made NRL debut from that side, so hard to confidently assess who of our 17/19 year olds has a big future.
And if you wanna look even further at how hard talent ID of the younger teams is here is NSW U16 squad from 2017
Jackson Topine Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Damon Smith Cronulla Sharks
Thomas Demeio Cronulla Sharks
Douglas Levi Cronulla Sharks
Blake Dowel Illawarra Steelers
Connor Muhleisen Illawarra Steelers
Max Feagai Illawarra Steelers
Mathew Feagai Illawarra Steelers
Aaron Schoupp Illawarra Steelers
Jack Walsh Illawarra Steelers
Filimaua Filimaua-Tau Manly Sea Eagles
Alec Tuitavake Manly Sea Eagles
Ben Trbojevic Manly Sea Eagles
Josh Schuster Manly Sea Eagles
Kaeo Weekes Manly Sea Eagles
Albert Hopoate Manly Sea Eagles
Harry Croker Newcastle Knights
Jaron Purcell Newcastle Knights
Max Buderus Newcastle Knights
Kobe Davies Newcastle Knights
Cooper Jenkins Newcastle Knights
Patrick Achurch Newcastle Knights
Bradman Best Newcastle Knights
David Hollis Parramatta Eels
Sam Hughes Parramatta Eels
Jed Edwards Parramatta Eels
Tyler Field Parramatta Eels
Kobe Rugless Sydney Roosters
Think that's 12 NRL players from a squad of 28 who are now around 22 and I know who very few of the others are.