Official William Kennedy

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Capital_Shark said:
Just out of interest, who is everyone’s number 1 fullback this season?

How do we rate them 1-17? We can even leave some room for the extras like Trey Fuller and Jye Gray. I’m going to say you have to disregard their salary otherwise Will Kennedy would be heads and shoulders above the rest. If money wasn’t a thing, who is the best fullback?
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In terms of individual performance, I'd hear an argument for Edwards, Teddy, Drinkwater, Ponga and Fa'alongo. None of them are feeling leaps and bounds ahead of how Kennedy has been performing this year, though. Especially when you look at consistency. Someone like Walsh has had great games, but they've been way too infrequent to say he's been close to Kennedy this year.
 
Sharksby40 said:
In terms of individual performance, I'd hear an argument for Edwards, Teddy, Drinkwater, Ponga and Fa'alongo. None of them are feeling leaps and bounds ahead of how Kennedy has been performing this year, though. Especially when you look at consistency. Someone like Walsh has had great games, but they've been way too infrequent to say he's been close to Kennedy this year.
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Edwards, Teddy and Ponga are the only ones I would have in that discussion. And that is on their best days which can come and go. When Edwards is off, he is very off, dropped balls everywhere. Teddy is always a handful and safe at the back. Ponga is a weapon but he misses a lot of games.
 
Capital_Shark said:
Just out of interest, who is everyone’s number 1 fullback this season?

How do we rate them 1-17? We can even leave some room for the extras like Trey Fuller and Jye Gray. I’m going to say you have to disregard their salary otherwise Will Kennedy would be heads and shoulders above the rest. If money wasn’t a thing, who is the best fullback?
Click to expand...
Assuming we are also taking health into account and ignoring age and future potential and just measuring by on field performance... top 3 for me this season would be Edwards, Hammer, Teddy in no particular order.

Kennedy is in the next group.

Walsh, Turbo, Latrell, Ponga all considered better players on their day, but availability a factor this season.
 
Capital_Shark said:
Edwards, Teddy and Ponga are the only ones I would have in that discussion. And that is on their best days which can come and go. When Edwards is off, he is very off, dropped balls everywhere. Teddy is always a handful and safe at the back. Ponga is a weapon but he misses a lot of games.
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Yeah I just think there's an argument for guys like Drinky and Sua too. But they are both lightning in a bottle in attack but suspect in D. I don't think you'd trade that as our side doesn't ask for a ball hungry fullback.
Sharks NRL Prospects said:
Assuming we are also taking health into account and ignoring age and future potential and just measuring by on field performance... top 3 for me this season would be Edwards, Hammer, Teddy in no particular order.

Kennedy is in the next group.

Walsh, Turbo, Latrell, Ponga all considered better players on their day, but availability a factor this season.
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Hammer is a good shout too.
 
Sharks NRL Prospects said:
Assuming we are also taking health into account and ignoring age and future potential and just measuring by on field performance... top 3 for me this season would be Edwards, Hammer, Teddy in no particular order.

Kennedy is in the next group.

Walsh, Turbo, Latrell, Ponga all considered better players on their day, but availability a factor this season.
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I’m the same. If he could stay fit and on the park though Ponga would be close to number 1. Just doesn’t though. Hammer can be a bit quiet and Edwards can have some strange games where he just shits the gear. Teddy and Kennedy the most consistent performers.
 
Will's making a case for himself.
Probably the best part is that he's taking the opportunities the rest of the team are offering. His involvement is way up, he's acting more like a leader and shouldering more responsibility in workload... That alone is changing perceptions.
 
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Drinkwater is not only suss under the highball, his defense is poo (granted he is a small bloke even for a fullback)

A "safe" fullback like Kennedy can work very well for a team like ours providing the rest of our spine is firing and getting it done in attack Kennedy can just chime in as needed occasionally from the back, around the ruck or popping up on an edge. He doesn't need to be our main spark with the ball.

Some fans have said we will never win a premiership with Kennedy at fullback but I disagree. We won a comp with Townsend & Ricky L and fans were saying for years we would never do it with players like that in our 17.

Kennedy is not the reason we went down to Penrith in the prelim last season. If anything he was a big part of why we got to the finals and a Prelim in the first place.

It's about the whole team from the forwards to the spine to the backline playing well together with commitment, focus and intensity and executing a plan. That makes every player better and also takes the pressure off spine players to pull off something special or miraculous.

Our halves are killing it right not because our forward pack is killing it right now. They are giving our spine a good platform to work from.

It's not about having a X factor fullback to paper over the cracks of an otherwise inconsistent, soft, ill-disciplined and/or mediocre team.

Look at how vulnerable and backwards teams like Manly and Newcastle become if Turbo or Ponga are out of action. They rely on their number 1 too much to make things happen out the back while not getting the basics right and their teams talent and depth wise are not balanced.

A X factor fullback is icing on the top, not the base of the whole cake you put in the oven to cook and then wonder why it still tastes funny

Best fullback in the world was never going to save this team if they didn't start getting all the other stuff right like line speed, discpline and defense.

What Reece Walsh did for the Broncos last year was once in a generation type stuff and they really pushed their luck all the way to the second half of a Grand Final riding on his coattails.

Look at the Broncos this season, they cannot replicate it (injuries or not)

In the second half of 2026 I see a Will Kennedy more willing to run the ball into contact and absorb the collisions. His defense can still be very suss or lackadaisical at times but overall I would say that part of his game has also become if not better well at least a little tougher. He has made some good tackles (to go with some of the weaker efforts) and his positioning and urgency in defense seems to have improved as well.

Playing for another contract with an uncertain future in the game earlier in the season he might have been feeling some nerves and pressure. Seems to be more back to his old solid self the last month or so. Not to say he didn't have good games in the first half of 2026 cause I'm pretty sure he did it's just he looked a little shaky at times.

Let's also not forget that Will CAN channel the great Peach and produce some special X factor type moments off his own back at times, it's not like he isn't capable but he is more of a pick his moments kinda guy not force the issue and make a mistake.
 
Vichyssoise said:
Dufty didn't play the draw and pass all that well, but Will's effort to tackle Gray was fantastic.
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Yeah great tackle and momentum changer. They score that and they are on the front foot.

I also reckon the ref was letting it go, thinking he would score so the bunker will review the Sharks player taken out.
 
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Never thought I would write this but 'can we win a comp with this guy as our fullback'?

The answer is, yes we can.

This guy has been ****ing incredible this season and continues to show little bits of improvement every game. He is now one of the most important pieces to the puzzle imo to hopefully going all the way this year. We can't do it without him.
 
Bundy Shark said:
Serious question, has he got quicker in the last season or so?
By know means was her ever slow & whilst he is not what I call express but for me, he looks faster than what he has been previous seasons.
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I'd have said he looks the same, but I also wouldn't have picked him to to chase down and tackle Gray when they made that break.
Managed to recover and get to the second man. Good stuff
 
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