They’re the men who quite often are the unsung heroes of the NRL, overshadowed by their team’s primary playmakers.
But if halfbacks and fullbacks have become the most influential, and highly paid, players in the modern game, a good five-eighth remains worth his weight in gold.Like Batman and Robin, the Lone Ranger and Tonto, and Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, the main man needs a trusty sidekick.
It might be 20-odd years since the halcyon days that featured champions like Brad Fittler, Laurie Daley, Darren Lockyer and Cliff Lyons going head to head on a weekly basis, and the role has evolved, but there are still some good’uns getting around.
So who’s the best six-gun in the business?
We’ve had a crack at ranking them, and look forward to some healthy debate from fans who may have differing opinions.
So without further ado, in reverse order, here goes.
17: Ezra Mam (Broncos). His sensational hat-trick of tries in the 2023 grand final would suggest the 21-year-old flyer deserves to be near the pointy end of this list, rather than stony motherless. But let’s face it – who knows how much footy he will be playing in 2025? After he was charged with drug driving and unlicensed driving following a car crash on October 18, Mam has reportedly booked himself in for a stint in rehab and started working on a building site.
He faces a court hearing next week and is not expected to resume training until January, at the earliest. While Mam has not been de-registered by the NRL, he is almost certainly facing a lengthy sanction and it’s anyone’s guess how much value he will provide for new Broncos coach Michael Maguire next season.
16: Kyle Flanagan (Dragons). After stints with Cronulla, Sydney Roosters and Canterbury, Flanagan was thrown an NRL lifeline by his father Shane, the St George Illawarra coach. Had a reasonable first season with the Dragons, making 20 appearances and scoring five tries, but will have to take a bit more ownership of the team after the departure of Ben Hunt. Needs to quickly develop a combination with new halves partner Lachlan Ilias.
Kyle Flanagan celebrates with teammates after scoring. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
15: Te Maire Martin/Luke Metcalf/Chanel Harris-Tavita (Warriors). Shaun Johnson’s retirement leaves a massive void and it looks as if Warriors coach Andrew Webster faces a tough call to decide who of Martin, Metcalf and Harris-Tavita he will pair up at the scrumbase.
They shared the five-eighth duties in the 16 games Johnson played last season. In his absence, the Warriors struggled, and Webster needs to find a solution or they appear destined for another season with the also-rans.
14: Sandon Smith (Roosters). The 22-year-old looks a solid prospect, judging by his 30 NRL appearances thus far. He is more renowned as a halfback, but after Luke Keary bid the Chooks au revoir at the end of last season, there is a vacancy at second receiver.
Smith is expected to partner former Cowboys half Chad Townsend in the early part of next year, at least until Sam Walker has returned from a knee reconstruction. It’s a perfect opportunity for him to establish himself as a first-grade regular.
13: Blaize Talagi (Panthers). Of the 20 games in his debut NRL season, only two were as five-eighth. The Eels lost those games 17-16 to Wests Tigers and 41-8 to Canberra. Talagi spent the rest of the season shuffling between centre, wing and fullback, scoring 11 tries in the process.
He’s still an L-plater but will appreciate the luxury next year of playing for the four-time premiers, alongside the greatest player of his generation in Nathan Cleary. Huge potential.
12: Ethan Strange (Raiders). Played 21 games for the Raiders last season, the vast majority of them while he was still only 19. A feisty competitor with a dangerous left-foot step, he’ll be hoping to improve with a full season of first grade under his belt. Raiders coach Ricky Stuart sees a lot of himself in his young protege, who he is backing to become a long-term top-grader.
Ethan Strange. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
11: Tyson Gamble/Jack Cogger/Will Pryce (Knights). The question of who will be playing five-eighth for Newcastle next season looks a bit of a mystery trifecta at this point. Coach Adam O’Brien churned through seven halves pairings last season and appeared no closer to figuring out his best option by the time the Knights bowed out in week one of the play-offs.
Gamble is probably the most likely candidate. He offers a bit more strike in attack than Cogger, and is more experienced and stronger defensively than English import Pryce. If O’Brien keeps chopping and changing, it’s hard to see Newcastle discovering the consistency they crave.
10: Kodi Nikorima (Dolphins). Still a handy player at 30, as evidenced by his 21 games for the Dolphins this year and three end-of-season Tests for New Zealand. Also an option as fullback or bench utility, which could allow new coach Kristian Woolf to pair up Isaiya Katoa and Sean O’Sullivan in the halves.
Katoa and O’Sullivan, however, are both natural first receivers and the elusive Nikorima might be a more dangerous prospect in the No.6 jersey.
9: Braydon Trindall (Sharks). Finished 2024 strongly, after missing five games mid-season over a social drugs indiscretion that led to a suspension. Took charge of Cronulla while Nicho Hynes was out injured and seemed to relish that responsibility.
Trindall and Hynes in tandem would appear the best bet for Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon, but Daniel Atkinson could also come into the equation in what is expected to be his final season in the Sutherland Shire before linking with St George Illawarra.
8: Kieran Foran (Titans). He might be held together by Elastoplast, but the 34-year-old veteran of 303 NRL games and 31 Tests for the Kiwis remains one of the smartest operators getting around. His toughness and resilience is without question. He’s played 41 of a possible 48 games since moving to the Gold Coast, despite getting battered on a regular basis.
The other candidate Titans coach Des Hasler will no doubt closely consider as five-eighth is former Wallabies playmaker Carter Gordon. Gordon has been signed on spec and faces a steep learning curve, but Foran could be the ideal mentor/partner to steer him through the transition.
Dylan Brown. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
7: Dylan Brown (Eels). It’s about time the Kiwi international got his you-know-what together and started living up to his reputation. He’s not a kid anymore. He’s 24, he’s played in 123 first-grade games and eight Tests for New Zealand, and he should be approaching the prime years of his career.
With a quality half alongside him in Mitchell Moses, Brown has no excuses in 2025. The Eels need more from him, ASAP.
6: Luke Brooks (Sea Eagles). After a dismal decade at Wests Tigers, Brooks found arguably the best form of his NRL career when he joined Manly last season.With champion Daly Cherry-Evans calling the shots, Brooks was able to pick and choose his moments. He played in all 26 games for the Sea Eagles next year, scoring five tries and proving the perfect foil for DCE.
The left-footer gives Manly kicking options on both edges, and his pace and footwork mean that he is a constant threat to opposition defences. If he can improve on last season, the Ses Eagles are capable of going deep into the finals.
5: Tom Dearden (Cowboys). Is this the same bloke who left the Broncos mid-season in 2021 because he had fallen out of favour? Since linking with the Cowboys, he has become one of the NRL’s elite five-eighths, representing Queensland and Australia over the past two seasons. He’s also co-captain of North Queensland and, at just 23, there is still plenty of upside in his game.
4: Cody Walker (Rabbitohs). He’ll be 35 next season but he remains one of the classiest ball-players of the modern era. He is especially lethal down the left edge, in combination with Latrell Mitchell and Jack Wighton. How much longer he has left in him is the big question.
Given that he didn’t debut in the NRL until the age of 26, maybe he can keep going strong for a few more years, although you can be sure Wayne Bennett will tap him on the shoulder when his time is up. More immediately, Walker’s challenge will be to establish a combination with English import Lewis Dodd, who shapes as Souths’ new halfback next year.
3: Matt Burton (Bulldogs). A class act at club, Origin and international level. As well as being a great ball-runner, he possesses the most lethal kicking game in the NRL, regularly terrorising fullbacks with his torpedo bombs. Turning 25 next year, he’s ready to take his game to the next level. He could do worse than emulate his former Penrith teammate Stephen Crichton, who transformed Canterbury into winners last season on the strength of his willpower. A little bit of Crichton’s mongrel might go a long way with Burton.
2: Cameron Munster (Storm). At his best, Munster can perform a passable Wally Lewis impersonation, such is his ability to turn a match on its head with instinctive, individual brilliance. He’s won grand finals, Origin series and World Cup deciders.
What more needs to be said? The groin injury that hindered him last season is a concern for Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy. The Storm won six out of seven of the games he missed, but Bellamy will be well aware that they are unlikely to win a grand final unless Munster is on deck.
Jarome Luai. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
1. Jarome Luai (Tigers). If Luai wasn’t the best overall player in rugby league last season, he was surely in the conversation. Not only did he help Penrith win a fourth straight grand final – taking charge of the team whenever Nathan Cleary was sidelined through injury – he was also a key contributor for NSW in their Origin-series triumph.
The 27-year-old faces a completely different challenge after signing a massive deal with Wests Tigers, and he is set to switch permanently halfback to allow teenage tyro Lachlan Galvin to continue at five-eighth.
Luai should fit snugly into the No.7 jersey at club level, but he will be odds-on to play five-eighth for NSW. And if the Blues retain their title, Luai will again have valid claims to the unofficial title of rugby league’s premier pivot.
With Luai calling the shots, it will be fascinating to track Galvin’s development, after his impressive debut NRL season.It might be that this time next year, Romey’s young offsider is challenging for top spot on this list.