NRL club’s depth at hooker for 2025 and beyond
Regularly leading their team for touches in attack and also tackles in defence hooker is one of the most crucial roles at any NRL club. Some big names at the position are on the move – DAVID RICCIO looks at every club’s situation.
NSW State of Origin hooker Reece Robson’s move to the Roosters from 2026 will force Brandon Smith to find a new club, at the same time as the Knights decide whether to let Jayden Brailey go.
David Riccio analyses the hooker health of every NRL club.
EELS
Parramatta haven’t been able to recover at hooker since Reed Mahoney left the club. They were – and still are – keen on Knights hooker Jayden Brailey, but Newcastle have changed their mind on letting him leave. The go-slow in transaction has led the Eels to re-sign Brendan Hands until the end of 2026. Capable hooker Joey Lussick is also at the club for 2025.
After failing to land Brailey, there’s increasing mail that Parramatta are saving their pennies for a big play at hooker in 2026.
KNIGHTS
Much like their high rotation of halves, the Knights have a number of dummy-half options in 2025 which will make next season fascinating for fans and so too, how coach Adam O’Brien attempts to find the best balance between Jayden Brailey, Phoenix Crossland and the next in-line Riley Jones and Matt Arthur.
ROOSTERS
The omission of Brandon Smith for the first half of the season has placed immense pressure on the classy Connor Watson to remain both in-form and healthy. Watson averaged 68-minutes on the field at hooker last season, proving just how crucial he is to the Roosters. However, the Roosters know their depth at hooker is thin, which is why they held talks with Ben Hunt.
RAIDERS
This is how much the Green Machine are backing the rise to NRL of a young hooker that few fans have heard of, 20-year-old Owen Pattie. Before NSW State of Origin hooker Reece Robson signed with the Roosters, the tip from those close to the Cowboys hooker was that Ricky Stuart was a coach he would be willing to play under.
However, the Raiders didn’t flinch on the idea, unwilling to roadblock Pattie’s path to first grade. What makes the Raiders dummy-half situation even more interesting is that both current starting nine’s Tom Starling and Danny Levi remain without a contract beyond next season.
SHARKS
The Sharks are more than secure in the dummy-half position with one of the game’s elite No.9’s in Blayke Brailey contracted through until the end of 2026. Brailey wasted no time showing his intent for 2025, finishing first with a personal best time in the 1.2km time trial on day one of pre-season training last Friday.
The 26-year-old is also incredibly durable having played every game for the club over the past two seasons. However, depth at hooker is questionable with back-up Jayden Berrell the club’s only real notable NRL-ready hooker with Sam Healey moved to the Warriors.
BRONCOS
Ben Hunt’s arrival changes the dummy-half landscape for the Broncos dramatically to the point where the club has an oversupply of hookers in their roster with a total of five. Billy Walters, Cory Paix, Tyson Smoothy, Blake Mozer and Hunt are all dummy-half options. Surely something has to give and we’ll see a departure before round one. The fall guy could come from Paix, Smoothy and Mozer, who are yet to be re-signed beyond next season.
BULLDOGS
Reed Mahoney has a stranglehold on the Bulldogs hooking role, but he isn’t without pressure.
Kurt Mann, Bailey Hayward and Jake Turpin were all options for Canterbury throughout last season. The reality is though, if Mahoney fires – and equally manages his temperament – the jersey is his to lose.
COWBOYS
The Cowboys now have $800,000 to spend in their salary cap and to use on replacing the Roosters-bound Reece Robson in 2026. It would make sense for the Cowboys to go shopping at the Broncos, where they can pick from one of five different dummy-half options. The other option is for the Cowboys to pick-up the unwanted Brandon Smith from the Roosters at a much cheaper rate than his current $850,000 salary. If the Cowboys can lure Smith at half that price, on the back of a torn ACL, it could prove decent business.
DOLPHINS
Attacking dummy-half Jeremy Marshall-King is everything for Redcliffe with the classy hooker locked in until the end 2028 – the longest deal at the club alongside Isaiya Katoa and Tom Gilbert. Max Plath impressed when Marshall-King was injured in 2024 and is a handy backup.
DRAGONS
The high-profile signing of Damien Cook will change the way Saints attack in 2025 markedly. Coupled with the one-two punch of Jacob Liddle, the Dragons are well covered at nine. If required due to injury or suspension, Kyle Flanagan has also proven he’s more than capable at hooker with his strong defence, service and kicking game.
PANTHERS
The premiers have proven they have an outstanding No.9 with Mitch Kenny emerging as one of the game’s best ruck controllers in the game. Averaging an extraordinary 77-minutes per-game last season, Kenny is as fit and durable as any hooker in the NRL. The Panthers have Soni Luke and Luke Sommerton as cover should anything happen to Kenny.
RABBITOHS
This will become a major focal point of discussion in 2025 for the Rabbitohs after Wayne Bennett ticked-off on the release of Damien Cook, knowing the club will need to bank on what they have in their roster for 2025. That will come in the shape of Peter Mamouzelos, who the club clearly believe in given he’s signed through until the end of 2027. When fit, experienced campaigner Siliva Havili can provide punch from the bench, while the club’s next best option is Sea Eagles recruit Jamie Humphreys.
SEA EAGLES
A position Manly aren’t struggling for options in with first-choice hooker Lachlan Croker certain to begin 2025 with the nine on his back. The signing of Warriors power-runner Jazz Tevaga gives the Sea Eagles a new relief hooking option from the bench, while Jake Simpkin and Gordon Chan Kum Tong also give Anthony Seibold plenty of cover at nine.
STORM
On average, Harry Grant spent just four minutes off the field per-game last season. His dominance of the hooking role both at Melbourne and in the game is without question.
When Grant does miss games through injury, suspension or Origin, it’s Tyran Wishart who picks up the dummy-half duties. What a luxury they have.
TITANS
With so much of their salary cap tied-up in big-money forwards, the Titans are unable to spend representative money at hooker. Instead, they rely on tradesman style dummy-halves, who aren’t without creativity or flair in the shape of Sam Verrills and Chris Randall. Both dummy-halves are contracted until 2026 and 2027 respectively.
WARRIORS
The Warriors are strong at hooker with Wayde Egan aiming to rediscover the form of 2023, which saw him push for Dally M hooker claims. Backing-up Egan is the sharp-in-service Freddy Lussick, while the surprise packet of 2025 may just be new recruit from the Sharks Sam Healey. The son of Cronulla legend Mitch Healey, Sam is an attacking dummy-half who will push to make his NRL debut in 2025.
WESTS TIGERS
When you’ve got one of the game’s elite hookers in your team, you don’t need to dig too deep into your roster for other options. Api Koroisau will continue to own the Tigers no.9 jersey while he remains fit. In the meantime, the supremely talented Tallyn Da Silva is earning dreamy mentorship from Koroisau, with the 19-year-old aiming to increase upon his 11 NRL games so far.
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