In the final article looking at each NRL club’s squad for 2025, it’s time to assess how your side’s forward pack shapes up for the new season.
If you missed them, check out the NRL spine and outside backs rankings.
17. Dragons
Shane Flanagan’s pack has been mostly undisrupted from 2024, with the exception of former Origin prop Francis Molo agitating for a release despite a fruitful season that saw him earn a Test call-up for Samoa.
Damien Cook joins the Red V from Souths, as does Emre Guler after departing Canberra.
Veterans Jaydn Su’A, Jack de Belin, Tom Eisenhuth and Luciano Leilua are all still there, with Blake Lawrie, Hame Selme and Loko Pasifiki Tonga rounding out the depth.
16. Tigers
Benji Marshall has lost a couple of quality forwards in Isaiah Papali’i and Stefano Utoikamanu to power clubs Penrith and Melbourne respectively, but gains Terrell May after his acrimonious exit from the Roosters, as well as Royce Hunt and Jack Bird who can cover multiple positions.
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If May can keep improving, that’ll soften the blow although Papali’i never really showed his best at Concord. The 25-year-old clearly has talent but the Chooks don’t normally discard players who are good both on the field and in the dressing room.
15. Eels
Jason Ryles has already had an impact on the Eels roster for 2025, allowing Reagan Campbell-Gillard to leave the club with Joe Ofahengaue likely to take his place.
Brendan Hands will be the first choice hooker ahead of Joey Lussick and the likes of Junior Paulo, Shaun Lane, Kelma Tuilagi and J’maine Hopgood round out the Parramatta pack for the new season. It’s hard to know exactly what to expect from the Eels, but if these forwards can lay a platform there are some very talented backs among the ranks.
14. Knights
A long-term blow for Newcastle after Leo Thompson agreed a move to the Bulldogs from 2026, but Adam O’Brien will still have the 24-year-old’s services this season. Thompson was one of the premier forwards in 2024, a bright spot in an otherwise middling season.
One Saifiti brother is still around with Jacob to start at prop but Daniel has moved on to the Dolphins. Jayden Brailey is the dependable dummy-half with Kai Pearce-Paul, Dylan Lucas and Adam Elliott rounding out the starting team.
Not the flashiest group, but Thompson showed genuine star quality last season.
13. Raiders
Losing your captain is never easy, and second-rower Elliott Whitehead had a pretty big impact on the Raiders over close to a decade in the nation’s capital.
Danny Levi will likely get the nod as starting hooker with Tom Starling another option for Ricky Stuart with Matty Nicholson and Zac Hosking in the back row. Josh Papali’i and Joe Tapine are once again the starting props.
Corey Horsbrough is a bit of wildcard in Canberra – his problems with the stubborn Stuart ostensibly resolved, can he stay in the top grade and make the impact he’s capable of? He’ll be an interesting watch, either way.
12. Roosters
The exits of enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Sitili Tupouniua to Catalan Dragons and the Bulldogs respectively will sting for Trent Robinson’s side. Terrell May has also departed Bondi but by all reports that decision was driven by the club.
At hooker, Brandon Smith has already been told his future is away from the club and may not even play out this season. The 28-year-old is currently injured so Connor Watson will continue to deputise.
There’s still quality amongst the forwards with the likes of Angus Crichton, Lindsay Collins and Victor Radley but will they be enough to offset the outgoings, in what’s likely a rebuilding season at the Roosters?
11. Sea Eagles
Haumole Olakau’atu is going to be key to Athony Seibold’s forward group, along with NSW Blues captain Jake Trbojevic. Hopefully Olakau’atu’s promotion to the club’s leadership group will result in fewer full suit brawls in 2025.
(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
SiosiuaTaukeiaho and Jazz Tevaga join Manly for the new season, while Matt Lodge and Aaron Woods are missing from last season’s side.
In Lachlan Crocker’s absence, Jake Simpkin will be the first-choice rake with Gordon Chan Kum Tong another option.
10. Souths
Although most signs point to Sam Burgess eventually taking over from Wayne Bennett at Souths, his family’s impact will no longer be felt on-field with brother Tom departing the club at the end of last season.
Euan Aitken and Josh Schuster are the new men in the pack, with the former likely to miss the first few rounds injured. Schuster is a wildcard who could prove to be a shrewd signing by the super coach, but question marks remain over his fitness and commitment.
A wrist injury suffered while with the Kangaroos could keep captain Cameron Murray sidelined for the first few rounds, while prop Tevita Tatola returns from a hellish stint out of the team.
Keaon Koloamatangi and Davvy Moale round out the pack, with Peter Mamouzelos taking over from long-term hooker Damien Cook after his switch to the Dragons.
9. Bulldogs
Cameron Ciraldo probably advanced the Bulldogs timeline with a finals finish in 2024, which will inevitably raise expectations among the Belmore faithful who have been starved of success for two decades.
Sitili Tupouniua and Tom Amone are Ciraldo’s recruits, bolstering a forward pack led by the bruising Viliame Kikau. Along with captain Stephen Crichton, Ciraldo knew the 29-year-old would make a difference and brought him over from the Penrith machine.
Reed Mahoney will continue to be a big thorn in oppositions’ sides but the serial pest is also a very capable dummy half.
8. Warriors
Andrew Webster’s team are looking for a bounce back season after a disappointing 2024 saw them finish well outside the finals in 13th. The acquisition of big bopper James Fisher-Harris instantly improves the pack and the whole team, and he’s still on the right side of 30.
The other big names at Webester’s disposal are Kurt Capewell and Mitch Barnett, who both earned Origin jerseys last season, with Dylan Walker and Marata Niukore also likely starters. Wayde Egan will be tasked with distributing to a new-look halves pairing after Shaun Johnson hung up the boots following a classic performance against Cronulla.
7. Cowboys
A huge blow for the Cowboys before the season even begins with Heilum Luki suffering the dreaded ACL injury. His place in the second row will likely be filled by new recruit John Bateman, who makes the move north after an unhappy stint at the Tigers.
Jeremiah Nanai is a damaging runner, as is Jason Taumalolo who is still trying to get back to his best form but is on the wrong side of 30. Coen Hess returns from a long-term knee injury that kept him out of the side last season, with Jordan McLean the other prop.
Reece Robson will be looking to back up the form that earned him a Blues jersey but it will be his final season in Townsville after the hooker signed a four-year deal with the Roosters from 2026.
6. Dolphins
The headline here is the return of Tom Gilbert. The damaging forward hasn’t played a regular season game since suffering a shoulder injury in Origin game one back in 2023 before an ACL injury kept him out the whole 2024 season. The rep forward has also been tipped to fill the leadership void left by the retiring Jesse Bromwich.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
Another big boon is the addition of Kulikefu Finefeuiaki who has come over from the Cowboys, and Daniel Saifiti joins from the Knights. Felise Kaufusi will likely start in the absence of Tom Flegler, with Max Plath partnering Gilbert in the back row.
5. Sharks
Already boasting a formidable pack that helped Cronulla advance to the preliminary finals, the addition of Adin Fonua-Blake is a big bonus for coach Craig Fitzgibbon.
The damaging prop elevates the Sharks pack that already contained Teig Wilson, Briton Nikora and Cameron McInnes as they look to take another step towards a second premiership in club history.
4. Titans
Gold Coast are again led up front by the big two in David Fifita and captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui. The skipper’s 2024 campaign was cruelled by injury, only managing two games as the Titans started slowly and never recovered, missing the finals in Des Hasler’s first season. His best form is devastating, as is Fifita’s. If they can both fire, there’s plenty of strike within this side and they could score a lot of points.
Sam Verrills will be the starting hooker while ex-Parramatta big man Reagan Campbell-Gillard joins Hasler’s side.
3. Broncos
As with the spine and outside backs, there’s plenty of star power in the Broncos’ pack for new coach Michael Maguire to work with.
With no outgoings, the Brisbane pack will look similar being led by Origin players Pat Carrigan and Payne Haas but a rising star is being tipped to take over the hooking role. Blake Mozer is the man described as the future of the club and has the potential to become one of the best rakes in the NRL.
This unit will play a big part if the Broncos return to the top four in 2025.
Patrick Carrigan. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
2. Penrith
Unsurprisingly, the premiers are once again near the top of one of these lists. The only exit of note in the pack is James Fisher-Harris, but the international prop is a huge loss.
The second row gets a big boost with the addition of Isaiah Papalii, who makes the move from Wests.
The pack is led by co-captain Isaah Yeo, whose credentials don’t need to be listed again. Liam Martin, who starred in their latest grand final win, will be looking to back up his monster 2024 season.
Mitch Kenny might not be the flashiest dummy half around but certainly gets the job done.
1. Storm
The rich get richer as Craig Bellamy adds Stefano Utoikamanu from the Tigers to an already strong forward group. He’s already got the best hooker in the game in Harry Grant and Utoikamanu is a premier prop who instantly improves Melbourne’s odds of avenging the grand final defeat last October.
There’s so much talent across this Storm roster that as long as the forwards provide a decent platform for their playmakers, another premiership tilt should be expected.
