The budding Blues playmakers who will dominate Origin’s future

And as for Fletcher Sharpe up at Newcastle, he’s probably the best support player in the competition. Already you can see great anticipation and awareness, and he’s one of those rare athletes with such good balance that he can change direction and actually gain speed as he’s swerving away from a defender.

I see Sharpe’s best position as a fullback, but obviously Kalyn Ponga holds the Knights No.1 jersey, so who knows whether he stays at five-eighth, moves to halfback or eventually to the back.

Lachlan Galvin has already had such a big year and this next month is going to tell us a lot about him. How he fits in and performs at the Bulldogs – this is the question everyone is asking and that brings so much pressure and expectation on a guy who’s still only 19.

We’re going to learn a lot about where he’s at mentally and I think he’ll be playing halfback in weeks to come, even though I’m still unsure about him as an out-and-out No.7.

But he’s already got such an impressive running game, I’ve no doubt that he’s best suited to being a run-first five-eighth. Then eventually, once he’s filled out a bit, and that might not be for another 6-8 years, I see Galvin jumping into a lock forward role, with all that skill and running strength he has.

Ethan Strange is a similar prospect for the Raiders, and a fantastic talent. Once Jamal Fogarty moves to Manly, you’ll see Strange shift from the left edge where he’s been playing this year to the right.

Ethan Sanders will be Canberra’s dominant playmaker on the left and Strange will be on that same right edge where he first caught everyone’s attention last year with three tries for NSW in under-19s Origin.

As for Luke Metcalf, he’s obviously the oldest and most developed of these playmakers. He can easily fit into the No.7 category as well given the way he’s been leading the Warriors around in Shaun Johnson’s old jersey.

Metcalf’s ball-playing is the best of the Blues’ young five-eighth options and it’s no surprise he’s getting the Warriors home in close games this year. His belief in his ability to do so has come with experience and he deserves everything that’s coming his way as the Dally M leader and one of the NRL’s form halves.

I think everyone knows how big a fan I am of Isaiya Katoa. Barring injury, I see him being the NRL’s dominant halfback once Nathan Cleary wraps up. There are no weaknesses in his game already and by 2030, he will have at least five years where he’s on top of the world.

Ethan Sanders made his Raiders debut against the Roosters on the weekend and promises so much as a combination with Strange.

And Mitchell Woods at Canterbury, his game time has been a little limited by injury so far in the Bulldogs’ lower grades.

But I’ve seen him playing schoolboy rugby union and two things really stood out – he had no fear taking on bigger, more developed players, and he was lightning quick. I’ve heard he’s already carving up training sessions at Belmore and I think we’ve got a 200-game NRL halfback on our hands already.

Hooker is the one position NSW aren’t as flush in, but Reece Robson is also younger than the rest of the Blues’ current spine at 26.

Dummy-half is also the playmaking position that develops later than most given it’s such a tough workload for the No.9s – to take on so much defence and also develop your running, pass selection and creative skills means a lot of hookers don’t develop until the age of 22 or 23.

Tallyn Da Silva has impressed in his apprenticeship under Api Koroisau at the Tigers, and Parramatta’s new No.9 Ryley Smith already looks very tough and very clever.

The rising dummy-half that really impresses me though is Owen Pattie at Canberra. He hails from the same part of the world as Harry Grant and for mine, Pattie will be replacing him as Queensland’s hooker around 2030 – the kid’s going to be a superstar.

Planning, patience and Ricky’s Raiders

The common thread right across these names is Ricky Stuart’s influence at the Raiders.

Where other clubs are chasing older halves or looking to extend them past the age of 35, Canberra have had a clear plan in place for years that is really starting to bear fruit.

Their recruitment and long-term planning has been top-shelf, they’ve gone and picked up these young playmakers and brought them into their system and brought them on at their own pace. Chevvy Stewart is waiting in the wings as well as an NRL fullback of the future.

Sticky knows the Raiders DNA so well and has got clear ideas on how he wants his team to play, and that’s so obvious in how his playmakers have come into first grade.

It’s a similar story at Canterbury where you can see the planning from Phil Gould and Cameron Ciraldo. It’s quite clear that in two or three years’ time, Woods will be their halfback, Galvin their five-eighth and right there, that’s a halves pairing that can win titles.

Given the fact there’s no patience in rugby league – from fans, clubs, media, coaches and even teammates – it’s very interesting to watch the approach with young playmakers.

Everyone wants to see young halves hit the ground running, even in their first year of NRL.

The rise of social media (and believe me, every young player is on social media) and the growth of analysis and shows on Channel Nine – publishers of this masthead – and Fox Sports makes for so much critiquing of a player’s performance, and so much extra pressure.

With that in mind, I urge any young player to go and find highlights and footage of Johnathan Thurston at 21, and even at 24 – when he had already played in two grand finals and debuted for Queensland and Australia.

The young JT is just unrecognisable compared to the all-time great that everyone remembers from the back half of his career.

As a game, we have to let young halves make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. And my message to any young playmaker – anyone in their first 20-30 NRL games – is to organise your teammates. Support your ball-carriers. Kick well. Defend strong. Build a game with the fundamentals and you’ll build a career. And run. A run threat makes all the difference.

A long Knight looms

As for the footy on Thursday night, last week was such a tough watch as far as the Knights went against the Dragons.

Injuries have hit them so hard with Jacob Saifiti (calf), Adam Elliott (biceps) and now Leo Thompson (suspension) all missing up front. Without their left edge of Bradman Best (hamstring) and Greg Marzhew (knee), they’re struggling to get going at the start of sets.

But Kalyn Ponga is back from a quiet Origin outing and Newcastle need to get him good early ball. It’s time for Adam O’Brien to stick with a spine and stop chopping and changing, so whenever they’re fit, keep Ponga at the back, Sharpe at five-eighth and Jack Cogger at halfback.

Standing opposite, Daly Cherry-Evans answered strongly for Manly in last week’s thumping of Brisbane after his own poor performance for Queensland. Given the noise around his position still, I think he’ll be aiming up again and it’s hard to see them going down with DCE, Haumole Olakau’atu and Hopaote working down their right edge.

Joey’s tip: Sea Eagles by 12

First try-scorer: Haumole Olakau’atu

Man-of-the-match: Lehi Hopoate.

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Michael Chammas and Andrew “Joey” Johns dissect the upcoming NRL round, plus the latest footy news, results and analysis. Sign up for the Sin Bin newsletter.