Despite the ongoing difficulties and trying circumstances our second-tier leagues have faced, the development of young stars looking to burst onto the NRL scene has not slowed down.
Namely, with the NSW Cup's constant crop of future household names, it will be hard to draw our attention away from the next line of NRL stars despite the aforementioned setbacks.
With this in mind, we take a look at five of the best NSW Cup prospects to keep an eye on in the future.
5. Makahesi Makatoa
Parramatta Eels - Prop
Makatoa is a giant prop that prides himself on his dominate tackling and is a mature-aged player that has earned an NRL berth earlier this season.
The 28-year-old played four NRL games and a further five matches in the NSW Cup in 2021. A very difficult player to bring down in a tackle, Makatoa often notches up many post-contact metres.
In fact, Makatoa lead the NSW cup in post-contact metres (963m) from just the five games. He loves to rush up on the opposition attack and use his large frame to hit the ball players very hard, looking to cause errors and havoc for the opposition attack.
Makatoa is a known enforcer in reserve grade and plays that role well, offering plenty of upside and he may add to the talented forward pack the Eels currently have. Let's hope he can add more caps to his Eels career.
