Explore the best fullbacks of the 2024 National Rugby League (NRL) season as we analyse one of the most pressurised and important positions on the pitch and pick out the players to look out for.
Fullback skills
Every position on the rugby pitch requires a unique skill set, but fullbacks will argue that they are the ones with the toughest and most important job of them all. It's hard to argue when you analyse it closely.
As a last line of defence for their team, a fullback requires speed, power, and courage. They also need to be strong under pressure and have excellent ball-handling. Good tactical kicking, an ability to read the game, and incisive counter attacking skills are also key skills.
No wonder four of the last six Dally M Medal winners were all fullbacks.
The Best Fullbacks in the NRL
Kalyn Ponga – Newcastle Knights
The obvious, and perhaps only place to start is with the Knights captain, Kalyn Ponga. The reigning Dally M and Danny Buderus medal winner, Ponga has developed into one of the league's elite game-breakers.
The fullback recovered from injury last season to drag his team on a ten-game winning streak that turned their season around and ripped up the sports betting guides. Newcastle finished in 5th place and went on to reach the semi-finals before a disappointing defeat to the Warriors ended their season.
With a clean bill of health and the confidence of that winning streak still fresh in the memory, Ponga will be hoping to prove the sports betting guides wrong once again, and inspire his team all the way to the Grand Final in Sydney in October.
Dylan Edwards – Penrith Panthers
You can't exclude Edwards from this list, a three-time premiership winning fullback with a Clive Churchill Medal under his belt. Last season saw him make 155 tackle breaks, score 12 tries, and average over 190 running metres and a back-to-back 200-plus season for the fourth consecutive year.
Yes, he's in an all-conquering Panthers team with quality players around him, but he's still the best fullback in the league. From being named co-winner of the Ben Alexander Rookie of the Year Award in 2017, to his call up to the Kangaroos in 2023, Edwards continues to perform at the highest level.
The Panthers are favourites once again for the premiership according to the sports betting guides. If they are to go all the way to Sydney and win a fourth title in a row, expect Edwards to be an instrumental part of that success.
Reece Walsh – Brisban Broncos
An agonising defeat to the Panthers in last season's Grand Final will be hard to get over for the Broncos. But the surprise turnaround can also act as a motivation to put things right this season.
Key to that happening will be Walsh, still only 21, he's already proven himself to be one of the best fullbacks in the league. His impact last season saw him earn a State of Origin debut for the Maroons, and he went on to finish the season with 25 try assists, 127 tackle breaks and 21 line breaks.
Walsh is natural athlete with plenty of talent, and while a nasty head injury against the Panthers was an early setback to his 2024 season, the Broncos fullback is a future superstar.
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow - Dolphins
The 23-year-old Queensland and Australian fullback was one of the breakout stars of the 2023 season. ‘The Hammer' has lightening speed which saw him average 148 metres a game. He also racked up an impressive 89 tackle breaks across the season and 15 tries.
Despite a disastrous start to this season, in which he made numerous errors in a disappointing 43-18 loss to North Queensland in round one, Tabuai-Fidow quickly silenced his critics in round two.
A man-of-the-match performance in a 38-0 victory against the Dragons saw him score the first ever hat-trick of his NRL career. Dolphins' fans will be hoping to see Tabuai-Fidow continue that impressive form into the rest of the season.
Tom Trbojevic - Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
There's no doubting the talent of Trbojevic, one of the biggest stars in the Telstra Premiership. In 2021, he won the Dally M Medal for the Best and Fairest player in the league, becoming only the third Manly player to ever win the honour.
At his best, Trbojevic is arguably the best full-back around. He can break the line, score tries, and has incredible power and speed. Injuries have been an issue in recent years, and 2023 saw him only manage 11 games in total, four more than the previous year. If he can stay fit and healthy, the manly fullback is one of the best and most exciting fullbacks around.