One of my favourite events each and every NRL season is seeing young stars emerge.
Whether they be rookies who catch the attention of fans right away, like a Sam Walker or Reece Walsh, or a player who finally delivered on their promise, it never fails to bring a smile to fans' faces.
2022 looks like a season where a huge crop of talent see their stocks rise in a big way.
I'm going to look into my crystal ball and try to predict ten such players.
Players who will enjoy a Will Kennedy 2021-like season. Kennedy went from a handy fringe first grader to the star of the team over the course of this past year.
Players like Reece Walsh, Jayden Campbell and Sam Walker will be better at the end of 2022 than they are now, but their stocks are already sky high.
Much like past lists, this is purely for fun and not to be taken overly seriously. There will be misses on the below but if you asked me now; "Hey Dan, name 10 players you want to buy stock in now, to cash in end of season," these are those 10.
6. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
This will be the most difficult to justify here as the Hammer is already of Origin pedigree after a brilliant 2021 season.
I expect Tabuai-Fidow to lift into a different stratosphere in 2022, whether at fullback or in the centres.
His career is still only 27 NRL games old. Injury robbed him of any sort of consistency in 2021. Every time he looked ready to explode, he would miss weeks through injury.
He looked at his very best when in the number one jersey, but given the reported $900,000 being paid to Valentine Holmes, he may have to bide his time back in the centres.
If the Cowboys are going to produce anything special in 2022, it will come via the Hammer. He'll make an Origin centre spot his own next season.
