There are few more official ways to declare someone 'the next big thing' than for the league to rate them the best junior player of the year - and between 2008 and 2017, that's what the NRL did annually.
The Dally M Under-20s Player of the Year award is not to be confused with the Rookie of the Year gong. While the rookie of the year goes to the youngster who has best adapted to the demands of the NRL, the under-20s award went to the most talented (but untested) youngsters still in the development pool.
It's a great way to hype someone up, but it also heaps expectation upon a young man's shoulders - and each winner has dealt with it in different ways. Though most are still playing and some are gone from the game not one of the most talented juniors in the land has become a premiership winner - though some have come closer than others.
10. Jake Clifford (2017 - North Queensland Cowboys)
You might be realising there are actually two NRL clubs with three under-20s Player of the Year winners โ the Dragons and the Newcastle Knights. With that much top-end future talent youโd expect either team to be in the hunt for finals football, but alas.
Though Clifford and the Cowboys only finished fifth in the 2017 competition and he was only named on the bench in the Team of the Year, he still claimed the top gong on the back of a brilliant individual season. Coming through the Cowboys junior ranks alongside fellow Knight Kalyn Ponga, expectations were high that a swathe of junior talent would deliver results in Townsville.
He didnโt get his NRL debut until late 2018, but had continued to impress in Queensland Cup and captained the Junior Kangaroos. But 2019 didnโt go to plan, with Clifford stuck in a battle with Te Maire Martin for the vacant Cowboys No.7 and form issues keeping him in and out of the first grade side โ and itโs been a consistent theme to Cliffordโs career so far, never playing more than 15 games in a season for one club. Though heโs received more game-time in Newcastle, injuries and form have seen his opportunities grow increasingly inconsistent under coach Adam OโBrien.
I really wish we could get some version of the NYC comp back.