Most improved players
Braydon Trindall and Dylan Brown stood up in the absence of some superstar teammates – and one of them even pushed the $1m halfback to the side.
The Mole reveals every club’s most improved player of 2024.
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Broncos – Corey Jensen
Corey Jensen has been with the Broncos for eight seasons and never got many headlines.
But in a difficult year for the club, the 30-year-old prop shone.
He was the only Bronco to play in every game for Kevvie Walters, often lifting the tempo from the bench.
And Kevvie showed his appreciation by awarding the unheralded forward with the Kevin Walters Most Consistent Award in a fitting parting gesture.
Attribution: Getty
Raiders – Kaeo Weekes
When Kaeo Weekes joined the Raiders this season after playing just nine games at Manly in 2023, it barely rated a mention.
But Weekes immediately found form and confidence in his new home in the ACT and looking back, was one of the buys of the year.
The 22-year-old played 17 games in the top grade and established himself as a genuine strike weapon.
Ricky Stuart presented him with his NRL Coaches’ Award for the year and the speedy utility capped a fine breakthrough season by scoring two tries for the Prime Minister’s XIII against PNG post-season.
Attribution: Getty
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Bulldogs – Jacob Kiraz
Jacob Kiraz had a breakout season in the NRL for the Dogs in 2024 – so much so that he was talked about as a possible State of Origin bolter for the Blues.
He won the club’s Players’ Player award and scored 12 tries during the season – as many as in the past two years put together.
With the ability to play fullback, wing and centre, the 22-year-old utility is one of the Dogs’ most valuable players heading into what looks like a massive year for the club in 2025.
Big, strong and fast, he’s a handful for rival backlines and also reads the play well in defence, saving many dangerous situations near his own line.
Attribution: NRL Photos
Sharks – Braydon Trindall
Few players in the NRL came of age in as spectacular fashion as Braydon Trindall in 2024.
When star halfback Nicho Hynes was injured early in the season, Trindall was given the keys to the Sharks’ attacking machine – and many thought both he and the team would struggle.
But the 25-year-old relished the new-found responsibility, so much so that even when Hynes returned to the line-up, he remained the go-to man.
In his fifth season out of Wee Waa, Trindall was one of the success stories of 2024.
Attribution: Getty
Dolphins – Max Plath
Max Plath started 2024 well down the pecking order at the Dolphins but finished the year as the club’s brightest prospect.
Plath, who forced his way into the top side by pure determination, won the Arthur Beetson Medal as the Dolphins’ Player of the Year.
The son of former Broncos star John Plath played 21 games and made an impact in each one.
And in a remarkable feat, Plath also took out the Players’ Player Award at Redcliffe, showing the respect in which he was held by his team-mates.
The 23-year-old utility forward played a handful of games in his debut season in 2023 but after his deeds this year, it’s safe to say he will be a mainstay of the Dolphins pack for a long time to come.
