Ex-Broncos prodigy; Origin star’s brother-in-law; Sharks future — players who could debut this round

The final round of the NRL regular season is often a chance for clubs to rest their stars or try out new combinations and tactics.

But for nine players, across the competition, Round 27 represents something far more significant

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With finals spots secured and several teams taking the opportunity to manage their biggest names, the door has opened for a group of players who have spent months - and even years - waiting for their chance on the big stage.

Foxsports.com.au delves into the journey of the nine players who could make their NRL debut this weekend.

COBY BLACK (RAIDERS)

Once regarded as the future of the Brisbane Broncos and the long-term successor to Adam Reynolds, Black’s path to the NRL took an unexpected turn at the back end of last year.

Despite being involved in Brisbane’s system since the age of 13, he was ultimately forced to switch teams to the Canberra Raiders after the Broncos signed both Jonah Pezet and Thomas Duffy.

However, the switch didn’t affect him at all, as he has been superb in NSW Cup for the Green Machine, where he has continued to show off his elite kicking game and repeatedly shown why there has been so much hype around him.

In 19 matches, he has scored 190 points (nine tries and 77 goals), forced nine dropouts, provided 17 try assists and nine line-break assists and made 1015 total running metres.

“I didn’t ever see myself leaving the Broncos,” he told CODE Sports earlier in the year.

“I still had another year left at Brisbane and then they went and bought Pezet in the off-season. They had (Tom) Duffy and bought Pezet on what we assumed was big coin.

“I was sort of pissed off because you hear things like ‘you’re a good chance of being the next half’.

“Nothing’s ever promised in footy. Everyone has to earn their spot. Everyone promises you the world and no one can ever give it to you. It’s a bit annoying in that sense.

“For both parties, it was a good decision to break away.”

Now, after months of waiting, the two-time Under-19s Queensland Maroons representative will finally get his chance to shine after being named to replace Ethan Sanders in the No.7 jersey.

“When he comes on to the team, everyone will know how good he is,” former Brisbane teammate Payne Haas said.

MALACHI SMITH (RAIDERS)

Malachi Smith’s NRL debut came as such a surprise to his family that when his mum saw six missed calls from her son, her first thought was that something had gone wrong.

Instead, the Canberra Raiders youngster was calling with the news every aspiring NRL player dreams of hearing.

“We didn’t even suspect it and then he rang me. I had six missed calls and I thought he was injured and I said I’ve got to ring my son; something has happened,” his mother Allyson told foxsports.com.au.

“I rang and he said ‘I’m in’, and I thought he must have been in hospital but he said in the team.

“I didn’t think it was going to happen, but we’re all over the moon for him and very, very happy.”

A Terrigal Sharks junior, Smith’s journey to the NRL has taken him across three clubs, having had stints with the Roosters and Knights before arriving in the nation’s capital last year.

Since then, he has been more than deserving of a first-grade debut after being one of the club’s most consistent and hard-working players in NSW Cup at either lock or dummy-half.

“I talk to him every day and I’m so proud of him. He started at the Terrigal Sharks and then went to the Roosters for a little while and then ended up at Newcastle,” his mother added.

“Then from Newcastle, he went to the Raiders and hasn’t looked back.

“He was at the Newcastle Knights and there were three other hookers (ahead of him). The manager rang us and said, ‘Look, I think Ricky Stuart wants him’,” she continued.

“They sent his demo and he said, ‘Ricky said yeah,’ but it was really hard to leave the Knights. That was a really hard move for him.”

Known for his kicking game, fitness and versatility across a number of different roles, Smith has built his career on a relentless work ethic rather than being the flashiest player on the field.

That determination has been tested by his fair share of injuries, but his perseverance has ultimately been rewarded.

However, his emergence has also been rewarded by the Raiders with a two-year extension to remain in the nation’s capital, in what is another strong indication of how highly the club rates him

“He broke his collarbone twice when he was younger and he’s had broken fingers and some fractures in his back,” she continued.

“He’s not the flashiest player but he trains every day. Even on Christmas day, he’d go downstairs, smash the ball into the wall with a target and he would just do that.

“If you tell him something he’s got to improve on he’ll go and do it. He trains all the time, every holidays and wins all the fitness tests. It’s hard work, that’s how he got there.”

MICHAEL GABRAEL (SHARKS)

He may have been forced to bide his time, but after years of working his way through the Sharks pathways - and previously with the Eels and Bulldogs - the talented outside back will finally make his NRL debut this weekend.

Playing his junior football alongside Blaize Talagi and Lachlan Galvin at the Wentworthville Magpies, the former Under-19s NSW Blues representative has long been destined for a bright future in the NRL.

While Talagi and Galvin have already established themselves in first grade, Gabrael has had to overcome a series of setbacks to reach the same stage.

And few will be prouder than those closest to him after he has had to endure a difficult road to the top both on and off the field.

This included several serious injuries and the loss of his father at a young age.

“No one works as hard as he does. He’s worked his ass off to get to where he is so I’m bloody proud of him,” his former Wenworthville Magpies coach Eddie Alameddine told foxsports.com.au.

“That’s an understatement, to be honest. He’s been through a lot, but he’s stuck with it and glad to see him make his debut.

“No one deserves it as much as he does. He’s persevered a lot and a real humble kid. He’s got time for everyone and is always ringing and checking on people

“He’s had a few injuries, a few shoulder reconstructions and made it to Cronulla and I’m absolutely wrapped for him

The younger brother of Danny Gabrael, who was on a development contract with the Bulldogs in 2025, Michael has already drawn comparisons to Herbie Farnworth and Michael Jennings because of his raw power, strength, and speed.

“(They have been) very important and helped me to become the man I am today,” Gabrael told this columnist in 2024.

“Especially my mum taking over that father role for us boys and making sure and guiding us to always be a good man off the field.

“I got the opportunity to play with my brother last year and that was good.”

RILEY POLLARD (SHARKS)

For as long as Riley Pollard can remember, there has only ever been one dream.

To play in the NRL.

After spending his entire life chasing an NRL debut, that dream will finally become a reality for the young halfback when he runs out for the Sharks against the team he supported growing up, the Melbourne Storm.

More than 100 family members and friends are expected to attend on Saturday night, with those closest to Pollard ready to celebrate a moment they have watched him work towards for years.

And perhaps no one has been waiting longer than his mother, Michelle.

“It’s pure excitement for him. He works so hard and he’s very impatient and he’s been waiting and waiting for this day. He’s so excited and he really deserves it,” she told foxsports.com.au.

“He’s played footy since he was four. That’s all he’s ever wanted to do. He was asked in kindergarten what are you going to do when you grow up and he said ‘I’m going to play NRL’.

“When he left school a couple of years ago, they opened their time capsules and it had ‘I’m going to play NRL ’ in there.

“He loves it. Lives and breathes it and he’s very determined and it’s good his wishes have come true.”

Pollard’s talents extend well beyond rugby league having represented Australia in touch football and OzTag while also becoming an Australian champion in kung fu.

But rugby league has always been his ultimate goal and when the opportunity came to join Cronulla after several years with the Penrith Panthers, the decision was entirely his.

“The decision was totally Riley’s. When he got the offer from the Sharks, he went down there and met them and it was such a great environment and really family-friendly,” his mother added.

“He’s fit in so well and they’ve been so supportive, but he was obviously sad to be leaving his friends at Penrith.

“He wanted to have a plan and have a journey and roadmap in place and that’s what the Sharks have offered him and he’s thriving.”

That roadmap could eventually lead Pollard to becoming the long-term halfback at the Sharks with the club viewing the talented playmaker as a key part of its future.

For now, though, he has the chance to take the first step towards that future against the Storm.

SUNNY KAMA (TITANS)

Unlike many of the game’s rising stars, Sunny Kama didn’t grow up in a rugby league nursery.

In fact, he only started playing at the age of 12 but quickly fell in love with the game and began dreaming of following in the footsteps of the players he grew up watching and idolised such as Joseph Manu and Kotoni Staggs.

His rise to the top has been rapid, with Kama representing the Under-19s Queensland Maroons last year and now being rewarded a spot on the six-man interchange bench and a chance to make his NRL debut from Titans coach Josh Hannay.

“That was a great experience to run out with the boys but it was good,” Kama told foxsports.com.au about representing his state.

“The experience really encourages me and made me wanted it more That was unreal. It was one of my favourite football experiences.

“We had a great coaching staff. It was such a good camp and it was five days we had together with all the boys, but from the first day everyone was so tight-knit.

“We still all keep in contact and hopefully play together again.”

Still at the start of his career, the young outside back who has made 13 QLD Cup appearances this season for the Burleigh Bears is driven by the desire to make his family proud.

“Family is one of my big drivers and I always want to make my family name proud, and my parents are always supporting me and I’m part of a big family,” he added.

“I’ve got three brothers, two sisters and every single game they’re there. It’s a big driver for me.”

ASTON WARWICK (ROOSTERS)

Matt Burton has already made his mark in the NRL, but now his brother-in-law Aston Warwick will finally get the chance to begin his own first-grade journey this week with the Sydney Roosters.

While Burton has represented the NSW Blues and become a star for the Canterbury Bulldogs, Warwick has quietly built an impressive career in the Roosters system.

Hailing from Dubbo, the 23-year-old back-rower has been named on the bench for Trent Robinson’s radically reshaped side, with the Roosters resting a host of stars ahead of this year’s finals series.

Previously with the Penrith Panthers (2021 - 2024) before making the switch to the Tricolours in 2025, the versatile youngster has been a consistent talent in NSW Cup and has been used in several different roles, including in the back-row, front-row and in the centres.

HAYDEN BARTON (ROOSTERS)

Although he has been named in the No.19 jersey, Barton is still a possibility to make his NRL debut this week due to the Roosters opting to select four players from the six-man extended interchange bench.

Born in Randwick, Barton has been involved in the Tricolours pathways system for a number of years, with the 22-year-old becoming a regular fixture in the side’s NSW Cup team over the past two seasons.

Starting in all but one of 18 NSW Cup appearances this season, the back-rower has shown he has the talent to make the jump to first-grade, putting together 1146 running metres, 525 tackles, seven line-breaks and four tries this season.

JAKE ELLIOTT (SYDNEY ROOSTERS)

Another player who has been named on the extended six-man interchange bench for the Roosters is former Under-19s NSW Blues representative Jake Elliott.

Knocking on the door for the past couple of seasons, the Central Coast junior has been a reliable performer in reserve grade, where he has notched up 50 career NSW Cup appearances, with 16 of them coming this year.

Predominantly a five-eighth, the 21-year-old has also been used at dummy-half or at lock due to his bigger frame and he also possesses the ability to kick conversions.

Now, he could finally be given the opportunity to show what he can do at the highest level, amid interest from the North Queensland Cowboys, who foxsports.com.au understands are interested in signing him for next year.

VAKA AHO (WESTS TIGERS)

The final potential debutant this week is Vaka Aho from the Wests Tigers.

Beginning his journey with the Balmain Tigers in the Under-17s Harold Matthews Cup side in 2019, Aho has climbed through virtually every level of the club’s pathways system.

Transitioning between Sydney Shield, Ron Massey Cup and NSW Cup over the past three seasons, Aho is coming off a breakout campaign this year where he has been one of the hardest working middles in reserve grade for the Western Suburbs Magpies.

On the verge of making his debut last weekend when he was named on the six-man interchange bench, he is finally set to be rewarded this week against the Panthers.

A product of Holy Cross College in Ryde, the medium-sized front-rower is known for his training ethic and good legs speed in both attack and defence.

This is evident in his 21 reserve grade appearances in 2026 in which he has scored two tries, made 487 tackles, 22 tackle busts and average 99 running metres per match.

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