Revealed: The 16 NRL grand final stars your club lost

This is how the Storm and Broncos have emerged as the biggest beneficiaries of a talent exodus from their NRL rival clubs.

Wests Tigers

Ryan Papenhuyzen (Storm): A Wests Tigers local junior with the Dundas Shamrocks, “Paps” earned his first contract with the Tigers as a Harold Matthews representative before also developing to SG Ball and under-20s. The outstanding talent couldn’t see a way past former Wests Tigers fullback James Tedesco and signed a development deal worth $60,000 with the Storm in 2017.

Panthers 

Shawn Blore (Storm): In 2020, the Brothers Penrith junior was released by the Panthers after winning the 2019 SG Ball title and with six-months remaining on his contract to join the Wests Tigers. The quality backrower spent four seasons with the Tigers before he was swapped to the Storm for former centre Justin Olam to head to the Tigers ahead of the 2024 season.

Ativalu Lisati (Storm): Originally from New Zealand before moving to Ipswich, Lisati was scouted to Penrith where he played in the 2022 Jersey Flegg premiership-team. The tough backrower appeared bound for the NRL with a development contract at Penrith for this season. However, in a bid to promote their next-generation of players, the Panthers were content to let Lisati go halfway through last season. He has since played 14-games for the Storm.

Dragons

Tyran Wishart (Storm): The Gerringong Lions junior was playing NSW Cup for the Dragons when the Storm came calling in 2021. Melbourne were looking for a utility after losing Nicho Hynes to the Sharks. Storm recruitment head Paul Bunn says that it only took one meeting with Wishart to know he was the quality of character that the Storm were searching for.

EELS 

Stefano Utoikamanu (Storm): The Cabramatta Two Blues junior progressed through the Eels junior pathways before being let go by Parramatta at the end of the 2020 season to sign a lucrative three-year deal with the Wests Tigers. After three seasons, the powerful prop requested a release from the Tigers to link with the Storm at the beginning of this season.

Tui Kamikamica (Storm): Originally scouted by Craig Wilson to Parramatta from Fiji in 2012 where he was playing schoolboy on the wing in rugby union. Unable to progress through the grades at the Eels, the powerful prop left to the Canberra Vikings (rugby union). Returning to rugby league after one season at the Brumbies with the Storm-feeder club the Sunshine Coast Falcons, Kamikamica was signed by the Storm on a two-year deal.

WARRIORS

Eliesa Katoa (Storm):Signed by the Warriors in 2016 while playing schoolboy rugby union in New Zealand. He made his debut with the Warriors after just 13-games of rugby league. The Storm were searching for a backrower when after inquiring about the talent to the Warriors, they confirmed they would let him go ahead of the 2023 season. The Storm signed him after just one meeting with head coach Craig Bellamy.

Jordan Riki (Broncos): The aggressive backrower was scouted from New Zealand to the Broncos in 2019, where he would make his NRL debut just 12-months later. He has since played 112 first-grade games at just age 25.

KNIGHTS 

Nick Meaney (Storm): Originally from Ballina and signed by Newcastle, the talented centre was named Under-20’s Player of the Year in 2016 before progressing to NSW Cup with Newcastle where he was rewarded for his outstanding form with a NSW under-20’s jersey. Kalyn Ponga’s cementing of the fullback position at the Knights prompted Meaney’s move to the Bulldogs in 2019, before he then joined the Storm in 2021.

Josh King (Storm): The Singleton Greyhounds junior was signed by the Knights as a teenager before progressing through their lower grades and into NSW Cup in 2015. He made his NRL debut with Newcastle in 2016, playing 78-games until 2021. The Storm were looking for a no-nonsense forward and King fit the bill with a two-year contract starting in 2022. He has since played 102-games for the Storm.

Gehamat Shibasaki (Broncos): After spending two seasons at the Broncos, Shibasaki was recruited to Newcastle in 2021 on a three-year deal and with “a wealth of potential” according to a Knights media statement at the time. He lasted just two seasons, where he scored six tries in 14-games, before being released with one year on his deal to take-up a short-lived stint at the Cowboys (2023) and South Sydney (2024) before joining the Broncos earlier this season.

BRONCOS

Xavier Coates (Storm): Originally hailing from Currumbin on the Gold Coast, Coates was overlooked by the Titans before being scouted by former Storm star Matt Geyer as a late-blooming 17-year-old by the Broncos in 2017. He made his NRL debut just two years later. By midway through the 2021 season, Coates knocked back the Broncos and Titans offers to sign a two-year deal to join the Storm, as the replacement to premiership-winning winger Josh Addo-Carr.

ROOSTERS

Jahrome Hughes (Storm): Moving from his home in New Zealand to the Gold Coast in 2008, Hughes played school footy for Palm Beach Currumbin before being scouted to play SG Ball with the Roosters in 2011. The Titans were able to lure Hughes back to the Coast in 2012, where he would make his NRL debut at fullback in 2013. Released by the Titans with back problems at the end of 2014, Hughes moved to Townsville in 2015, where from QLD Cup he was called-up to make his debut with the Cowboys in 2016. The Storm swooped with a $60,000 deal in 2017 and it’s where he has stayed ever since.

RABBITOHS

Josiah Karapani (Broncos): A schoolboy rugby union and rugby league talent in New Zealand, Karapani was signed by the Warriors on a base contract in SG Ball in 2020. He lasted just one season before being recruited to South Sydney, where he played SG Ball, Jersey Flegg and NSW Cup for the Rabbitohs. In 2022-2023, the fullback, wing and centre scored nine tries in 24 NSW Cup games for Souths before being signed to the Broncos in 2024.

Adam Reynolds (Broncos): One of the Rabbitohs favourite son’s was dramatically told there was not enough room in the salary cap to keep him and was let go in 2021, leading to the champion halfback accepting a three-year $2 million deal to join the Broncos ahead of a similar offer from the Sharks. He has since extended his future until 2026 with the Broncos.

COWBOYS 

Corey Jensen (Broncos): The Townsville product progressed to QLD under-16s under the nose of the Cowboys before making his under-20’s debut with the NRL club in 2013. After eight-years at the Cowboys, Jensen was scouted to the Broncos who were looking for some experience in their forward pack ahead of the 2022 season. Tough and reliable, he has since extended his contract until the end of 2027.