Meet the unheralded halves ready to deliver on the big stage

A collection of unheralded playmakers is set to be thrust into the spotlight after a dramatic couple of weeks turned the NRL premiership race on its head.

At first glance it may seem little connects Niwhai Puru, Jayden Sullivan, Jack Cogger and Luke Hanson but a deeper look reveals they have instantly become some of the most important players in the race to the finals. 

A mix of steady backups and young guns, the playmakers have been thrust on to the big stage at short notice following injuries to a host of big names, including Braydon Trindall and Luke Metcalf.

With their club's finals fate resting in their hands, premiership winning halfback Chad Townsend said it's a golden opportunity to deliver in a big moment. 

"First and foremost, it's a great opportunity for all of them," Townsend told NRL.com. "All these guys have been around the squad and played some games here and there. They should be familiar with their role in the team and what's expected of them. 

"When you come into these games at the end of the year, you need to narrow your focus into a couple of things. For me in the big games, it was 'kick well and make your tackles'. There's a lot of things as a half that you can get caught up in but for me it was always about how do I narrow my focus and do my job. 

"The bigger the games got, the more important it is to home in on the specifics of a simplified role within the footy team. If you do that, the rest of your game flows off it."

While there are similarities among the group, each player finds themselves in a unique position. 

Puru is set to replace Braydon Trindall after the Sharks five-eighth dislocated his shoulder in last week's loss to the Raiders.

Trindall hopes to return in time for the finals, but Puru has been tasked with quickly gelling with Nicho Hynes and helping lead Cronulla back into the top four. 

An Indigenous All Star, Puru made his NRL debut earlier this year while Hynes was injured and was solid in three appearances. The Penrith junior has impressed in reserve grade, leading the Newtown Jets to the 2024 NSW Cup premiership and has signed with the Perth Bears for their inaugural season. 

A premiership winner with the Sharks, Townsend has watched Puru's progress closely throughout the last couple of years and is confident the 24-year-old is ready to step up. 

"I really like his kicking game," Townsend said. "That's a big factor of Niwhai that I've enjoyed in his progression. He's continued to be more comfortable in his role the more he's played. 

"He's a great runner of the football and he has good control of the game. From where he was 12 months ago to where he is today, he's taken a lot of steps forward. 

"The Sharks are losing him next year to Perth but now he gets a good opportunity at the back-end of this year. We're not sure when Tricky will be back but for Niwhai it's focusing on one week at a time, simplifying his role and going out there and getting his job done."

Sullivan was thrust into the Rabbitohs No.7 jumper last week after Ashton Ward went down with a season-ending hamstring injury and Jamie Humphreys succumbed to an ankle issue.

The playmaker stepped up to lead South Sydney past Canterbury and will look to do it again in Saturday's showdown with the Warriors.

A junior star out of the fertile Illawarra nursery, Sullivan's career has had plenty of twists and turns but few have doubted his talent.

Rabbitohs forward Euan Aitken is a fellow Wollongong product who lined up alongside Sullivan when the highly touted junior made his NRL debut for the Dragons back in 2020. 

The pair reconnected at South Sydney last year and Aitken is confident the playmaker's best is still to come. 

"Bud's a good kid," Aitken said. "With the interchange he hasn't played a lot of footy this year. 

"It's good to see Bud get an opportunity and play well last weekend against some challenging opposition with that Bulldogs left edge. 

"He's shown [he can deliver for us]. He's shown that previously throughout his time with us at Souths and he'll build confidence with wins like that. He's got to keep his body in good shape, keep working on his combination with Cody [Walker] and he can do a job for us."

Head west and it's Jack Cogger who has been thrust into the limelight after Penrith coach Ivan Cleary turned to the journeyman's steady hand to help navigate a tricky post-Origin period.

Cleary is adamant Blaize Talagi's time will come, but for now, the coach needs the consistency and stability offered by Cogger. 

It's a position the 29-year-old is familiar with. The playmaker was thrown into the starting halves late in the 2023 season when Jarome Luai dislocated his shoulder. 

Luai returned for the preliminary final and started the grand final before succumbing to the injury midway through the second half. Up stepped Cogger, who was injected into the contest just minutes before Brisbane took a commanding 24-8 lead.

Every fan remembers Nathan Cleary's 20 minutes of magic but the smart footy minds, led by Immortal Andrew Johns, credit Cogger for making it all possible with his traditional playmaking skills and ability to straighten the attack. 

After two years in Newcastle, Cogger returned to Penrith this season and his ability to slot seamlessly into the side is a major bonus. 

"When you have an experienced half, your job is to make sure you don't disrupt the flow," Townsend said. "So if I'm Jack Cogger, how do I get the best out of Nathan? How do I help Nathan be Nathan, while also doing my job when the occasion arrives? 

"Jack is someone who can slot in there, the team can have faith and confidence in him to do his job and also bring the best out of the playmakers he's playing around."

Off to New Zealand and the Warriors' Suncorp Stadium curse continued last weekend. They got the win over the Broncos but lost a halfback in the process. 

Nearly 14 months after tearing his ACL at the ground, Luke Metcalf injured his hamstring in his Brisbane return. The injury comes after Tanah Boyd ruptured his ACL at the venue during Magic Round. 

With Te Maire Martin still another week away from returning from a hamstring injury, Andrew Webster has turned to 22-year-old rookie Luke Hanson for Saturday's crucial clash with the Rabbitohs. 

The youngster will step into the No.6 jumper for his second game in the top flight, with Chanel Harris-Tavita shifting from five-eighth to halfback.

Martin is expected to slot straight back into the halves next week and Townsend expects the New Zealand representative to make an instant impact. 

"I've been really impressed by Te Maire Martin so far this year when he's played," Townsend said.

"He hasn't missed a beat. It's a devastating situation for Luke Metcalf to go out the way he did, but Te Maire has been around the game a long time and understands his role. 

"The flow of the Warriors footy side didn't change a single beat when Te Maire was in there."

Whether it's Puru, Sullivan, Cogger, Martin, or even Newcastle playmaker Sandon Smith, the moment they have spent their entire lives dreaming of has arrived. 

The next seven weeks are a chance to write their name into NRL folklore. Townsend's message is simple; don't let it pass you by. 

"These guys are going into a team that's a contender," Townsend said. "The football side is already playing well, you don't need to do too much.

"It's about going in, doing your job, put yourself in the shopfront window and say 'I am up to this level, I am capable of starting, I want to start and will continue to do so'.

"It's a massive moment in their careers that they'll look back on as pivotal. To come in and play well and guide their team into some of these big games. It's a chance to have a good individual performance and get some good team victories as well."