Josh McAllister – Top 5 Current NRL Wingers

Feb 02, 2014 League Freak Featured Guest Writers 1

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The NRL has a lot of talented wingers. Each winger has their own unique finishing and lots of them are exciting to watch. Some argue wing is one of the hardest positions, having to be one of the fastest, fittest and always have to be switched on as you never know when you will be under the pressure from a high kick, or about to attempt to score a try in the tiniest of angles. There are a lot to chose from, but here are my top 5 NRL wingers (In no particular order):

Akuila Uate
Akuila Uate has been with the Newcastle Knights since 2008, and he sure is one of the best finishers. He’s won Dally M winger of the year 3 times and has scored 85 tries for the Newcastle Knights. He can score lengthy tries and is very strong which causes a lot of chaos for defences. He is a strong runner and can easily make a 10 metre run for his side to gain field position. He has also represented Australia, Fiji, NRL All Stars and New South Wales, clearly showing the skill and talent he has as a winger. He played for Fiji in the Rugby League World Cup 2013, and was their top try-scorer, scoring 3 tries and had 10 tackle busts. Uate has been one of the best Wingers in the NRL for the past few seasons now and this is bound to carry on in the 2014 NRL season.

Brett Morris
Brett Morris has been great for the Dragons in the NRL. He has speed and great ball handling skills, and this has helped him score 98 tries since 2006 for the Dragons. He is currently one of the quickest wingers and can easily score a length-of-the field try. He has made appearances for New South Wales, NRL All Stars and Australia. He was apart of the Australia side that played in the Rugby League World Cup 2013 and was also their top try scorer, having 9 tries to his name. He also made 16 tackle busts and an average gain of 12.09 metres per carry in the tournament, which is a great statistic for a winger. Brett Morris is a top finisher with great speed and this is why he is in my top 5 current NRL wingers.

David Williams
David Williams, also known as the Wolfman, had an excellent 2013 NRL season with the Manly Sea Eagles. He was joint top in the top-try scorers in the NRL and this is a talent itself. Having a winger that can finish a try is always a great thing for a team to have and can boost a team’s confidence, knowing they can trust their winger to finish off a set play. He had a pretty constant year in performing well, however, he didn’t have his best game in the 2013 Grand Final vs Roosters, in which he described as the ‘worst game of the season’ for himself. However, in statistics, David Williams made 71 tackle busts and made 28 line breaks, which is a lot of line breaks! David Williams has also represented Australia twice in which he has managed to score four tries in the two appearances. I think David Williams will carry on his form from 2013 (forgetting about the Grand Final) and will be a winger to look out for in 2014.

Roger Tuivasa Sheck
Roger Tuivasa Sheck was included in the 2013 NRL Team of the Year and won 2013 NRL Winger of the Year and deservedly so. His speed and athleticism are his key attributes to the Roosters and he had a great season in 2013. His pace is unbelievable and you could miss it in a blink. He can score lengthy tries and has a great side step which is always a bonus for a winger to have. An example of this is round 24 vs Cronulla Sharks, where he left Todd Carney, who is also quick on his feet, grasping thin air as Tuivasa Sheck side-stepped him in a blink of an eye. He has scored 9 tries for the Roosters and was also New Zealand’s top try scorer in the recent Rugby League World Cup (this is becoming a recurring thing in this article), scoring 8 tries in the tournament. He also made 31 tackle busts in the tournament and made a total of 789 metres. Roger Tuivasa Sheck is still young and can only get better, and for the 2014 NRL season, he is going to be unbelievable.

Nathan Merritt
Nathan Merritt is a try-scoring machine for the Rabbitohs. He has scored a total of 132 tries for the Rabbitohs and is hard to stop once he’s going and in form. Although he had a New South Wales debut he may want to forget, his 2013 NRL season was full of tries. He scored 5 tries against the Eels in Round 22 and three the following game against the Raiders. Like I said, hard to stop. Although he is 30, I reckon he still has a few years left in him yet in the NRL and will carry on his try-scoring form and will be a great winger in the 2014 NRL season.
So, there you go, the Top 5 Current NRL Wingers. Don’t forget to give @LeagueFreak a follow on twitter and also follow my account @RLLatest !

Thanks for reading!

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• Akuila Uate, Brett Morris, David Williams, Guest Writer, Josh McAllister, Nathan Merritt, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

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