Winning a premiership often depends on a key player living up to or even exceeding their potential and it isn’t always the best player on a team.

From young players joining new clubs to positional switches and experienced players that need to rediscover their mojo, every club has a key man who must step up in 2020.

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Foxsports.com.au looks at the NRL rosters to find the one player at each club that is most under pressure heading into the 2020 Telstra Premiership assault.

Round 19

STORM - Cameron Munster

Cameron Munster had a quiet finish to 2019. Source: Getty Images

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By his own lofty standards Melbourne’s superstar five-eighth didn’t have the strongest finish to his 2019 campaign. At his best Munster is arguably the best player in the game, but he has struggled from a lack of stability and cohesion with his halves partners. Brodie Croft’s departure to the Broncos has given the Storm clarity on their halves picture, with Jahrome Hughes the man most likely to be given a full season in the No.7 hot seat.

However he is not a traditional halfback, which will put more pressure on Munster to be a playmaker that can create opportunities for his teammates. Many feel Munster is better suited to the fullback position and his strength is his running game, but with Ryan Papenhuyzen in the No.1 it is time for the Queensland Origin star to come of age as a five-eighth and step up and deliver in the pressure moments more often.

ROOSTERS - Kyle Flanagan

Cooper Cronk will coach Kyle Flanagan to fill his No.7 jersey at the Roosters. Source: Supplied

It is probably the hardest shoes to fill in rugby league from 2019 to the new season, with Kyle Flanagan to step into Cooper Cronk’s No.7 jersey. Cronk retired after winning three consecutive premierships, including back-to-back titles with the Roosters in 2018 and 2019. Out goes 372 NRL games of experience, including nine grand finals and in comes Flanagan, with just nine games of first grade to his name. Luke Keary is expected to take the bulk of the playmaking duties, while Flanagan continues his development, but it is a massive burden on the youngster to come into a premiership side and replace one of the all-time great halfbacks. Adding to the pressure will be the goalkicking duties that Flanagan is likely to take on following the departure of Latrell Mitchell to the Rabbitohs.

RABBITOHS - Latrell Mitchell

Latrell Mitchell with Greg Inglis at Souths training. Source: Supplied

On the surface it is tough to suggest that a player who played a key role in back-to-back premiership triumphs has anything to prove, but switching to a new club has Latrell Mitchell under pressure before a ball is kicked in 2020. The fact that the 22-year-old moved to the Roosters’ main rivals in South Sydney is enough of a burden for Mitchell to carry. However the fact that he will switch from the centres to a full-time fullback role at his new club will have the critics ready to pick apart his every misstep.

There are bound to be growing pains in the positional shift, with Mitchell yet to prove he has the physique and endurance to handle the demands of playing 80 minutes week-to-week in arguably the most physically demanding position on the field. Mitchell has the skills, size and speed to be a success in the No.1, but the Rabbitohs will want results early and a premiership title is a realistic goal for the Redfern club if Mitchell can fire at the back.

RAIDERS - George Williams

George Williams joins the NRL after 184 games for Wigan. Source: Supplied

Historically not many grand finalists improve after losing their halfback from the previous season, but Aidan Sezer’s departure has opened the door George Williams to fill the No.7 role full-time in 2020. The 25-year-old veteran of 184 games for Wigan comes highly regarded and will fit in well with Canberra’s English contingent both on and off the field. However halfback is such a crucial position and it will take time for Williams to strike up a combination with his new teammates. Luckily he has Jack Wighton in career best form outside him and a monster pack to work off the back of. However Ricky Stuart’s men set a pretty high bar to follow last season and if the Raiders get off to a slow start Williams will be feeling the heat. The Raiders are desperate to atone for their 2019 Grand Final heartbreak, but a lot of things have to go right, including a big season from their new No.7.

EELS - Ryan Matterson

Ryan Matterson returns to the Eels after stints at the Roosters and Tigers. Source: News Corp Australia

On face value the signing of former Roosters’ premiership winner Ryan Matterson is a huge coup for the Parramatta club. The 25-year-old had his best season last year and was included in Brad Fittler’s NSW squad for their series win over Queensland. However his future at the Tigers became unclear late last year when it emerged he was unhappy at the club and wanted a release.



A combination of financial and personal factors were put forward for his desire to switch clubs, but it didn’t exactly paint Matterson as the greatest teammate. Now with 84 games of experience in the top grade, Matterson needs to let his footy do the talking on the field and prove to his new club and coach Brad Arthur that he can put the team first. If he can do it then more representative honours await, but if the Eels get off to a slow start the finger pointing is bound to start.

SEA EAGLES - Danny Levi

Danny Levi joins the Sea eagles from the Knights. Source: News Corp Australia

Last season the Sea Eagles had arguably one of the best hooker rotations in the game, with Api Koroisau and Manase Fainu proving a potent combination. The duo helped lead Manly back to the finals and they were one Jake Trbojevic shoulder away from a preliminary final. However the departure of Koroisau to the Panthers and Fainu’s legal troubles have tested Manly’s depth at No.9. Enter former Knights’ hooker Danny Levi, who was out of favour with now departed Newcastle coach Nathan Brown last season. The 24-year-old has played four times for New Zealand and has 83 games of first grade experience to his name. However Levi has struggled to stamp his authority in the top grade during his five seasons at the Knights. It looms as a make or break year for Levi and Manly’s chances of improving on last season will depend heavily on his ability to combine with the other stars in the Sea Eagles’ spine.

SHARKS - Shaun Johnson

Shaun Johnson had a disappointing first season in the Shire. Source: Getty Images

It is hard to believes that a player of Shaun Johnson’s stature could be under pressure to hold his place in first grade. However such was the disappointing nature of his first season at the Sharks, 2020 looms as a boom or bust year for the veteran of 32 Tests for the Kiwis. The 29-year-old is not over the hill by any means, but repeated injuries in recent seasons have caused his play to be inconsistent and laboured at times. With 180 games of first grade behind him, Johnson has the experience to lead the Sharks deep into September, but he needs to get back to his strengths. Johnson’s running game is the key to unlocking his potential and if he can stay fit then he is every chance of returning to the sparkling form of his early years. However if the Sharks struggle early he will face pressure from Chad Townsend and Matt Moylan just to hold his spot in the side.

BRONCOS - Anthony Milford

Anthony Milford returns to five-eighth in 2020. Source: AAP

The million dollar tag is perhaps the most unfair burden on a player in rugby league, but if you sign the contract then you have to be prepared for the scrutiny that comes with it. While no one would begrudge Anthony Milford earning as much money as anyone is willing to pay him, the simple fact is his play over the last few seasons has not matched his hefty price tag. The knock on Milford is that he appears unfit and uninterested at times and goes in and out of games with consistency so far eluding him. Anthony Seibold seems to have abandoned Milford’s failed fullback move from last season and he will get first crack at the No.6 jersey this in 2020. Milford has struggled to find a regular halves partner in recent years and Brodie Croft’s arrival should give him the opportunity to play to his strengths and unlock his dangerous running game. However the Broncos are a club with big expectations and they have been starved of success, so if Milford can’t improve his consistency in 2020 the knives will come out.

TIGERS - Adam Doueihi

Adam Doueihi quit Souths after Latrell Mitchell’s arrival. Source: AAP

Latrell Mitchell’s arrival at Redfern forced Adam Doueihi to quit Souths, but he found a home at his junior club in the Tigers. Doueihi is a promising talent but there were a few raised eyebrows at his $2.5 million asking price given that he has just 30 games of NRL experience and two tries in first grade to his name. Coupled with this is Doueihi’s injury history, with the youngster missing large chunks of the 2018 and 2019 seasons with an ACL injury. The Tigers are clearly paying the 21-year-old on potential, but it remains to be seen if he can become the game breaker the Tigers need in arguably the most important position on the field. One of the Tigers most consistent performers in Corey Thompson has made no secret of his desire to play fullback, so if Doueihi struggles to make the No.1 jersey his own then Michael Maguire could be forced to shake things up.

PANTHERS - Nathan Cleary

Nathan Cleary is the Panthers’ chief playmaker after James Maloney’s departure. Source: Getty Images

While 22 is still a baby for a playmaker in the NRL, Nathan Cleary has been around long enough to know the spotlight will be on him in 2020. James Maloney’s departure in the off-season has created a massive hole in the Panthers’ playmaking stocks and it is up to Cleary to fill the void. With 79 games of NRL experience, Cleary is now the main playmaker at the foot of the mountains and the team will look to him to create opportunities in the pressure moments. Jarome Luai and Matt Burton will fight it out for the No.6 jersey, but they have just 18 games between them, so Cleary will be under immense pressure to deliver consistently for the mountain men. His efforts in back-to-back winning Origin campaigns for NSW will hold him in good stead, but Maloney was beside him in that arena as well. Time will tell if Cleary is ready to take charge of a team and take his game to greater heights in 2020.

KNIGHTS - Mitchell Pearce

Mitchell Pearce has put the pressure on himself to lead the Knights in 2020. Source: AAP

When Mitchell Pearce was at his best last season the Knights looked unbeatable, but those games were few and far between as Newcastle’s season imploded. A new coach in Adam O’Brien will bring new expectations in 2020, but none will match the expectations Pearce has put on himself to lead the way for his young side. Approaching his 31st birthday in April, Pearce has played 276 games in the top grade and could pass the magical 300 mark this season. With Kurt Mann expected to get first crack at the No.6 jersey, Pearce needs to form a reliable and consistent scrumbase partnership that Newcastle can rely on, especially in the crucial moments that decide the close games. Pearce needs to find a way to unlock the Knights’ greatest attacking threat in Kalyn Ponga more consistently if the Knights are to end their finals drought.

BULLDOGS - Lachlan Lewis

Lachlan Lewis will need to step up in Kieran Foran’s absence. Source: News Corp Australia

The young Bulldogs half was hamstrung before a ball was kicked by the loss of Kieran Foran to a season-ending injury. However Foran’s unavailability has given Lachlan Lewis the opportunity to come of age as a playmaker in 2020. Lewis burst onto the scene in 2018 with a breakout year, but he struggled to back it up last season and was in and out of the side. In Jack Cogger and Brandon Wakeham the Bulldogs have a number of options to cover for Foran, but Lewis is expected to start the season in the No.7 jersey. The 23-year-old showed he isn’t afraid of anyone in a memorable tussle with retired South Sydney champion Sam Burgess last season and he will need to call on that competitive spirit in 2020. If Lewis can take his game to another level the Bulldogs will continue to surprise a few teams, but if he doesn’t it could be a long season for the Belmore club.

WARRIORS - Kodi Nikorima

Conjecture remains over Kodi Nikorima’s best position. Source: Getty Images

2020 looms as a pivotal year for the former Broncos half, after he signed with the Warriors mid-season on a lucrative contract last year. Nikorima is now 25 and has played 100 games of first grade to go with 15 Tests for New Zealand. However the question remains as to what Nikorima’s best position is on a rugby league field. In 86 games for the Broncos Nikorima struggled to establish himself as a matchwinning halfback and he was used predominantly at No.6 outside Blake Green at the Warriors in 2019. However the emergence of Chanel Harris-Tavita is putting pressure on Stephen Kearney to shift Nikorima to the bench or even hooker. Many experts agree that Nikorima is best suited to the dummyhalf role, but he is on a lot of money to be riding the pine. His ability to nail down a consistent starting role will go a long way to getting the Warriors back into finals contention.

COWBOYS - Michael Morgan

Michael Morgan needs to evolve into a reliable playmaker. Source: News Corp Australia

All eyes will be on Valentine Holmes and how he returns to the rugby league field after his unsuccessful stint in the NFL. However the success of the Cowboys will depend on their skipper Michael Morgan getting back to his best. The 28-year-old has played 160 games for North Queensland to go with 12 games for the Maroons and five Tests for Australia. However Morgan, like his club has struggled to return to the heights of their last grand final appearance against the Storm in 2017. Concussion issues have not helped Morgan’s consistency in recent years and he needs a bit of luck to stay on the park in 2020. However with the untried Scott Drinkwater expected to get first crack at the No.6 jersey, Morgan will be expected to take on the bulk of the playmaking duties. If the Queensland star can return to his best then the Cowboys are a premiership dark horse, but if not the knives will come out for under fire coach Paul Green.

DRAGONS - Ben Hunt

Ben Hunt needs to deliver as a halfback for the Dragons. Source: AAP

Another player who has failed to live up to the burden of a $1 million price tag, at least at club level. Last season ben Hunt was arguably the best performed player in the Queensland Origin side. However that was at hooker and the Dragons’ best player last season was their No.9 and new skipper in Cameron McInnes. The Dragons need Hunt to be a consistent halfback, which is why they paid him top dollar to come to the club. The 29-year-old is entering the third season in his mega six-year-deal and the Dragons regressed to finish second last in 2019. They also lost key playmaker Gareth Widdop to the Super League, so the onus is on Hunt and Corey Norman to take control of the team as they enter a new era. If Hunt can’t return the Dragons to prominence in 2020 then the club may seriously consider offloading his monster contract and start to rebuild, provided they could get any takers.

TITANS - Ash Taylor

Ash Taylor is primed for a big season under new coach Justin Holbrook. Source: News Corp Australia

Under new coach Justin Holbrook there wouldn’t be a player at the Gold Coast club that isn’t feeling the heat heading into 2020. However Ash Taylor coming off the most disappointing season of his career is right at the top of the list. Taylor had to deal with some personal issues last season, which certainly isn’t his fault, but on the field he was a shell of the player that was touted as a future Queensland Origin star early in his career. By all reports Taylor has his life in order off the field and his mindset is back to where it needs to be to cope with the rigours of professional sport. But the Titans will need the 24-year-old to return to his very best if they are to be any hope of climbing off the bottom of the table in 2020.