WHO’S hot, who’s not, who’s on the cusp and who’s on the block? Get all the latest team info in the Round 23 edition of the NRL Lowdown.

NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS

Who’s hot: His career is still in it’s infancy, but Kalyn Ponga showed why he was one of the most coveted junior sportsmen in the country with an eye-catching display for the Cowboys under-20s side.

Ponga only came into the team a few weeks ago but has already become a firecracker at fullback.

Against the Sharks he scored two tries, ran for 285 metres from a mere 18 carries and broke six tackles in a lively display.

Ponga’s speed and footwork are already at a high level and while he’s several years away from breaking into the NRL his progression will please North Queensland to no end.

media_camera Kalyn Ponga has been in fine form since debuting for the Cowboys under-20s. Picture: Wesley Monts

Who’s not: When they decide to turn it on the Cowboys are one of the most furious and creative teams in the competition but their tendency to lose concentration continues to baffle.

For the second week in a row the Cowboys fell behind 18-0 but unlike the match against Canberra they were unable to claw their way back against a tough Sharks outfit.

It was the second time this season the Cowboys have given up a hearty lead to the Sharks and the defensive fragilities exposed by Cronulla, particularly on the right edge, will concern coach Paul Green.

KENT: NRL must capitalise on TV cash

SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS

Who’s hot: The Rabbitohs were listless and lifeless in their loss to the Sea Eagles on Friday night and the injection of Nathan Brown might give them the enthusiasm injection they need to kick start a tilt at the title.

While Brown has a tendency to make a mistake or two and can allow his aggression to get the best of him, he’s shown in his seven matches this season that he can provide an injection of dynamism when played off the bench.

The toothless Souths pack were dominated by their Manly counterparts on the weekend and the inclusion of Brown would, at the very least, give them a harder edge.

media_camera Nathan Brown has impressed in NSW Cup for the Bears.

Who’s not: Some were quick to trumpet South Sydney as serious premiership contenders following their defeats of the Dragons, Knights and Panthers but the defending premiers looked sluggish and disinterested in the loss to Manly.

The power and precision of recent weeks had vanished and with the Rabbitohs facing a murderers row in the run home (they play the Cowboys, Bulldogs, Broncos and Roosters) they’ll need to pick up their act quick smart.

BRISBANE BRONCOS

Who’s hot: He’s on his way to the Titans and the Gold Coast will be licking their lips at the prospect of seeing Ashley Taylor in the NRL.

One of the most promising playmakers in rugby league, Taylor led the Broncos under-20s to a tough 33-30 win over Canterbury.

Taylor scored a try, set up three more, kicked six goals from six attempts, gave Brisbane a one-point lead with a 76th minute field goal and iced the game with a penalty goal in the shadows of the full-time siren.

The Broncos under-20s have been ravaged by injury over the past few weeks but as long as Taylor is fit they’re still one of the best teams in the competition.

media_camera Ashley Taylor has been a standout for the Broncos Under 20s.

Who’s not: Brisbane dropped their second consecutive match courtesy of their defeat to the Bulldogs and for the first time since Josh McGuire went down they looked a little vulnerable in the middle of the field.

With ball in hand there wasn’t a problem — Sam Thaiday had one of his best offensive games of the season and Jarrod Wallacecontinued his strong recent form — but the lack of defensive intensity in the middle of the field was marked.

Wayne Bennett is an expert at getting his team to peak at the right time but the frailty on the Aiden Tolman and Sam Perrett tries were decidedly unlike the Brisbane we’ve come to know.

THE VOICE: Why Rabs might hang up the microphone

ST GEORGE ILLAWARRA DRAGONS

Who’s hot: He won’t play first grade this season but Russell Packer continues to impress with the Illawarra Cutters.

The former Test front-rower will train with the top squad for the rest of the season and has been starring for the Cutters in recent weeks.

Packer looks much leaner than he did in his stint with the Warriors and with a good pre-season under his belt he seems assured of claiming a spot in the Dragons pack in 2016.

media_camera Russell Packer has gone from strength to strength for the Cutters.

Who’s not: If Benji Marshall is out for an extended period the depths in the Dragons halves is less than ideal.

The sole player in their first grade squad with NRL experience is Drew Hutchinson, who made his NRL debut earlier this season. The Dragons might give a debut to talented youngster Shannon Crook, who’s been in strong form all season for the Cutters.

WESTS TIGERS

Who’s hot: Powerful centre Chance Peni is unlikely to feature in the NRL this season but he’s played a whole lot of good footy for the Tigers’ NSW Cup side and was one of their best in their 22-all draw with Newtown over the weekend.

Peni scored a double and threatened with every touch of the ball in a wild old encounter and with a full off-season under his belt he could be a smoky to fill the vacancy for the Tigers at right centre.

media_camera It’s been a tough few weeks for Kyle Lovett.

Who’s not: Back-rower Kyle Lovett has enjoyed some good moments this year but in recent weeks the toil of a long season in first grade has begun to show.

The tough backrower struggled with the speed of the Tigers win over Canberra and the size of the Raiders forwards and was switched back to the centres when Kevin Naiqama went down.

Tigers fans were spared the horror of the Dean Whare demolition job that went down the last time Lovett played out wide, but the end of the season can’t come quickly enough for Lovett.

NEWCASTLE KNIGHTS

Who’s hot: Newcastle are in dire straits all over the park but it’s strange that Danny Buderus can’t find a place for burly prop Paterika Vaivai in his best 17.

A powerful runner who made an impression in his first-grade stints earlier this season, Vaivai has failed to crack the top grade in the last few weeks as Buderus has preferred the likes of Clint Newton and Sam Mataora.

With the Knights’ season in free-fall and with no sign of them hitting rock bottom Buderus has little to lose and much to gain by playing the dynamic Vaivai.

media_camera Akulia Uate needs a change of scenery.

Who’s not: The Knights might have given the Roosters a little bit of a fright on Sunday but their overall performance was not of NRL standard.

Their right edge, which contains two incumbent Origin players in Beau Scott and Dane Gagai, was all at sea against the methodical Roosters backline and their left edge was no better.

Akulia Uate, the leading try-scorer in the history of the club, barely looked like a first-grader and is in desperate need of a change of scenery. The club needs to be remodelled from top to bottom with a number of players all but certain to be shown the door.

PENRITH PANTHERS

Who’s hot: Back-rower Corey Harawira-Naera has shifted between the under-20s and the NSW Cup this season and put in another fine performance in the Panthers’ 30-22 win over Mounties over the weekend.

Harawira-Naera was a terror on the edge of the ruck and showcased his high workrate and excellent goalkicking, booting six goals from all over the place.

An Otaua junior, Harawira-Naera is one of a horde of highly regarded juniors at the Panthers and the 20-year old should come into the first-grade picture next season.

media_camera There wasn’t much to like about the Panthers in Darwin.

Who’s not: For the second season in a row the Panthers have been ravaged by injury and their difficult season culminated in giving the Darwin crowd one of the worst games in recent memory.

Penrith errors were the order of the day and despite the Panthers being significantly undermanned the sloppiness of their execution and their inability to convert a mountain of attacking pressure in the first half were highly disappointing.

Their season is now seemingly all but over and they’ll be playing for pride in the final month of the competition.

NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS

Who’s hot: There is no visible reason not to play Konrad Hurrell in first grade.

Warriors coach Andrew McFadden claimed that defensive lapses were the reason behind his most recent departure to reserve grade but the loss to the Dragons seems to indicate that the defensive frailties that plague the club run far deeper than Hurrell.

Despite having played 65 first-grade games, Hurrell’s experience in rugby league is still relatively low — he first played the game in 2011 after a stellar junior rugby career.

Trampling over people in the NSW Cup will not help sand the rough edges off his game and the only way he can work through these issues is in first grade.

media_camera There is no reason for Konrad Hurrell to not be in first grade.

Who’s not: Suffering a 36-0 defeat when your finals hopes are on the line is unacceptable for any club, but considering the field position and pressure the Warriors possessed in the first half of their match against the Dragons it is absolutely stupefying that they could not trouble the scorers.

They were without Shaun Johnson but the lack of attacking potency provided by Sam Tomkins and Chad Townsend was simply not acceptable.

Townsend in particular struggled to direct the team’s attack — he was content to shift the ball from sideline to sideline with no thought of playing direct or attempting to punch through the middle of the ruck.

Be it a failure of the brains trust or poor execution, it was truly one of the most inept attacking performances of the season.

SYDNEY ROOSTERS

Who’s hot: After a couple of seasons in the wilderness, Yileen Gordon has bobbed up playing for Roosters feeder club Wyong Roos.

The former Rabbitoh, Panther and Bulldog isn’t part of the Roosters NRL squad but has impressed with his form for the Roos, running in a double in their win over Canterbury.

Always blessed with immense physical talent, Gordon has become one of Wyong’s most potent attacking weapons as the Roos push for the NSW Cup minor premiership.

media_camera Yileen Gordon played first grade at three NRL clubs.

Who’s not: The Roosters’ ongoing defensive lapses are downright bizarre. In the last two weeks they’ve almost let 22-0 and 32-0 leads slip through their fingers as they’ve been plagued by puzzling spells of apathy.

For a team with as much quality across the field and as much big-game experience as the Roosters it’s highly unusual that they would fail to go on with it and post a big win.

PARRAMATTA EELS

Who’s hot: Ryan Matterson has been a shining light in a tough season for the Wentworthville Magpies but the rangy five-eighth seems to be on the NRL outer with the Eels.

Matterson has been part of Parramatta’s top squad all season but even with the Eels attack sputtering worse than a $200 Toyota, Brad Arthur has continued to opt for Luke Kelly in the halves ahead of the talented Wentworthville junior.

Despite re-signing last season for an additional two years, Matterson will join the Roosters in 2016. With both the size and skill to make an impact, Matterson may yet join the long list of former Eels that have come back to haunt the blue and golds.

media_camera Luke Kelly has struggled to steer the Eels around the park.

Who’s not: There wasn’t a whole lot to like about the Parramatta’s win over the Panthers in Darwin but the performance of Corey Norman and Luke Kelly would have brought a tear to the eye of the heartiest Eels fan.

Norman has enjoyed a relatively strong season despite his team’s struggles but he failed to give the attack the spark or direction that was required.

Kelly, a Katherine junior who was the closest thing the match had to a local product, struggled to provide the organisation that the team desperately needed.

CANBERRA RAIDERS

Who’s hot: Jeremy Hawkins looked a little out of his depth when injected into first grade earlier this season but the powerful outside back has shown some excellent signs in the NSW Cup since settling into the team midway through the year.

One of the strongest players at the club, Hawkins has become a consistent attacking threat for Mounties and his workrate coming out of his own end sets him apart from many of the outside backs in the second tier competition.

Who’s not: Playmakers Blake Austin and Sam Williams have been two of the Raiders best all season, and Austin in particular is still finding his feet in his first full season of first grade in the halves, but they picked a bad time to put up their worst game of the year against the Tigers.

Against his former club, Austin was desperate to cross the stripe and generate some highlight reel plays but he overplayed his hand on several occasions and had a day to forget on both sides of the ball — he bombed a certain try when he had an air swing on a Sisa Waqa centre kick, committed three turnovers in the attacking quarter and was repeatedly torched on the right hand side after failing to communicate with the lackadaisical Joey Leilua.

Williams also had a night to forget, making a number of key errors when the Raiders had good field position and failing to take control of the attack in the dying stages.

MANLY SEA EAGLES

Who’s hot: There’s less room in the Sea Eagles backline than a peak-hour train but David Williams seems set to finish his career with the club on a personal high after scoring a double in Manly’s 34-20 NSW Cup win over Wentworthville.

Williams has barely been sighted in first grade since his disastrous performance in the 2013 grand final and has played in the top grade on a mere three occasions this season.

Another NRL deal seems unlikely but a move to England or to the Queensland Cup may be on the cards for the Wolfman.

media_camera David Williams has enjoyed a good season in the NSW Cup.

Who’s not: It’s near on impossible to point the finger at any of the Sea Eagles considering their performances from the last two weeks.

Their sparkling backline and some terrific efforts in the middle of the field paved the way for the win over the Rabbitohs and continued their push towards an unlikely finals berth.

They face a real challenged this weekend against fellow finals aspirants Canberra in what essentially is a “loser leaves town” match.

CANTERBURY BULLDOGS

Who’s hot: Wily halfback Guy Hamilton has been at the heart of the Bulldogs’ recent under-20s revival with the young Queenslander at the heart of the blue and white’s unlikely finals charge.

Hamilton was the Bulldogs’ best in a narrow 33-30 loss to Brisbane last Friday night as he steered the team around the park well and provided the bulk of the team’s attacking potency.

The Keebra Park junior seems sure to become the main back-up to Josh Reynolds and Moses Mbye next season.

Who’s not: As we saw in grand final week last year, the Bulldogs are without a clear back-up hooker.

A knee injury will keep Michael Lichaa on the sideline for at least a week, creating something of a positional crisis for the Dogs.

Damian Cook is the only specialist option available but Des Hasler may opt to shift Josh Jackson to dummy half.

GOLD COAST TITANS

Who’s hot: The Titans under-20s stumbled to a 39-30 defeat to the Melbourne Storm on Sunday but winger Zac Spring gave a good account of himself, scampering over for three tries.

A Tweed Heads junior, Spring is one of a number of fine prospects to come through the Titans ranks in recent years and will undoubtedly benefit from playing some Queensland Cup football next season.

media_camera It was a tough day for Nene Macdonald and the Titans.

Who’s not: Centre Nene Macdonald has been solid for the Titans since joining the club from the Sydney Roosters earlier this season but the Papua New Guinean international had an unhappy day against the Storm.

A damaging attacking player who scored a double the week before, Macdonald was caught out on several occasions by the Storm as they targeted his side of the field for the majority of the match.

His attempted tackle on Cameron Munster late in the game, which allowed the young fullback to score his third try, was a particular lowlight in a forgettable day for the 21-year old.

CRONULLA SHARKS

Who’s hot:Nathan Gardner’s career at the Sharks is all but over but the nippy fullback continues to impress for the Newtown Jets in the NSW Cup.

Gardner has thrived for the Jets this season and has emerged as their most damaging attacking player, scoring a double in their 22-all draw with the Wests Tigers.

Off contract at the end of the season, Super League appears to be the most likely destination should Gardner wish to continue his top-grade career.

media_camera Nathan Gardner seems certain to leave the Sharks at the end of the season.

Who’s not: For Cronulla to fire they need every member of the team operating at maximum capacity and that’s exactly what’s been happening for the past few weeks.

The likes of Valentine Holmes, Wade Graham and Michael Ennis are rightly receiving many of the plaudits but some of the lesser lights like Matt Prior, who played his best game in a couple of seasons against the Cowboys, and Chris Heighington, who has been proving that he’s still an NRL quality footballer, have really lifted their game in recent weeks.

RETURN: Brown short-listed for Knights job

MELBOURNE STORM

Who’s hot: Back-rower Joe Stimson returned for the Storm under-20s against the Titans and duly continued like he’d never been away, running for a massive 186 metres from 18 carries, setting up a try, scoring another and making 27 tackles without a single miss.

One of the best prospects in the Melbourne system, Stimson’s hard running and deft offloading transform Melbourne into a different side when he’s included on the team sheet.

Who’s not: It took a while, but Melbourne eventually clicked into gear against the Titans and put on one of their better attacking performances of the season.

With both teams pushing for a top-four berth, their clash against the Sharks on Monday night has taken on an intriguing twist, however it’s worth noting that the last time the Storm beat a top eight side was way back in Round 10 against the Rabbitohs.

There’s so much talent and experience in this Storm side that you’d be foolish to write them off but until they claim a highly-ranked scalp they can’t re-enter the title picture.