NINES is a young man’s game, and this lot have game in spades and youth on their side.

The Auckland Nines has only been around for three years but the tournament has already brought to light some of the game’s best entertainers and SuperCoach cheapies.

Semi Radradra. Curtis Rona. Solomone Kata. Valentine Holmes.

And this year’s crop of rookies has just as much potential.

Round 19

Featuring a Mormon missionary, rugby league pedigree drawn from the greatest of gene pools and the quickest man to ever grace the Cowboys doorstep, these are the kids you should be watching this weekend.

Watch all the action from the Nines live and exclusive on Fox Sports 1HD, with expert analysis from Matt Shirvington, Nathan Hindmarsh, Michael Ennis, Cooper Cronk and Daly Cherry-Evans across the entire weekend.

Caleb Timu — Broncos

Caleb Timu during Broncos pre-season training. Source: News Corp Australia

Once dubbed the next Raging Bull, 21-year-old Timu is back in Broncos colours after putting a promising progression through the ranks on hold to take up a two-year Mormon mission in 2013.

After terrorising edge defences throughout his junior days Timu earned comparisons to club great Gorden Tallis, and returns to the club at an imposing 190cm and 108 kilos.

Understandably Timu will take time to readjust to the game, but comes with a reputation as a rangy, try-scoring back-rower that cannot be ignored.

Lachlan Croker — Raiders

Former Canberra Raider, Jason Croker and nephew, Lachlan Croker will both play at the Auckland Nines. Source: News Corp Australia

The Raiders have locked up Croker — the nephew of club legend Jason — until the end of 2017 and with good reason.

The 20-year-old has made every post a winner throughout his junior days and the NSW under 18s half has added considerable bulk to his frame over the past two years with an eye to an NRL debut at some point in 2016.

Croker was given a run at last year’s Nines and returns with the added responsibility as Sam Williams’ halves partner.

Brad Abbey — Bulldogs

Touted as a future Kiwi international and one of the game’s brightest in a crack field of young fullbacks, Abbey joined the Bulldogs on a three-year deal in November after securing a release from the Warriors in the wake of Roger Tuviasa-Sheck’s signing.

Modelling his game on modern-day great Billy Slater, 19-year-old Abbey is viewed as the Bulldogs’ long-term custodian and was the Warriors’ starting fullback in their 2014 NYC title-winning side at the age of just 17.

Kurt Capewell — Sharks

Having joined Cronulla off the back of a successful 2015 with Queensland Cup champions Ipswich, the 22-year-old has joined the club on a two-year-deal.

Formerly a centre who switched to the second row last year, Capewell has spent time at the Broncos and Roosters but is yet to break into the top grade.

Standing at 189 centimetres and weighing 93 kilos, the rangy backrower has speed and footwork with his hole running set to trouble the defensive line.

Ash Taylor — Titans

New Titans half Ash Taylor shapes as a key man for the Gold Coast in 2016. Source: News Corp Australia

Last year’s 2014 NYC player of the year comes with more profile than any other player in this list thanks to a three-way bidding war between Manly, Brisbane and the Gold Coast for his services nine months ago.

The Titans won out and with Kane Elgey’s season ended by an ACL rupture, all eyes are on Taylor, starting with the Nines this weekend.

At 90 kilos and in possession of a strong kicking and organisational game, Taylor returns to the park after suffering a gruesome compound fracture and dislocated finger 29 minutes into his NRL debut last year with the Broncos.

Jesse Ramien — Sea Eagles

An 18-year-old centre who stood tall during Manly’s run to the NYC grand final last year, Ramien gets his chance at the Nines after being called up to the senior squad for pre-season training.

The NSW under 18s representative has been shadowing Steve Matai for most of the summer according to and boasts a decent turn of pace. Also keep an eye out for 110 kilo Fijian wrecking ball Fabian Goodall, who arrives on the Beaches having already played Test football fro the Bati prior to his NRL debut.

Curtis Scott — Storm

Just about the most in demand kid in the game last season with 11 clubs reportedly chasing his signature, 18-year-old Scott inked a three-year-deal with the Storm after leading Cronulla’s premiership winning SG Ball side.

A talented three-quarter, Scott returned from Australian Schoolboys duties last October to begin pre-season training with Craig Bellamy’s senior squad, and has been named at fullback for the Nines, pushing gun youngster Cameron Munster into the centres.

Brock Lamb — Knights

At just 18 Lamb is already among the most impressive at pre-season training according to Knights insiders, earning the young five-eighth a plum playmaking role at the Nines.

Possessing a handy kicking game both off the tee and in general play, Lamb is considered a long-term option in the halves by Nathan Brown and is tied up with the club until the end of 2017.

Gideon Mosby — Cowboys

Cowboys speedster Gideon Mosby in late 2015. Source: News Corp Australia

They don’t come much bigger, or faster than this.

The Cowboys flyer has been declared the quickest player yet at a club that has seen the likes of Matt Sing, Ty Williams and Matty Bowen through it’s doors, and Mosby knows how to use that clean pair of heels, racking up a record breaking 38 tries in 24 NYC games in 2015.

Recruited to North Queensland from Darnley Island — home to 400 people — in the Torres Strait, Mosby ran the 100m in a jaw-dropping 10.95 seconds at the Queensland schoolboys and won’t be caught if he sees any space in Auckland.

Bevan French — Eels

With the likes of Preston Campbell and Nathan Blacklock numbering among his relatives it’s no surprise 20-year-old French is a livewire of the highest order.

First coming to the attention of league aficionados in 2013 when Parramatta beat out six rival clubs to secure his signature, the Tingha local racked up 16 tries in 22 Holden NYC games last season.

Te Maire Martin — Panthers

Te Maire Martin has impressed at the foot of the mountains this summer. Source: News Corp Australia

One of the hottest young playmakers going around, Martin already has Panthers veterans Jamie Soward and Peter Wallace under the pump after arriving at Penrith from the Tigers over the summer.

A two-time NYC five-eighth of the year with the Tigers and a former touch football sensation, Martin had clubs clamouring for the kid touted as the next Benji Marshall when it became clear he was leaving Leichhardt last year.

Gets his first crack at the senior level this weekend, though New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney had already seen enough to offer him a spot in the Kiwis train on squad ahead of their November tour of England.

Cody Walker — Rabbitohs

By all accounts the 26-year-old has trained the house down at Redfern this summer, and is in line to fill the No. 6 jumper in place of Luke Keary (suspension) for round one.

The former Intrust Super Cup player of the year was initially recruited from the Storm by the Bunnies as cover for their star halves in 2014, but was stood down for six months after being charged with domestic assault.

Since returning the game midway through 2015 Walker impressed for feeder side North Sydney during their late season run of form in the NSW Cup, and is gunning for a long awaited NRL debut.

Matt Dufty — Dragons

A star of the Holden Cup, 20-year-old Dufty has spent the pre-season training with the fulltime squad as he looks to make the transition from NYC to NRL.

A fullback with pace to burn, the Dragons junior is a lively prospect who makes a habit out of finding the try line.

With speed off the mark, look for the custodian to get into open space at the Nines and let his feet do the talking.

Latrell Mitchell — Roosters

The next GI is one hell of a tag to be lumped with, but Latrell Mitchell doesn’t appear to be weighed down by the hype, carving up last year’s NYC competition despite still being eligible for SG Ball.

The Taree product is in line for the Chooks No. 1 jumper down the track, and as such is under lock and key at Bondi until 2019.

He gets his first crack at senior level having spent the pre-season training with Trent Robinson’s first grade squad over the summer.

Ata Hingano — Warriors

None other than Kiwi legend Stacey Jones was chomping at the bit to throw Hingano into the under 20s fray when he was just 17.

The Junior Warriors five-eighth didn’t disappoint once he passed the minimum age requirement, guiding the Junior Warriors to the 2014 title as the youngest player on the park.

That starring role saw a number of clubs sniffing around the talented playmaker when the Warriors re-signed him a couple of years ago, and with his contract up next season, he has the chance to show his wares again among a star studded senior Warriors squad.

Rod Griffin — Tigers

Rod Griffin finally gets a crack at the NRL with a one-year Tigers contract. Source: News Corp Australia

At 29 years old Griffin is the veteran of this rookie class and he packs both the punch and story to match his exalted status among this group.

After a stunning display in the 2015 InTrust Super Cup final for Ipswich Griffin was signed by the Tigers — where he had a brief stint almost a decade ago — on a one-year deal.

A PNG international with six Test caps to his name, Griffin is the only player to play in QLD Cup grand finals for three different clubs (Northern Pride — 2009-2010, Tweed Heads — 2011 and the Jets last year), and played alongside Todd Carney for the Atherton Roosters in 2011.