Phil Gould predicts Super League talent to make switch to NRL

Canterbury Bulldogs Head of Football and rugby league icon Phil Gould has predicted which talent from the Super League competition will become the next player to make the switch to the NRL.

Over the years, many talents have made the jump from the Super League to the NRL and made a name for themselves like Sam Burgess, James Graham and Gareth Ellis.

But, there have also been talents that have failed to live up to the hype and expectations such as Sam Tomkins and Ryan Hall.

As the likes of Lewis Dodd and Matty Nicholson become the latest players to make the switch to the NRL next season, Phil Gould has predicted Wigan Warriors forward Junior Nsemba could soon become the next and could easily make the transition.

Able to play either in the back-row or front-row, the 20-year-old has emerged as one of the best young players in the competition on both ends of the field and is listed at an impressive 195cm.

Debuting in 2022, Nsemba has already won the Super League twice and Challenge Cup in consecutive seasons with the Wigan Warriors.

Although he recently signed a long-term deal with Wigan until the end of the 2030 season, it may be a long time till he reaches the NRL competition as he has no "NRL clause" in his contract, per Wigan CEO Kris Radlinski.

He also comes from a family ancestry that has seen multiple members excel in sports at a high level. This includes his cousin Alex Song, who represented Arsenal and Barcelona in soccer, and his uncle Rigobert Song, who played for Liverpool.

"There's a boy playing for Wigan, big back-rower, Junior Nsemba," Gould said on Six Tackles with Gus.

"I think he's signed for a few years at Wigan, but I'd like to be assured at some stage of his career he will come out to Australia and I think he will be very good.

"He's a similar sort of build, similar sort of frame [as Newcastle rookie Kai Pearce-Paul] and I really like him.

"He's on contract for a few years and he's only young, but I think he's a player who could easily come to Australia."

Phil Gould also admitted that he is looking forward to watching Lewis Dodd and Tom Amone play in the NRL next season. The duo are set to link up with the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Canterbury Bulldogs.

A halfback, Dodd has signed with the Rabbitohs on a three-year contract until the end of the 2027 NRL season on a salary of around $600,000 per season.

Regarded as one of the best young rugby league playmakers in the game, it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to the NRL competition, but he has shown that he has plenty of potential.

On the other hand, Amone will make his return to the NRL after spending the last three seasons with the Leigh Leopards.

During his stint in England, he has undisputably become one of the best middle-third forwards in the English game, and the 27-year-old was a vital part of the Leopard's victory in the 2023 Challenge Cup.

"I do watch a fair bit of it, I've got an interest in it," Gould added.

"We've got Tom Amone coming back to the Bulldogs for next season. South Sydney have got the halfback, Lewis Dodd, coming out here next year."

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