The nude run is a long-standing NRL tradition, required of players who don’t score a try during the course of the season.
To be fair, scoring tries is certainly not what’s expected of the players listed below. They often do the hard yards to open defences up, laying the platform for their flashier teammates to plant the ball over the line.
But I’m sure they’d all like to cross the stripe at least once themselves in 2018.
Leeson Ah Mau – St George Illawarra
Big Leeson has scored five tries in his 154 NRL matches, but his last one was way back in 2014, so the nude run is nothing new for him.
Jordan McLean – North Queensland
Maybe the move from the Melbourne to North Queensland will help McLean, who also has a try-scoring drought stretching back to 2014.
But he did score three that year, and his overall record of four tries in 86 matches isn’t too bad. Still he’s my second favourite to be running again.
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Shannon Boyd – Canberra
The Raiders’ man-mountain had a surprising dry spell last year, failing to score in his 23 appearances. But before that, he’d scored eight tries in his first 67 career games, so it’s unlikely he’ll have to get the gear off again at the end of 2018.
Sam Kasiano – Melbourne
Kasiano is another who’ll be hoping a new club will help to break his try-scoring drought. He didn’t get across the line in 22 matches for the Bulldogs last season, but his overall strike rate of 15 tries in 139 NRL matches isn’t too bad.
Who else would you nominate for this early market?
Aaron
Guest
Looks like Lisone has a way to go to match that effort!
tim
Guest
Jason Lowrie took over 130 games to break his duck.
Aaron
Guest
Thanks for that, 138 games! Some players will play half that amount and score a handful!
BA Sports
Guest
Yeah he never scored for the Raiders. Bryce Gibbs went some ridiculous number - like 145 odd between tries after scoring in the 2005 GF he never scored again for the Tigers and finally scored when he was at the Sharks. There are a couple of players I am forgetting though - Just can't put my finger on it. Tigers players triggered it for me - Jason Lowrie (just looked his numbers up) went 138 games before scoring his first try. There may be players who took longer, but that is the club house leader
Dean
Guest
Any of the Warriors and Bulldogs. Take your pick.
Aaron
Guest
You could be right, Wikipedia tells me Brent Todd played 91 games for Canberra, 0 tries, 9 games for Wakefield Trinity, 0 tries, and 34 games for the Gold Coast Seagulls, for.....wait for it.....1 try! So he would've scored his try at least after 99 games. He did score 2 tries for the Kiwis though!
BA Sports
Guest
Mr Gore will probably confirm that Brent Todd took 100 games to get off the mark (i think) - but there is probably a longer wait out there
Joe
Roar Rookie
I expect Sam Kasiano will be getting a few this year..he will be used same as Nelson was anywhere close to the line. Smith is the master at finding mismatches close to the line, classic example Nelson on Kodi Nikorima in that prelim final...poor Kodi had no chance. Now Smith will have two big men to go to...halfbacks are going to be on high alert near their line.
Joe
Roar Rookie
Especially that Vunivalu....he's been lucky two seasons in a row getting the top try scorer gong. Now that Cronks gone he definitely is going to struggle to get anywhere near the chalk!
Greg Ambrose
Guest
The Storm wingers got lucky last year and I don't think either of them will cross this year.
Paul
Guest
does Robbie Farah count? I'm only asking as I reckon he'll get little game time.
Paul
Guest
Aaron Woods. Started off okay in his career but has struggled since and given his move to the Doggies, must be thinking about a nude run, given their inability to score points last year.
Ian Reid
Guest
Martin Taupau.
Aaron
Guest
Since he debuted in first grade, Sammy Lisone has yet to score a try. He's up to 60 games or so. Does anyone know if that's a 'record'?
Duncan Smith
Guest
Josh Addo-Carr is probably safe.
BA Sports
Guest
Timmy Mannah 5 tries in 205 NRL games. Scored a try last year but has never scored in back to back seasons. Also averages less minutes per game than he used to. The bloke written about in another article - Tagatese hasn't scored in a couple of years and if used the same way, will only get about 20 minutes a game. There are a whole bunch of forwards that don't get many minutes off the bench (Leota, Gubb, Latimore, Lussick etc..) All good money not to get off the duck.