Cam Inman is a San Francisco Bay Area-based sports reporter who has covered the NFL and the 49ers since 2000 for the Bay Area News Group and CBS-5 San Francisco. He also extensively covered Jarryd Hayne’s crossover from the NRL to the NFL in 2015.
An Australian has won the Super Bowl each of the NFL’s past two seasons, from Jordan Mailata with the Philadelphia Eagles last year to Michael Dickson with the Seattle Seahawks last month.
A recipe for success? If so, NFL scouts might want to keep an eye on Oz.
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Those personnel czars, however, have been holed up this week in the middle of America at the NFL’s scouting combine in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Saturday night’s NRL-opening doubleheader certainly offered entertainment, which, of course, is Las Vegas’ speciality, minus the sinful seductions.
Just because they excelled on the Las Vegas Raiders’ home field, let’s not confuse this as an audition to stay abroad and hop codes. That said, here is a scouting report of a dozen players’ NFL prospects, even if only a couple could be even realistic longshots.
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Matt Burton (Bulldogs): NFL clubs certainly could spy Burton as the next, great Aussie punter considering his booming efforts in Vegas, where, two years ago, Perth’s Mitch Wishnowsky punted for the 49ers in their Super Bowl loss. Burton, 25, may be in the prime of his NRL career but a job in the NFL could be enticing.
“I’m sure he could do it,” Michael Dickson, punter for the Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks, told the Australian Associated Press, adding that Burton would “eventually find the sweet spot kicking an NFL ball.”
Dom Young (Knights): The NFL could use a 6-foot-6 wide receiver with speed who has contact courage and a capable fend-off. The Englishman already is a trans-continental star in rugby league, despite some gaffes. At a prime 24 years old, he was this opener’s most intriguing raw talent for a potential NFL crossover.
Stephen Crichton (Bulldogs): His left-footed, golden-point field goal to win Saturday night’s grand finale doesn’t necessarily peg him as a potential NFL kicker. Nor does his open-field moves with the ball — “Running back stuff,” per Fox Sports’ announcer – paint him as a better NFL option than Jarryd Hayne back in 2015. Crichton’s clutch gene, leadership and athletic skills still could make him an asset, perhaps as a safety on defense or special teams.
Murray Taulagi (Cowboys): Two of the Cowboys’ three tries came from this pure scorer, whose 63 tries in 109 games illustrate a cunning knack for big plays. His size rivals that of San Francisco 49ers All-Pro fullback Kyle Juszczyk (watch him in six months when the NFL debuts in Melbourne).
Kalyn Ponga (Knights): Easy to spot this captain who shows good field awareness, speed, versatility, courage and command. An entry-level role in the NFL would likely be on special teams, such as returning and/or covering kicks and/or punts.
Lachlan Galvin (Bulldogs): Poaching this 20-year-old phenom would be downright robbery by the NFL, right? His obvious talent could draw the spotlight for the next decade in his native Oz, or he could escape it and make a play as a slot wide receiver or return specialist to make magic with an NFL football in his hands.
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Val Holmes (Dragons): He’s seven years removed from his NFL cameo on the New York Jets’ practice squad, so that career path is likely exhausted, but his competitive drive is still there, as seen by his attempts to win Saturday night’s game with long-range kicks that went askew.
Christian Tuipulotu (Dragons): This 25-year-old enforcer has the ornery edge to take on NFL combat, perhaps covering kicks in the NFL and working his way into a linebacker mold.
Dane Gagai (Knights): His tackling form in the open field and near the goal line is ideal for a last-line of defense at safety, but at 35, he’s a decade too late to make a NFL move.
Fletcher Sharpe (Knights): The NRL’s first 2026 try came when Sharpe soared for what the NFL calls a “high-point” catch. His size and ball-hawking ability could cast him as a slot wide receiver, and at just 21, time is on his side to adapt to the NFL, barring injury such as this game’s knee woes.
Braidon Burns (Cowboys): The NRL opener’s hardest hit was an illegal one, when Burns launched his left shoulder high into Ponga. That sent Burns to the “sin bin” for the final minutes, but such ferocity aligns with the NFL, or at least it did a decade ago before player-safety rules increased.
Jake Clifford (Cowboys): Kickers might have the least job security of any position in the NFL, so perhaps Clifford could give it a go. He showed promise aside from 3-of-3 conversions.
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