St George Illawarra Intrust Super Premiership NSW coach Mat Head has given halfback Darren Nicholls the ultimate compliment, labelling him the best playmaker in the competition – and ready for the NRL.
There are lesser players who’ve played NRL.
Mat Head
Nicholls was instrumental in his side’s 22-4 victory over North Sydney, and Head was ultra-impressed with his No.7.
“Before he came to the club we thought he was the best halfback in [the Intrust Super Premiership NSW] and nothing’s changed,” Head tells NSWRL.com.au.
“With no disrespect to other players, there are lesser players who’ve played NRL. I can’t believe he hasn’t got there yet and we have two great halves in [Ben Hunt] and Gareth Widdop in the club, but hopefully 'Hunty' gets that Queensland jersey in Origin – 'Dezie' (Nicholls) will be ready to go then. He’s still learning what the club wants out of him and our structures, but he’ll be ready to go then.
“He’s learning through our structures and how we play. I’m an ex-halfback so I’m pretty harsh on him at times and he’s only going to get better. It’s a new structure.”
Nicholls, 28, led the Panthers to last year's Intrust Super Premiership title and has been a part of the Wests Tigers, South Sydney Rabbitohs and Brisbane Broncos squads, but Head predicts bigger things ahead.
"I just can’t believe he hasn’t played NRL yet… Hunty’s going to have to play Origin then and we believe [Nicholls] can jump into that NRL spot," Head says.
"Just how he controls games, what he does in games… he knows his game very well."
