The 21-year-old has played the majority of his NRL<\/a> career on the wing, with just five of his starting appearances coming at centre, but has been backed by his coach to excel in the difficult role, with young gun Deine Mariner set to battle it out with Corey Oates for a vacant wing spot at Red Hill.<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/strong> Tigers swing axe as new era continues to form<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \ufeffREAD MORE:<\/strong> Defending champ Kokkinakis out of Adelaide in first round<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/strong> How Smith bombshell changed post-Warner battle<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Cobbo isn't likely to be alone when it comes to switching jersey numbers this season however, with coaches across the league looking to shake things up in order to bring premiership success to their respective clubs.<\/p>\n Let's take a look at some other stars set for a positional switch in 2024.\ufeff<\/em><\/p>\n One of the biggest recruitment moves in recent years, the long-time marquee man at the Raiders will head to the Rabbitohs<\/a>, ending an 11-year tenure in the nation's capital and placing him in line for a permanent move away from the No.6 jumper.<\/p>\n After bursting onto the scene as a fullback as a teenager, Wighton has spent the past six years playing five-eighth for Canberra, leading them to a grand final appearance in 2019 and becoming the club's go-to man.<\/p>\n However, his arrival at South Sydney is set to bring a fresh challenge, with the 30-year-old expected to play in the centres given the presence of Cody Walker in the halves.<\/p>\n Wighton has started in 38 games in the position during his NRL career, as well as dominating in the representative arena out wide, making the decision a no-brainer for the Bunnies as they look to re-establish themselves as a genuine title contender.<\/p>\n Another huge addition to the Canterbury roster heading into a crucial season for the club will see three-time premiership winner Crichton head to Belmore<\/a> – and he's likely to get first crack at his preferred spot in the lineup.<\/p>\n Despite\ufeff cementing himself as one of the game's elite centres during the early stages of his career, the Samoan international has long expressed his desire to wear the No.1 jumper, but had been blocked by Dylan Edwards during his time at Penrith.<\/p>\n Crichton has started just seven NRL games at fullback and showed glimpses of his potential, with his elite mix of size and skill giving him all the tools to make a permanent transition a success.<\/p>\n The 23-year-old will likely face competition from fellow recruit Blake Taaffe, but given the money the Bulldogs have paid to acquire Crichton's signature, it's expected that head coach Cameron Ciraldo will lean towards the NSW Origin phenom to start 2024.\ufeff<\/p>\n Another high-profile player\ufeff that will be starting fresh at both a new club and position is Brooks, who finally cut ties with the Wests Tigers after a tumultuous 205-game run.<\/p>\n The playmaker spent the majority of his time at Concord wearing the No.7 jumper but will arrive at Manly on a long-term deal<\/a> with the expectation of taking a back-seat to Daly Cherry-Evans and line up at five-eighth for the club.<\/p>\n Brooks has played just 14 top grade matches at five-eighth, but will now benefit from an experienced halves partner in the Queensland captain, who should take plenty of pressure off the 29-year-old's shoulders at the Sea Eagles.\ufeff<\/p>\n Given the major strength of Brooks being his speed and running game, a move wider of the ruck and \ufefftaking the shackles off could be exactly what the doctor ordered.<\/p>\n The prodigal son will return home this year, with the Warriors pulling off a major recruitment coup by adding Tuivasa-Sheck back into their improving roster.<\/p>\n The former Dally M Medal winner has spent the past two years plying his trade in rugby union, but after failing to reach the heights expected of him in All Blacks colours, will return to the 13-man code in a bid to help bring an NRL title to Auckland<\/a>.<\/p>\n The 30-year-old was a genuine superstar at fullback during his initial league stint, but is now expected to line up at centre for the Wahs, with incumbent No.1 and fan-favourite Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad \ufeffexpected to retain his position.<\/p>\n \ufeffWhile his fleet-footedness and game-breaking ability can't be denied, Tuivasa-Sheck has never started an NRL game in the centres and will now be entering unknown territory as he prepares to cement his legacy in the sport.<\/p>\n He was first labelled 'the gifted one' \ufeffby former NSW coach Brad Fittler, but it's hard to deny the fact Lomax hasn't reached the heights many expected in first grade<\/a>.<\/p>\n After being shuffled across the backline early in his career, the Temora product has been a permanent fixture in the centres for the Dragons in recent years, with his flashes of brilliance at times outweighed by his error-riddled displays in both attack and defence.<\/p>\n The 24-year-old had high hopes of playing fullback early in his career, and while that experiment was abandoned after just two starts a few years ago, new head coach Shane Flanagan is expected to give Lomax the opportunity to train there in pre-season.<\/p>\n Lomax's size, footwork and football IQ could be beneficial at the back for the Red V, with the side lacking a steady fullback since Josh Dugan's departure over five years ago – but the defensive side of the game could also be a tough ask for Lomax to learn quickly.<\/p>\n And where does the potential move leave young gun Tyrell Sloan? That remains to be seen, but it's not a bad problem for Flanagan to have right off the bat.<\/p>\n Plenty has been made of St George Illawarra adding the son of their new head coach<\/a> to the squad for 2024 and 2025 – but is there a way it could revive Flanagan's career?<\/p>\n While his performances in first grade for the Roosters and Bulldogs have left plenty to be desired, there's still an opportunity for the 25-year-old to turn things around.<\/p>\n Flanagan was initially signed to the club as a utility or hooker option before Junior Amone's deregistration by the NRL, which threw the club's initial plans into chaos.<\/p>\n But with the new addition of young gun Ronald Volkman as a potential partner for captain Ben Hunt in the halves, there's still a good chance Flanagan finds himself wearing either the No.9 or No.14 jumper once the season kicks off.<\/p>\n If there's one man that knows how to shake-up a roster, it's incoming Titans coach Des Hasler<\/a>, who has a knack for turning underperforming players and clubs around.<\/p>\n The two-time premiership winner will be looking to add to his resume on the Gold Coast, and one of his first pieces of business will be deciding between AJ Brimson, Jayden Campbell and Keano Kini as the long-term fullback and sticking with it.<\/p>\n At this stage, Brimson looks the most likely player to miss out and switch roles, with reports indicating the State of Origin speedster could be in line for a centre spot, with Campbell and Kini left to battle it out for the No.1 jumper.<\/p>\n The 25-year-old has started just one first grade game in the centres, but has publicly expressed being open to the transition if it were the right thing for the Titans.\ufeff<\/p>\n The final player on this list is perhaps a left-field choice, given Talakai's success in the centres for Cronulla in recent years, turning him into a NSW Origin representative<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, the club has a litany of young outside backs knocking down the door, headlined by 2022 NSW Cup Player of the Year Kayal Iro, who is destined for big things and deserves an opportunity in the top grade.<\/p>\n Talakai's ability to play in the back-row or off the bench as an impact middle-forward could bring on the change, with the Sharks desperate to move from title pretenders to contenders this season.<\/p>\n The 26-year-old has an extensive history in the forward pack, starting 41 games on the edge and a further six at lock during his NRL career to date, and could help fill the void left by retiring premiership winner and captain, Wade Graham.\ufeff<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n
Jack Wighton\ufeff<\/h3>\n
![\"Stephen](\"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/ba857733-4ab9-4549-ad8c-93942b76af52-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\nStephen Crichton<\/h3>\n
![\"New](\"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/6b2d1421-5a9c-4f71-b0a6-ed5ce85ae7b4-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\nLuke Brooks\ufeff<\/h3>\n
![\"Roger](\"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/528e1b56-df61-406d-a9b5-1439d24952ca-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\nRoger Tuivasa-Sheck \ufeff<\/h3>\n
![\"Zac](\"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/3400bd11-9adf-41f7-899a-f4a4aa606caf-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\nZac Lomax<\/h3>\n
![\"Kyle](\"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/17df9a78-8afb-4067-a64f-86758643284f-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\nKyle Flanagan<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
AJ Brimson<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\n
Siosifa Talakai\ufeff\ufeff<\/h3>\n