The highest-paid NRL players of the 2021 finals series
No. 26 - Jared Waerea-Hargreaves ($700k)
Roosters enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is paid $700,000-a-seaon and he's worth every penny.
In recent years, the veteran forward has become the spiritual leader for the Tricolours and he has been the club's leading front-rower in three premiership campaigns.
His presence on the park this finals series will be vital for Trent Robinson's side. For the Roosters to go deep he will have to be one of their strongest performers as he so often is in the big games.
No. 25 - Jahrome Hughes ($700k)
Jahrome Hughes commands a $700,000 pay day from the Storm, but going off his form this season you'd expect his next deal to rake him in even more.
The playmaker has been in career-best nick for the reigning premiers alongside five-eighth Cameron Munster in the halves.
The Kiwi's impressive run of form attracted a bid from the Warriors who attempted to lure Hughes across the Tasman on a deal reportedly worth $2.5 million over three years.
Hughes turned that down, opting to stay under coach Craig Bellamy's tried and tested system as he hunts for a second premiership title in this finals series.
No. 24 - Tyson Frizell ($700k)
For so long Tyson Frizell was a name synonymous with the Red V, but his move to Newcastle on a $700,000-a-season deal has already paid off.
The one-man army will return to finals football this year after helping the Knights to a seventh-place finish on the ladder.
Coach Adam O'Brien will be hoping Frizell can help his squad go one better this post-season over last year's first-round exit.
No. 23 - Damien Cook ($700k)
Where would the Rabbitohs be without hooker Damien Cook?
The speedster's bursts out of dummy-half provides the Bunnies with just another option in their attacking game and more than justifies his $700,000-a-season price tag.
Cook featured again for the Blues this year in the No.9 jersey, frequently linking up with fullback James Tedesco in their forays down the middle of the park.
No. 22 - Tom Burgess ($700k)
Tom Burgess, twin of George and brother of Souths icon Sam, has been carving his own path in recent years away from the glamour of his family name.
Under Wayne Bennett his game has gone to new heights, becoming one of the cornerstones of the Rabbitohs' forward pack - earning him a $700,000 salary.
No. 21 - Jai Arrow ($700k)
Jai Arrow made headlines with a lucrative transfer to the Rabbitohs ahead of 2021 on a $700,000-a-season move.
The second-rower had linked up with Wayne Bennett in Maroons camp, forming an integral piece of Queensland's stunning 2020 series victory.
His services as a ball-running forward have been invaluable for the Rabbitohs, alongside the likes of Keaon Koloamatangi and Jaydn Su'A and he has admitted that he owes the club for standing by him when his world came crashing down when he brought a woman back to his hotel room in Queensland camp, in breach of COVID-19 protocols.
No. 20 - Joey Manu ($720k)
One of the men at the centre of this season's biggest story, Joey Manu, had his season cut short after being clobbered by Latrell Mitchell a fortnight ago.
Up until that point, Manu was arguably the form centre of the NRL, more than justifying his $720,000 contract.
He will play no further part in 2021, missing out on the upcoming finals series and adding another huge casualty to Trent Robinson's injury ward.
No. 19 - Angus Crichton ($720k)
Angus Crichton has carved himself into a superstar second-rower under Trent Robinson's Roosters system.
The former schoolboy rugby phenom first made waves when South Sydney brought him into the NRL in a breakout season in 2017.
But he was soon poached by their cross-town rivals on a deal worth $720,000-a-season.
He will be one of the big names the depleted Tricolours will be looking toward for morale this finals series.
No. 18 - Latrell Mitchell ($750k)
For the second year running, Latrell Mitchell will not feature in the NRL finals.
While it was injury that kept him from starring in the post-season in 2020, this time it's a thumping hit on former Roosters teammate Joey Manu that has seen him sidelined for six weeks.
It's a shame for both Sydney-based powerhouses who will be without two of their strongest attacking options.
Since his $750,000-a-season move to Souths, Mitchell has proved his game-breaking ability time again and will be sorely missed by Wayne Bennett on his late premiership push.
No. 17 - Dane Gagai ($750k)
Put Rabbitohs centre Dane Gagai in an inch of space and he's bound find the line.
It's that special try-scoring ability alongside a physicality in his game that allows him to command a $750,000 pay cheque from the Bunnies.
With Latrell Mitchell out of the picture for finals, Gagai and fellow winger Alex Johnston will have to be at their best to compensate for their fullback's absence.
