NRL 2015: Players who must lift their game in season 2015 The Kangaroos expect to be full strength for Saturday's Four Nations decider against the Kiwis, with the sick quartet of Cooper Cronk, Daly Cherry-Evans, David Klemmer and Sione Mata'utia given the green light for the final. Players who must lift in 2015. IF 2014 taught us anything, it's that there are some players who seriously need to lift in the New Year. These are the players who had a quiet year by their standards and will be looking to make big improvements in 2015. Broncos - Darius Boyd Darius Boyd is heading back to Brisbane. Having left Newcastle to join Wayne Bennett back in Brisbane, the star fullback re-joins the Broncos with lofty expectations. Having unloaded Ben Barba and Josh Hoffman to accommodate him, the Broncos need Boyd to fire. Bennett himself declared Boyd a vital cog in the club's future success and it is up to the 27-year-old to deliver on his mentor's promise. Having played 14 games for the Knights this year before admitting himself into rehab to deal with depression, a refreshed Boyd is ready to return to the field. His time in Newcastle left much to be desired but a familiar surrounding may just be the catalyst for Boyd to return to the form that saw him claim the 2010 Clive Churchill Medal. Raiders - Terry Campese A dejected Terry Campese and coach Ricky Stuart in the sheds. Falls from grace don't come any greater than the tumble taken by the Canberra five-eighth. The former skipper finished the year playing in NSW Cup and has been told he does not feature in the club's long-term plans. Having already fought back from three separate season-ending injuries since 2010, the 30-year-old's career is in limbo. The Raiders have started their 2015 pre-season training without Campese and it looks unlikely he will pull on a green jersey again. The club has signed Blake Austin from the Tigers, while Sam Williams returns to the club after a failed stint with St George Illawarra that saw him finish last season in England. Bulldogs - Sam Kasiano Sam Kasiano looks to offload. A former Dally M prop of the year, Kasiano managed only 14 games this season thanks to an ankle injury. Earlier in the year the Bulldogs had signed Andrew Fifita, until the deal fell over, with reports that Kasiano could leave to accommodate Fifita's arrival. Off contract at the end of 2015, 130kgm enforcer has clubs lining up for his services. To say Kasiano is a handful is an understatement. The 24-year-old Kiwi international is powerful ball-runner who is also capable of ball-playing, which makes him a great attacking asset. Having also missed most of 2013, playing just 13 games thanks to injury, Kasiano's biggest challenge is staying healthy. Sharks - Blake Ayshford Blake Ayshford is tackled. He joined the Sharks as part of a mass exodus that left the Wests Tigers at the end of 2013 to take up a deal in the Shire. Ayshford was lucky to finish the season with 16 games in the first-grade side with the team heavily hit by injury. He spent the rest of his time playing in the back-row for their reserve grade side. With talented outside backs like Jacob Gagan, Valentine Holmes and Ricky Leutele firming as genuine first-graders, Ayshford will struggle to force his way back into the centres. He will have as equally a hard time proving his worth in the back-row, with Luke Lewis and Wade Graham well ahead of him on the pecking order. The 26-year-old former junior Kangaroo is off-contract at the end of the year and with the club needing results after the year from hell, Ayshford has two choices - either lift or fade away. Sharks - Ben Barba He was Brisbane's most talked-about recruit, having left the Bulldogs to join the Broncos in 2014, but he failed to live up to the hype. After ousting Josh Hoffman from the fullback role to start the season, Barba finished the year playing in the halves. Fast forward three months and now he is at his third club, Cronulla, with the Broncos releasing him in favour of playing Anthony Milford at five-eighth and Darius Boyd at fullback. He joins the Sharks as a five-eighth as a replacement for Todd Carney but whether he can provide Jeff Robson enough variety and spark in the halves remains to be seen. Titans - Ryan James Ryan James at training. Part of a 2008 Australian schoolboys side that included the likes of Jamal Idris, Albert Kelly and Aaron Woods, James was tagged as an Origin bolter for NSW before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in early July. It wasn't the first time injury has halted his progress, with a serious knee problem dogging his early NRL career. So why all the fuss over this 22-year-old? Well, he's 194cm tall and weighs 121kg for starters. And in six games at the end of season 2013 James ran for 1,061 metres from 111 hit-ups at an average of 177 metres per game. Unfortunately, this is the second season in a row the Titans have been look to James to deliver on his promise. With a solid pre-season behind him, the big forward could be a new player for Gold Coast - but it all depends on his ability to stay injury free. Sea Eagles - Jorge Taufua Jorge Taufua in action. Earlier in the season he pulled on a City Origin jersey for the second time in his three-year NRL career, yet he finished the year on the outer. From a Blues bolter to sideline dweller, Taufua must lift this season with Clinton Gutherson pushing for a spot in the first-grade side. Toward the business end of the season, the 23-year-old livewire struggled with consistency. Lacking confidence, he spilled several bombs and dropped passes, and he was axed for the second week of the finals in favour of Cheyse Blair. There is no shortage of outside backs vying for an opportunity at the Sea Eagles, with the club also signing Newcastle speedster Brayden Williame. Taufua is a handful in attack and hard hitting in defence. With a good pre-season and some confidence back in his game, his best football should be ahead of him. Storm - Ben Hampton Ben Hampton in action. With Ben Roberts off to Castleford yet the club welcoming Wigan half Blake Green and Northern Pride star Shaun Nona to the club next season, Hampton has his work cut out for him. Having re-signed mid-year on a two-season deal, the 22-year-old playmaker made 11 appearances for the Storm this year before being overlooked in favour of Roberts. Hampton has the makings of a quality playmaker but must lift to become the full-time partner to Cooper Cronk next season. Knights - Akuila Uate Akuila Uate after a mistake. After undergoing knee surgery at the end of season 2014, Uate is expected to be back at full training by February - and from there the aim is to build on the form that brought the Knights 12 tries in 15 games last season. But clearly it's not all about the four-pointers - Uate's effectiveness as a winger just isn't consistent enough. We know he can do it - see that hat-trick against Wests Tigers in Round 13 - but confidence seems to be an issue for the Fijian. How he copes with the extra backline competition from the super-talented Mata'utia brothers could define his future with Newcastle. Cowboys - James Tamou James Tamou is split open. As a Test and State of Origin prop, James Tamou has all the qualities of a top-class player but last season was overshadowed by Ashton Sims and Matt Scott as North Queensland pushed hard into the finals series. A bulging disc in his neck that left him with debilitating arm pain was weighing on his mind last term and ultimately ruled him out of the Four Nations tournament. He doesn't need surgery but the 25-year-old has admitted his neck might never get back to 100 per cent. How that affects his confidence, his ability to put himself on the line and his aim of getting back to being one of the NRL's most damaging front-rowers remains to be seen. Eels - Chris Sandow Chris Sandow in action. Off contract at the end of the year and on a deal worth $550,000 a season, all eyes are firmly plastered on the Parramatta halfback. The 25-year-old joined the Eels in 2012 but battling a gambling addiction and languishing in reserve grade, it wasn't until 2014 that his game returned to the standard which saw him win the 2008 Dally M Rookie of the year award. It is understood the Eels are looking at using the money left over from Jarryd Hayne's departure to sign a top-tier playmaker, which places Sandow under the microscope. The man from Cherbourg has no other choice but to lift this season and let a new deal take care of itself. Panthers - David Simmons David Simmons in action. Squeezed out of the Panthers" unlikely finals run by teenage sensation Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Simmons now knows he has to recover the form that made him the NRL's leading tryscorer in 2013. An injury plagued 2014 saw the 29-year-old feature in just 11 games last season - still scoring in six of those. But if he can regain his fitness, the big question is can the winger regain his place, his confidence and the scoring form that made him so effective? Rabbitohs - Chris McQueen South Sydney's Chris McQueen goes off with head knock. The Queensland Origin representative found himself on the bench regularly this season, with Michael Maguire electing to give rookie Kyle Turner a starting berth on several occasions. Yet after extended his South Sydney contract to the end of season 2016, the 27-year-old clearly still has a future in the cardinal and myrtle. And following the exit of Sam Burgess, there is a huge hole to be filled in the Rabbitohs" forwards. Is McQueen ready to step up? Dragons - Joel Thompson Joel Thompson celebrates scoring a try. He signed from Canberra on a three-year contract worth a reported $1.2 million. The versatile second-rower and centre struggled to adapt to his new surroundings and was down on confidence for the first part of the year. As a result, Thompson explored the option of a release to return to the Raiders. However, that appears to be off the table, meaning he needs to prove his worth as a big-money player. In a team light-on for big men, Thompson's damaging running game on the edges needs to hit a new level if the Dragons are going to be a force in 2015. Roosters - Martin Kennedy After a failed stint with the Broncos, Kennedy has returned to the Bondi based club with plenty to prove. He left Sydney with a premiership ring but his season in Brisbane was so disappointing that he spent a month playing with the Ipswich Jets. Of course, Kennedy wasn't the only player to fall out with former Broncos coach Anthony Griffin but the hulking prop has seen his reputation slip. he reportedly declined more lucrative offers for a chance to rejoin the Chooks and regain the form that saw him earn a Maroons call-up in 2013. Numerous departures from the Roosters pack means the door is open for Kennedy - will he take his chance? Warriors - Sam Tomkins Sam Tomkins in action. He was the marquee signing for 2014 and while he showed glimpses of brilliance throughout the year, a player of his stature and bank account needs to deliver on a more consistent basis. There is no questioning Tomkins" talent but it is imperative he builds on his first season on the NRL and lives up to expectations for the Warriors to make a real dent in the competition in 2015. Tigers - Chris Lawrence Chris Lawrence celebrates a try with team mate James Tedesco during the NRL round 13 game between the Newcastle Knights and the Wests Tigers at Hunter Stadium, Newcastle. pic Mark Evans Source: News Corp Australia A former Test centre, Lawrence's best football seems years ago. Heavily hampered by injury in recent years, Lawrence produced 21 games this season, a significant improvement on his 13 last year. The 26-year-old fan favourite has struggled to replicate his brilliant peak form circa 2010, which saw him earn a Test nod. But if he can stay injury free in 2015, it will go a long way to not only helping a young Tigers side, but his return to being a contender for representative honours. Originally published as Players who need to lift in 2015