Following each week of the NRL season, nswrl.com.au selects the round’s best 13 of New South Wales eligible players. These selections are based on the opinions of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSWRL or the selection process for the Brydens Lawyers NSW Blues. Captaincy is awarded based on that week's on-field performance and is not based on club captaincy or leadership qualities.
1. Dylan Edwards. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 2.
Edwards’ consistently strong performances don’t come as a surprise as the reigning champions continue their undefeated start to the year, and that didn’t change on Friday night against the Broncos.
From 207 metres he made 106 from kick returns and 70 post-contact, but most crucially had no errors to his name – all the while diffusing the pinpoint kicking game of opposition halfback Adam Reynolds.
2. David Nofoaluma. Club: Wests Tigers. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
Nofoaluma is invariably on the scoresheet when the Tigers are at their best, and there isn’t a much bigger stage to end their 0-5 start than a full capacity CommBank Stadium on Easter Monday.
The 169-game winger scored two key tries just three minutes apart in the first half, had one line-break and six tackle busts, threw three offloads and ran for 143 metres.
3. Moses Suli. Club: St George Illawarra Dragons. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
The barnstorming centre only needed a starting opportunity to show his explosive capabilities again, and he’s making the most of that chance at St George Illawarra in 2022.
In the Dragons’ win over the Knights Suli had a hand in two tries, produced a line-break and two line-break assists, made nine tackle busts and ran for 177 metres including 62 post-contact.
4. Siosifa Talakai. Club: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 2.
The Sharks haven’t lost any admirers after their performance against arguably the NRL’s toughest assignment of Melbourne Storm at AAMI Park, and Talakai remains one of the biggest contributors to his side’s 2022 success so far.
On Saturday night the Mascot junior scored a try and assisted two others, made a line-break and had three line-break assists, broke eight tackles and ran for 182 metres including 57 post-contact.
5. Mathew Feagai. Club: St George Illawarra Dragons. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 2.
The promising outside back at the Dragons finds himself in TOTW for a second consecutive round after adding two more NRL tries to his name against Newcastle, which included a 79th-minute effort to extend St George Illawarra’s lead to beyond one point. Feagai also came up with three line-breaks, had six tackle busts and ran for 102 metres.
6. Luke Brooks. Club: Wests Tigers. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
The shift to second receiver certainly gave Brooks the freedom to help his side in a big way on Easter Monday, complimenting returning half Jackson Hastings almost seamlessly as the Tigers produced their first win of 2022. Brooks recorded two try assists and two line-break assists, tallied 310 kick metres and made 30 tackles.
7. Nathan Cleary. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 10. TOTW selections: 1.
After recovering from off-season shoulder surgery it was only a matter of time before Cleary would return to top form, and to do it so quickly makes Penrith an even more frightening prospect for opposition teams in the coming weeks.
Against Brisbane the reigning Clive Churchill Medal winner set up three tries, converted six from seven, had a line-break and three tackles busts from 122 run metres, threw three offloads and amassed 439 kick metres including three forced drop-outs.
8. Blake Lawrie. Club: St George Illawarra Dragons. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
Lawrie makes his TOTW debut after a rollicking stint off the bench for the Dragons against the Knights. His 20 runs up the middle was the most of any of his teammates as was his 182 metres.
Lawrie also barged his way forward for 65 post-contact metres, which was only bettered by Jaydn Su’A (69), and he did all this – along with 25 tackles – in just 57 minutes on the field.
9. Damien Cook (c). Club: South Sydney Rabbitohs. SOO appearances: 12. TOTW selections: 4.
The first hat-trick of his career is reason enough for another spot in TOTW, but equally impressive is making 34 tackles with no misses.
He also made two line-breaks and broke three tackles, along with two dummy-half runs for 27 metres. It seems the sharp and effective Cook running game is back with a vengeance.
10. David Klemmer. Club: Newcastle Knights. SOO appearances: 14. TOTW selections: 1.
A True Blue with over a dozen Origin games to his name, Klemmer has had a hampered start to 2022 due to a knee injury. But in his first game he showed Knights fans what they’ve been missing.
He ran for 159 metres off 14 hit-ups, bent back the line with 62 post-contact metres, as well as six tackle busts, a line-break and an offload. The mobile prop also reeled off 44 tackles.
11. Haumole Olakau’atu. Club: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 2.
It’s back-to-back appearances for the talented 23-year-old, who is forming a lethal combination with his skipper and halfback Daly Cherry-Evans on Manly’s right edge.
In the win over the Titans, Olakau’atu scored two of his side’s four tries and broke out of five tackles in his 12 runs for 121 metres, as he proves harder and harder to bring down.
12. Liam Martin. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 3. TOTW selections: 1.
One of Brad Fittler’s debutants in the 2021 Brydens Lawyers NSW Blues side, Martin is electric every time he touches the ball.
He scored his fourth try in five games in last weekend’s win over the Broncos, alongside his line-break, line-break assist and 147 metres from 13 runs. He also had five tackle busts and an offload to keep the defence on their toes all night.
13. Isaah Yeo. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 5. TOTW selections: 3.
It’s almost becoming a case of cut-and-paste Yeo’s name into TOTW each week, such is his consistency and potency for the Panthers.
Let’s add reliability in defence as he made 46 tackles against the Broncos and didn’t miss any of them. Yeo also ran for 154 metres off 16 runs, to add to his two line-breaks and two try assists.
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