The NSWRL is pleased to announce The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup Team of the Year (TOTY), which includes six players from the Penrith Panthers and Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs that will face off today in the Grand Final at CommBank Stadium.
The NSW Cup TOTY is determined by nswrl.com.au staff and recognises the best performing players in their respective positions from the regular season. This is the first time a team has been selected since 2019 after the past two seasons were forced to be abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Penrith finished second in the competition and has the largest representation with five players - Sunia Turuva at fullback, Tom Jenkins in the centres, Soni Luke at hooker, Lindsay Smith at prop and J’maine Hopgood at lock.
Canterbury-Bankstown are represented by back-rower Jackson Topine, who also took out the club's Terry Lamb NSW Cup Player of the Year Award.
Minor Premiers Newtown Jets have two players in the line-up including third-generation star Kade Dykes at five-eighth, and The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup Player of the Year Kayal Iro at centre.
The competition’s leading try-scorer Tom Carr (22) is on the wing and is the sole representative for the North Sydney Bears.
The other winger is South Sydney’s Izaac Thompson, who scored 20 tries in the NSW Cup and made his NRL debut after nearly five years out of the game. He is joined by Rabbitohs halfback Dean Hawkins, who topped the competition for try assists (28).
The front row includes Smith and Canberra Raiders firebrand Ata Mariota, who managed five tries, 25 offloads and an average of 121 run metres in 2022.
Jack Gosiewski has also been named in the second row after being rewarded for his strong form at the St George Illawarra Dragons.
The Knock-On Effect NSW Cup provides an important pathway to the NRL with 45 players who took part in the competition this season progressing to make their NRL debuts. The Grand Finalists today include 19 players who played in the NRL this season.
THE KNOCK-ON EFFECT NSW CUP TEAM OF THE YEAR
1. Sunia Turuva (Penrith Panthers)*
2. Izaac Thompson (South Sydney Rabbitohs)*
3. Tom Jenkins (Penrith Panthers)*
4. Kayal Iro (Newtown Jets)*
5. Tom Carr (North Sydney Bears)
6. Kade Dykes (Newtown Jets)*
7. Dean Hawkins (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
8. Ata Mariota (Canberra Raiders)*
9. Soni Luke (Penrith Panthers)*
10. Lindsay Smith (Penrith Panthers)
11. Jack Gosiewski (St George Illawarra Dragons)
12. Jackson Topine (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
13. J’maine Hopgood (Penrith Panthers)
*Denotes NRL debut in 2022
