During the 2023 season, nswrl.com.au selects the round’s best 13 of New South Wales eligible players. These selections are based on the writers’ opinions and do not reflect the views of the NSWRL or the selection process for the Westpac NSW Blues.
1. Nick Meaney. Club: Melbourne Storm. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
Meaney helped the Storm bounce back into the winner’s circle with a dominant performance against the Canberra Raiders at AAMI Park on Sunday earning him his first TOTW selection.
Meaney scored a try, had two try assists, one line-break and line-break assist, made 10 tackle busts and kicked six goals.
2. Sunia Turuva. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 2.
An impressive performance from the Penrith winger on Thursday against the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles has earned him a second TOTW nomination.
Turuva scored a four-pointer, ran for 256 metres – 42 post-contact metres – made a line-break and seven tackle-breaks.
3. Billy Smith. Club: Sydney Roosters. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
Smith produced such a strong performance against the Dolphins, it led to the centre being awarded The Arthur Beetson Legacy Medal.
The Roosters centre scored a try, made two line-breaks, 11 tackle-busts and ran for 170 metres from 15 runs.
4. Stephen Crichton. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 6. TOTW selections: 2.
The Penrith centre continued to be an attacking threat on Thursday night, scoring a double against the Sea Eagles to take his tally to 12 tries for the season.
Along with his two four-pointers – one try off an intercept which saw Crichton race down field to score – the centre ran for 163 metres, had a try assist and a line-break assist along with four tackle-busts.
5. Brian To’o. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 9. TOTW selections: 9.
To’o continues to be one of the in-form wingers of the competition, once again landing himself in TOTW for the ninth time this season.
The winger ran for 221 metres – now averaging 205 run metres a game – scored a try, made a line-break and six tackle-breaks.
6. Daine Laurie. Club: Wests Tigers. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
Despite going down to the Warriors in Hamilton on Saturday night, Laurie had a standout performance that had the five-eighth in a threatening mood all night with the ball in hand.
Laurie was involved in all four of the Wests Tigers tries, setting up three and scoring one of his own. He also made a line-break, had two line-break assists and ran for 135 metres off eight runs.
7. Drew Hutchison. Club: Sydney Roosters. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
Hutchison has helped keep his team’s finals hopes alive with a strong win over the Dolphins on Saturday night.
The halfback scored a double, made two line-breaks, 12 tackle-busts and ran for 156 metres off 18 runs – 44 post-contact metres.
8. Mitch Barnett. Club: Warriors. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
He’s been a real find for the Auckland-based club this year after coming across from the Newcastle Knights.
And on Sunday he underlined that worth playing 47 minutes in the front row for 165 metres off 16 runs, including 45 kick-return metres. He also had a line-break, a try assist, a tackle-bust and an offload, along with making 27 tackles.
9. Blayke Brailey. Club: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
Games like the one against Gold Coast on the weekend show why Westpac Blues coach Brad Fittler had Brailey on his radar, naming him on the extended bench for Game One.
Brailey played 80 minutes, made 46 tackles, two line-break assists, two try assists, two tackle-busts, while also scooting out of dummy-half four times for 50 metres.
10. Terrell May. Club: Sydney Roosters. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
Another player among a host to make their TOTW debuts this week, May came off the bench into the front row and put out a stirring 39 minutes at Allianz Stadium.
He had 18 runs for 197 metres, three tackle-busts, two offloads, made 26 tackles and missed none.
Among those metres was 79 post-contact, which topped the list for all the Roosters players on the night.
11. Nat Butcher. Club: Sydney Roosters. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 3.
Butcher has been ‘Mr Effort’ for his club once again, with three line-breaks, four tackle-busts, an offload and 48 tackles.
He played all 80 minutes for 114 run metres, with 42 post-contact.
12. Jack Williams. Club: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
He’s the third Sharks forward in this week’s TOTW, and he certainly made his mark in 38 minutes on the PointsBet Stadium turf.
He made 135 metres off 13 runs, with 67 post-contact – second only to Sharks teammate Siosifa Talakai – along with four tackle-busts and 21 tackles (missing none).
13. Cameron McInnes. Club: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 2.
He has the reputation of a workhorse – evidenced by his 48 tackles against the Titans – but he also can be very creative in attack.
Last Friday he had a line-break, a line-break assist, an offload, made 17 runs for 145 metres and scored the Sharks’ fourth try – and his third for the year.
