During the 2024 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. Players who are sin-binned, sent off, or charged by the NRL match review committee are ineligible for Team of the Week nominations.
1. Dylan Edwards. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
The Panthers fullback has come close to cracking TOTW over the past three rounds but demanded inclusion this week with his 10 points (try, three goals), 24 runs for 246 metres, a line break-assist, a try assist and six tackle busts.
Edwards applied some of the glue needed to get the depleted Panthers to a 22-16 win against the Sydney Roosters at home, which has earned him Player of the Week honours.
2. Sunia Turuva. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 2.
While Edwards contributed points to the scoreboard, Turuva added his fair share as well with a hat-trick as part of his 15 runs for 140 metres.
He was a hard man to put on the ground with three line breaks and four tackle busts.
3. Jack Wighton. Club: South Sydney Rabbitohs. SOO appearances: 10. TOTW selections: 1.
Wighton’s first two tries for his new club also helped Souths to their first win in 2024; a 20-16 victory over Canterbury-Bankstown in the traditional Good Friday game.
He ran for 140 metres, had two line breaks, a line break-assist, four tackle busts and an offload.
4. Jack Bird. Club: St George Illawarra Dragons. SOO appearances: 5. TOTW selections: 1.
The shift back to the centres this year has Bird right at home again, when it comes to making an impact on the right edge.
His 179 metres off 19 runs topped the Dragons stats, plus he had 60 post-contact metres, three tackle busts and two offloads alongside his first try for the year.
5. Jack Bostock. Club: Dolphins. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
His two line breaks produced two tries for the Redcliffe-based team in their 30-14 win over the Gold Coast.
He also busted out of six tackles, had 17 runs for 142 metres, defused three kicks, while putting in a kick of his own.
6. Matt Burton. Club: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. SOO appearances: 2. TOTW selections: 1.
Burton scored the Bulldogs opening try and his 40-20 kick set up his team’s second off the next set when Connor Tracey cleanly collected a Blake Taaffe kick.
Burton also added two goals and ran for 112 metres, despite being on the losing side.
7. Adam Reynolds. Club: Brisbane Broncos. SOO appearances: 2. TOTW selections: 1.
Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater must still be having nightmares trying to gather Reynolds array of kicks. The Broncos No.7 returned earlier than expected from a knee injury and put up 22 kicks for 650 metres in the 38-12 win on Friday night.
He also landed seven from eight attempts at goal and had two try assists.
8. Jack Williams. Club: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections 1.
Williams ran the furthest of both sides, making 172 metres off the bench in the 36-22 win over the Raiders on Sunday night.
He had 59 post-contact metres, busted out of a tackle, had an offload and made 26 tackles without missing any in his 45 minutes on the field.
9. Wayde Egan. Club: Warriors. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
Played all 80 minutes in the 20-12 win over the Knights, adding a line break, a try assist, two tackle busts and four dummy-half runs for 65 metres to his attacking statistics.
In defence he was flawless with 41 tackles and no misses.
10. Mitch Barnett. Club: Warriors. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 2.
Making 22 tackles and missing just one made Barnett equally as stoic in defence as his No.9 but his three off-loads played havoc with the Knights defenders.
He also had 18 runs and 178 metres – 72 of those post-contact – making him the hardest working Warriors forward in terms of ground covered.
11. Haumole Olakau’atu. Club: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections 1.
He may have been on the losing side, but Olakau’atu’s figures certainly don’t tell that story.
He out-ran everyone on the field with his 205 metres in the 20-12 loss to the Dragons – an incredible 103 of those were post-contact as he dragged defenders along with him.
He also scored the Sea Eagles first try, busted out of five tackles, made 24 of his own and an offload in a solid 80-minute performance.
12. Jackson Ford. Club: Warriors. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 2.
His opening four-pointer for the home team was his second try of the season, as part of his 14 runs for 139 metres.
Ford added a line break, four tackle busts, 34 tackles, an intercept and a defused kick to his evening’s work.
13. Cameron McInnes. Club: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections 1.
McInnes never stood still in his 80 minute-game on Sunday night with 20 runs for 150 metres, four tackle breaks, an offload as well as making 48 tackles – the most of either the Sharks or the Raiders players – missing just just one.
