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. Connor Tracey. Club: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1
Tracey was one of the Bulldogs’ best in Round 21, with direct involvements in six of seven tries during their 41-16 win over the Brisbane Broncos.
The fullback scored a hat-trick of tries and assisted three more, had a line-break, three line-break assists and seven tackle busts, ran for 185 metres and defused five kicks.
2. Jacob Kiraz. Club: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 6
Kiraz was another Bulldogs outside back, who starred on Saturday afternoon at Suncorp Stadium.
He scored a 61st-minute try, produced a try assist, made two line-breaks and assisted three, had six tackle busts, two offloads and ran for 197 metres from 17 carries.
3. Bronson Xerri. Club: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 2
Continuing the blue-and-white theme in the back five for TOTW, Xerri came up with the opening try against the Broncos, along with two linebreaks, a linebreak assist and 14 runs for 167 metres.
4. Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii. Club: Sydney Roosters. SOO appearances: 1. TOTW selections: 1
One game on from his return from suspension against Melbourne Storm, Suaalii put in a strong performance for the Tricolours in their narrow win over the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles.
He scored first points with a try from a James Tedesco flick pass in the fourth minute, finishing the match with a try assist, one line-break, five tackle busts, 152 run metres, three offloads and nine tackles with only one missed.
5. Brian To’o. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 12. TOTW selections: 4
To’o may have left the ground without a four-pointer in the Panthers 36-point victory on the weekend, but he was still solid on the flank in his first NRL match since Round 18.
He made 16 runs for 147 metres with 60 post-contact, as well as three tackle busts and three offloads. To’o also made eight tackles without missing any, and no errors.
6. Jarome Luai. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 10. TOTW selections: 1
Luai’s display in Round 21 was fitting for his 100th NRL win on Sunday, recording a try assist, line-break, five tackle busts, five offloads, 164 run metres and a forced drop-out.
7. Nathan Cleary (c). Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 14. TOTW selections: 1
Penrith’s mercurial No.7 has taken little time to return to his best since coming back from injury.
Cleary managed a hat-trick, two try assists, one line-break, five tackle busts, 32 runs for 242 metres, seven goals from eight attempts, two forced drop-outs and 15 tackles in Saturday win over St George Illawarra Dragons.
8. Mitchell Barnett. Club: Warriors. SOO appearances: 1. TOTW selections: 3
Still not showing any signs of fatigue after his series-winning Origin debut in Game Three, Barnett keeps pumping up his work rate.
Against the Wests Tigers he had 16 runs for 138 metres, an offload and made 35 tackles – no misses – which topped his side’s count. All that in 59 minutes on the field.
9. Api Koroisau. Club: Wests Tigers. SOO appearances: 4. TOTW selections: 2.
Once more in the losing side but Koroisau never gives up even until the last minute – that’s when he scored his fourth try for the Wests Tigers this year.
He also made 33 metres with two dummy-half runs, had a line-break assist, a line break, a try assist and made 32 tackles.
10. Lindsay Smith. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 0.
He continually comes off the bench to make a difference in a star-studded side like the Panthers. But Smith’s work up the middle can’t be under-estimated.
He crossed for the third time this year in the 46-10 win over St George Illawarra in Wollongong, alongside 18 runs for 156 metres – 61 post-contact – a line-break, two tackle busts and 34 tackles.
11. Hudson Young. Club: Canberra Raiders. SOO appearances: 3. TOTW selections: 5
When Young skipped past defenders and then got a miracle pass back inside for Jordan Rapana to score the Raiders first try in the fourth minute, you knew he was in for a good game.
His 207 metres were the most for his side – 72 post-contact – along with 10 tackle busts, a line-break, a line-break assist, and that Rapana try assist.
12. Liam Martin. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 12. TOTW selections: 1.
He well and truly left his mark on Origin this year but Martin can also celebrate his first TOTW selection after scoring a try, and running for 145 metres against the Dragons.
Martin also had a line-break, a line-break assist, an off-load, broke out of two tackles and made 32 of his own.
13. Isaah Yeo. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 14. TOTW selections: 5.
This is Yeo’s fifth time in TOTW and he’ll be in a few more if he keeps up the work rate he showed on the weekend with a team-leading 44 tackles.
He also made the most runs of any Panthers forward with 20, which brought up 66 post-contact metres and which again topped all his teammates.
