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 sent-off, sin-binned, or suspended by the NRL match review committee are ineligible for Team of the Week nominations.
1. Clint Gutherson. Club: Parramatta Eels. SOO appearances: 4. TOTW selections: 1.
Hard to believe this True Blue is making his first appearance in TOTW this year, but he was crucial in the upset 30-20 win over the Warriors at home last Friday.
He not only contributed 14 points of the team total with a try and all five conversions, he made 23 runs for 225 metres, had a line break, a line-break assist, a try assist, three tackle-busts, three off-loads and defused three kicks.
2. Zac Lomax. Club: St George Illawarra Dragons. SOO appearances: 3. TOTW selections: 4.
Another upset for the tipsters had the Dragons pinch their first win over Storm in Melbourne since 1999. Lomax played his part kicking all three conversions successfully and being a danger in the air.
He made 20 runs for 152 metres, had a line break and three off-loads, two tackle-busts, defused a kick and even put in a grubber himself for a 21-metre gain.
3. Stephen Crichton (c). Club: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. SOO appearances: 9. TOTW selections: 2.
A heaving Belmore Sports Ground meant a lot of pressure on skipper Crichton but he seems to relish this kind of expectation and is our Captain of the Week with two tries, a line break, a try assist, three tackle-busts.
4. Izack Tago. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 3
His try gave the Panthers the half-time lead with fine support play of his winger Brian To’o and was part of his 13 runs for 227 metres.
He also had a line-break assist and three tackle-busts alongside a line break of his own as well as being a hard man to put on the ground with 53 post-contact metres.
5. Brian To’o. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 12. TOTW selections: 5.
For a player averaging 205 metres per game, he was bang on target with 207 against the Newcastle Knights on Sunday, with 107 of those post-contact.
His try assist for Tago was another highlight alongside a line break, a line-break assist, three tackle busts, an off-load and defusing three kicks.
6. Lachlan Galvin. Club: Wests Tigers. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
Although on the losing end of a 48-30 scoreline against North Queensland, Galvin was one of the hardest workers becoming the second player after fullback Jahream Bula to make 20 runs.
The young No.6 stepped up as the Wests Tigers went down to 12 men with Justin Olam’s exit, with two line-break assists, two try assists, an off-load, and eight kicks along with his 136 run metres.
7. Nathan Cleary. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 14. TOTW selections: 2.
Cleary was up to his old trick of scoring the match-winning try – his 69th minute effort breaking a 14-all deadlock with the Knights.
Add in his 100 per cent record with five goals and the No.7 racked up 14 or the Panthers 22 points. He also made 23 runs 183 metres with five tackle-busts, and then there was the 18 kicks for 433 metres.
8. Terrell May. Club: Sydney Roosters. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 3.
May came off the bench for a 64-minute stint producing 15 runs for 126 metres, 58 of those post-contact. He busted out of two tackles and had an off-load but it was his defence that brought smiles to his teammates’ faces – 37 tackles for no misses.
9. Reece Robson. Club: North Queensland Cowboys. SOO appearances: 5. TOTW selections: 3.
The incumbent NSW rake works as hard for his club as he did for his state. His 38 tackles against Wests Tigers topped his teammates but in attack he was just as critical with a line-break assist and a try assist.
Robson made three dummy-half runs for 30 metres and broke out of three tackles.
10. Jack De Belin. Club: St George Illawarra Dragons. SOO appearances: 3. TOTW selections: 1.
The move from the back row to the front for De Belin this year has been a good one as he makes his TOTW debut.
He was only on AAMI Park for 47 minutes but gobbled up 160 metres off 18 runs. He had a line-break assist, three tackle-busts and made 23 tackles with no handling errors against Storm.
11. Teig Wilton. Club: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 3.
Wilton is an ever-present headache for defenders, proving that again against South Sydney with 65 post-contact metres and two tackle-busts among his 13 runs for 140 metres on Saturday night. He also made 26 tackles.
12. Samuela Fainu. Club: Wests Tigers. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
He is intimidating enough at 194cm but Fainu’s two tries book-ending the Wests Tigers score sheet against the Cowboys earned him his first TOTW nomination.
His line-break and three tackle busts as part of his 11 runs for 102 metres and 27 tackles also cemented him a place.
13. Isaah Yeo. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 14. TOTW selections: 6.
The Panthers co-captain has drawn level with Bulldogs outside back Jacob Kiraz in collecting six TOTW nominations so far this season.
It’s not hard to understand when he turns in performances like Sunday with 22 runs for 187 metres – 48 post-contact – and then makes 36 tackles without missing any.
