During the 2025 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. James Tedesco. Club: Sydney Roosters. SOO appearances: 23. TOTW selections: 1
The reigning Dally M Fullback of the Year strutted his stuff superbly against the Penrith Panthers on Friday helping to spearhead a 38-32 win.
He made 21 runs for 154 metres to add to two line-breaks, two line-break assists, three try assists and six tackle-busts.
2. Sam Stonestreet. Club: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
The 22-year-old reached double figures last weekend for NRL tries (10) but has only played seven matches in first grade. He certainly made his presence felt at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville.
He ran for 229 metres, had four line-breaks, two tackle-busts and defused two kicks along with scoring two fine tries on the right edge.
3. Bradman Best. Club: Newcastle Knights. SOO appearances: 2. TOTW selections: 1.
Best showed his power with 76 post-contact metres in the 26-12 win over the Dolphins last Thursday.
He made 18 runs for his 213 metres overall, scored a try, made seven tackle-busts, two line-breaks, as well as an offload and a grubber towards the goal-line.
4. Paul Alamoti. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 0.TOTW seletions: 1.
Alamoti scored the first of the Panthers five tries on the night and was one of the hardest to put on the CommBank Stadium turf as he made six tackle-busts through the Roosters defence in his 14 runs for 117 metres.
He also made two line-breaks, a line-break assist, a try-assist, an off-load and defused two kicks.
5. Sunia Turuva. Club: Wests Tigers. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
The three-time premiership winner with the Panthers scored his first four-pointers for his new club – a hat-trick in Sunday’s 32-6 win over Parramatta Eels.
They were among his two line-breaks and 16 runs for 168 metres. The Fijian international also busted out of four tackles and had a one-on-one steal.
6. Lachlan Galvin. Club: Wests Tigers. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
The RLPA’s Rookie of the Year last year has started 2025 with boundless energy.
He finished off a long-range try, had two try assists for Starford To’a and Jeral Skelton, a line-break and line-break assist, five tackle-busts and ran for 117 metres.
7. Jamie Humphreys. Club: South Sydney Rabbitohs. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
Not only did Humphreys have a perfect four-from-four in conversions, he also kicked the winning field goal in front of the Dragons faithful at WIN Stadium for a 25-24 Rabbitohs win.
He had a line-break assist, a try assist for his halves partner Cody Walker, made 26 tackles, and totalled 647 metres from his 18 kicks.
8. Terrell May. Club: Wests Tigers. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 2.
The talented prop is the only player backing up with another eye-catching performance from our TOTW for Round One.
He topped the Wests Tigers’ tackle count with 43, missing just one, alongside his 21 runs for 176 metres, four tackle-busts, and three offloads. His 59 post-contact metres was also more than any of his teammates.
9. Connor Watson. Club: Sydney Roosters. SOO appearances: 2. TOTW selections: 1.
The Westpac NSW Blues utility performed the No.9 role superbly in upsetting the reigning NRL Premiers, Penrith Panthers, to earn our Player of the Week.
He scored the second and fourth of the Roosters seven tries for the night, topped the tackle count for both teams with 49, ran for 102 metres with six tackle-busts, and had the second fastest play-the-ball at just 2.6 seconds behind halfback Chad Townsend (2.27).
10. Toby Couchman. Club: St George Illawarra Dragons. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
The Couchman family had something to celebrate this week with Toby’s dominant performance after twin brother Ryan injured his ACL in Round One.
The 21-year-old equalled veteran Jack De Belin in making the most tackles of anyone on the field (45) in the one-point loss to the Rabbitohs. In 62 minutes Couchman made 17 hit-ups for 170 metres, topped the Dragons in post-contact metres (69), and made two tackle-busts.
11. Dylan Lucas. Club: Newcastle Knights. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
After a bust up the middle by Adam Elliott, Lucas was the man in support for his five-eighth Fletcher Sharpe to score the Knights’ fifth try.
Lucas ran for 146 metres, had a line-break and a tackle-bust, while making 46 tackles – the highest of any Knight.
12. Angus Crichton. Club: Sydney Roosters. SOO appearances: 14. TOTW selections: 1.
The Wally Lewis Medal winner from last year’s Origin series, Crichton showed that kind of form in his 13 hit-ups for 114 metres, with a line-break, a try assist and three tackle-busts.
He also had three offloads, 26 tackles and no handling errors in 80 minutes.
13. Cameron McInnes. Club: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. SOO appearances: 1. TOTW selections: 1.
He topped the Sharks forwards in metres (137) and was second behind Jesse Ramien (22) in runs with 20.
McInnes also had a tackle-break, an offload and made 45 tackles in 63 minutes in the tropical Townsville heat.
