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. Scott Drinkwater. Club: North Queensland Cowboys. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1
The Cowboys collecting their first win of the season had a lot to do with Drinkwater’s ‘everywhere man’ approach to beating the Canberra Raiders.
He potted five goals, made a line-break, two line-break assists, and sent the cut-out pass to Murray Taulagi for the Cowboys’ first try. Drinkwater also busted out of four tackles, had four offloads and sent two grubber kicks towards the Raiders’ in-goal in a particularly menacing afternoon.
2. Jason Saab. Club: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
Closing in on 100 NRL games, currently sitting at 90, Saab is almost keeping pace with his 66th career try – his third for 2025 – in the 26-12 win over Parramatta Eels on Sunday.
Saab ran for 154 metres, had three tackle-busts, 37 post-contact metres and a line-break.
3. Kotoni Staggs. Club: Brisbane Broncos. SOO appearances: 1. TOTW selections: 1.
The powerful centre made a statement in his first regular season game for 2025 by scoring a try in a successful return from a quad muscle injury picked up in the NRL trials.
Staggs made 15 runs and 128 metres, 41 post-contact metres, two tackle-busts, four dummy-half runs and played the full 80 minutes.
4. Bronson Xerri. Club: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
Xerri returned to his former club’s home ground in style with two tries in the 20-6 win over the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks.
Xerri was a handful breaking out of four tackles and making two line-breaks as part of his 149 metres off 18 runs. He also had a grubber kick and a dummy-half run in his repertoire.
5. Lehi Hopoate. Club: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 2.
He spent his time both on the wing and at fullback, following Tom Trbojevic’s injury, and was equally as lethal in each position.
Scoring a first-half try, Hopoate made the most run metres (213) of anyone on the field, had 81 kick-return metres and 67 post-contact. He also had a line-break assist, three tackle-breaks and set up Tolutau Koula for Manly’s last try.
6. Jack Cole. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO sppearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
Although on the losing side in the 28-18 match against South Sydney, Cole helped keep the Rabbitohs scoreless in the second half by putting Liam Martin into a gap to score and then crossing himself in the final minute of play.
Cole ran for 117 metres and had a line-break and line-break assist as well as setting up his second-‘rower. He also busted out of four tackles and made 30 of his own.
7. Luke Metcalf. Club: Warriors. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 0.
Kicking a penalty goal in the 72nd minute with the Campbelltown Stadium faithful ringing in his ears proved to be the winning play in the 26-24 win over Wests Tigers – the Warriors’ third straight win.
Metcalf tallied up 14 points in total with a try and four conversions as well. He made 15 runs for 116 metres, and eight kicks for 240 metres.
8. Terrell May. Club: Wests Tigers. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 4.
The 25-year-old has been a constant in TOTW since Round One with his pushes forward, his offloading and ability to break tackles.
He also has a big engine playing all 80 minutes in the front row, 21 runs for 202 metres, 60 of those post-contact, three offloads, three tackle-busts and 48 tackles missing just one.
9. Sam Verrills. Club: Gold Coast Titans. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
Reliable as always, Verrills picked up the pace a little further beating his former club Sydney Roosters, where he won the 2019 NRL Premiership.
Last Friday in the 30-12 victory Verrills had two line-break assists, two try assists, two dummy-half runs, an offload and made 32 tackles in his 62 minutes on the field.
10. Payne Haas. Club: Brisbane Broncos. SOO appearances: 14. TOTW selections: 3.
Haas’ motor is something to behold as he again made the most metres (155) of any Broncos forward, topped his team’s tackle count (41), and had the highest post-contact metres (71).
Throw in the five tackle-breaks and an offload and Haas again produced game-defining figures.
11. Keaon Koloamatangi. Club: South Sydney Rabbitohs. SOO appearances: 1. TOTW selections: 1
Two first-half tries were this skilful second-rower’s first for 2025 but there’s certain to be more where that came from if he keeps up the stats he had in the 28-18 win over the Sydney Roosters.
Koloamatangi busted out of seven tackles, had two offloads, defused a kick and made 20 tackles to earn our Player of the Week.
12. Jacob Preston. Club: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. SOO appearances: 1. TOTW selections: 1.
A weekly workhorse for the Bulldogs, Preston had two line-breaks, a line-break assist, try assist, three tackle-breaks and two offloads in the 20-6 win over Cronulla-Sutherland.
Then you throw in his opening try in the 10th minute at Shark Park and his 31 tackles (no misses) and it’s a thorough night’s work.
13. Cameron McInnes. Club: Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. SOO appearances: 1. TOTW selections: 2.
A mammoth 60 tackles by McInnes was best on ground at Shark Park on Saturday night.
He didn’t get to celebrate with a win but his 18 runs was only one less than Addin Fonua-Blake and he had the fastest play-the-ball speed (3.13s) of any Sharks forward.
