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, or suspended by the NRL match review committee, are ineligible for Team of the Week nominations.
1. Clint Gutherson. Club: St George Illawarra Dragons. SOO appearances: 4. TOTW selections: 1.
It was like a Hollywood script with Gutherson returning to his old home ground where he spent nine seasons, but this time with his new club and he scores two tries.
The Dragons may have lost a close one to Parramatta Eels (23-22) but Gutherson would have impressed fans of both the Red V and the Eels with his 157 metres off 19 runs, four line-breaks, two line-break assists, a try assist and seven tackle-busts alongside his two four-pointers.
2. Savelio Tamale. Club: Canberra Raiders. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
The 20-year-old Cromer Kingfishers junior was key in the 24-20 win over Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in just his sixth NRL game.
He compiled 22 runs for 191 metres, 64 of those post-contact, a line-break, six tackle busts, a dummy-half run and two offloads.
3. Bronson Xerri. Club: Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 2.
Xerri’s 211 run metres topped the charts for both teams as the Bulldogs ran riot in the second half for a 20-0 win over Newcastle Knights.
His power game was at the forefront with 84 post-contact metres and six tackle busts, but Xerri also defused a kick and sent a grubber of his own to the try-line for a forced drop-out.
4. Zac Lomax. Club: Parramatta Eels. SOO appearances: 3. TOTW selections: 2
Lomax showed what it meant to him kicking the winning field goal to hand his new club their first win of 2025 after four straight losses, in his teary post-match interview.
He certainly showed his former club, the Dragons, no mercy with 20 runs for 188 metres, 84 post-contact metres, five goals from five attempts, four tackle-busts and his one-pointer in the third minute of golden point.
5. Grant Anderson. Club: Melbourne Storm. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
After three doubles with Storm over the past three years, Anderson scored his first NRL hat-trick on the weekend in the 24-point win over the Sea Eagles at 4 Pines Park.
The 25-year-old from the Central Charleston junior club in the Hunter Valley was shifted to the wing where he did plenty of damage over 201 metres – the highest of both sides – 45 post-contact metres, four line-breaks, and busted out of four tackles.
6. Luke Brooks. Club: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
Although in a beaten side, Brooks had a hand in many Manly attacking raids with his 15 runs including three line-break assists and two try assists, alongside 24 tackles and five kicks for 117 metres.
7. Adam Reynolds. Club: Brisbane Broncos. SOO appearances: 2. TOTW selections: 2.
The two-point field goal in the shadow of half-time was classy enough, but then there was the individual chip-and-chase try by Reynolds early in the second half which was pure gold.
Unfortunately he left the field with a hamstring strain after his 14-point contribution, but he had landed four from four conversions, and made five kicks for 115 metres.
8. Tevita Tatola. Club: South Sydney Rabbitohs. SOO appearances: 0. TOTW selections: 1.
The talented prop makes his TOTW debut for 2025 this week with a solid 53 minutes in the Rabbitohs’ 20-14 win over the arch-enemy Roosters on Friday night.
He scored his first try in three years – albeit after an injury-affected 2023 and 2024 where he only played 21 games. But he was strong at Accor Stadium with 16 runs for 139 metres, 21 kick-return metres, 44 post-contact, and made 25 tackles.
9. Connor Watson. Club: Sydney Roosters. SOO appearances: 2. TOTW selections: 2.
His 44 tackles (missing just one) was the highest for both sides on Friday night, but Watson also had a try assist, a tackle-break, an offload, and four dummy-half runs for 39 metres.
10. Junior Paulo. Club: Parramatta Eels. SOO appearances: 11. TOTW selections: 1.
Another debutant for 2025 in TOTW nominations, Paulo played long minutes (72) in the middle of CommBank Stadium on Saturday and made the most of his time.
He racked up 190 metres off 10 runs, 51 kick-return metres and 77 post-contact along with three tackle-breaks, three offloads and 28 tackles.
11. Hudson Young. Club: Canberra Raiders. SOO appearances: 2. TOTW selections: 1.
The True Blue back-rower scored two tries, nine minutes apart, to become our Player of the Week.
Alongside Young’s two line-breaks in his 150 metres was a line-break assist, four tackle-busts, 41 post-contact metres, two offloads and 28 tackles.
12. Haumole Olakau’atu. Club: Manly Warringah Sea Eagles. SOO appearances: 2. TOTW selections: 3.
Olakau’atu was on the losing side at 4 Pines Park on Sunday but his work rate was strong once again this week.
He had 12 runs for 141 metres, 42 post-contact, with a line-break, a line-break assist, a try assist, four tackle-busts, a dummy-half run and three offloads.
13. Isaah Yeo. Club: Penrith Panthers. SOO appearances: 14. TOTW selections: 3.
It’s almost criminal not to get a win on his 250th NRL appearance after Yeo had done so much to try to get his side the victory.
He made 22 runs for 173 metres, 42 post-contact, a line-break assist and try assist, an offload, a tackle-break and made the most tackles of his team – 41 – without missing any.
